Having more teams in the playoffs isn’t always a good thing. Diluting the field increases the chances of the league having a less deserving team win the title. So the NBA did the next best thing with its play-in tournament. While technically not the “playoffs” it is the postseason giving four teams – two from each conference – a chance to reach the playoffs when under the old format that opportunity never existed.
The 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament begins on Tuesday, April 12 with the higher seeded teams in each conference going at it. The Brooklyn Nets host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East while the Minnesota Timberwolves welcome the Los Angeles Clippers in the West. The remaining two games will be played on Wednesday, April 13 with Charlotte visiting Atlanta in the East and San Antonio visiting New Orleans in the West. The games will air on TNT and ESPN. Betting options for every game are available at BookMaker.eu.
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Play-In Tournament Format
For the second straight season and most likely the foreseeable future, the play-in tournament is used to determine the final two playoff seeds in each conference. While the teams competing in the postseason were determined about a week ago, the final seeds weren’t finalized until the final day of the regular campaign. The Nos. 7-10 seeds in the conference standings will compete to determine which teams advance.
The setup gives the higher seeds an advantage. The No. 7 and No. 8 seeds play each other with the winner securing the No. 7 seed in the playoff race. The 8-seed will get another chance against the winner of the No. 9 - No. 10 game. The winner of that matchup gets the No. 8 seed and will have to face the top-seeded club in the conference in the first round. The loser of the game between the lower seeds is eliminated.
Play-In Tournament Schedule
Eastern Conference
The Nets were a top pick to win the O’Brien Trophy at the start of the year then the drama of the regular season happened. Injuries and COVID rules limited the time their Big 3 had on the floor and the club eventually traded James Harden. Enduring an 11-game losing streak and falling below .500 in early March, the Nets rallied once Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were cleared to play. They ended the season winning four straight to finish 44-38 SU, the same as Cleveland. But the Nets got the edge by taking three of four during the season, including both games in Brooklyn. The Cavs struggled down the stretch losing eight of 10 before a season-ending win over Milwaukee when the Bucks rested all their regulars. The Cavs are likely to be without Jarrett Allen, who went down in early March with a hand injury. In his absence they were just 7-11 SU and 6-10-1 ATS.
To get an idea of just how close the East was this season, the 9-10 elimination game has Charlotte at Atlanta, who both finished a game behind the other play-in participants at 43-39. They also split the season series 2-2. Atlanta closed the year on a nice run winning 12 of its last 17 games. The Hawks also have playoff experience after their run to the East Final last year. I like the Hawks to advance covering the 4-point spread. That would set up an Atlanta/Cleveland matchup for the No. 8 playoff seed, and as much as I like what the Cavs have done this season and the makeup of their roster, the Hawks will use that playoff experience and Trae Young to nab the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Western Conference
The Timberwolves have history on their side in that the No. 7 seed has never lost a play-in game. Of course there’s a small sample size we’re talking about. And the Clippers got some reinforcements near the end of the season with Paul George and Norman Powell returning to the lineup. That they were able to finish 42-40 was quite a testament to Tyronn Lue and his club playing the season without Kawhi Leonard and missing George for big chunks of time. They won five straight and six of seven to close the season after George returned. Minnesota can score but they also give up a lot of points. This could be a high scoring affair with the Clips getting the better deal as a 2.5-point road dog.
The winner of the 9-10 matchup looks to keep its playoff hopes alive. New Orleans overcame a 1-12 start to reach the play-in though they finished with an overall record of 36-46. Still that was two games better than San Antonio, despite losing three of four to the Spurs during the regular season. You can’t count out a team coached by Gregg Popovich and the Spurs match up well against their division foe. I have to take San Antonio for the outright as a 5-point dog. Minnesota had its way with San Antonio during the regular year winning all three games while averaging over 130 points. That trend continues with the Wolves advancing as the No. 8 seed to face Phoenix in the first round.
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