Category: NBA

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The chase for the Larry O’Brien Trophy is officially on! Every night of the 2026 NBA Playoffs brings fresh drama, from superstar takeovers to bracket-busting upsets that can flip the postseason picture in a heartbeat.

Whether you're tracking every first-round matchup, checking the latest results, or looking ahead to what's next, our NBA bracket hub has you covered.

Follow along for live scores, updated schedules, and playoff format details to help guide your NBA picks.

2026 NBA playoffs bracket

2026 NBA Playoffs matchups and results

First Round - East 

(1) Detroit Pistons vs (8) Orlando Magic - Magic lead 2-1

(2) Boston Celtics vs (7) Philadelphia 76ers - Celtics lead 3-1

(3) New York Knicks vs (6) Atlanta Hawks - Tied 2-2

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (5) Toronto Raptors - Tied 2-2

First Round - West 

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs (8) Phoenix Suns - Thunder lead 3-0

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs (7) Portland Trail Blazers - Spurs lead 3-1

(3) Denver Nuggets vs (6) Minnesota Timberwolves - Timberwolves lead 3-1

(4) Los Angeles Lakers vs (5) Houston Rockets - Lakers lead 3-1

2026 NBA Playoffs schedule

NBA playoff format

The NBA playoffs adopt a format designed to favor successful teams while giving underdogs a shot at the championship. Here's a brief look at the structure:

• The postseason begins with a Play-In Tournament featuring the 7th through 10th-ranked teams in each conference. This extends from April 14 to 17.
• The NBA Playoffs kick off with the first round on April 18, where the top one to six teams in each conference join the winners of the Play-In.
• The matchups are set as No. 1 vs. No. 8 seed, No. 2 vs. No. 7 seed, No. 3 vs. No. 6 seed, and No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed.
• Each playoff round, including the Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and NBA Finals, features a seven-game series.
• In these series, the higher-seeded team hosts Games 1, 2, 5 (if necessary), and 7 (if necessary) following a 2-2-1-1-1 format.
• The NBA Finals start on June 3.

Looking for more intel? Our NBA Championship odds breaks down the clubs with the best odds of winning the NBA Finals. And be sure to check out our NBA Finals MVP odds page to see which player is most likely to hoist the Bill Russell Trophy when the dust settles.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

HeraldCeltics playoff matchup: Breaking down Boston’s two potential first-round foes

GlobeThe Celtics begin the playoffs on Sunday. If you’re just tuning in, let us catch you up.

CelticsBlog Inside the offseason conversation that changed my view of the Celtics: ‘We are still that team’

CLNS MediaLuka Garza and Nikola Vucevic Bond as Playoff Minutes Battle Looms

Who is Tougher First Round Matchup for Celtics: 76ers or Magic? | Still Poddable

NBC Sports BostonSixers or Magic: Who should Celtics covet in Round 1 of the playoffs?

Celtics superlatives and awards: Most improved, biggest surprise, and more

NESNRanking Celtics’ Playoff Opponents: Pistons, Knicks Among Threats Blocking Path to NBA Finals

Colin Cowherd Takes Well-Deserved Victory Lap After Nailing Bold Celtics Prediction

Mass LiveUtah Jazz sign Maine Celtics guard to 2-year contract

Celtics Wire Should Celtics want Magic or 76ers in first round of NBA Playoffs?

Derrick White makes the case for Celtics teammate Neemias Queta to win MIP

Celtics history: Damon Jones signs; Oliver Lafayette debuts

Celtics star Jaylen Brown wins top honor for his…interviews?

The AthleticThe Bounce: Presenting the NBA’s best awards. It’s the Bouncies!

Five questions that could make (or break) the Celtics’ playoff fate

Nothing matches what Celtics are doing in terms of nonstop surprises (not even the Pats)

Hardwood Houdini LeBron’s storybook Celtics wish will obviously never be granted

Celtics fans just gave the team an unexpected and unforgettable moment

Bill Simmons gives perfect take on Tatum vs. Brown debate on behalf of Celtics Nation

Unbelievable advanced stat shows next level genius of Brad Stevens

Celtics among NBA’s biggest winners from whirlwind final day of regular season

Baylor Scheierman & Ron Harper Jr. showed Celtics everything they needed to see

Celtics have many reasons to want to play the 76ers in round one of the playoffs

Chowder and ChampionsCeltics’ 4 Keys to Making a Deep NBA Playoff Run

Basketball Network“Horrific coaching job” – Bill Simmons thinks Jamahl Mosley is on the hot seat after Orlando Magic’s loss to Boston Celtics’ reserves

“You got to protect your peace” – Kendrick Perkins on the battle injured NBA players face during their recovery

CBS SportsNBA awards picks: Experts split on MVP and Rookie, but SGA and Wemby are unanimous picks for other honors

2026 NBA playoff predictions: Expert picks for entire bracket with a wide variety of NBA Finals matchups

NBA postseason player rankings: The 50 names that will decide the 2026 playoffs, split in 11 tiers

Bleacher ReportB/R NBA Fan Vote Reveals Every Team’s MVP, Future Stars and Most Chaotic Personalities

The LeadLuka Garza’s Father Reveals the Mindset Behind His NBA Rise

Celtics Roundtable Even in Injury-Shortened Season, Jayson Tatum Carries Immense Popularity

The Score School’s out: Grading every NBA team’s regular season

Fadeaway World 5 Things We Learned As Shorthanded Celtics Overcome Magic In Final Game Of The Season

Only 86 NBA Players Are Eligible For End-Of-Season Awards

The Sporting NewsJoe Mazzulla boasts Celtics’ top weapon for NBA Playoffs, it’s not the Jays

Celtics, Joe Mazzulla name ‘most important’ key to winning 19th NBA championship

The Sixers SenseEarly Play-In success could doom 76ers to a troubling postseason fate

Boston TodayCeltics’ Player Development Remains Top NBA Playoffs Weapon

Heavy Celtics Get Notable Neemias Queta Development Ahead of Playoffs

USA TodayBoston Celtics NBA mock draft: latest predictions before 2026 playoffs

ESPN 2026 NBA playoffs: Predicting each series, including the Finals

SI .comTen Boston Celtics Stats That Define Their 56-Win Season

Cleveland Cavaliers Can Avoid Boston Celtics Until Conference Finals

WEEI/YouTubeHow the 2025-26 season perfectly captured the Celtics’ identity | Afternoons

Sports SpectrumHead coach Joe Mazzulla has Celtics back among NBA’s best, aims to ‘keep Jesus at the center’

Scoop B The Time Lord’s New Timing: Robert Williams III on Health, Playoff DNA, and the Celtics’ Well-Oiled Machine

The Sports HubNBA reveals initial schedules for opening playoff rounds

Locked on CelticsBIGGEST Storyline of Celtics Season: What’s the Biggest Factor Behind 56 Wins?

Celtics Chronicle Prepping for the playoffs part 1: Philly

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The Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers fight over the East's No. 7 seed in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

With Joel Embiid out and Orlando reeling from a bellyflop in the season finale, oddsmakers expect a tight finish in Philly.

I’m leaning toward the home side but giving each team’s respective superstar their due in my NBA same game parlay for Wednesday night.

Here are my best NBA picks and predictions for Magic vs. 76ers on April 15.

Our best Magic vs 76ers SGP for April 15

The Philadelphia 76ers are short chalk for this Play-In tilt, scoring home court thanks to the Orlando Magic missing the mark in the season finale against the Celtics’ skeleton crew. Philadelphia is used to playing without Embiid and owns a 19-8 SU record as home favorites this season.

Paolo Banchero took the blame for the loss to Boston – a game in which he fired up 22 field goal attempts. I see another aggressive attack from Orlando’s standout, with game projections sitting between 23.5 and 25 points Wednesday.

Tyrese Maxey seems to find another gear when Embiid goes down. He’s become a fantastic inside-out scorer with improved shooting from deep. He knocked down three or more triples in two of the three meeting with the Magic and projection call for another 3+ day from 3-point land for Maxey.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

On today’s episode, Ryan Eichten and Leo Sun discuss the Minnesota Timberwolves drawing the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs and what the series might look like:

— With the Nuggets’ win as huge underdogs while sitting most of their roster in the final game of the season against the San Antonio Spurs, they secured the third seed and a matchup with the Wolves. It ends up as a huge missed opportunity for the Wolves, who could have instead played an injured Los Angeles Lakers team.

— Can Julius Randle get back to his near All-Star level of play from the first half of the season? If he can, the Wolves will have a much better chance of upsetting the Nuggets in this series.

— Another looming question for this series is whether or not Rudy Gobert can impact the game on the offensive end of the court. Given how good the Nuggets’ offense has been this season, the Wolves will likely need Gobert to play as much as possible and will need to find a way to better incorporate him into the offense to keep him on the court this series.

— The Nuggets do not have a great option to guard Anthony Edwards; instead, they will likely throw double-teams at him whenever they can. How well Edwards can deal with different types of coverage will play a big role in which team advances out of the first round.

— The Nuggets are -350 to win the series over the Wolves (roughly 75 percent implied odds). Is that giving the Wolves enough credit in this matchup?

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The NBA Finals are the true show-stopper of the basketball season, where fortunes can change as quickly as a chase-down block, a ruptured Achilles, or an improbable offensive rebound turning into a corner-3.

We've got you covered for all things NBA Finals, including NBA odds, picks, and predictions for the league's ultimate showdown.

NBA Finals odds

Keep an eye on our NBA Finals odds page as we document which teams' fortunes are falling and rising ahead of the NBA's championship series. 

📅 2026 NBA Finals schedule

NBA Finals format

The NBA Finals take place between the winners of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, following a best-of-seven format. The team with the better regular-season record is awarded homecourt advantage, hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4, and 6.

📊 2026 NBA Finals odds over time

Here's a visual representation of how the NBA championship odds have evolved over the course of this season.

📺 Where to watch the NBA Finals

The NBA Finals will air on ABC in the United States. Mike Breen will handle play-by-play duties for the 21st straight year. Those without cable can stream the games live on Fubo and NBA League Pass.

How to bet on the NBA Finals

The NBA Playoffs bring out plenty of new bettors looking to wager on basketball for the first time. If you fit this category, let us teach you how to bet on basketball with some betting basics and tips for tackling the basketball world’s biggest competition.

💵 Where to bet on the NBA Finals

Basketball betting is booming, and the NBA has embraced it with open arms. Basketball’s popularity spawns fun and unique ways to wager on the action almost all year round. Where you bet on basketball is just as important as what you bet, and we review the best basketball betting sites available in your region.

🏆 NBA Finals winners since 2000

Year	Team
2025	Oklahoma City Thunder
2024	Boston Celtics
2023	Denver Nuggets
2022	Golden State Warriors
2021	Milwaukee Bucks
2020	Los Angeles Lakers
2019	Toronto Raptors
2018	Golden State Warriors
2017	Golden State Warriors
2016	Cleveland Cavaliers
2015	Golden State Warriors
2014	San Antonio Spurs
2013	Miami Heat
2012	Miami Heat
2011	Dallas Mavericks
2010	Los Angeles Lakers
2009	Los Angeles Lakers
2008	Boston Celtics
2007	San Antonio Spurs
2006	Miami Heat
2005	San Antonio Spurs
2004	Detroit Pistons
2003	San Antonio Spurs
2002	Los Angeles Lakers
2001	Los Angeles Lakers
2000	Los Angeles Lakers

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

The NBA regular season is in the rearview mirror and playoffs officially begin on April 18, but first, the No. 7 and 8 seeds in both conferences will be determined during the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The first game of this year’s tournament is between the No. 10 Miami Heat and No. 9 Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets are back in the playoff race for the first time since 2016, and finished this season 44-38, their largest single-season win total since 2015-16. Miami (43-39) is seeded lower, but won the season series against Charlotte, 3-1.

The winner of tonight’s game will advance into a second Play-In game where they’ll face the 76ers or Magic, depending on the outcome of that matchup tomorrow. The loser of tonight’s game will be eliminated from playoff contention.

Heat vs. Hornets start time:

Heat vs. Hornets tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight (April 14), but pregame coverage on Prime Video will begin at 7 p.m.

How to watch Heat vs. Hornets for free:

The NBA Play-In Tournament, including Heat vs. Hornets, is streaming exclusively on Prime Video, so you’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch the game.

If you aren’t a Prime Video subscriber yet, you can get started with a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial, including Prime perks like the Prime Video streaming service, free two-day shipping, exclusive deals, and more. After the free trial, Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month or $139/year.

All 18- to 24-year-olds, regardless of student status, are eligible for a discounted Prime for Young Adults membership as well, with age verification. After a six-month free trial, you’ll pay 50% off the standard Prime monthly price of $14.99/month — just $7.49/month — for up to six yearsand get all the perks.

NBA Playoffs key dates:

• April 14-17: NBA Play-In Tournament
• April 18: NBA Playoffs First Round begins
• June 3: Game 1 of the NBA Finals

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

Fueled by the momentum of last year’s blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors entered the 2025-26 season with hopes of being amongst the top teams in the Western Conference.

However, hopes don’t carry much weight over the course of an 82-game season, which quickly unraveled into despair for Golden State. Injuries defined their year starting with Butler’s season-ending ACL tear in January setting the tone. Not long after, Steph Curry’s anticipated short-term absence due to runner’s knee stretched into a long 27-game layoff. Then, the final blow came just last month as Moses Moody went down on a non-contact injury with what was later diagnosed as a torn patellar tendon.

And yet, despite the adversity, the Warriors kept showing up.

Night after night, they competed — often undermanned and outmatched — but never lacking effort under head coach Steve Kerr. Now as the 10th seed with the regular season in the rearview and Curry back in the lineup, the Warriors’ postseason hopes come down to two more road wins in this year’s Play-In Tournament.

Final 2025-2026 NBA Standings

Here are the final standings for each conference, with the play-in ultimately set to decide who will face the top two seeds in each. The No. 2 seed in each conference will play the winner of the 7-8 game, while the No. 1 seed will play the winner of the next game, between the loser of the 7-8 game and winner of the 9-10 game. 

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder are currently the favorites to win the NBA Finals at +115. On the other end, the Warriors — who could end up facing Oklahoma City as the No. 8 seed if they get through the play-in — are listed as one of the biggest underdogs at +70,000.

The Warriors’ odds are understandable given how their season has unfolded. But with a relatively healthy roster, playoff-tested veterans, and, most importantly, a rested and motivated Curry eager to get back to what he calls “meaningful basketball,” Golden State may have a more compelling case to make a title run than the odds would suggest.

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Los Angeles Lakers
5. Houston Rockets
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Phoenix Suns (play-in)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (play-in)
9. LA Clippers (play-in)
10. Golden State Warriors (play-in)
11. New Orleans Pelicans
12. Dallas Mavericks
13. Memphis Grizzlies
14. Sacramento Kings
15. Utah Jazz

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons
2. Boston Celtics
3. New York Knicks
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Toronto Raptors
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Philadelphia 76ers (play-in)
8. Orlando Magic (play-in)
9. Charlotte Hornets (play-in)
10. Miami Heat (play-in)
11. Milwaukee Bucks
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Brooklyn Nets
14. Indiana Pacers
15. Washington Wizards

*Eliminated teams in italics.

Official 2026 NBA Lottery Odds

And with the 2025-26 NBA season behind us, here is the final lottery order (with their odds to get the No. 1 pick) for the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on May 10.

This year’s draft class is viewed as one of the strongest in recent memory, headlined by a group of elite freshmen in BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists Dybantsa as the favorite to go No. 1 overall thanks to his rare blend of size, skill, and athleticism, but any of the top four prospects would provide a major boost to the teams picking at the top of the draft.

1. Washington Wizards — top-8 protected (14%)
2. Indiana Pacers — pick goes to Clippers if it falls 5-9 (14%)
3. Brooklyn Nets (14%)
4. Sacramento (12.5%)
5. Utah — top-8 protected (10.5%)
6. Memphis (9%)
7. Dallas (7.5%)
8. Hawks — via Pelicans (6%)
9. Chicago (4.5%)
10. Milwaukee (3%)
11. Golden State (2%)
12. OKC — via Clippers (1.5%)
13. Miami (1%)
14. Charlotte (0.5%)

LaMelo Ball has been a lightning rod for criticism throughout his NBA career due to his loose play, seemingly unserious attitude, and deservedly for his dangerous driving. One thing that has been a total myth is his lack of basketball IQ, because inside of his floaty, street ball style is a guy who really understands ball.

A new story from ESPN on the rise of the Hornets this season put Melo’s impact on the team into full focus, especially when it came to the team finding their missing piece. Charlotte seemingly had shooters with their nucleus of Ball and Brandon Miller, but when LaMelo was asked by GM Jeff Peterson about the player in the 2025 class that he liked, there was only one answer.

Although Cooper Flagg was the consensus can’t-miss prospect, Ball was talking up Kon Knueppel to the Hornets GM. Ball had watched Duke play during the season and told Peterson how savvy he thought the forward was. He was struck by Knueppel’s basketball IQ and understanding of the game — impressive even for a five-star prospect. And of course, there was Knueppel’s elite shooting.

This discussion happened before the NBA Draft lottery took place, without Charlotte knowing they would be picking 4th overall. The 19-63 Hornets had the third-worst record in the NBA, which gave them the identical 14% chance to land the top pick as the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards. Despite all this Knueppel was the player that Ball couldn’t stop talking about.

“He’s spot on with those traits,” Peterson told ESPN of that break-of-dawn draft breakdown. “He was very detailed in his evaluation of why he liked him. That was even more impressive that he was able to kind of highlight him because there were some other guys that he didn’t highlight.

“He may have a future in the front office if he wants.”

The Hornets improved to 44-38 this season, good enough to make the NBA Play-In Tournament, and Knueppel is a mammoth reason why. His lights out shooting, and veteran-level ability to play off the screen has paired perfectly with a healthy Ball and Miller this season to transform Charlotte into one of the NBA’s hottest teams, and a legitimate nightmare matchup should they manage to make it through to the playoffs and face a top seed.

It’s impossible to know what the Hornets would have looked like had they landed the No. 1 pick and Flagg. There is no question that Flagg has the superstar ability to take over the league and become a legitimate top player in the NBA, but it’s unclear if he would have been a good fit alongside Ball and Miller. Meanwhile, Knueppel’s team-first, unselfish play has allowed Charlotte to flourish with perimeter shooting, stretching the floor, and morphing from a spot-up shooter early in the season, to now being a threat that has to be accounted for, opening up passing lanes for LaMelo Ball.

All in all, Kon Knueppel to Charlotte has been a match made in basketball heaven, and the Hornets are now a team to watch in the East for 2026-27, regardless of what happens in the postseason. LaMelo Ball is a huge part of that for identifying the Duke forward and helping to turn everything around.

The Milwaukee Bucks have decided to go in a different direction than Doc Rivers as head coach, and the question looms: who is in consideration to be the next head coach?

The decision follows a disappointing 32-50 season that left Milwaukee out of the playoffs, compounded by reported tension between Rivers and the players. ESPN has reported that the Bucks will still owe Rivers his salary for the 2026-27 season and Rivers could potentially transition to an advisory role with the organization, though nothing has been finalized.

Now, all eyes will be on who will take over in Milwaukee, and there are a few name in the mix.

More: Giannis Antetokounmpo opens up about frustrations, future with Bucks

A sentiment I’ve seen expressed towards Philadelphia’s participation in the NBA Play-In Tournament, both in person and online, is apathy.

The line of thinking goes that the Sixers aren’t at all likely to win the title this year, so why worry if the season ends this week or if it is prolonged until after a probable first-round series loss to Boston or Detroit. And I understand that ‘championship or bust’ mentality. The Sixers haven’t won a championship in my lifetime. I’ve seen the Phillies win one (in person) and watched the Eagles hoist the Lombardi trophy twice. There’s no greater feeling as a sports fan and seeing the Sixers do it is the last item on my Philadelphia sports bucket list. (I’m not a hockey guy, but good luck to everyone getting Flyer’d up starting this weekend, seems like a fun squad.)

Still, on average, your team is going to win a title once every 30 years. So the three-decade intervals in between are just passing the time and chock full of disappointment? No. I mean, yes, we’ve had plenty of disappointment. More than most in Philadelphia, I’d wager. But sports are great not only because of the big moments, but the small ones too. In the Play-In Tournament, we have two decent enough teams equally motivated to give it their all with the entire season on the line. (In the case of the 7-vs-8 game, the loser gets one mulligan, but you get my point.) Isn’t seeing that sort of game what we’re always looking to watch in sports? It’s why we tune into early round NCAA tournament games, even if it’s two middling SEC and Big 12 teams who we know aren’t getting out of the Sweet 16.

If Wednesday’s game against the Magic was the final regular season game, with a playoff berth hanging in the balance, I bet the anticipation would be a lot greater. But because the Play-In Tournament creates this sort of ‘not quite playoffs’ event as a waypoint between the two seasons, it seems to dull the excitement. But no more!

Think of where this Sixers group was one year ago. They won just 24 games. It was their worst season in over a decade. Now, they’re not a true championship contender, and Joel Embiid’s appendicitis takes a lot of the wind out of our sails, but there’s still a lot to root for here. Don’t you want to see Tyrese Maxey have some more playoff moments like the Knicks series a couple years back? Or have VJ Edgecombe get his first taste of NBA playoff basketball? Or see Paul George in a Sixers uniform in the postseason? Those would be cool things. And all we have to do to get to see them is have the Sixers beat Orlando (or subsequently, the winner of Charlotte and Miami).

So let’s toss aside our inner pragmatists and just be fans in the truest sense of the world. Offseason roster-building discussions are the time to debate the franchise’s ceiling and getting off the treadmill of mediocrity. But when the local basketball team is taking the court in a (kinda) win-or-go-home scenario, let’s get amped up and appreciate what could be a really fun moment for the team and us as fans at home.

With exception of Embiid, Sixers and Magic both near full strength for play-in game  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

All things considered, the Sixers’ health outlook could be much worse for their play-in tournament game Wednesday vs. the Magic.

Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery) and Johni Broome (right knee surgery recovery) were the two Sixers listed as out Tuesday night on the team’s injury report. Trendon Watford was listed as probable with an illness. 

Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) and Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) were both questionable. 

The Sixers played their final three games of the regular season without Embiid after he was diagnosed with appendicitis and underwent surgery in Houston. They’ll move forward with Andre Drummond and Adem Bona as their two primary centers.

“He hasn’t been around the team at all,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Tuesday of Embiid after his team’s practice. “He’s still in recovery. Spirits are pretty good. I think they’re pretty good.”

Broome has made steady progress since suffering a right knee lateral meniscus tear in late February while playing in the G League. He was a full practice participant, according to a Sixers official. The rookie big man also took part in a post-practice 3-on-3 session, joined by two-way contract players Tyrese Martin and MarJon Beauchamp and Sixers player development coaches. 

Like the Sixers, the Magic had multiple significant injuries pop up during their season.

Starting in mid-November, Paolo Banchero missed 10 straight games with a left groin strain. Franz Wagner had a lingering left ankle injury this year. He told reporters he hyperextended his left leg “a little bit” following the Magic’s win last Wednesday. Anthony Black returned on April 6 from a 15-game absence with an abdominal injury. The NBA fined the Magic $25,000 for initially listing Black as out for that night’s game vs. the Pistons. 

Banchero has played every game since he came back in early December. The first overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft requires a detailed personal game plan. 

“He is physical,” Nurse said. “He gets a lot done with his strength and size, just carving space, attacking with his shoulder hits and things like that. You’ve got to stand in there and be able to use your own physicality. We’ve got to have multiple coverages ready for him. I think showing him multiple bodies, especially in certain matchups, will be important for us. And even going as far as having three or different schemes and three or four different guys that’ll guard him. 

“I think trying to keep him off balance with some of that stuff is important, too. But a lot of it’s just going to come down to somebody standing in there and using their force against his.”

Tyrese Maxey played the Sixers’ last nine games after returning from his right pinky finger injury ahead of schedule. Paul George was good to go for the team’s final 10 contests after serving his 25-game suspension. He felt the time off was a serious boost to his health.

Maxey appeared to aggravate his injury several times when he absorbed in-game knocks to the pinky. The All-Star guard’s three-point numbers were also down a bit, dropping to 31.6 percent on 6.3 attempts per game during that nine-game stretch. Maxey’s still poised to play many minutes Wednesday and isn’t inclined to dwell on anything related to health these days. 

“All the excuses are off the table, man,” Maxey said Tuesday. “If you’re going to be out there, you’re going to be out there. I’m just ready to hoop.”

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Despite injury concerns to two starters, the Los Angeles Lakers have quickly become an incredibly popular bet to win the NBA championship. 

Key Takeaways

• The Lakers are the most-bet team to win the NBA title at FanDuel over the last 24 hours.
  
  
• The online operator has shortened L.A.’s odds during that period. 
  
  
• The Lakers are currently without stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

Heading into this week’s playoffs, FanDuel reported on Tuesday that the LeBron James-led Western Conference four seed has received the most wagers over the last 24 hours to capture the league title. 

The most bet team to win the NBA Finals over the last 24 hours:

👑 THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS (+25000)

No Luka, no Reaves ... THE PUBLIC IS RIDING WITH LEBRON 😤 pic.twitter.com/GSID1T9JcS

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) April 13, 2026

FanDuel has since shortened L.A.’s odds from +25000 to +15000. Still, the Lakers have the 12th-shortest odds on FanDuel’s NBA champion market, right behind the Atlanta Hawks at +10000. 

Five teams in the West, including first-round opponent and five-seed Houston (+5500), are listed ahead of the Lakers. Oklahoma City is a +115 favorite at FanDuel to win back-to-back championships, followed by the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics at +550 each. 

The Lakers are +10000 to win the West and make the best-of-seven Finals. 

Injury issues

Los Angeles heads into the series with an unknown status on star Luka Doncic and without guard Austin Reaves until May. Doncic left the team last week to receive treatment on a hamstring strain in Spain. 

He’s set to return to the Lakers on Friday, but when he’ll return to the court is uncertain. The team has not announced Doncic’s timeline. 

Reaves suffered an oblique strain that will sideline him for multiple weeks, but none of that is stopping bettors, who are backing James to keep the team afloat until everyone is healthy.

Big liability 

BetMGM reported this week that, at +25000 to win it all, the Lakers have received 7.9% of the championship market’s tickets and 7.4% of the handle. That’s enough, combined with the massive odds, to make L.A. the operator’s biggest liability entering the NBA postseason. 

BetMGM lists the Lakers at +500 to win the series against the Rockets, who are -700 to advance. 

Meanwhile, the Spurs lead all teams in the NBA championship market with 11.9% of the bets and over 20% of the handle. The Thunder are second with 15.3% of the money, but with the shortest odds, that’s the team BetMGM is rooting for in the playoffs. 

“Among the true contenders, OKC is the best result on the futures market,” BetMGM sports trader Anthony Parenti said.

“The sportsbook is in the enviable position of getting to cheer for the favorite to win it all.”

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I bet the Orlando Magic wish the “Back to the Future” ride was still running at Universal Studios.
 
That would be their best chance to reverse time and erase the embarrassment of last Sunday, while avoiding this road matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Orlando was the laughingstock of the league in the season finale. It botched a scheduling layup as 13-point favorites to a makeshift Boston squad and faceplanted to the No. 8 seed in the East.
 
Our Magic vs. 76ers predictions feel the pressure on Paolo Banchero to pick up the pieces in Philly and my NBA picks are taking Orlando's star to top his points prop.

Magic vs 76ers prediction

Magic vs 76ers best bet: Paolo Banchero Over 22.5 points (-120)

Paolo Banchero was one of the best scorers in the NBA for most of March but seemed to hit a wall in the home stretch. 

After tallying 105 points in a span of three games, his usage went from season rate of 27.8% to 24.9% over the final nine contest. Banchero averaged less than 18 points per game in that period and attempted less than 16 field goals in seven of those outings.

That dip in production did coincide with Franz Wagner’s return to the lineup, taking touches away from Banchero. However, we saw an aggressive approach in Sunday’s finale, with Paolo taking 22 shots – tying his second highest FGA mark of the season.

Banchero made just 7 of those 22 attempts, including whiffing on all five 3-pointers, yet was able to go 9 for 11 from the foul line and salvaged a 23-point performance in the loss.

Banchero took the blame for the flop in the finale, despite finishing with a triple-double in the loss. The versatile 6-foot-10 forward has a great opportunity to exploit Embiid’s absence against a smaller Philadelphia 76ers lineup.
 
Banchero’s two meetings with Philadelphia tell the story: With Embiid in, he finished with 14 points on 6-of-18 shooting and scored only two FTMs. Without him, Banchero hung 32 points (10 for 18) with 11 of those coming from the stripe.

Player projections for Wednesday sit between 23.3 and 25 points from Banchero. I’m leaning toward the high end of those forecasts, as Philadelphia doesn’t have anyone who can handle his combo of speed and size.

Magic vs 76ers same-game parlay

The Sixers are a tough challenge at home and even with Embiid out, this defense can still pack the paint due to the Orlando Magic’s awful 3-point shooting. Philadelphia is 19-8 SU as home chalk this season.

While Banchero headlines the Magic attack, Tyrese Maxey takes center stage for the 76ers. The kinetic guard is an inside-out threat, with projections calling for 3+ makes from beyond the arc. Maxey made three or more triples in two of his three matchups with Orlando this year.

Magic vs 76ers SGP

• 76ers Moneyline
• Paolo Banchero Over 22.5 points
• Tyrese Maxey Over 2.5 3-pointers

Our "from downtown" SGP: Florida Man

Banchero stuffed the stat sheet Sunday and still fell short, taking responsibility for the Magic’s egg in the season finale. Projections are all very positive for the superstar, who should also do some damage on defense against a smaller 76ers lineup.

Magic vs 76ers SGP

• Paolo Banchero Over 22.5 points
• Paolo Banchero Over 8.5 rebounds
• Paolo Banchero Over 5.5 assists
• Paolo Banchero Over 0.5 blocks

Magic vs 76ers odds

• Spread: Orlando +2 | Philadelphia -2
• Moneyline: Orlando +110 | Philadelphia -130
• Over/Under: Over 222 | Under 222

Magic vs 76ers betting trend to know

Play-In favorites of three points or less are 8-3 SU and ATS since the league introduced the current tournament format in 2021. Find more NBA betting trends for Magic vs. 76ers.

How to watch Magic vs 76ers

Magic vs 76ers latest injuries

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The NBA Play-In Tournament tips off tonight with the Hornets hosting the Heat in the Eastern Conference's 9/10 game.

We break down all of the win probability angles at Kalshi and provide Heat vs. Hornets predictions to help you make good on your NBA picks tonight.

Who will win Heat vs Hornets?

Heat win probability:31% (+223)
Hornets win probability:69% (-223)

The Heat are trading at just 31 cents (+223) to go into Charlotte and leave with a win tonight. The Hornets have been one of the best teams in the NBA since the All-Star break and are trading at 69 cents to win tonight.

Our prediction:Hornets to win

Covers' NBA expert, Jason Logan, keeps it simple: "The Hornets are excellent at home when catching points and come into the Play-In Tournament producing some of the best two-way basketball, boasting a net rating of +11.3 over the final 15 games."

Check out Jason's complete analysis in his Heat vs. Hornets predictions.

More Heat vs Hornets prediction markets

You're certainly not limited to the main game outcome for Heat vs. Hornets at Kalshi; you also have options to trade on the spread, total, and more, among other NBA odds markets.

You can buy either side of a market — for example, "Yes" on the Charlotte -6.5 spread means the Hornets will cover, while "No" on Charlotte means the Heat will cover — with each side priced based on the implied probability (which can be converted to American, Decimal, or Fraction odds using the Covers odds converter.)

Heat vs Hornets spread and total at prediction markets

Our predictions:Hornets -6.5

The Heat are horrendous on defense. Miami was 28th in defensive rating in the final 15 games while allowing 127.5 points against in that stretch. Foes racked up an average of 30 assists per contest — fifth most.

Charlotte cracked open the Heat’s zone defense like a piñata in that last meeting, thriving with off-ball movement and dribble-kick passing to spot-up shooters.

Other Heat vs Hornets prediction markets available

• Kon Knueppel 20+ points (Yes: 49¢)
• LaMelo Ball 8+ assists (Yes: 60¢)
• Tyler Herro 20+ points (Yes: 59¢)
• Bam Adebayo to record a double-double (Yes: 60¢)

What is Kalshi and how does it work?

Kalshi is a federally regulated U.S. exchange where you trade directly on the outcome of real-world future events. Instead of traditional bets, you trade "Event Contracts" which are simple Yes/No questions like "Will the Thunder win tonight?" These events are priced between $0.01 and $0.99, and the prices reflect the market’s estimated probability of that event occurring. For instance, $0.55 equals a 55% chance. If your prediction is correct, the contract pays out exactly $1.00; if not, it settles at $0. Kalshi is essentially a stock market for reality.

How does Kalshi differ from sportsbooks?

In a sportsbook, you bet against the bookmaker, who sets fixed odds and takes a "vig," which is a kind of commission. On Kalshi, you trade against other users. This peer-to-peer model means prices are driven by supply and demand, often resulting in fairer odds. Additionally, because these are financial derivatives, you can exit your position early. If your team takes a 14-point lead, the contract price will rise, allowing you to sell your "Yes" shares for a profit before the final whistle even blows.

Why should I wager on Heat vs Hornets at Kalshi?

Kalshi offers four unique advantages over traditional sportsbooks:

1. Flexibility: Unlike a "locked-in" bet, you can sell your contract at any time.
   
   
2. Transparency: You trade against other users, which can allow you to find better value.
   
   
3. Federal regulation: As a CFTC-regulated exchange, your funds are held in a secure, transparent environment.
   
   
4. Availability: Kalshi is available in 49 states (excluding Nevada) and D.C., including many regions where traditional sportsbooks aren't yet legal.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.