Ricky Dimon
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Postponements are coming in fast and furiously in the NBA, but there is still enough to work with as we formulate a mega parlay on Sunday. The Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Suns, and Hornets are among those taking the court. A Nets vs Nuggets showdown had been set for 7:00 pm on NBATV, but that got axed by health and safety protocols.
Let’s take a look at what’s left.
Spurs -4.5 (-110)
Timberwolves -3 (-110)
Hornets ML (+245)
Parlay odds: +1157
For this parlay we are going with two favorites against the spread and one underdog on the money line. Let’s break down each of the three legs one by one.
Spurs -4.5 over Kings (-110)
The Spurs (11-17) will travel to play the Kings (12-18) following their 128-126 win over the Jazz in Salt Lake City on Friday. San Antonio was able to snap an 8-game Jazz winning streak behind a 41-point 3rd quarter after trailing 73-59 at halftime. Dejounte Murray recorded his second triple-double in 3 games and finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. While the majority of the league’s rosters have been annihilated by health and safety protocols, the Spurs will have their full squad tonight in Sacramento. The Kings are coming off a 124-105 loss to the Grizzlies at home on Friday. Tyrese Haliburton was one of the few bright spots for the Kings, who played without De’Aaron Fox, Richaun Holmes, Davion Mitchell, Alex Len, Terence Davis, Louis King, and Marvin Bagley III (ouch!). Haliburton finished with a 21 point, 6 rebound, 10 assist, double-double. The Kings will continue to play without all of the previously mentioned players, though Holmes is now listed as questionable for this one. Both the Spurs and the Kings have the personnel to compete and beat any NBA team on any given night, but neither has been able to do so on a consistent basis. With the Kings missing so many players, it is hard to imagine a scenario in which they are able to overcome the Spurs, who are riding high after a big win against a top-5 NBA team in Utah and will look to move to 2-0 in their 4-game Western Conference road trip. Take the Spurs to cover tonight’s spread.
Check out our Spurs vs Kings preview
Timberwolves -3 over Mavericks (-110)
Both teams tonight will have key players missing, with Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards listed as out. The Mavericks have won 2 of their last 3 games without Doncic, but those wins came against a struggling Oklahoma City team and a shorthanded Charlotte Hornets squad. They should have a tougher time tonight against a Timberwolves team who have won 3 straight games and dismantled the Lakers by 18 points despite Edwards sitting. The Mavericks fell to the same Lakers team by 3 points in overtime in their last outing which does give a good indication of the quality of these teams at the moment. Jalen Brunson has assumed the mantle of running the Mavericks offense in the absence of Doncic, but he will have a tough matchup tonight. Patrick Beverley is still one of the toughest defenders in the league and will be able to cause him trouble. He will have a size advantage over Brunson and should have the ability to stay in front of his man. The same goes for Jarred Vanderbilt, who has the size and athleticism to cause Kristaps Porzingis issues. With their offensive catalyst Doncic missing and their other leaders having tough defensive matchups, it’s tough to see the Mavericks scoring enough points to stay competitive.
Check out our Timberwolves vs Mavericks preview
Hornets ML over Suns (+245)
The high-scoring Charlotte Hornets have had a lot on their plate so far in December, but most of that is behind them now. Currently they have no injured players and nobody in the health and safety protocols, so we can expect a full onslaught tonight against the Suns. Charlotte is 6-2 against the spread in their last 8 games, however they have just 3 wins in their last 10 games. In the 9-point loss at Portland LaMelo Ball had 27 points, but they couldn’t do much about Damian Lillard, who torched them for 43 points. With Devin Booker injured, the Suns don’t have a player capable of dropping 43 on them — so things could be better tonight. Phoenix has relied on several players to make up for the absence of Booker, who is still out with his hamstring injury. In the 20-point home win over Washington 8 players scored in double-figures, with Javale McGee leading the way with 17 points off the bench. That type of balanced attack has brought them 8 wins in their last 10 games, and they will need a similar effort tonight against the highest-scoring team in the NBA right now. The Hornets have done well ATS against Phoenix of late (5-1) and could even with this one outright.
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