Filip Tomic
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I have cashed on 3 different NBA Parlays since Wednesday, with a 6-game slate coming out way on Sunday I’ll be attempting to end the week with yet another winner. Here are my 3 favorite selections for tonight’s slate; continue reading below to see them!
Be sure to also head over to our NBA picks page for picks on the side and total for Sunday’s action.
Now let’s dive into my bet!
Heat -1.5 (-108)
Pacers ML (+172)
Blazers vs Lakers Under 227.5 (-110)
NBA mega parlay odds: +900
Miami Heat -1.5 over Orlando Magic (-108)
Back-to-back defeats for Miami means that its lead atop of the Southeast Division standings is down to only 2 games ahead of the Orlando Magic. Tonight’s contest has to be taken seriously in order for that lead not to further go down. Miami has won both meetings so far, with the latest one taking place about a week ago in South Beach. The big guns Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are both ready, in 3 games since returning from injury Butler is averaging 24 points on 66% shooting. The Heat are 8-2 SU in the last 10 meetings.
Miami has been able to hold Paulo Banchero to just 31% from the field and 10% from 3 in 2 meetings this season. Without a stable production from him, I don’t think the Magic can hope for much in this game. Losing 2 straight was a disappointment from Miami, but it has a chance to turn things around against a team it has matched up pretty well over the past few seasons. With the Heat winning 5 of the last 6 meetings and 7 of their last 9 against East teams, I’ll happily take them to win this one at the Kia Center.
Indiana Pacers ML over Phoenix Suns (+172)
Tyrese Haliburton is finally back for the Pacers and that makes them a dangerous opponent for the in-form Suns. Indiana has actually faired pretty well lately; even without its point guard it is 10-4 SU over its last 14 games. The Pacers just lost to Portland on the road, but that’s understandable considering it was a 2nd night of a back-to-back and they have just brought in Pascal Siakam into the lineup — so it could take them a bit to build chemistry.
It shouldn’t take them too long, though; everything is a lot easier especially on the offensive end when you have a player like Haliburton. In his first game back he led the Pacers to 20 threes — something they haven’t done in the last 10 games. When you have a team capable of putting up numbers on offense, it can beat pretty much everyone on any given night. We saw that in the Pacers; 126-121 win over Sacramento a couple of nights ago; I wouldn’t rule them out of tonight’s game, either. The Suns just 2-9 ATS in their last 11 at home, they’ve not had the best of luck vs East teams, covering the spread just once in their last 6 games. Indiana has a 13-11 SU record in games played when it is an underdog and a 12-10 ATS record in away games, so why not try our luck on them at plus odds?
Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Lakers Under 227.5 (-110)
Finally, to close things out I’m aiming for the under in the Blazers vs Lakers game. L.A.’s defense has been questionable at time this season, even against the offensively limited Brooklyn Nets it gave up 130 in a loss on Friday. That all should change against the Blazers, who have been hit hard by the injury bug. Anfernee Simons is questionable to play with an illness, Shaedon Sharpe is out with a groin injury and Scoot Henderson left the last game with a nose injury (it’s unclear if he’ll play on Sunday).
As a team the Blazers scored just 4 threes in their last game against Indiana and they have hit single digit threes 3 times in their last 6 games, including their last 2 in a row. Los Angeles has relied a ton on defense to win home games this year; its record at Crypto.com Arena on the O/U is 8-16. Neither of the 2 meetings this season saw more than 226 points and the latest one finished 107-95 in favor of the Lakers. The under is 9-4 in the last 13 head-to-head. I just don’t think the Blazers will score enough to push us over the total.
