2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Betting Odds and Predictions

As the Knockout Rounds approach, there are eight teams remaining in the battle for the 2023 NBA Cup. We are taking a deep dive into the latest 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament odds, courtesy of the best NBA betting sites, and making our NBA Cup predictions.

NBA In-Season Tournament Odds

The following 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament betting odds are courtesy of Bovada:

With only eight teams remaining in the tournament, the Boston Celtics have the shortest 2023 NBA Mid-Season Tournament odds at sports betting sites. At Bovada, the Celtics and Bucks were co-favorites entering Group Play and remain at the top of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament odds.

The biggest odds movers from Group Play to the Knockout Rounds are the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers’ odds have dropped from +12500 before Group Play to +1400 going into the Knockout Rounds.

NBA Mid-Season Tournament Favorites

Let’s take a quick look at the top NBA In-Season Tournament favorites and their outlook for the Quarterfinals.

Boston Celtics (+300)

The Celtics are favored to win the NBA In-Season Tournament (+300) and the 2023-24 NBA Championship (+375). However, they almost didn’t make it to the Quarterfinals of this tournament.

With the Celtics, Orlando Magic, and Brooklyn Nets all finishing at 3-1 in the Group Stage, the NBA had to examine the point differential. To guarantee that they had enough points, the Celtics invoked a Hack-a-Drummond strategy against the Chicago Bulls to send the big man to the free-throw line.

While Celtics’ head coach Joe Mazzulla apologized to Bulls’ head coach Billy Donovan, the strategy worked, as the Celtics won the point differential over the Magic and Nets after a 124-97 win.

In addition to advancing to the Knockout Rounds, the Celtics have sole possession of the lead in the Eastern Conference. At 14-4, the Celtics have a one-game advantage over the Bucks. If you want the most well-rounded team to win the In-Season Tournament, the Celtics are your squad.

The Celtics are a Top 10 offense and Top 10 defensive team in the NBA. On defense, the Celtics are third in defensive efficiency at 1.046. Trading for Jrue Holiday will only give the Celtics an additional upper hand in big games on the defensive floor.

The offense has been performing at an elite level, too. As of November 29, the Celtics are eighth in the league, with an offensive efficiency of 1.140. Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics, averaging 27.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

For the Quarterfinals, the Celtics will travel to Indiana for the Knockout Rounds on Monday.

Milwaukee Bucks (+350)

After a mediocre start to the season for the Bucks, the 2021 NBA champs are finding their groove. Since opening the 2023-24 campaign at 5-4, the Bucks have won eight of their previous nine games.

Some of their best offensive performances have been during the NBA In-Season Tournament games. In four assignments, the Bucks have scored an average of 125.5 points per game. They’ve recorded 130 or more points in three straight tournament games.

Overall, the Bucks are fourth in the NBA in points scored per game. They’ve averaged 120.4 points per game behind the newly-formed power duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Antetokounmpo and Lillard needed a few games to generate some chemistry. Also, the Bucks welcomed a new head coach, Adrian Griffin, to the organization in the offseason. The Bucks were expected to need some time to gel together in a new system.

At +440, the Bucks have the third-best odds to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship. Before Bucks fans get too excited, the defense has to come around before the playoffs begin. The Bucks are 21st in the NBA, with a defensive efficiency rating of 1.127.

This has resulted in the Bucks ranking outside the Top 10 in average team scoring margin at +3.1. Nevertheless, in a one-and-done format of the Knockout Rounds, all that might be required is Antetokounmpo and Lillard catching fire from the field to get it done.

The Bucks draw a tough rematch against a defensive-minded Knicks squad in the Knockout Rounds.

NBA Mid-Season Tournament Value Bet: Sacramento Kings (+500)

The Sacramento Kings swept the competition in Group Play to take the top seed in Group C. In their latest NBA In-Season Tournament assignment, the Kings completed an improbable comeback against the Golden State Warriors.

Behind De’Aaron Fox’s 29 points and seven assists, the Kings erased a 72-55 deficit at halftime to steal a 124-123 win from the Warriors. Malik Monk provided a spark off the bench to finish with 21 points and three rebounds.

Overall, the Kings are sixth in the Western Conference, with a record of 10-6. After making the playoffs last year, for the first time since 2006, the Kings are looking to complete another leap forward this season.

They gave the Warriors a tough series in the first round, but ultimately bowed out in seven games. The defense was the main source of the Kings’ faults in 2022-23. Offensively, the Kings were one of the most efficient offenses of all time.

At 119.7 points per 100 possessions, the Kings scored more than any other team in NBA history. But the defense was a massive liability for Sacramento in 2022-23. This season, the Kings have shown strides in the right direction defensively.

Currently, the Kings are 21st in the NBA, with 115.8 points allowed per game. With their offense, a better-than-terrible defense makes the Kings a dangerous threat in the Western Conference. As long as Fox remains healthy, the Kings are likely to remain competitive in the NBA In-Season Tournament.

And, for a young, up-and-coming team like the Kings seeking something to build on, the In-Season Tournament is the perfect opportunity. Perhaps more than any other team in the Knockout Rounds, the Kings are motivated to win the NBA Cup.

NBA Mid-Season Tournament Longshot Bet: New York Knicks (+1600)

Why not side with the team with the longest NBA In-Season Tournament odds? Despite their odds, the New York Knicks haven’t been playing like a longshot contender.

In the four Group Play games, the Knicks had the best defense in points allowed per game. They are the only team to yield an average of less than 100 points per game.

With 99.5 points allowed, the Knicks were roughly five points better than the next-best defense during Group Play. The Knicks were one of only three teams with a point differential of better than 10+ points.

This has been consistent with the rest of the Knicks’ regular season games. The Knicks are first in the NBA, with 105.1 points allowed per game. They managed to remain competitive with defense in their first NBA In-Season Tournament game against the Bucks.

The Knicks came up short in a 110-105 final, but they did win three of four quarters and were in the game until the final minutes. After the loss, the Knicks pulled off three straight wins against the Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, and Charlotte Hornets to reach the Knockout Rounds.

If the Knicks find a spark offensively, they are capable of beating the Bucks and advancing in the NBA In-Season Tournament. We are confident in their defense showing up and giving the Bucks a physical game. Immanuel Quickley and Josh Hart’s shooting off the bench could prove to be pivotal.

At +1600 odds, the Knicks are worth a sprinkle for your NBA betting strategy in the NBA In-Season Tournament.

NBA In-Season Tournament Predictions

You can’t go wrong with backing the most well-rounded basketball club for the NBA In-Season Tournament. The Celtics have the talent on both ends of the floor to beat an up-tempo team, like the Pacers, or slow it down and grind out a physical win with their defense.

They have the personnel to adapt appropriately to any team’s game plan. When the Celtics aren’t focused, they are ripe for an upset. That is where the Kings or Knicks have a chance to sneak up and pull off an unlikely victory.

That being said, we have confidence in the Celtics being motivated to win the inaugural NBA Cup. They went through the motions like it was normal regular season games in Group Play, but expect the energy to be turned up several notches in the Quarterfinals.

In addition to this being a great team, the Celtics are fetching great odds to win the NBA In-Season Tournament. The Celtics are a serious bargain to win this event at Bovada.

With +300 odds, you can win $300 on a $100 wager. In our opinion, that is tremendous value on the East-leading Celtics and favorites to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship.

NBA In-Season Tournament Rules and Format

The 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament rules are straightforward and easy to follow through the two stages. It’s important to note that wins and losses will count toward the team’s regular-season records, except in the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship.

Group Play Rules

Six groups of five teams will make up the Group Play stage. Each team’s NBA In-Season Tournament matchups will consist of four games against each team in the group, with two games at home and two on the road.

A total of eight teams will advance from the Group Stage to the Knockout Rounds. The team with the best record in each group will automatically advance to the next round. Additionally, a wild card from each conference will receive an invitation to the Knockout Rounds.

Wild card teams consist of two clubs who didn’t win their group, but finished with the best record in the Group Play phase. The NBA has set out rules for tiebreakers among teams with the same records:

• Point differential
• Total points scored
• Regular-season record from the 2022-23 season
• Random drawing

Point differential is the first means of breaking up a tie. Suppose the point differential is the same between teams. In that case, total points, the 2022-23 regular-season record, and a random drawing will be used in the unlikely scenario that there isn’t a resolution based on the first three criteria.

Knockout Rounds Rules

The Knockout Round games are a single-elimination game format in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals. In each conference, the Quarterfinal games will be hosted by two teams with the best records from the Group Play stage.

During days when Knockout Round games are not scheduled, the other 22 NBA teams who did not qualify will play two regular-season games on December 6 and December 8. The four teams who lost in the Quarterfinals are scheduled to play a regular-season game on December 8.

NBA In-Season Tournament Prize

The tournament prize pool will be distributed to players on teams who participated in the Knockout Rounds. Players on teams that advance the furthest will be allocated more of the prize pool.

Following the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship, the NBA Cup will be awarded to the winning team. Additionally, an MVP and All-Tournament Team will be announced by the NBA.

NBA In-Season Tournament Schedule

On Friday, November 3, the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament tips off with the Group Play stage. The first-ever NBA Cup will be awarded to a team in the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship on Saturday, December 9.

The 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament includes two stages and a championship game. All 30 teams are eligible to participate in the opening Group Play. Let’s take a brief look at the NBA midseason tournament schedule: