Caleb Wilfinger
Show Bio
The first month of the 2023-24 NBA season produced some terrific action, with high-profile primetime matchups galore and exciting upsets across the league. The in-season tournament continues on Tuesday and the action features a number of compelling matchups, including Spurs vs Thunder, Timberwolves vs Warriors and more!
A massive slate of NBA hoops tonight definitely calls for an NBA mega parlay. Below are my plays for Tuesday, and also be sure to check out all of our NBA picks for tonight’s in-season tournament games.
Thunder -9 (-108)
Timberwolves ML (+112)
Blazers vs Jazz Under 231.5 (-110)
NBA parlay odds: +679
For this parlay, we are going with an underdog on the money line, a favorite against the spread and a game total pick. Let’s break down each of the legs.
Oklahoma City Thunder -9 over San Antonio Spurs (-110)
The hype around Victor Wembanyama has died down a bit, and that’s partly due to the fact that the Spurs have now lost 5 games in a row. At 0-1, the Spurs still have a shot at advancing from their group in the in-season tournament, but they’d need to win tonight’s game in order to avoid going down to 0-2. San Antonio are just 3-6 straight up in its last 9 games, while failing to cover the spread in the last 5 contests. That doesn’t give me much confidence in the Spurs heading into this matchup. Furthermore, San Antonio also has Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan all listed as questionable due to knee, hamstring and groin injuries.
On the other side, the Thunder need a win badly as they’re 0-2 and at the bottom of their in-season tournament group. Optimism is back in OKC after 3 wins in their last 4 outings, especially after overcoming the Phoenix Suns on the road on Sunday night. They held the Suns to just 13 points in the 4th quarter and to 99 for the entire game, defensive efforts like that will go a long way in today’s NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is once again on a role after scoring 35 versus the Suns – his 4th straight game of at least 30 points, and with the Spurs ranking dead last in the NBA in points allowed per game (124.2), SGA has a solid chance of continuing his streak. Let’s back a motivated Thunder team in this one.
Read our Thunder vs Spurs picks
Minnesota Timberwolves ML over Golden State Warriors (+112)
After a slow 1-2 start, the Minnesota Timberwolves have won 6 straight including resounding wins over the likes of Denver, Boston and at Golden State in their last contest. It looks like this team is finally adjusting to its roles, now that Anthony Edwards is an elite scoring option and Karl-Anthony Towns as an overqualified second option. This team will be a nightmare on both ends in the Western Conference if they continue to play at this level for the remainder of the season.
As for the Warriors, they have lost their last 3 games, including that recent contest to Minnesota. Golden State is healthy thus far this season, so this poor run of form looks to be a bit more concerning than they’d let on. Golden State has not gotten anything from its supporting cast this season, as no player other than Steph Curry has scored 20+ points yet in any game. That won’t get easier against a Timberwolves team that should own the paint in this matchup with their size and the elite defensive presence of Rudy Gobert. Let’s back Minnesota in a matchup that favors the Wolves.
Check out our Timberwolves vs Warriors predictions for tonight
Portland Trail Blazers vs Utah Jazz Under 231.5 (-110)
The Portland Trail Blazers have not taken part in many high scoring games of late. In fact, 7 of their past 8 games have come in under the combined 230-point mark. The game that went over only done so in overtime. It is a trend that should look to continue tonight as they visit the Utah Jazz. Their offense will not be helped by the fact that they are missing their top 3 playmakers in Malcolm Brogdon, Scoot Henderson, and Anfernee Simons. It has left them with the worst offensive rating in the NBA, a mark they will struggle to improve on here. With the team also 24th in pace, it is no surprise they average just 106.4 points per game, the worst mark in the league. It could leave the Jazz with a lot of ground to cover for the over to hit.
What also contributes to an under in this contest is the Blazers are a top 10 team in defensive rating. The likes of Matisse Thybulle and Jerami Grant should be able to cause the Jazz offensive leaders issues tonight with their activity on the defensive end. The Trail Blazers are 5th in the league in opponent 3-point percentage and could help take away a major offensive weapon for the Jazz. Let’s back the under with confidence on Tuesday.
[promo_code type=”promoSingle” ids=”375790″ titles=”Bet $5 and Get $150 in Bonus Bets OR $1,000 Back If Your First Bet Loses! (bet365 Single Offer)”]
