The NBA's been livening up its sometimes-dreary winter slate, debuting the much-rumored In-Season Tournament and giving teams chasing an extra banner a little something more to play for: the NBA Cup.
Despite being initially panned with players — and the league coming up with some truly jarring special court designs — fans and NBA odds bettors and fans alike have enjoyed the early-season twist, with both ratings and buzz delivering positive returns while the odds to win the In-Season Tournament got shaken up.
It's been a wild ride, but it's come to a close with the Los Angeles Lakers closing out the Indiana Pacers last night behind 41 points, 20 rebounds, and four blocks from Anthony Davis.
If you're looking to bet on more season-long NBA futures, check out our NBA Finals odds for the championship favorites.
2023 NBA In-Season Tournament odds
When odds for the 2024 NBA In-Season Tournament are posted, we'll share them here.
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NBA In-Season Tournament 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 3-28. 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 7 and 9, 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.
Understanding NBA In-Season Tournament odds
Sportsbooks will post odds for the NBA In-Season Tournament 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 In-Season Tournament 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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NBA In-Season Tournament 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 |
|---|---|---|
 Philadelphia 76ers |
 Milwaukee Bucks |
 Boston Celtics |
 Cleveland Cavaliers |
 New York Knicks |
 Brooklyn Nets |
 Atlanta Hawks |
 Miami Heat |
 Toronto Raptors |
 Indiana Pacers |
 Washington Wizards |
 Chicago Bulls |
 Detroit Pistons |
 Charlotte Hornets |
 Orlando Magic |
| West Group A | West Group B | West Group C |
|---|---|---|
 Memphis Grizzlies |
 Denver Nuggets |
 Sacramento Kings |
 Phoenix Suns |
 Los Angeles Clippers |
 Golden State Warriors |
 Los Angeles Lakers |
 New Orleans Pelicans |
 Minnesota Timberwolves |
 Utah Jazz |
 Dallas Mavericks |
 Oklahoma City Thunder |
 Portland Trail Blazers |
 Houston Rockets |
 San Antonio Spurs |
2023 NBA In-Season Tournament MVP odds
Read our full NBA In-Season Tournament MVP odds analysis to learn more.
