The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup — erstwhile known as the In-Season Tournament — will kick off on Tuesday, November 12.
The groups have been announced and the schedule will soon follow. NBA odds are available for the eventual tournament champion. Will the Los Angeles Lakers repeat after winning the inaugural event in 2023 or will another team emerge?
If you're looking to bet on more season-long NBA futures, check out our NBA Finals odds for the championship favorites.
2024 NBA Cup odds
Favorites to win 2024 NBA Cup
Boston Celtics (+500)
The reigning NBA champions ran roughshod through the league last season but were ultimately bounced by the Indiana Pacers from the IST quarterfinals. The Pacers went on to face the Lakers in the championship game, falling to the inaugural winners by 14 points.
The Boston Celtics didn't let that setback deter them as they finished with a 64-18 regular-season record before charging through the playoffs to win their record 18th championship. They'll mostly be running it back, and why not? Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown form one of the strongest 1-2 punches in the Association while the depth involving Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and more shows how difficult they are to topple.
Still, they came up short last year as the Lakers (+2,200 this year) won it all in Vegas.
The return of the NBA In-Season Tournament 🏆
— Covers (@Covers) August 13, 2024
Which division do you think is the ‘Group of Death?’ pic.twitter.com/O3GUzLhdSD
Oklahoma City Thunder (+600)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the NBA's brightest stars, full-stop. He can't really be categorized as a player on the rise because he's already arrived. The Oklahoma City Thunder shocked everyone last year when they entered the postseason as the top seed in the Western Conference. Yes, they were unceremoniously dispatched in the West semis, but it was a year of growth nonetheless.
OKC came up short in the tournament as well, going 1-3 in group play and failing to qualify for the knockout stage. Each of their losses were close, and the Thunder should be even more of a cohesive unit than they were a year ago, especially after adding Alex Caruso in an offseason trade with the Chicago Bulls and signing Isaiah Hartenstein.
NBA Cup groups
The league's 30 teams will all compete in randomly drawn groups for the opening round, divided by conference, as listed below:
| East Group A | East Group B | East Group C |
|---|---|---|
 New York Knicks |
 Milwaukee Bucks |
 Boston Celtics |
 Orlando Magic |
 Indiana Pacers |
 Cleveland Cavaliers |
 Philadelphia 76ers |
 Miami Heat |
 Chicago Bulls |
 Brooklyn Nets |
 Toronto Raptors |
 Atlanta Hawks |
 Charlotte Hornets |
 Detroit Pistons |
 Washington Wizards |
| West Group A | West Group B | West Group C |
|---|---|---|
 Minnesota Timberwolves |
 Oklahoma City Thunder |
 Denver Nuggets |
 Los Angeles Clippers |
 Phoenix Suns |
 Dallas Mavericks |
 Sacramento Kings |
 Los Angeles Lakers |
 New Orleans Pelicans |
 Houston Rockets |
 Utah Jazz |
 Golden State Warriors |
 Portland Trail Blazers |
 San Antonio Spurs |
 Memphis Grizzlies |
Key NBA Cup matchups
We're not going to break down the whole schedule, but here are five early games that will be worth your attention.
Knicks at 76ers - November 12
Of the opening-night matches, the New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers is the most electric. Both teams have odds shorter than 10/1 to win the whole thing and are clearly the two best clubs in East Group A.
76ers at Magic - November 15
I don't mean to make this appear Philly-pilled, but the fact is the Sixers open the Group Stage with two of the most intriguing games on the schedule. The Orlando Magic were on the rise in 2023-24, going from 34-48 the previous year to 47-35 and a playoff berth. Yes, the Magic lost in the first round, but Paolo Banchero has emerged as a true-blue superstar. This match will be even more interesting if Philly falls to New York. However, a Knicks loss in that game would make the eventual game against Orlando all the more important.
Lakers at Spurs - November 15
This will be the Los Angeles Lakers' first Cup game in their attempt to defend last year's trophy. While the San Antonio Spurs are nowhere close to the betting favorites, Year 2 of Victor Wembanyama carries a lot of fanfare alongside it by default. Seeing Wemby take on LeBron James in this context, especially with Bronny potentially in tow, makes this must-see TV even if neither team projects to be an overall contender come playoff time.
Suns at Thunder - November 15
I wanted to include the Oklahoma City Thunder because a) they're the second favorite on the board and b) they're one of the most fun teams to watch in the entire NBA. So, they get the Phoenix Suns in their first NBA Cup match. SGA & Co. vs. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, et. al makes for good watching. West Group B is low-key the most interesting group with the Lakers and Spurs also being in that set.
Cavaliers at Celtics - November 19
A true rivalry match. And even if the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't quite in the Boston Celtics' tier, this will be an opportunity to exorcise some demons from last year's 4-1 elimination in the Eastern Conference semis. The Celtics are the overall favorites and this is their first real test as their opening clash comes against the Atlanta Hawks.
Obviously, there are more great matchups to keep an eye on and there will be plenty of betting opportunities to identify. This was just a brief snapshot.
NBA Cup explained
Group Play
Each team will begin the tournament in one of six groups, divided by conference and randomly drawn from tiers based on the previous season's record, to ensure relative competitive balance.
Within each group, all teams will play regular-season games against each other on designated Tournament Nights from November 12-December 3. Their records in those games determine who advances to the Knockout Round.
Knockout Round
The Knockout Round is comprised of eight teams:
- The winners of each of the six groups
- A wild-card team from each conference (the second-place team with the best record)
The Knockout Round is a single-elimination bracket. Teams in each conference with the best record will get homecourt advantage in these matchups.
The semis and finals take place in Las Vegas on December 14 and 17, with the winner of each conference facing off for the NBA Cup.
Teams that make the knockout round will be awarded portions of an as-of-yet undisclosed prize pool, increasing the further they make it. A Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Team will also be awarded after play has concluded.
NBA Cup schedule
The NBA Cup gets underway on Tuesday, November 12, and will feature a TNT doubleheader between the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks followed by the Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors.
The next batch of games will go on Friday, November 15 as part of an ESPN doubleheader and will feature the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers visiting the San Antonio Spurs, followed by the Warriors visiting the Memphis Grizzlies.
Understanding NBA Cup odds
Sportsbooks will post odds for the NBA Cup during the prior offseason. These odds are adjusted throughout the season as players switch teams, show steady improvement, or are injured. Sportsbooks will also adjust the NBA odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.
NBA Cup odds will usually look like this:
- Los Angeles Lakers +1,300
This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to win $1,300 if the Lakers win the tournament. If it's close to the end of the tournament and the NBA has a particularly dominant team, you might see a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.
- Denver Nuggets -180
This means you have to bet $180 to win $100 on a Nuggets tournament win.
Above we have listed the American odds. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool. And don't forget to check out our NBA forum if you're interested in chatting with other basketball bettors about NBA odds.
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2024 NBA Cup MVP odds
Read our full NBA In-Season Tournament MVP odds analysis to learn more.
