Play-In Action Continues

I’ll confess, I have mixed feelings about the NBA Play-In Tournament myself. But even the staunchest critics of the expanded postseason would have a hard time complaining about the high-stakes matchups we’ve been treated to already this week 😎

We’ve got two more Play-In games tonight before this year’s playoff field is officially set in stone, and both of the 10-seeds are still in the hunt. Tipping off first is a battle in Miami between the Heat and the Bulls; here’s how the lines are shaping up 👇

Heat vs. Bulls Betting Preview (subject to change)

• Spread: Heat -5.5

• Moneyline: Heat -215, Bulls +180

• O/U: 208.5

Unfortunately for Chicago fans, the MVP of their victory on Wednesday night won’t be available this time around. And no, I’m not talking about anyone who was actually on the court ⬇️

If you watched the game, it’s safe to say you heard Diar’s contributions. But DeMar says she won’t be making the trip to Miami, so the Bulls may not be able to bank on free throw woes again 🤷🏻‍♂️

• FWIW, the Heat ranked second in the league in free throw percentage this year. But hey, that didn’t bother Chicago when these two teams met in the regular season, with the Bulls sweeping all three games 🧹

• Another reason for optimism tonight in Chi-Town despite the team’s underdog status? 30 second half points from Zach LaVine on Wednesday, whose heaters run about as hot as anyone’s 🔥

As you can probably tell from tonight’s over/under total, LaVine and company should face a bit more resistance against a tough Miami D…and don’t expect Jimmy Butler to shoot 6-of-19 again. Although both of these teams undoubtedly underperformed this season, with a ton of star-power taking the floor in a do-or-die game, I’m expecting this to be a good one 🙌

Trivia Question: When was the last time the Bulls won a playoff series?

Heading Out West

Let’s be honest, I don’t think either the Timberwolves or Thunder expected to be here at the start of the season. And for two completely different reasons…

• Flashback to last summer, and Minnesota looked like a team with title aspirations after mortgaging their future in a deal for All-Star center Rudy Gobert. Less than a year later, it already looks like one of the worst trades in sports history 😬

• Meanwhile, OKC was thought to be one of the strongest contenders in the Wembanyama sweepstakes, especially after losing second overall pick Chet Holmgren to injury. It’s safe to say there weren’t high hopes this season…

But preseason expectations be damned; tonight it’s win or go home for both squads. Here’s how the lines are looking for the showdown in Minneapolis 👇

Timberwolves vs. Thunder Betting Preview

• Spread: Timberwolves -5.5

• Moneyline: Timberwolves -215, Thunder +180

• O/U: 228.5

Speaking of Gobert, the much-maligned trade continued to age like milk when the center was suspended for the first play-in game. Now, his availably tonight is in question as well due to a back injury 🙃

• Another absence from Gobert and his 11.6 RPG would be huge for the Thunder, whose tallest starter is 6’9 rookie Jaylin Williams. Getting bullied in the paint was an issue all season long for OKC, and we witnessed it firsthand on Wednesday night as New Orleans center Jonas Valanciunas grabbed 18 boards

• With that in mind, I expect Karl-Anthony Towns to feast, regardless of the outcome. But with a healthy dose of Lu Dort AKA the “Dorture Chamber” coming his way, don’t be surprised if we see another off night from Anthony Edwards 🥶

For OKC, you know First Team All-NBA contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will get his. But the biggest X-factor tonight is his backcourt partner, a 20-year-old Australian sophomore who balled out in his first taste of the postseason 😤

As you might expect from a guy who isn’t even old enough to legally buy a beer, Giddey battles his fair share of inconsistency. But another big game from him could keep the Thunder’s surprising season going, while also putting an end to a turbulent year in Minnesota 😏

For My Parlay Gurus

10-seeds had never won a game in the Play-In Tournament prior to this year, but I think there’s a good chance this anomaly ends tonight. Both games should be close, but we took both the Bulls and Thunder to cover in Wednesday night’s parlay, and if ain’t broke, don’t fix it 👇

• Bulls +5.5 vs Heat: -110

• Thunder +5.5 vs Timberwolves: -110

$100 on this bet would win you $264 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: Chicago last won a playoff series in 2015 . They’ve had two first round exits since

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