How To Bet On The 2021 NBA Play-In Games

The NBA regular season has finally come to an end, which means it's time for one of my favorite stages of the year...the NBA Playoffs! This season, the playoffs won't begin until after the play-in games, which features four teams in each conference competing for the final two spots. All the matchups showcase star power, which should be fun to watch, and more importantly, gamble on.

Let's dive into the schedule, betting odds, and matchups for the play-in below:

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Matchups

Eastern Conference

No. 7 seed Boston Celtics (-1.5, 232.5) vs. No. 8 seed Washington Wizards

This is a dangerous spot for the Celtics, especially after losing one of their young stars in Jaylen Brown to a season ending wrist injury. Boston did win two out of three games against the Wizards during the regular season, but all of that is out the door because that was with a healthy Jaylen Brown.

Washington's star duo of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal got better as the season progressed and are a tough out for anyone, let alone the banged up Celtics. This will be a very difficult game for Boston, especially in the one-game format. Jayson Tatum will need to score 30+ for Boston to pull this one out.

One thing to keep an eye on is the health of Beal. He did suffer a slight hamstring injury, but he should be good to go for the play-in.

No. 9 seed Indiana Pacers (-3, 227.5) vs. No. 10 seed Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball is back and I like the Hornets in this spot. The team showed resiliency all season long, especially after losing both Gordon Hayward and Ball to injuries. Charlotte also beat Indiana in two out of three games during the regular season.

On paper, Indiana is the more talented team by far. But, it seems like their entire roster is banged up right now with Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, and Myles Turner all dealing with some kind of injury heading into this game.

Rebounding will be the key to this game. Indiana's defense is suspect, ranking 25th in points allowed, but on top of that, they rank dead last in offensive rebounds. The Hornets rank 6th in the NBA in offensive rebounding, which is one of my biggest reasons for liking Charlotte in this spot.

Western Conference

No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers (-4.5, 219.5) vs. No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors

I know a lot of players are not happy about the play-in, but this game right here is a fan and bettor's dream. Steph Curry vs. LeBron James in a one-game format to get into the playoffs...yes, please! Sorry, LeBron!

On paper, the defending champions have the much better squad. Which is precisely why they opened up as the biggest favorites in this round. The Lakers also took two out of three games from the Warriors during the regular season. LeBron James did roll his ankle in his last game out, so that is something to really watch going into Wednesday.

Curry, who has had an MVP-like season, will need to have one of his classic games if the Warriors want to pull this win out. He did lead the league in scoring this season and dropped 44 points in the season finale, so you know he is not going out without a bang.

No. 9 seed Memphis Grizzlies (-3.5, 221.5) vs. No. 10 seed San Antonio Spurs

Another year and another Spurs sighting. No matter how much you count out San Antonio, coach Gregg Popovich always has them in the mix for the playoffs.

Memphis did take two of three from San Antonio during the year and finished the regular season 5-1 over their last six games. Couple that with the fact that Spurs limped into this game and will be without one of their key cogs in Derrick White, and I like the Grizzlies to pull this one out.

So there you have it, folks. I can't wait for the playoffs to begin and for that Lakers-Warriors game. Let's win some money this postseason!

*Odds courtesy of BetMGM