Andrew Ortenberg
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We’ve got a solid nine games for this Friday NBA slate, and arguably the best one is this nightcap on ESPN as the Portland Trail Blazers visit the Los Angeles Lakers. Damian Lillard vs. LeBron James in a playoff rematch from the first-round last season. We’ve cashed a couple of these NBA same game parlays with big payouts over the past week or so, let’s do it again.
What better way to make this nationally televised showdown even more entertaining than by betting a same game parlay? We’ve also got thoughts on the side and total, which you can find out in our full game preview.
Portland Trail Blazers to win by 11+ (+900)
LeBron James to score 30+ points (+108)
Parlay odds: +2607
We’ve got a two-leg parlay here, one which pays out north of 25/1 with FanDuel Sportsbook. We get a big odds boost by combining a big Trail Blazers win with a big James scoring night, when I certainly don’t think those two things conflict much at all. Let me explain:
Portland Trail Blazers to win by 11+ (+900)
I think the Blazers have a very good chance to win this one big. The Lakers are in free-fall without Anthony Davis, oddsmakers have been slow to react, and I don’t see any reason to believe Los Angeles will suddenly get it turned around here. They’re 1-4 in this recent stretch without AD, and the one win was against the Timberwolves, the worst team in the league.
They just lost by 25 to the Jazz in their most recent game, and lost to the lowly Wizards in their game before that. Portland has slipped a bit the past week, but they’re still 8-4 in their last 12 games and have been really good on the road this year. Los Angeles’ offense has fallen off a cliff without Davis, and they’ve been held below 100 points in three of their past four games. If they score below 100 here, they’re going to lose by more than 11.
LeBron James to score 30+ points (+108)
We get the huge odds boost here by combining this with the Blazers. When you look at James’ game log, it becomes clear there’s little correlation between his scoring and the Lakers winning, but that’s how oddsmakers are treating it. James is averaging virtually the same amount of points in wins as in losses this season. Each of the last two times he’s scored at least 30 points, the Lakers have lost.
One of those games was an 11-point loss to the Nets. James has scored at least 30 in three of the five games without Davis, despite the team’s offense struggling mightily, so I think this play has standalone value outside of the parlay given Portland’s poor defense this season. Because the Blazers to win by 11+ is +900 and we’re getting +2600 overall, that means we’re getting nearly +300 for this, a massive increase from +108.
What is a Same Game Parlay?
Check out our guide on what is a same game parlay and where can I bet it?
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