Filip Tomic
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A total of 20 teams will hit the NBA hardwood this Saturday, with 3 TV games coming our way. The action starts as early as 12:00 pm ET. I have gone in-depth with all 10 games and picked out my 3 favorite selections, combining them into an NBA Mega Parlay. Continue reading below to see my bets.
We will also have predictions on the side and total; simply head over to our NBA picks page to see them.
Now let’s dive into my bet!
Rockets ML (+160)
Bucks -5 (-108)
Lakers ML (+116)
NBA mega parlay odds: +981
Houston Rockets ML over Brooklyn Nets (+160)
Houston comes into this one after a 34-point blowout win over Charlotte, sweeping the regular-season series from the Hornets. None of the starters played more than 30 minutes, which could be important tonight as they take on the Nets, a team they beat 112-101 in the first meeting back in early January. Houston’s defense was on display in that game, holding Brooklyn to just 101 points. Alperen Sengun had one of his better games of the year with 30 points and 8 rebounds.
With only 5 wins over their last 21 games, I’m actually surprised the Nets haven’t made any drastic moves to either their roster or their coaching staff. This team has been in limbo for quite some time now, scoring the basketball has become a real challenge over the past couple of weeks. I’m genuinely surprised the oddsmakers have Brooklyn as the favorite; Houston is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings and has also covered in 4 of its last 5 visits to Barclays Center. I’ll take the Rockets at plus odds as road underdogs in this one.
Milwaukee Bucks -5 over New Orleans Pelicans (-108)
Neither team impressed last night, to say the least. The Pelicans got destroyed 107-83 by the Thunder at home, while Milwaukee lost to Cleveland 112-100 also in front of its fans. However, I’m giving the edge to the Bucks since new head coach Doc Rivers is set to be in charge of his first game. Milwaukee is desperate for improvements on the defensive end, I’m expecting their intensity to go up here — especially since it won’t have to deal with Zion Williamson, who is out with an injury.
New Orleans has also had major issues on the defensive end; it is allowing 121 points per game in its last 4 outings. A high-scoring team like the Bucks will know how to punish the Pels. Giannis Antetokounmpo and company rank 3rd in the league in offensive efficiency, scoring 120.1 points per 100 possessions. They are also one of the elite teams at getting to the free-throw line, so the fact that the Pelicans are good at defending the three-ball shouldn’t have an effect on them. Having covered the spread in 6 of the last 10 meetings, I’m counting on the Bucks to continue their solid home form.
Los Angeles Lakers ML over Golden State Warriors (+116)
Finally, I have the Lakers winning at Chase Center against the struggling Golden State Warriors. LA is 7-2 ATS/SU in the last 9 head-to-head, the Warriors always seem to struggle against taller teams and that’s exactly the calling card of the Lakers in tonight’s game. Similarly to their games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers will look to rely on Anthony Davis to carry the scoring load. He has posted a double-double in 6 of the last 10 meetings while shooting over 50% in 7 of those games.
Aside from Jonathan Kuminga putting up big numbers, there are not many positives to point out from the Warriors’ perspective this season. They are just 2-5 SU in their last 7 games and are currently on a 6-game losing streak against Western Conference opponents. We saw them struggling in the clutch once again on Thursday, as Stephen Curry couldn’t convert on the final possession of their 134-133 loss to Sacramento. The defense is just nowhere to be found right now. With this being the first game of a 6-game road trip for the Lakers, I think they come out with a ton of energy. Let’s back them to get the win against the Dubs.
