The NBA Play-In Tournament officially begins this Tuesday, with a total of 2 matchups on the docket scheduled for tonight. The Atlanta Hawks will visit the Orlando Magic in the first game of the evening, and then the Golden State Warriors will square off against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second.
Our betting experts have looked over the odds and made 5 NBA picks spanning both of tonight's contests. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Tuesday, April 15.
NBA Play-In Tournament Best Bets: Tuesday, April 15
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
| 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
| 10 p.m. | |
| 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Hawks vs. Magic
By Joe Dellera
The Magic face off in what could be a fast-paced matchup against a porous Hawks defense tonight. I expect max minutes from both Paolo and Franz Wagner.
Wagner has played well against the Hawks this season scoring 37, 25, and 22 points against them, and it would not shock me to see him play 40+ minutes tonight. Wagner is no stranger to the big stage, having been a leading force for this Magic team, but also for the German National Team.
Atlanta simply does not have a great option to throw at him defensively, as Dyson Daniel’s on-ball defense is a bit overrated, and Okongwu is a slightly better matchup for Paolo. I like Franz to score 25+ points on the way to helping the Magic advance tonight.
Pick: Franz Wagner 25+ Points (-125)
| | | | |
Hawks vs. Magic
After an average total of 220.5 in the season series between Atlanta and Orlando, that number is as low as 216.5 for their Play-In Tournament opener. And while the Hawks have been a part of the new format for each of the past three seasons, this will be the Magic’s first foray into the competition.
Since this is a battle for who will occupy the seventh seed, both teams should feel somewhat relaxed knowing that they’ll have another crack at the playoffs even with a loss. As a result, although the full-game total feels a bit short, I’m particularly interested in the Hawks covering their team derivative of 105.5 points at BetMGM.
Even against a quality defensive team like Orlando, Atlanta still scored 107 or more points in each of the four series meetings. Moreover, if you look at the Hawks’ history in the play-in, they also cleared that number in each of their four games.
Although Orlando is known for its deliberate pace, it has been much better from the perimeter of late, ranking in the top-half for 3-point percentage (36.7%) over the last 12 games. That’s quite an improvement for a team that shot a league-worst 31.8% from beyond the arc all season.
Therefore, while I think this game will be much more wide open, we’re getting a better price on the Hawks’ team total because they’re already catching 5.5 points as road underdogs.
Pick: Hawks Team Total Over 105.5 (-120)
| | | | |
Grizzlies vs. Warriors
All the playoff games thus far have opened with depressed totals compared to models, which makes sense considering the change in atmosphere. This total opened at 231.5 and has since come down to 228.5, and is now at a buy point for the Over.
The playoff setting under is most notable as a series carries on, and is very matchup dependent. Memphis is a pace-up team, and when they slow down they attack with size which is Golden State's weakness.
The Warriors are a high volume 3-point team, and now get to the line more with Butler in the rotation. I think this closes around 230.5, and therefore would play a 229/229.5, and possibly stretch to 230 (-105).
Pick: Over 228.5 (-110)
| | | | |
Grizzlies vs. Warriors
This is an interesting line. Zach Edey has crushed on the glass since Taylor Jenkins was fired. The April 1 matchup against the Warriors was his breakout game. Edey posted a double-double in 27 minutes against the Lakers in Memphis' first game without Jenkins.
It was a strong game, but the playing time wasn't out of the ordinary. Edey was then capped at 13 minutes against Boston due to extreme foul trouble. He was finally unleashed against Golden State, setting a career high with 32 minutes and matching a career high with 16 rebounds. He would go on to average 15.7 rebounds and 30.5 minutes across 6 games in April.
