Filip Tomic
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November 3 is one of the most important dates in the NBA this season as that is the day when the inaugural In-Season Tournament tips off. All 30 teams will participate, spread across 6 groups, with the winner of each group plus 2 wildcards from each conference advancing to a knockout stage. From then on the best 4 teams will advance to a Final Four-style elimination tournament in Las Vegas in early December.
How much NBA fans and players value winning this tournament remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – we are entering uncharted territory for the first time in a long time in the NBA, especially from a betting standpoint and we couldn’t be more excited!
Now let’s have a look at some of the odds to win this year’s NBA Cup, followed by our best bet and longshot predictions. Be sure to also visit our NBA hub for all our in-depth analysis on the upcoming 2023-24 NBA regular season.
2023-24 NBA In-Season Tournament betting odds and favorites
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Milwaukee Bucks +950
Boston Celtics +950
Phoenix Suns +1100
Denver Nuggets +1300
Los Angeles Lakers +1300
Golden State Warriors +1400
Cleveland Cavaliers +1400
Philadelphia 76ers +1400
Sacramento Kings +1700
New York Knicks +2400
Atlanta Hawks +2400
Minnesota Timberwolves +2400
OKC Thunder +2400
Dallas Mavericks +2400
Miami Heat +2400
Los Angeles Clippers +2400
New Orleans Pelicans +3100
Memphis Grizzlies +3700
2023-24 NBA In-Season Tournament winner best bet: Boston Celtics +950
East Group C — against the Magic, Bulls, Nets and Raptors — is arguably the easiest one the Celtics could be in and they should come out of it fairly easily. Their biggest competitor will be the Brooklyn Nets, who got swept from the first round of the postseason last year. Toronto, Chicago and Orlando all failed to make the postseason, so the Celtics should stroll through this group. After acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this offseason, the Celtics are aiming for big things and winning the in-season tournament would send a clear message that they mean business this year.
Jayson Tatum’s play left a lot to be desired prior to last year’s exit at the hands of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Jaylen Brown is also under pressure to prove his worth after signing the biggest contract in NBA history this offseason. This team has already been together for a while and with head coach Joe Mazzulla entering his second year with the squad, Boston is my pick to raise the first ever NBA Cup banner.
New to NBA betting? Check out our NBA betting guide
2023-24 NBA In-Season Tournament longshot best bet: New Orleans Pelicans +3100
You won’t often find a team as talented as the New Orleans Pelicans at massive odds of +3100. The trio of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum started off last season 23-14 and battling for the top seed in the West, but injuries took a toll on them and they ended up losing in the play-in tournament. It’s time for a fresh start this time around and the buzz around this team is pretty big. Although they have stiff competition in their group with the Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers and Dallas Mavericks all eyeing top spot, the Pelicans can match up with each of those teams when healthy.
Even if that doesn’t happen, I feel like the NBA would want Zion Williamson somehow involved in the knockout stages, and there’s also the possibility of this team being the wild card from the Western Conference. We all know anything can happen in a one-off elimination game, so the Pelicans might very well have a solid chance as our longshot bet.
Check out my picks to win every NBA division this season
