Friday is here again, and at this time of year, that means a busy night in the NBA. But tonight is not an ordinary night in the Association, and that is not just because the seven-game slate is smaller than many Friday fixture lists.
Tonight's seven games mark the beginning of the first edition of the NBA In-Season Tournament, which will take place over the course of the next month and conclude with the semifinals and championship game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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What Is the NBA In-Season Tournament?
Similar to the WNBA Commissioner's Cup, all games played in the NBA In-Season Tournament will count as regular season games, with the exception of the championship game, which will take place on December 9.
Also, as with the Commissioner's Cup, there is a financial incentive involved.
In-Season Tournament Prize Money
Tournament winner: $500,000 per player
Runners-up: $200,000 per player
Losing semifinalists: $100,000 per player
Losing quarterfinalists: $50,000 per player
What is the format for the tournament?
In-Season Tournament Format
Six five-team groups, three per conference.
Each team will have four games count towards the standings.
Group winners and the best group runner-up in each conference will advance to the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals (December 4 and 5 at the home arena of each higher seed): E1 vs E4, E2 vs E3, W1 vs W4, and W2 vs W3
Semifinals (December 7 at T-Mobile Arena): E1 or E4 vs E2 or E3 and W1 or W4 vs W2 or W3
Final (December 9 at T-Mobile Arena): Semifinal winners
NBA In-Season Tournament Groups
East Group A
Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers
East Group B
Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards
East Group C
Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors
West Group A
Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz
West Group B
Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans
West Group C
Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs
Unsurprisingly, NBA In-Season Tournament winner odds bear a lot of similarities to 2024 NBA championship winner odds.
In addition to being able to bet on 2024 NBA championship odds, you can make daily NBA picks on games all season long, including tonight's Mavericks vs Spurs matchup in San Antonio.
Also, you can bet on the NBA All-Star Game and the major awards like NBA MVP, NBA Rookie of the Year, and more at most reputable sports betting sites.
There are numerous sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for NBA betting. Here are several books that we have reviewed and highly recommend:
Eddie Griffin has been writing about and betting on sports for over a decade and has been with Betting News since 2021. For more of his thoughts on sports and sports betting, you can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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