NBA Parlay Picks for Thursday: Backing the Elite
NBA Parlay Picks for Thursday: Backing the Elite
Thursday's NBA Parlay
After hitting two out of three parlays yesterday, we head into Thursday with a spring in our step and feeling mighty fine about ourselves, and now we need to try and do it again. There are some good games today, with lots of value to be found, but we're going with a multi-team parlay that's all favorites. Why? Let's jump right in and find out!
- Golden State Warriors -7 (Cavs vs. Warriors Odds)
- Miami Heat -6 (Heat vs. Wizards Odds)
- Utah Jazz -8 (Jazz vs. Raptors Odds)
NBA Parlay Odds: +466: Risk $100 to win $466
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NBA Parlay Breakdown
Doing anything other than backing the Golden State Warriors at this moment in time seems absurd to me! They're simply too good and have far too much momentum, still sitting pretty atop of the NBA's net rating, along with being 3rd in offensive rating and 1st in defensive rating. It's hard to envision the Warriors losing in the coming days. Cleveland faces off against the NBA's most in-form team at the worst time. They're missing two of their best defensive pieces in Jarret Allen and Evan Mobley, which, coupled with the absent Lauri Markkanen, reduces the size that made them so fearsome to a smidge over average. Steph Curry heads into tonight's contest as questionable, which could change the narrative if he sits out, but with how the Warriors have been playing, we're rolling with the hot hand and expecting them to cover a -7 spread.
On a three-game winning streak with their West Coast slide firmly in the rearview, the Miami Heat face off against the Washington Wizards later today, looking to get a victory before facing the team again over the weekend. Miami is no joke; they're currently ranked third in Net rating and boast the 4th best offense. The Wizards' hot start hasn't subsided, though, and they look every bit the real deal at this early juncture of the season and currently sit 8th in net rating with a +3.8. Presently, the Heat haven't submitted their injury report, but we're sweating on Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo's availability which could quickly swing this game in favor of the Wizards. However, with the way Tyler Herro has been playing and the shooting ability of Duncan Robinson, the Heat should still eek past Washington. With a reasonable -6 spread, we should be confident.
We've already looked at the number 1 and number 3 ranked teams for Net Rating, and now we look at the 2nd placed Utah Jazz who face the Toronto Raptors. Utah has lost a few in recent weeks and doesn't look like the unbeatable force they did in early November. However, Toronto's injury worries will potentially leave them short-handed. Precious Achiuwa, OG Anunoby, and Chris Boucher are all questionable heading into tonight's contest, which destroys the Raptors wing rotation. For a team that relies on their length to be a challenging defensive proposition, Nick Nurse will need to get creative to cover for those guys should they miss the game. Utah's injury list remains unchanged, making them slight favorites for tonight's contest. We're taking the Jazz to cover a -8 spread in this one, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Donovan Mitchell have a high-scoring game!
Denver Nuggets vs. Philadelphia 76ers Same-Game Parlay
- Philadelphia 76ers +13
- Under 217.5 points
- Odds: +103
Seven players are on the Philadelphia 76ers injury list, three of whom are core rotation players. Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Matisse Thybulle, Grant Riller, Jaden Springer, and Aaron Henry are all out of tonight's game for one reason or another, leaving the 76ers short on depth and talent. Tobias Harris will need to be at his best against the wing defense of the Denver Nuggets if the 76ers expect to have any shot of winning the contest. Denver is also navigating some injury issues, with Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji, and Jamal Murray all out tonight, along with Will Barton being a game-time decision.
With so many injuries across both teams, form and stats go out the window, and the question becomes, "who has the most talented roster on the night?" The answer there is the Nuggets, courtesy of Nikola Jokic. As such, we're expecting a Nuggets win, but with their own injuries, it's hard to project by how much, so we're taking the 76ers on a +13 spread, which gives us wiggle room and allows us to cash in should they beat the odds to win.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs Same-Game Parlay
- Minnesota Timberwolves -2.5
- Under 226.5
- Odds: +200
This will be a closely fought contest, with some exceptionally talented players – big Keldon Johnson and Anthony Edwards fans! However, we need to pick a winner, and that's not easy here. The Spurs are the better team in terms of Net Rating, ranking 17th, but that's more of a testament to the Timberwolves gung-ho offense than anything else. In terms of straight-up talent, the Timberwolves roster wins hands-down; with KAT and Edwards, the Timberwolves are unpredictable on offense and have shown signs of improvement on defense, while the Spurs continue to search for identity throughout their rebuild. Furthermore, the Spurs' lack of size is going to be a big issue for them, with centers Zach Collins and Jakob Poeltl both out due to injury.
With the size and skill of Towns and backup center Naz Reid, the Spurs will face a tough decision – clog the paint or guard the three, and it will be interesting to see how they navigate that issue. We're expecting a game that comes down to the wire and taking the Timberwolves on a -2.5 spread in this one.