Ricky Dimon
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The first full day of the NBA season’s proverbial second half is on tap for Thursday, when 11 games are on the schedule. A double-header on TNT is leading the way, beginning with this showdown between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets before concluding with the Golden State Warriors vs. the Los Angeles Clippers. Both contests are getting the same game parlay treatment they deserve. Let’s take a look at the best such option for Celtics-Nets, and be sure to check out our full game preview for picks on the side and total.
Nets -6.5 alternate spread (+162)
Kyrie Irving to score 25+ points (-205)
Joe Harris to make 3+ three-pointers (-200)
Jaylen Brown to score 25+ points (+108)
Parlay odds: +1145
Part of the value in same game parlays, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is part of the plan here, as we feel good about the Nets’ chances of getting the job done—and likely with relative ease. Big nights from Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris would obviously go a long way in that effort. At the same time, plays that aren’t correlated drive up the overall payout of the parlay. That’s the case with tipping Boston all-star Jaylen Brown to score a fair amount of points, but there is no reason why Brooklyn shouldn’t be able to overcome such a development.
Nets -6.5 alternate spread (+162)
Boston closed the first half of the season well, winning four straight games. Kemba Walker is looking more like himself to give Brown and Jayson Tatum some support, but the Celtics are still missing Marcus Smart. Smart’s defense and intensity would have been especially valuable as they take on a team like Brooklyn. The Nets obviously would have had three players in the All-Star Game had Kevin Durant been healthy enough to go. He wasn’t, and he also won’t be for Thursday’s contest. Nonetheless, James Harden and Kyrie Irving have proven to be more than capable of shouldering the load the NBA’s most efficient offense. Brooklyn has been red hot since February 10, going 10-1 SU/ATS.
Kyrie Irving to score 25+ points (-205)
Irving has scored at least 27 points in two of the last three games and in three of the last five. He has been required to do more with Durant out, and he has been happy to oblige. In the aforementioned beatdown of Boston, Irving delivered 37 points on 13-of-21 shooting (7-of-10 from the land of plenty). Something similar this time around would not be unexpected.
Joe Harris to make 3+ three-pointers (-200)
Brooklyn humiliated Boston with a 123-95 road victory in the first meeting between these two teams (all the more reason to take the Nets again!). Harris drained only two threes in that contest, but he was an efficient 2-for-4 and logged just 26 minutes since it was such a blowout. With Durant still sidelined, Harris should offer significant contributions—which has been doing on a consistent basis. The former Virginia sharpshooter has scored in double-figures in nine of the last 11 games and has sunk at least three in eight straight outings.
Jaylen Brown to score 25+ points (+108)
Brown scored 27 points on 11-of-25 shooting in the previous encounter with Brooklyn, and that success should not come as much of a surprise. The Nets are one of the worst teams in the NBA at defending the paint and 41 percent of Brown’s points this season come in the paint (considerably more than Tatum, for example). The 24-year-old is almost averaging 25.0 ppg in 2020-21 (24.7 to be exact), so getting to the 25 mark on Thursday really wouldn’t be anything other than a typical showing. In what will likely be a high-paced game against a bad defense, Brown should score at least that much.
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