NBA Emirates Cup 2024: All You Need to Know About the In-Season Tournament
NBA Emirates Cup 2024: Format and Schedule
The NBA Emirates Cup 2024 is set to get underway on Wednesday, November 13 (GMT) and runs until December 17, with the Grand Final taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Last year, LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to the inaugural NBA Cup title, beating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in the final.
The format of this year’s competition has remained the same as the last edition, with all 30 teams divided into six groups consisting of five teams each. This will include three groups in the Eastern Conference and three in the Western Conference, and each team will face the other four in their group in a series of games scheduled over four Wednesdays and three Saturdays (or Tuesdays and Fridays in the US).
Upon completion of the group stage, the teams that end top of their group, along with the two teams with the best records that did not win their group (known as the wildcards) will move on to the Knockout Phase, which comprises the quarter-final, semi-final, and the Grand Final. The Knockout Phase of the competition is scheduled to start on December 11 and end on December 17.
The first game of the 2024 NBA Emirates Cup is a blockbuster fixture between two of the hottest teams in the league this season - Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers - and you can check out our expert’s NBA Predictions for this match in the lead-up to tip-off.
Bet on the NBA Emirates CupNBA Emirates Cup 2024: Groups and Odds
As mentioned, all 30 teams in the NBA will be split into six groups of five and will play each side in their group once during this stage of the competition. Here are the groups and the pre-tournament odds for each team:
All odds taken from Boylesports
Western Conference:
West Group A
Minnesota Timberwolves - 12.0
Sacramento Kings - 25.0
Houston Rockets - 28.0
LA Clippers - 50.0
Portland Trail Blazers - 250.0
West Group B
Oklahoma City Thunder - 5.5
Phoenix Suns - 20.0
Los Angeles Lakers - 25.0
San Antonio Spurs - 150.0
Utah Jazz - 250.0
West Group C
Dallas Mavericks - 14.0
Denver Nuggets - 20.0
Golden State Warriors - 25.0
Memphis Grizzlies - 40.0
New Orleans Pelicans - 80.0
Eastern Conference:
East Group A
New York Knicks - 9.0
Philadelphia 76ers - 28.0
Orlando Magic - 50.0
Charlotte Hornets - 150.0
Brooklyn Nets - 250.0
East Group B
Milwaukee Bucks - 16.0
Indiana Pacers - 25.0
Miami Heat - 28.0
Toronto Raptors - 250.0
Detroit Pistons - 250.0
East Group C
Boston Celtics - 4.0
Cleveland Cavaliers - 8.5
Atlanta Hawks - 150.0
Chicago Bulls - 250.0
Washington Wizards - 250.0
Entering the competition, the Boston Celtics are the current favourites to win the 2024 NBA Emirates Cup, priced at 4.0 with Boylesports. Oklahoma City Thunder are second at 5.5 and the New York Knicks are third at 9.0. These are the only three teams currently priced under 10.0 to win the title and you can keep up to date with all the latest prices via our live NBA Betting Odds comparator right here on SportyTrader!
Check out the latest NBA Cup oddsNBA Emirates Cup 2024: Knockout Round and Tiebreakers
All dates and times are GMT
The top six teams from the group stage and the two wildcards progress to the Knockout Round of the tournament and will face off in single-elimination games, starting with the quarter-finals, which are set to be held on December 11. Thereafter, the four remaining teams will head to Las Vegas for the semi-final on December 14 before the top two sides lock horns in the Grand Final on December 17.
Determining the NBA Cup standings can become somewhat intricate, especially when teams in the same group finish with identical records during the initial stage of the tournament. To address this, a series of tiebreakers are in place to establish a clear winner. If two or more teams are tied, the league will apply the following tiebreakers, in the specified order, until the tie is resolved:
- Head-to-head record in Group Play
- Point differential in Group Play
- Total points scored in Group Play
- Record from the 2023-24 NBA regular season
- Random drawing
For sports bettors, the NBA Cup introduces an exciting new dynamic to the regular season betting, with all 67 games impacting the NBA standings - except for the Championship game. This unique tournament format offers numerous opportunities for high-stakes betting, and you can live every moment of the action by using our NBA Livescore tool throughout the 2024 NBA Emirates Cup.
Place a wager on the NBA Cup winner
NBA Emirates Cup 2024: Awards and Prizes
The NBA’s key goal in integrating this tournament into the regular season schedule is to ensure that all teams and players have a strong incentive to remain competitive from early in the season. Unlike other sports where cup tournaments are held outside of the regular league competition, the NBA Cup is structured as an extension of the regular season and each result counts toward the team’s season record.
Moreover, this tournament also provides added motivation for teams and players with individual accolades such as the NBA Cup MVP, the All-Tournament Team, and of course, cash prizes up for grabs for the champions. Last season LeBron James won the MVP award and was part of the All-Tournament Team alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and Tyrese Haliburton.
