NBA Parlay Picks For Thursday: Boston Celtics vs. Memphis Grizzlies, Nets vs. Heat, And More
NBA Parlay Picks For Thursday: Boston Celtics vs. Memphis Grizzlies, Nets vs. Heat, And More
Thursday's NBA Parlay
- Atlanta Hawks +8
- Golden State Warriors +6
- Los Angeles Lakers +7
Odds: +214 (Bet $100 to win $214)
NBA Parlay Breakdown
The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks open our multi-team parlay today with a game that projects to come down to the wire. Neither the Bulls nor the Hawks have been at their optimum level in the past few weeks, and both are looking to get some momentum going. Over the last two weeks, the Bulls have struggled on the offensive end of the floor, ranking just 26th in the NBA for offensive rating, while only being a middling team on the defensive end. The Hawks have been a little better, ranking eighth in defense and 18th in offense over the last two weeks, but both teams are miles away from the heights we saw from them earlier in the season.
Furthermore, both teams are struggling with injuries to some important players. The Hawks enter tonight's game without John Collins, Onyeka Okongwu, and possibly Trae Young who is listed as questionable to start the day, while the Bulls will have to make do without Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Williams - not new losses, but significant ones nonetheless. I've had a hard time choosing a winner for this game, but the potential absence of Young has made things a little easier for me, so a +8-spread on the Hawks is fair and achievable even if Atlanta's star guard doesn't suit up.
The Dallas Mavericks got the better of the Golden State Warriors at the start of the week and will be expecting to do so again tonight. Usually, I've been a big proponent of backing the Warriors to figure things out, but it's clear that until Draymond Green and Klay Thompson return to the rotation, this roster is going to struggle for consistency. To make matters worse, the Mavericks are one of the most in-form teams right now, having won three of their last four games, climbing to a seventh-ranked offense over the last two weeks. Neither team has any new injuries to speak of, so we're in for a rematch between these two units, and that means the Mavericks will expect to get another victory over a hobbled Western Conference powerhouse. Of course, I like to give us some margin of error when backing these parlays, so will be giving the Warriors a +6-point head start - hopefully, Stephen Curry and co. can keep things close enough to help us feel good as we enter the last leg of today's parlay.
Finally, we have the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Los Angeles Clippers in a battle of LA rematch - these two teams faced each other over the weekend, with the Clippers coming out of the contest victorious. I'm expecting history to repeat itself again tonight. Sure, the Lakers have the better team on paper, but they're a sinking ship right now, and there are only so many holes LeBron James can try to plug to keep his team afloat. Russell Westbrook is having the worst slump of his career, and the Lakers roster hasn't gelled as many would have hoped.
The Clippers, on the other hand, are doing their best to remain competitive this season and show the world what they're going to be capable of once they eventually get back to full strength. And while beating the Lakers doesn't send the message it might have done 12 months ago, it is a reminder that the power struggle in Los Angeles is very much real, and is currently split down the middle. Neither team comes into this game with any new injuries, but only the Clippers have players in good form. I'm leveling the playing field here by giving the Lakers a +7 spread, and judging by the last game between these two teams, that should be more than enough to see us through.
Click here for the best free offers in your state
Boston Celtics vs. Memphis Grizzlies Same-Game Parlay
- Boston Celtics +9
- Jayson Tatum Over 29.5 Points
- Marcus Smart Over 1.5 assists
Odds: +355 (Bet $100 to win $355)
Boston Celtics vs Memphis Grizzlies Line Movement
Jaylen Brown being out for the Boston Celtics is a huge blow for the team as they gear up to face the Memphis Grizzlies. Without their second scoring option, we can expect Jayson Tatum (who turns 24 today) to carry a heavy offensive load, which is why we're expecting a 30-point game from him at a minimum. Whenever the Celtics are short-handed on offense, Marcus Smart always finds a new gear, so we can comfortably expect him to hit a couple of threes in this game.
Unfortunately, the Grizzlies are one of the most in-form teams in the NBA and are perfectly constructed to give the Celtics all sorts of problems. Like Boston, Memphis runs a two-big line-up and will counter the Celtics switching scheme courtesy of elite athleticism up and down their roster. Boston usually struggles to contain speedy guards too, which means Ja Morant is likely to go off for some big numbers. Outside of Brown, neither team has any new injuries to report. I do like the Celtics defense in general, but think the Grizzlies will be more than a match for them - especially without Brown. I'm giving the Celtics a +9 spread, but there's every chance they figure things out and grind a victory out of nothing.
Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets Same-Game Parlay
- Brooklyn Nets +8
- Over 219 Points
Odds: +156 (Bet $100 to win $156)
Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets Line Movement
The Miami Heat have won four of their last five games, the Brooklyn Nets have lost four of their last five games, that should give you all you need to know here. Ok, seriously, the Nets could have Kevin Durant back for this game, which is a huge boost, but there's no telling how much he will play, or how rusty he's going to be.
So, while the name looks good on the teamsheet, expecting a sharp upturn in form isn't on the cards today, especially with Kyrie Irving ineligible to play and Ben Simmons still working on returning to competition fitness. In a sense, it doesn't make sense to play Durant tonight, but he needs the game reps and the Heat offers an elite competition to expedite his recovery. From Miami's standpoint, with or without Durant, the Heat's roster is deep enough, and healthy enough, to contend for a victory against Brooklyn, although I wouldn't bet on seeing Kyle Lowry in this contest.
I think the Nets will be buoyed by Durant's return from injury, but a game against this level of competition is a little too soon for this roster, which is why I'm backing them to cover a +8-spread because they will run the Heat close, but I'm not sold on their chances of winning this one.