The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup — formerly known as the In-Season Tournament — is now underway, meaning the snazzy courts and mid-season thrills are back in all their flashy glory.
We've already seen some movement in the NBA Cup odds, with the Knicks and Warriors off to strong starts, plus the Celtics suffering a shocking upset... but also ending the Cavaliers unblemished record.
With games every Tuesday and Friday, here are the latest odds to win the NBA Cup ahead of Friday's action.
2024 NBA Cup odds
Favorites to win 2024 NBA Cup
The New York Knicks have jumped to the favorite spot after notching wins over Philadelphia and Brooklyn already, putting them in the driver's seat in a group that also features 5-8 Charlotte and an Orlando squad without Paolo Banchero.
That's the only reason the Knicks are ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are 15-1 to start the season. Note the "1" in their record, as the Cavs finally suffered a loss: To Group C rival Boston Celtics yesterday, who needed to win after a shocking R1 loss to the Hawks... but are now right behind the Cavs in the third spot on the NBA Cup odds board.
The Golden State Warriors have started the season 10-2 — including a 2-0 start to the NBA Cup with wins over Dallas and Memphis — and following Oklahoma City suffering an upset loss to the Wembanyama-less Spurs Tuesday, have jumped up to fourth on the odds board, sitting as short at +650,
The Minnesota Timberwolves remain in the fifth spot, sitting anywhere from +900 to +1100, after an upset loss to Portland and a win against top group rival Memphis, while the Thunder, Nuggets, Mavericks, and Lakers are in the next tier of contenders.
NBA Cup schedule
Here is the NBA Cup schedule for the next slate of games — Friday, November 22 — along with the NBA odds for those games.
NBA Cup groups
The league's 30 teams will all compete in randomly drawn groups for the opening round, divided by conference, as listed below:
| East Group A | East Group B | East Group C |
|---|---|---|
 New York Knicks |
 Milwaukee Bucks |
 Boston Celtics |
 Orlando Magic |
 Indiana Pacers |
 Cleveland Cavaliers |
 Philadelphia 76ers |
 Miami Heat |
 Chicago Bulls |
 Brooklyn Nets |
 Toronto Raptors |
 Atlanta Hawks |
 Charlotte Hornets |
 Detroit Pistons |
 Washington Wizards |
| West Group A | West Group B | West Group C |
|---|---|---|
 Minnesota Timberwolves |
 Oklahoma City Thunder |
 Denver Nuggets |
 Los Angeles Clippers |
 Phoenix Suns |
 Dallas Mavericks |
 Sacramento Kings |
 Los Angeles Lakers |
 New Orleans Pelicans |
 Houston Rockets |
 Utah Jazz |
 Golden State Warriors |
 Portland Trail Blazers |
 San Antonio Spurs |
 Memphis Grizzlies |
NBA Cup explained
Group Play
Each team will begin the tournament in one of six groups, divided by conference and randomly drawn from tiers based on the previous season's record, to ensure relative competitive balance.
Within each group, all teams will play regular-season games against each other on designated Tournament Nights from November 12-December 3. Their records in those games determine who advances to the Knockout Round.
Knockout Round
The Knockout Round is comprised of eight teams:
- The winners of each of the six groups
- A wild-card team from each conference (the second-place team with the best record)
The Knockout Round is a single-elimination bracket. Teams in each conference with the best record will get homecourt advantage in these matchups.
The semis and finals take place in Las Vegas on December 14 and 17, with the winner of each conference facing off for the NBA Cup.
Teams that make the knockout round will be awarded portions of an as-of-yet undisclosed prize pool, increasing the further they make it. A Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Team will also be awarded after play has concluded.
Covers NBA betting tools
Understanding NBA Cup odds
Sportsbooks will post odds for the NBA Cup during the prior offseason. These odds are adjusted throughout the season as players switch teams, show steady improvement, or are injured. Sportsbooks will also adjust the NBA odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.
NBA Cup odds will usually look like this:
- Los Angeles Lakers +1,300
This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to win $1,300 if the Lakers win the tournament. If it's close to the end of the tournament and the NBA has a particularly dominant team, you might see a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.
- Denver Nuggets -180
This means you have to bet $180 to win $100 on a Nuggets tournament win.
Above we have listed the American odds. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool. And don't forget to check out our NBA forum if you're interested in chatting with other basketball bettors about NBA odds.
Popular NBA futures markets
2024 NBA Cup MVP odds
Read our full NBA In-Season Tournament MVP odds analysis to learn more.
