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NBA Cup: In-Season Tournament Rules, Bracket and Predictions
The NBA In-Season Tournament returns as the NBA Cup for Year 2 and we have run simulations to determine who will win and the best bets to make.
The NBA Cup, formerly known as the NBA's in-season tournament, has transformed the traditional NBA season by adding a high-stakes mid-season competition, offering fans and players a taste of playoff-like intensity much earlier in the year.
To celebrate the return of the NBA Cup, we've used our model's NBA predictions to simulate the entire tournament and find the best NBA betsto make on the NBA Cup.
Building on last season’s success, when LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers captured the title, the league hopes to make this year’s tournament an even bigger hit with fans as the action unfolds from November 12 through the championship showdown on December 17 in Las Vegas.
What Is the NBA Cup?
The NBA Cup is a mid-season, multi-stage tournament designed to bring a unique competitive element to regular-season play. The tournament includes group play, knockout rounds, and ultimately, a championship game.
Group play takes place every Tuesday and Friday, known as "Cup Nights," and serves double duty—games on these nights impact both the NBA Cup standings and regular-season records, with a coveted $500,000 prize for the champions.
Group Play and Knockouts
The tournament kicks off on November 12, 2024, and runs through the group-play phase until December 3. During this period, each team will compete against the four other teams in their group. The games are spread out over “Cup Nights,” held every Tuesday and Friday from November 12 to December 3. These games count toward both the regular season and the NBA Cup, meaning teams will be battling on multiple fronts.
Following group play, the six group winners from both conferences, plus two wild-card teams (one from each conference), will advance to the knockout rounds. These knockout stages will determine the ultimate NBA Cup champion, with the quarterfinals set for December 10-11, the semifinals on December 14, and the championship game on December 17 in Las Vegas.
Groupings for 2024 NBA Cup
This season, the groups are as follows, with each team's odds to win their group:
Eastern Conference
East Group A
NY Knicks (+100), PHI 76ers (+225), ORL Magic (+475), CHA Hornets (+1200), BKN Nets (+2000)
East Group B
MIL Bucks (+165), IND Pacers (+220), MIA Heat (+255), DET Pistons (+1100), TOR Raptors (+2000)
East Group C
BOS Celtics (-155), CLE Cavaliers (+205), ATL Hawks (+1200), CHI Bulls (+1500), WAS Wizards (+4000)
Western Conference
West Group A
MIN Timberwolves (+145), SAC Kings (+205), HOU Rockets (+330), LA Clippers (+900), POR Trail Blazers (+2500)
West Group B
OKC Thunder (+105), PHO Suns (+245), LA Lakers (+370), SA Spurs (+1100), UTA Jazz (+5000)
West Group C
DAL Mavericks (+245), GS Warriors (+255), DEN Nuggets (+280), MEM Grizzlies (+475), NO Pelicans (+1000)
NBA Cup Predictions and Best Bets
By using our model's advanced NBA Predictions, we've run an isolated simulation on the NBA Cup, with our projected probability for each team to win and our fair odds in the table below.
Using the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. teams with value have been highlighted in green (minimum 2.0% probability).
| Team | Make Quarter | Make Semi | Make Final | Win | Fair US Odds | DraftKings Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics | 71.60% | 46.90% | 30.70% | 18.50% | +441 | +400 |
| Thunder | 61.60% | 40.80% | 25.30% | 14.70% | +580 | +550 |
| Knicks | 55.50% | 34.10% | 18.60% | 10.20% | +880 | +900 |
| Mavericks | 41.30% | 22.40% | 11.80% | 6.50% | +1438 | +1800 |
| Timberwolves | 50.70% | 25.30% | 12.60% | 6.40% | +1463 | +1000 |
| Cavaliers | 45.40% | 22.30% | 12.20% | 5.50% | +1718 | +1100 |
| Suns | 39.60% | 21.90% | 10.90% | 5.40% | +1752 | +1600 |
| Nuggets | 36.30% | 19.10% | 10.00% | 5.10% | +1861 | +2200 |
| Warriors | 31.90% | 16.30% | 8.40% | 4.30% | +2226 | +2200 |
| Bucks | 41.10% | 19.30% | 8.80% | 3.90% | +2464 | +1700 |
| Lakers | 27.60% | 14.30% | 6.50% | 3.00% | +3233 | +3000 |
| 76ers | 31.90% | 16.30% | 7.00% | 3.00% | +3233 | +2200 |
| Magic | 29.30% | 15.00% | 6.40% | 2.50% | +3900 | +9000 |
| Heat | 30.70% | 13.90% | 5.60% | 2.30% | +4248 | +3500 |
| Pacers | 25.70% | 10.40% | 4.10% | 1.60% | +6150 | +2200 |
| Grizzlies | 17.20% | 7.20% | 3.20% | 1.40% | +7043 | +4000 |
| Kings | 25.20% | 9.80% | 3.60% | 1.40% | +7043 | +2200 |
| Clippers | 18.80% | 6.50% | 2.40% | 0.90% | +11011 | +10000 |
| Pelicans | 13.70% | 5.00% | 2.00% | 0.70% | +14186 | +9000 |
| Rockets | 16.40% | 5.20% | 1.70% | 0.50% | +19900 | +2800 |
| Pistons | 12.50% | 4.10% | 1.20% | 0.50% | +19900 | +50000 |
| Hawks | 10.10% | 2.90% | 1.20% | 0.40% | +24900 | 25000 |
| Nets | 10.20% | 3.80% | 1.10% | 0.30% | +33233 | +60000 |
| Bulls | 8.00% | 2.20% | 0.70% | 0.30% | +33233 | +40000 |
| Raptors | 12.70% | 3.90% | 0.90% | 0.20% | +49900 | +50000 |
| Jazz | 5.50% | 1.90% | 0.60% | 0.20% | +49900 | +70000 |
| Hornets | 7.80% | 2.80% | 0.80% | 0.20% | +49900 | +50000 |
| Spurs | 6.00% | 2.20% | 0.50% | 0.20% | +49900 | +15000 |
| Wizards | 7.60% | 1.90% | 0.60% | 0.10% | +99900 | +70000 |
| Trail Blazers | 8.40% | 2.20% | 0.50% | 0.10% | +99900 | +70000 |
Prize Money: The Incentive for Players
Incentives are high for players and coaches in the NBA Cup. The team that wins the championship will each receive a $500,000 prize. For high-profile stars, this may just be another paycheck, but for players on two-way contracts, the prize is a game-changer. Those on two-way deals will receive $250,000, which represents a substantial portion of their salary and adds extra motivation to perform at their peak.
In addition to the champions, the NBA Cup’s prize pool also rewards teams for their progression through the tournament. Here’s how the prize money breaks down:
- Champion: $500,000
- Runner-Up: $200,000
- Semifinalists: $100,000
- Quarterfinalists: $50,000
How Does the NBA Cup Affect the Regular Season?
The beauty of the NBA Cup is that it doesn’t disrupt the regular season schedule. Teams still play their standard 82-game schedule, and all Cup games, except for the final, count toward the regular-season standings. However, the competition introduces an extra layer of intensity, with the knockout stages resembling playoff basketball earlier in the season. For fans, this means seeing elite teams battle with postseason-level urgency well before the actual playoffs begin.
Responsible Gambling
Remember to please gamble responsibly. If you sense that you're taking your luck too far, know when to call it quits and don't be afraid to seek assistance. Keep in mind that gambling is all about having a fantastic experience! If you or someone you know is grappling with gambling issues, reach out to 1-800-GAMBLER for crisis counseling and support.
Dave Garofolo uses sophisticated AI-driven analytics to make predictions and evaluate player performances in the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, NCAAM, and PGA TOUR tournaments, crafting insightful game and prop previews.
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