Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
The NBA is officially back, with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the league’s opening night doubleheader. LeBron James and the Lakers look to start their title defense with a bang after a shorter than usual offseason, while the Clippers are looking to get the bad taste of their 2020 season out of their mouth.
This is the main event, and what better way to celebrate 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. If you’re new to same game parlays and want to find out more, be sure to check out our handy guide, which details how they work and which sportsbooks currently offer them.
Los Angeles Clippers alternate spread -9.5 (+390)
Paul George over 21.5 points (-110)
LeBron James over 24.5 points (-110)
Parlay odds: +1961
The benefit of same game parlays is that you can put together plays that correlate with each other. The first two here definitely do, and I certainly don’t think LeBron having a good game contradicts the Clippers winning too much. I’m not saying the Clippers are going to win this game big, but if they do then this parlay has a very good chance of cashing at almost 20/1. Let’s break it down one by one.
Los Angeles Clippers alternate spread -9.5 (+390)
This game means everything for the Clippers. After how embarrassingly their 2020 playoff run ended, they’ve been stewing for months now and waiting for this night. The Lakers on the other hand are coming off a celebration, and had a very quick turnaround time with the reduced offseason. They could get caught sleeping here as a result. When these teams played on opening night last year the Clippers won by ten, so this result certainly wouldn’t be too far-fetched. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George should have a lot better chemistry this season, and I think they’ve got a good chance to surprise a lot of people here.
Paul George over 21.5 points (-110)
If the Clippers are winning this one by double digits, then George almost certainly had a big game. After his collapse in the playoffs, George was the subject of more jokes than any NBA player I can recall seeing. All that slander has placed a massive chip on his shoulder, and I think he comes out on fire. He also clearly likes this matchup, as George averaged 26 points per game in three meetings with the Lakers last year. He’s got a lot of people to prove wrong, and I think the Clippers will make getting him going early on the focal point of their gameplan. Conversely, the Lakers’ game-plan will revolve around stopping Leonard.
LeBron James over 24.5 points (-110)
We get a big odds boost here by throwing in the James over with the Clippers alternate spread, but if the Clips win this one by 10+ then the game was very likely high scoring, which means James should have no problem cashing the over on his prop as well. James averaged 25.3 points per game last year, and that was even with him essentially taking a bunch of games and plays off to save his energy for when he was most needed. James is still capable of scoring with the best of them when he wants to, as evidenced by the fact that he scored at least 25 points in 16 of his final 19 playoff games to close out another championship. This certainly counts as a game where he’ll be going 100 percent, as James definitely wants to make a statement here on national television and show the rest of the league he’s still got it entering Year 18.
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