:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72165504/usa_today_20431349.0.jpg "NBA play-in tournament 2023: Can any team from this bracket win the title?")
The NBA play-in tournament is set to get underway Tuesday and it's a strong set of teams this season. We haven't seen this many teams who were projected to finish near the top of the league in the play-in ever. The play-in tournament has made the playoffs even more fun to watch and gives teams who just missed the playoffs by a game or two a chance to compete and earn their way in.
The two potential title contenders are the two favorites to win Tuesday. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat are the only teams with a real shot at winning the NBA title. The Lakers are +1800 and the Heat are +25000 per DraftKings Sportsbook to win it all. Both these teams have playoff experience and could make a run if they get hot. They both also underperformed and could also lose in the first round. LeBron James has been here before and seems to be healthy, which is great news for the Lakers. Jimmy Butler and the Heat have the playoff experience as well as they fell just short in the NBA Finals to the Lakers in the bubble. They were also one shot away from making the Finals a season ago.
Another team to watch for is the Minnesota Timberwolves at +30000. Many thought that adding Rudy Gobert would make this team much better than they are. They weren't at full-strength for a good portion of the season and should have Gobert, Anthony Edwards, and Karl Anthony-Towns good to go for the playoffs. If they can fix the locker room issues quick, they could have a shot at making a run.