NBA Play-In Tournament Odds 2026: Trail Blazers & Clippers Among Favorites to Qualify
I'm breaking down the latest NBA Play-In Tournament odds coming out of All-Star Weekend as the Association begins its push toward the 2026 playoffs.
Who are the betting favorites to take up the eight play-in spots across both conferences? I explore the odds for both the East and West while offering my best bet to make the tournament at this point in the season.
📊 NBA Play-In Tournament odds
NBA Play-In Tournament odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Eastern Conference
There are seven teams within 4.5 games of one another in the middle of the Eastern Conference, currently holding the sixth-to-12th spots in the standings. That's why these betting odds are much closer than what we're seeing for the Western Conference. The Hawks and Hornets are the only teams with -500 odds or shorter to make the Play-In Tournament, which both translate to an implied probability over 80%, per our odds converter.
| Team | Odds | Implied probability | Profit ($10 bet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | -650 | 86.67% | $1.54 |
| Charlotte Hornets | -500 | 83.33% | $2 |
| Miami Heat | -300 | 75% | $3.33 |
| Orlando Magic | -160 | 61.54% | $6.25 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | -105 | 52.22% | $9.52 |
| Toronto Raptors | +130 | 43.48% | $13 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +550 | 15.38% | $55 |
| Chicago Bulls | +1300 | 7.14% | $130 |
| Boston Celtics | +3000 | 3.23% | $300 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +3500 | 2.78% | $350 |
| New York Knicks | +5500 | 1.79% | $550 |
Western Conference
The betting odds indicate that three of the four play-in spots in the West are all but locked up. The Trail Blazers, Clippers, and Warriors all have odds shorter than -1000 to qualify for the NBA Play-In Tournament, with Portland leading the way with -20000 odds that translate to an implied probability of 99.5%.
| Team | Odds | Implied probability | Profit ($10 bet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Trail Blazers | -20000 | 99.50% | $0.05 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | -7000 | 98.59% | $0.14 |
| Golden State Warriors | -1100 | 91.67% | $0.91 |
| Phoenix Suns | -140 | 58.33% | $7.14 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +220 | 31.25% | $22 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +270 | 27.03% | $27 |
| Houston Rockets | +1600 | 5.88% | $160 |
| Denver Nuggets | +1800 | 5.26% | $180 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +6500 | 1.52% | $650 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +12500 | 0.79% | $1,250 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +22500 | 0.44% | $2,250 |
💰 NBA Play-In Tournament best bet
I'm targeting the lone play-in spot seemingly still up for grabs in the Western Conference, which will be claimed by the Suns (-140).
I saw the Suns as an undervalued team ahead of the season following the departure of Kevin Durant, and that's proven to be the case. Phoenix is nine games above .500 at the All-Star break and currently holds the No. 7 seed, which puts them in line to qualify for the Play-In Tournament.
The Suns certainly won't fall below the 10th seed in the West, the final play-in spot, as every team below the Clippers has waved the white flag on the 2025-26 season. The only concern for this bet would be if the Suns climb higher than No. 7 in the Western Conference, but I don't see them passing any of the six teams currently ahead of them. The Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Rockets, Lakers, and Timberwolves all possess more talent than the Suns.
Given the depth of the West, Phoenix will almost certainly find itself between the seventh and 10th seeds by the end of the regular season. The Suns' current -140 odds, which will only shorten from here, translate to an implied probability of 58.33%.
Best bet: Suns (-140 via FanDuel)
❓ NBA Play-In Tournament FAQs
When is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament will run from April 14-17.
What is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The NBA play-in tournament determines the final two seeds from each conference in the NBA playoffs, as only the top six seeds are guaranteed a spot in the dance. In the past, the top eight seeds were guaranteed a spot, but now the teams that rank ninth or 10th in the standings can play their way into the playoffs.
NBA Play-In Tournament format
The ninth and 10th seeds will face off, with the winner of that game getting the opportunity to steal the eighth seed from the loser of the game featuring the seventh and eighth seed.
You need to win only one game to make the playoffs if you finish the regular season as the seventh or eighth seed. For a team to qualify for the playoffs if it finishes ninth or 10th in its respective conference, two games must be won.
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