NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals odds, picks and predictions

The quarterfinals for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament are set, with four teams from each of the two conferences advancing past the group stage that began Nov. 3 and concluded Tuesday.

In the Eastern Conference, the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks will host the New York Knicks, and the Indiana Pacers host the Boston Celtics.

In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers host the Phoenix Suns, and the Sacramento Kings host the New Orleans Pelicans. The quarterfinals begin Monday and conclude Tuesday.

Unsurprisingly, the Celtics and Bucks remain betting favorites to win the entire tournament, as they’ve been from the beginning. Boston’s +300 odds lead the way at BetMGM, with Milwaukee close behind at +350.

More surprising is the third-place Kings at +500 coming in ahead of the Lakers (+550) and Suns (+600), who were both bigger favorites entering the tournament and remain bigger NBA championship favorites than Sacramento. The Kings’ play warrants the confidence, but the way the bracket shook out more than anything forced oddsmakers to weigh their chances differently, as the Suns and Lakers have to go through each other.

Below is a look at betting lines and my predictions for each quarterfinal matchup.