Andrew Ortenberg
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The NBA season is winding down, and the stakes are higher than ever with teams jockeying for playoff positioning. We’ve got a solid slate on Thursday with nine games. One of the best of those games is this Western Conference showdown between the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns.
What better way to make this nationally televised showdown (TNT) 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.
Portland Trail Blazers -5.5 alternate spread (+255)
Devin Booker to score 30+ points (+108)
Damian Lillard to score 30+ points (+112)
Parlay odds: +1449
We’ve got a three-leg parlay here, one which pays out just shy of 15/1 with FanDuel Sportsbook. We get a huge odds boost by combining a Trail Blazers win with a big night from Booker, when I don’t think it conflicts much. Let me explain:
Portland Trail Blazers -5.5 alternate spread (+255)
It’s not getting a ton of attention, but the Suns have quietly been playing quite poorly recently. Phoenix has lost three of their last four games, and it’s been even worse than that sounds. Before this rough stretch started their last two victories were against the Cavaliers and Thunder, two of the worst teams in the league. It took them until overtime to beat Cleveland, and they only beat Oklahoma City by three. They’re playing some of their worst basketball of the season right now, and have lost to the Warriors and Lakers in back to back games.
The Suns know they almost certainly aren’t going to get the one seed in the West, since the Jazz close their season against the Thunder and Kings. The Trail Blazers are tied with the Mavericks for the five-seed and could even still fall into the play-in tournament, so they’ve got a ton to play for here. Portland is peaking at the right time, as they’re 9-1 in their last 10 games. Everything is pointing toward the Trail Blazers here.
Devin Booker to score 30+ points (+108)
We get a big odds boost by combining this with the Trail Blazers covering. When you look at Booker’s splits, it’s clear it doesn’t conflict much. Booker is averaging only 0.2 points per game fewer in losses than in wins this season. As for his chances of scoring 30 in general, he’s gotten there in seven of his last ten games. The only games in that span he didn’t reach 30 were when he was just ice cold shooting. Booker has played Portland twice this season, and he’s scored at least 34 points both times. The Blazers are mediocre at best defensively.
Damian Lillard to score 30+ points (+112)
On the other hand, Lillard’s scoring does correlate heavily with the Trail Blazers winning. Lillard is averaging a whopping 5.7 points per game more in wins than in losses this season, and shooting more than nine percent better from downtown. Lillard has been fueling this Portland hot streak, and has scored at least 30 in seven of his past eight. As such, I think getting any plus-money on this prop presents a lot of value. Last time he played Phoenix he scored 30, and that was despite shooting just 10/23 from the field and only attempting five free throws. All we need to cash this same game parlay is a high-scoring shootout.
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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