Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
The NBA playoffs are, and we’ve got a great slate on Sunday with four games. The second day of the first-round will kickoff here with this Eastern Conference clash between the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.
What better way to make this #1/#8 matchup even more entertaining than by betting a same game parlay? We’ve also got thoughts on the side and total for each of tonight’s mega matchups.
Washington Wizards ML (+250)
Joel Embiid over 32.5 points (-110)
Bradley Beal to score 35+ points (+320)
Parlay odds: +1872
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 Wizards win with a big night from Embiid, when I don’t think it conflicts much. Let me explain:
Washington Wizards ML (+250)
As far as eight seeds go, this was a terrible draw for the 76ers. The Wizards have way more upside than your typical eight seed, and finished the season on fire by winning 17 of their final 23 games. They were one of the hottest teams in the entire league down the stretch. Philly won all three regular season meetings between these teams, but two of them were very close games decided by six points or fewer.
Those games also came at the beginning of the year, when the Wizards were playing terribly. Washington is 17-3 the last 20 games that Beal has played in. Their three losses in that span? By one point on the road against the Bucks, by one point on the road against the Mavericks, and by three points in overtime to the Spurs. They nearly went 20-0! As such, getting +250 is too good to pass up with the high ceiling they have.
Joel Embiid over 32.5 points (-110)
We get a big odds boost by combining this with the Wizards winning. But if Washington wins, it’s going to be because their guards went off and they won a high scoring game. Beal and Russell Westbrook have been phenomenal, but their front-court is still pitiful. They just started Alex Len at center in their play-in game, who Embiid will absolutely devour.
Their other options at center are Robin Lopez and 2019 second-round pick Daniel Gafford. Embiid is going to dominate whoever they throw out there in the post. In these teams’ most recent meeting Embiid had 23 points, but that’s because he only played 20 minutes before getting hurt. That’s over a point per minute, and if he does that here then this will cash easily. In their previous meeting, Embiid dropped 38. The Wizards gave up more points per game than any team in the league this year.
Bradley Beal to score 35+ points (+320)
On the other hand, Beal’s scoring will correlate heavily with the Wizards winning. If Washington pulls the upset, it will be because Beal willed them to victory. The last time Beal played more than 29 minutes against the 76ers, he scored 60 points. Beal averaged 31.3 per game this year and nearly led the league in scoring, so getting +320 has some standalone value. He’s scored at least 42 in three of his past nine.
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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