Tonight is the final night of the NBA Play-In Tournament. The winners of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 games on Wednesday will face off with the losers of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 games for the final spot in each conference’s playoffs. First up, we have the Atlanta Hawks facing off against the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. And, to end the night, we have the New Orleans Pelicans playing the Los Angeles Clippers for eight-seed in the West.
After Paul George was ruled out due to health and safety protocols, here are the updated NBA Play-In game odds, 2022 schedule and predictions for Friday, April 15.
NBA Play-In Game 8th Seed Odds and Schedule
Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Spread: ATL: -2.5 (-110) | CLE: +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: ATL: -140 | CLE: +115
Over/Under: 222.5 (-110)
Hawks vs. Cavaliers Game Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Hawks vs. Cavaliers Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Spread: NOP: +1.5 (-120) | LAC: -1.5 (+100)
Moneyline: NOP: -110 | LAC: -110
Over/Under: 215.5 (-110)
Pelicans vs. Clippers Game Time: 10 p.m. EST
Pelicans vs. Clippers Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
NBA Play-In Game 8th Seed Predictions Today and Best Bets
NBA Best Bet April 15: Atlanta Hawks -2.5 (-110) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, available at BetMGM
The more experienced team should prevail in this Eastern Conference matchup. The Atlanta Hawks looked locked-in during their first Play-In game, winning by a cool 29 points. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been sloppy down the stretch, losing nine of their past 12 games.
These teams met four times during the regular season. While Cleveland won the first matchup, it has been three in a row for the Hawks, with the most recent game being a 24-point Atlanta victory. I expect more of the same in this contest, even with the possible return of Jarrett Allen to the Cavs lineup. Take the Hawks -2.5 to lock up the No. 8 seed in the East.
NBA Best Bet April 15: Pelicans vs. Clippers Under 215.5 Points (-110), available at BetMGM
We saw how both the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Clippers leaned on their defense in their first Play-In game. New Orleans slowed the Spurs, holding them to only 103 points. And, despite the loss, the Clippers completely took Karl-Anthony Towns out of their game with the Timberwolves, holding the top-scoring team in the league to 109 points.
On top of their defensive efforts, betting trends are on our side as well. The under is 10-4 in the Pelicans’ past 14 games overall and 6-2 in their past eight road games. The Clippers have seen the under go 4-1 in their past five games overall and 4-1 in their past five games with the Pelicans.
It should be more of the same tonight, especially with the news that Paul George with miss the game after testing positive for Covid-19. The under here is my best bet for the Play-In games on Friday night.
NBA Best Prop Bet April 15: Brandon Ingram Over 6.5 Rebounds (-120) vs. Los Angeles Clippers, available at BetMGM
With this projected to be another low-scoring game between the Pelicans and the Clippers, the opportunity for rebounds should be plentiful.
Averaging 7.2 rebounds during his final five games of the season, this looks to be a great spot to bet the over for Brandon Ingram. He grabbed more than 6.5 rebounds in three of the four matchups with the Clippers this season, including eight in their last matchup on April 3.
Expect Ingram to hit the over on this rebounds prop as it’s my best prop bet play for April 15.
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