The 2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament tips off Tuesday, April 14, and if you're wondering how the whole thing works, or where the betting value sits, here's everything you need to know.
What Is the Play-In Tournament?
The Play-In is a mini-tournament held between the end of the NBA regular season and the start of the traditional 16-team playoffs. Teams that finish 7th through 10th in each conference compete for the final two playoff spots (the 7 and 8 seeds). It was introduced as a permanent fixture starting in 2021-22 after a pandemic-era trial run, and it's stuck around because it keeps late-season races meaningful and generates appointment viewing.
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How the Format Works
Each conference runs the same three-game structure:
Game 1 — No. 7 vs. No. 8 (Tuesday/Wednesday): The higher seed hosts. The winner locks in the 7 seed and advances directly to the first round of the playoffs. The loser gets a second chance.
Game 2 — No. 9 vs. No. 10 (Tuesday/Wednesday): The higher seed hosts. This is single elimination — lose and your season is over. The winner advances to one final Play-In game.
Game 3 — Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Winner (Friday): The Game 1 loser hosts. The winner claims the 8 seed. The loser goes home.
The key detail: finishing 7th or 8th gives you two chances to make the playoffs, while 9th and 10th seeds are one loss from elimination.
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2026 Play-In Schedule, Matchups & Odds
All six games air exclusively on Prime Video.
Tuesday, April 14
- Heat (10) at Hornets (9), 7:30 p.m. ET — Loser eliminated. Charlotte is a 5.5-point favorite (Hornets -215, Heat +192), with the total set at 228.
- Trail Blazers (8) at Suns (7), 10 p.m. ET — Winner earns the 7 seed. Phoenix is favored by 3.5 (Suns -164, Blazers +143), with a total of 218.
Wednesday, April 15
- Magic (8) at 76ers (7), 7:30 p.m. ET — Winner earns the 7 seed. This is the tightest line on the board: Philly is just a 1-point favorite (76ers -115, Magic +100), with a total of 220.
- Warriors (10) at Clippers (9), 10 p.m. ET — Loser eliminated. The Clippers are 4.5-point favorites (Clippers -192, Warriors +170), total at 220.
Friday, April 17
- 7/8 Loser vs. 9/10 Winner, 7:30 p.m. ET — East, winner earns 8 seed
- 7/8 Loser vs. 9/10 Winner, 10 p.m. ET — West, winner earns 8 seed
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First-Round Matchups (Starting Saturday, April 18)
The Play-In winners fill in the remaining spots, but four first-round series are already locked:
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference |
|---|---|
| (1) Pistons vs. (8) TBD | (1) Thunder vs. (8) TBD |
| (2) Celtics vs. (7) TBD | (2) Spurs vs. (7) TBD |
| (3) Knicks vs. (6) Hawks | (3) Nuggets vs. (6) Timberwolves |
| (4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Raptors | (4) Lakers vs. (5) Rockets |
Saturday tips at 1 p.m. ET with Cavaliers-Raptors on Prime, followed by Nuggets-Wolves (3:30, Prime), Knicks-Hawks (6, Prime), and Lakers-Rockets (8:30, ABC). Sunday features the four Play-In-dependent series across ABC and NBC/Peacock.
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NBA Championship Odds
The Thunder (+135) are the clear title favorites, followed by the Celtics and Spurs (both +550), and the surging Nuggets (+1100) riding a 12-game win streak into the postseason. Detroit, despite owning the East's top seed at 60-22, sits at +2250, suggesting the market isn't sold on the Pistons as a true contender yet. On the other end, Play-In teams range from the Hornets (+17000) and 76ers (+17500) to the Trail Blazers at +250000, the longest shot on the board.
