2026 NBA Play-In Tournament: Best Bets Today (April 14)

The 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament tips off tonight with a massive doubleheader where the margins for error are razor-thin. The evening begins with a win-or-go-home Eastern Conference showdown as the No. 9 Charlotte Hornets host the No. 10 Miami Heat. Then, the action shifts out West, where the No. 7 Phoenix Suns and No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers will battle in the desert for the coveted seventh seed.

You can catch both games exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Here are my top bets for the action!

Note: All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change after the publication of this article.

Best Bet #1: Hornets -6.0 (-110) vs. Heat

Charlotte is easily my favorite play on the board. The Hornets finished the regular season with a 44-38 record, earning home-court advantage and stepping into this matchup as the clear-cut better team, especially against a Miami squad that was just 17-24 SU on the road.

If you’ve been backing LaMelo Ball and company this season, your bankroll is probably happy. Charlotte is a league-best 50-32 ATS and has consistently handled this spot well, going 12-4 SU and 11-5 ATS when favored by more than three points at home.

The real separator here is the math problem the Hornets create on offense. They let it fly, jacking up over 43 threes a game and hitting them at a massive 37.8% clip. That kind of shot volume can blow a game open in a hurry.

Don’t overthink the Heat taking the regular-season series 3-1. The last time these two met in Charlotte, the Hornets completely ran Miami out of the gym with a 136-106 beatdown. While I don’t foresee tonight’s score being as lopsided as that, I don’t think it will be particularly close either. Expect a comfortable victory for Buzz City.

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Best Bet #2: Trail Blazers vs. Suns UNDER 217.5 (-114)

This one has all the makings of a tense, grind-it-out half-court battle. Neither of these teams is looking to get into a track meet tonight. Phoenix plays at an absolute crawl with a 97.17 pace, and Portland isn’t exactly flying up the floor either (100.52).

On top of the slow tempo, the Blazers’ offense has some glaring limitations, ranking 21st in offensive rating (113.1) and 28th in three-point percentage (34.3%). What is the saving grace keeping them in games? Portland’s defense has quietly clamped down, surrendering just 107 points per game over its last five regular-season contests.

The last meeting between these teams ended with a 92-77 Blazers victory, which is a reminder of how ugly this matchup can get when the pace bogs down. Give me the Under.

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