Andrew Ortenberg
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The chaos of the NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and now that the dust has settled we can get back to the games. One of the best matchups on Thursday’s small slate is this TNT game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat. Miami is in the middle of a pile-up in the East, where only three games separate the four from the ten seed.
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 alternate spread -5.5 (+220)
Jimmy Butler to score 25+ points (+172)
Damian Lillard to score 30+ points (+120)
Parlay odds: +1739
We’ve got a three-leg parlay here, one which pays out just shy of 20/1 with FanDuel Sportsbook. We get a huge odds boost by combining a big Portland win with a big Butler scoring night, when I don’t think it conflicts at all. Let me explain:
Portland Trail Blazers alternate spread -5.5 (+220)
I don’t think the Blazers should be underdogs in this game. Miami has looked awful recently, having lost four straight games entering this one. A couple of those were ugly, including when they lost by 27 to the Pacers or only scored 85 points against the Grizzlies. The Heat were also very active at the trade deadline, including trading for Victor Oladipo, and I think that might have caused a distraction in the locker room just hours before this game.
Portland still isn’t getting enough respect from oddsmakers despite proving night in and night out that they’re a playoff team. They’re 25-18 in a really tough Western Conference, and are even above .500 on the road this year. C.J. McCollum has been back from his two-month injury for about a week now, so I think right around here is when he’ll truly start to get re-acclimated.
Jimmy Butler to score 25+ points (+172)
We get a huge odds boost for combining this with the Blazers winning, when I really don’t think it conflicts much at all. When Butler shows out in big games it doesn’t always mean his team wins, like when he had 30 points and a triple double in a recent seven-point loss to the Clippers. Just as a standalone bet, odds boost aside, I think getting +172 has some serious value. Butler has scored at least 25 points in seven of his last 11 games, so I think getting this much plus-money is a steal. In one of those four games he didn’t, he had 24.
Damian Lillard to score 30+ points (+120)
Same story here, I think getting any plus-money at all in this spot is a steal. Lillard has scored at least 30 points in seven of his last ten games, and that includes duds in his two most recent contests. Lillard always seems to play extra well when he has a chip on his shoulder, and that’s exactly what we should see here. He’s coming off two really down games, where he shot a combined 3/21 from beyond the arc. He’s not about to have three off-shooting nights in a row, and I think he’s going to come out firing here. On national TV, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if we saw an atomic Dame game here where he drops 40.
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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