The 2026 NBA Playoffs are here and it’s time to fill out some brackets. If you’re anything like me, you love the thrill of predicting each series and seeing how your picks hold up as the playoffs unfold. The problem is, just like with March Madness, a lot of the biggest NBA bracket contests out there are only open to Americans.
To save you the hassle of signing up for contests only to find out you’re not eligible, I’ve put together this list of NBA playoff bracket contests that Canadians can actually enter. Most of these are completely free, and a couple offer some seriously impressive prizes.
If you know of any other Canadian-friendly NBA bracket contests that I haven’t listed below, drop me a line through the Contact page and I’ll add it to the list.
Free NBA Bracket Contests for Canadians
NBA.com Pick’Em Bracket Challenge
The official NBA Bracket Challenge is back for the 2026 playoffs and it’s open to Canadians aged 19 and older (excluding Quebec). Pick the winner and number of games for every series from Round 1 through the NBA Finals. One bracket per person.
Prizes:
- 1st Place: Courtside seats to an NBA game
- 2nd – 5th Place: Signed NBA memorabilia + $500 gift code to NBAStore.com
- 6th – 10th Place: $500 gift code to NBAStore.com
- 11th – 20th Place: $250 gift code to NBAStore.com
- 21st – 50th Place: $100 gift code to NBAStore.com
If you somehow nail a perfect bracket (every series winner and exact number of games), the NBA awards a massive grand prize. Last year over 560,000 brackets were submitted worldwide and only one perfect bracket survived past the first round, so the odds are slim, but it’s free to play.
Eligibility: Legal residents of Canada, 19+, excluding Quebec. One bracket per person.
ESPN NBA Playoff Challenge
ESPN’s free Playoff Challenge lets you submit up to two brackets per person, so you can hedge your picks or go with one safe bracket and one bold one. $50,000 in total prizes for top finishers. You can also create or join groups to compete against friends and family.
Prizes:
- $50,000 in total prizes split among top finishers
Eligibility: Free to play. Up to 2 entries per person. Brackets lock when the first matchup of each round tips off.
NBA TopShot Bracket Challenge
NBA TopShot is an NBA collectible NFT platform. They are awarding NFT collectible cases, boxes, and packs for top finishers.
Prizes:
- 1st Place: Playoff case from NBA Finals.
- 2nd-5th: Box
- 6th-50th: Standard Packs
Eligibility: Free to play. Must have an NBA TopShot account.
NBA Playoff Sweepstakes presented by Gillette
This one is a sweepstakes rather than a bracket contest, meaning the winner is drawn randomly from all entries. The prize is fantastic and it’s exclusively open to Canadian residents. The entry period runs from April 13 to April 19, 2026.
Prize:
- Grand Prize (1 winner): A trip for two to Toronto to watch the Raptors in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, valued at approximately $5,000 CAD. Includes round-trip flights, two nights of hotel accommodations, and two tickets to a first-round Toronto Raptors playoff home game.
Eligibility: Legal residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory. Limit one entry per person. If you have an eligible bonus code, you’ll receive three additional entries.
View the full official rules (PDF)
NBA Playoff Prop Sheet Contests
PredictVS.com Raptors First Round Playoff Contest
If traditional bracket contests aren’t your thing, PredictVS.com is running a prop sheet contest focused on the Toronto Raptors’ first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Instead of just picking series winners, you’ll answer 20 prop-style questions per game, plus a separate series prop sheet. It’s a fun format that rewards deeper basketball knowledge and gives you something to sweat on a game-by-game basis throughout the series.
Prizes (Visa Gift Cards):
- 1st Place: $100
- 2nd Place: $50
- 3rd – 5th Place: $25 each
2026 NBA First Round Series Winner Odds
If you’re filling out a bracket, it helps to know where the sportsbooks stand on each first-round series. Below is a comparison of the series winner odds from Bet365 and Sports Interaction, two of the top sportsbooks available to Canadian bettors. The best available odds for each team are highlighted in bold, and the implied probability column reflects those best odds.
The implied probabilities add up to more than 100% due to the built-in sportsbook margin (vig). The true probabilities are slightly lower than listed.
The play-in tournament runs April 14-17 and will determine the 7th and 8th seeds in each conference. Once those matchups are set, I’ll update this section with odds and analysis for the remaining four first-round series.
(3) Denver Nuggets vs (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
Denver and Minnesota are meeting in the playoffs once again. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets come in riding an 11-game winning streak to close the regular season, while Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves will look to pull the upset as the lower seed.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 3.75 | 3.75 | 26.7% |
| Denver Nuggets | 1.28 | 1.28 | 78.1% |
The Nuggets are heavy favourites, with both books listing Denver at identical 1.28 odds, implying a 78.1% chance to advance.
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (5) Toronto Raptors
This is the series Canadian fans will be watching most closely. The Raptors are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022, led by Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett. Cleveland brings the veteran firepower of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, but Toronto actually swept the season series 3-0. The oddsmakers still heavily favour Cleveland, but the Raptors will be looking to prove those odds wrong.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Raptors | 5.25 | 6.00 | 16.7% |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 1.17 | 1.14 | 85.5% |
Cleveland is the biggest favourite of any first-round series. If you believe in Toronto’s chances, the payout is significant, especially at Sports Interaction where the Raptors are listed at 6.00.
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
(3) New York Knicks vs (6) Atlanta Hawks
The Knicks locked up the 3-seed and home-court advantage, but the Hawks have been one of the hottest teams in the league down the stretch with a 20-5 run heading into the postseason. Jalen Brunson and New York took two of three from Atlanta during the regular season, winning both games in Atlanta but dropping their lone home game at MSG.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | 3.35 | 3.40 | 29.4% |
| New York Knicks | 1.34 | 1.33 | 74.6% |
The Knicks are solid favourites, but Atlanta’s late-season surge makes this one of the more intriguing first-round matchups. The Hawks offer decent value if you think their momentum carries into the playoffs.
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
(5) Houston Rockets vs (4) Los Angeles Lakers
The Rockets are actually favoured despite being the lower seed, which tells you everything you need to know about the state of the Lakers heading into the postseason. Kevin Durant and Houston’s physical style of play could pose serious problems for a Los Angeles squad dealing with injuries. The Lakers took two of three during the regular season, but that was under much healthier circumstances.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Rockets | 1.15 | 1.14 | 87.0% |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 5.75 | 6.00 | 16.7% |
Houston is the most lopsided favourite on the board. The Rockets’ implied probability of winning this series sits around 87% at both books. If you’re feeling bold and think the Lakers can pull off the upset, the return is massive at 5.75 or 6.00.
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
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Good luck with your brackets and bets! Feel free to reach out through the Contact page if you have any questions or know of any other contests I should add to this list.
Tagged With : Bracket Contests • NBA betting • NBA Playoffs