The 2023 NBA playoffs are almost here. Before the Association gets to the most exciting segment of its season, the league will stage its Play-In tournament to determine its final seeds in both conferences over the next four days.
The action starts Tuesday night with the Atlanta Hawks at the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Los Angeles Lakers.
We will now preview the games plus our betting prediction for these basketball contests. Keep reading for NBA betting lines, analysis, and a free pick for Atlanta Hawks at the Miami Heat and then the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA Play-In Tournament Over/ Under Picks | MyBookie NBA Preview
Play-In Tournament: April 11-14, 2023
Playoffs Start: Saturday, April 15, 2023
NBA Finals: June 1 – June 18
NBA Play-In – East – 7th Place vs 8th Place
Atlanta Hawk (41-41, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Miami Heat (44-38, seventh in the Eastern Conference)
No. 8 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 7 Miami Heat
NBA Odds: Lakers -6.5 / Timberwolves +217 – Lakers -227 / O/U 229.5
When: Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 10:00 p.m. ET
Where: Crypto.com, Los Angeles, California
TV/Streaming: TNT
The first Play-In matchup features two teams extremely familiar with each other as they are Southeast division rivals. Atlanta and Miami are meeting for the 14th time since the beginning of the 2022 season, with the Heat winning 10 of those games. Both teams have been inconsistent since the all-star break due to defensive issues.
Go with the Under. Miami owns the league’s ninth-best defense rating, and the Heat allows the ninth fewest points at home at 110 points a contest. The Heat also averages 111 points at Kaseya Center this year, which ranks 28th in the League.
This is the playoffs, which means teams generally increase their defensive intensity. The Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings, hitting in each of the five playoff games between the squads last year.
Several Hawks players are dealing with injuries though most don’t seem to series. Trae Young (groin) and John Collins (back) are the most worrying for the Hawks. Young has struggled against the Heat throughout his career, but they completely shut him down last year in the playoffs. Young was limited to 15.4 points on 31.1% shooting from the field and 18.8% from the 3-point line in the five-game series.
NBA Play-In Tournament Pick: Under 226.5 | Bet Hawks @ Heat Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game
No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No 7 Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Odds: Lakers -6.5 / Timberwolves +217 – Lakers -227 / O/U 229.5
When: Tuesday, April 11 at 10:00 pm ET
Where: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
TV / Streaming: TNT
This matchup is being billed as two teams who could make a noise in the 2023 playoffs. The Lakers have been playing exceptionally well, and Timberwolves are finally healthy. However, Rudy Gobert may receive a suspension after punching Kyle Anderson during a second-quarter timeout on Sunday. The Wolves, who trailed by 12 after the first quarter, responded well following the incident and earned a come-from-behind 113-108 victory over New Orleans.
Go with the Under. A big reason for the Lakers turning around their season is that they recommitted themselves to the defensive end. The Lakers went 16-7 down the stretch, posting the fourth-best defensive rating at 111.1. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves were 10th in defensive rating for the season.
The average number of points scored in the three games this year between the Lakers and Timberwolves was 220. The Under hit in two of the past three contests and eight of the last 10 meetings.
NBA Play-In Tournament Pick: Under 229.5 | Bet Timberwolves @ Lakers Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game
2023 NBA Playoffs schedule
Tuesday, April 11
- Play-In Game 1: (8) Atlanta Hawks at (7) Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Play-In Game 2: (8) Minnesota Timberwolves at (7) Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET, TNT
Wednesday, April 12
- Play-In Game 3: (10) Chicago Bulls at (9) Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Play-In Game 4: (10) Oklahoma City Thunder at (9) New Orleans Pelicans, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Friday, April 14
- Play-In Game 5: Game 3 winner at Game 1 loser, 7 or 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Play-In Game 6: Game 4 winner at Game 2 loser, 9:30 or 10 p.m. ET, ESPN
Saturday, April 15
- (6) Brooklyn Nets at (3) Philadelphia 76ers, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
- (7) Heat or Hawks at (2) Boston Celtics, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- (5) New York Knicks at (4) Cleveland Cavaliers, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
- (6) Golden State Warriors at (2) Sacramento Kings, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Sunday, April 16
- (8) East at (1) Milwaukee Bucks, TBD, TBD
- (8) West at (1) Denver Nuggets, TBD, TBD
- (7) Lakers or Minnesota Timberwolves at (2) Memphis Grizzlies, TBD, TBD
- (5) Los Angeles Clippers at (4) Phoenix Suns, TBD, TBD
Best of Trae Young So Far This Season! | 2023 NBA Season
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