With the postseason upon us, the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament launches on Tuesday night. Broadcast on Prime Video, the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets clash at 7:30 p.m. ET before giving way to the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns at 10:00 p.m.
Over on PrizePicks Team Picks, Charlotte and Phoenix are favored by 6.5 and 2.5 points on the spread, returning respective 1.96x and 1.75x payouts with a cover. Which clubs could see their star players step up?
Below, we'll break down our Play-In Tournament NBA picks today for PrizePicks, including key player projections to consider in Heat vs. Hornets and Trail Blazers vs. Suns.
Make your picks for the NBA Play-In Tournament on PrizePicks now.
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NBA Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks – Tuesday, April 14
Here are five top NBA Play-In Tournament picks to target for Tuesday, April 14 on PrizePicks. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks include SG Tyler Herro, SG Devin Booker, PG LaMelo Ball, and others.
Heat SG Tyler Herro vs. Hornets Projection: 21.5 Points
- Herro averaged 19.8 points per game after the All-Star break, although that number has ticked up to 20.1 since the start of March.
- This is the first year Herro has converted on 70% or more (70.2%) of his shots from 0-3 feet. He’s also making 55.8% of his attempts from 3-10 feet, another career-high figure.
- According to databallr, Herro’s 25.8 true shot attempts per 100 possessions puts him in the 92nd percentile.
- In two matchups against the Hornets this season, the Kentucky product netted 26.5 PPG on a scorching 51.6% shooting from the field.
Add Tyler Herro to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Heat C Bam Adebayo vs. Hornets Projection: 31.5 Pts + Rebs
- During the regular season, Bam Adebayo put up 30.1 combined points and rebounds each night.
- Adebayo put up a career-worst 55.1% true shooting mark in year No. 9, fueled by a 44.2% field goal rate that’s his lowest by 4.3%.
- Via NBA Advanced Stats, among players who average 3.3 contested rebounds per night, Adebayo’s percentage (33.3%) ranks dead last.
- Charlotte allows just 47.9 rebounds each night, the lowest mark in the entire sport. That includes elite marks on the offensive (23.4%, second) and defensive (69.5%, fourth) boards.
Add Bam Adebayo to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
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Hornets PG LaMelo Ball vs. Heat Projection: 36.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Don’t let Ball’s 32.0 season average for points, rebounds, and assists fool you. That number is 37.7 in April, also seeing him get 30.8 minutes each night.
- Ball is one of basketball’s more prolific 3-point shooters, jacking up 10.3 treys each night and making 36.8% of them on a high difficulty.
- The veteran floor general’s 14.6% defensive rebounding rate and 4.2% self-rebounding mark are in the 99th and 87th percentiles, respectively.
- According to NBA RAPM, Ball spends 42% of his time on-ball and nets 12.5 assists per 100 possessions. The latter figure is the highest for him in the database’s tracking (since 2021).
Add LaMelo Ball to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Trail Blazers SF Deni Avdija vs. Suns Projection: 38 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Deni Avdija puts up 37.8 points, rebounds, and assists on a nightly basis. Coming out of the break, however, that ledger is down to 35.1.
- The star forward is canning just 23.5% of his 3-point shots in his last 20 games, limiting his overall scoring efficiency.
- The Suns are a respectable rebounding team, ranking 16th in boards surrendered on average (52.9) and 13th vs. the SF position (7.78, per FantasyPros).
- Blazers teammates boast just a 16th-percentile shot quality on Avdija’s assists this season.
Add Deni Avdija to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Suns SG Devin Booker vs. Trail Blazers Projection: 27 Points
- Prior to missing back-to-back games to end the regular season, Booker was on a tear. In his previous 20 contests, he poured in 29.0 PPG on 45.9% shooting from the field.
- D-Book’s 3-point numbers also climbed during that span, sitting at 36.9%. He shot just 30.8% in his other 44 games this year.
- Booker’s shot usage (31.7) and points per 75 (28.1) both sit in the 99th percentile (RAPM).
- The 11th-year guard remains one of the game’s best midrange assassins, making 48.0% of his tries from 10-16 feet and 46.4% from 16 feet to the 3-point line.
Add Devin Booker to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Make NBA Play-In Tournament Picks on PrizePicks
As the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament tips off tonight, it marks another step being taken towards the official start of the NBA Playoffs. In addition to Heat vs. Hornets and Trail Blazers vs. Suns this evening, there are tons of other team and player projections to choose from moving forward.
Don’t wait until lock — make your NBA Play-In Tournament picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
Pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on game winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
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