NBA Play-In Tournament: Wizards Favored Over Pacers on Thursday

The NBA's fairly new Play-In tournament tipped off for the second-straight season on Tuesday night. The league opened everything up with an Eastern Conference slate, including matchups between the Charlotte Hornets and the Indiana Pacers, followed by Boston Celtics versus Washington Wizards.

The winner of the first matchup advanced past the Play-In tournament's "first round." For the second game, the winner clinches the seventh seed in the 2021 NBA Playoffs and would face the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.

At this point, the results of the first phase are in. After the Pacers dominated the Hornets, Charlotte found themselves officially eliminated from the playoffs. Then, the Celtics locked in the seventh seed and will now face the Nets in round one.

On Thursday, the Pacers will face the Wizards for the second and final Eastern Conference Play-In matchup. The winner takes the eighth seed and will become the Philadelphia 76ers' first-round opponent. The loser takes a hike.

What're the Odds?

According to FanDuel, the Washington Wizards are favored over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. With the spread set at 3.5 in favor of the Wizards, oddsmakers across the board seem to believe that Washington won't collapse as the Hornets did.

Spread: -4 Wizards

Moneyline: WAS -168, IND +142

Total: 238.5

via FanDuel

For starters, Indiana has a crowded injury report. Jeremy Lamb, Caris LeVert, Myles Turner, and T.J. Warren are all out for Thursday's game. Malcolm Brogdon and Edmond Sumer are both questionable.

While the Pacers' shorthanded roster exploded for 144 points, they played a shorthanded, young, and inexperienced Hornets team. Now, they face a tougher challenge against a Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal-led Wizards team.

That's not to say Indiana can't continue its hot streak and upset the Wizards, but it makes sense that Washington is favored. The good news for the Sixers is that they are 5-1 against Washington and Indiana combined.

So, either matchup doesn't pose a significant threat to Philly on paper. According to Sixers star Ben Simmons, they really don't care who they play. They are the first seed for a reason. Therefore, the Sixers are just patiently waiting to see who they will face without preference, and they'll find out on Thursday.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.