Ricky Dimon
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Let’s be honest—cashing a huge, lucrative, enjoyable mega parlay would not be something you’d expect for a natural conclusion to the year that has been 2020. But, hey, you never know. And you can look at it another with thought that 2020 still owes us something. It owes us all quite a lot, in fact. So why not go out with a bang? Let’s roll the dice one more time this year and see what happens with our New Year’s Eve NBA mega parlay.
Raptors -9 (-110)
76ers ML (-150)
Jazz ML (-160)
Kings ML (+167)
Thunder +5.5 (-110)
Parlay odds: +2492
For this play, we mix in one favorite against the spread, one underdog and the points, and a trio of money line winners. Let’s break down each of the five legs one by one.
Toronto Raptors -9 over New York Knicks (-110)
The Knicks have been a very up and down team this season. They started things off with two double-digit losses against quality teams in the Pacers and 76ers before picking up a surprising win against the Bucks. They were also able to beat a Cavaliers team in their last outing, although Cleveland was playing without an injured Kevin Love. The Raptors boast eight consecutive victories against the Knicks and will be looking to extend that streak. With Obi Toppin, Austin Rivers, and Alec Burks still missing for the Knicks due to injury, more head-to-head dominance should continue. I Toronto should dominate the backcourt matchup, as Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet can pack much more of a scoring punch than Elfrid Payton or RJ Barrett. The real driving force behind the Knicks’ recent success has been the play of Julius Randle–but Toronto should have no issues slowing him down, matching him up against the size of Aaron Baynes or the speed of OG Anunoby.
Philadelphia 76ers ML over Orlando Magic (-150)
Philadelphia beat Toronto on Tuesday night, when Joel Embiid shouldered the load. Although the 76ers were by no means incredible in that game, getting the job done against a tough opponent when Ben Simmons and others aren’t at their best is encouraging. Orlando pushed its perfect start to four games with a recent win over Oklahoma City. Miami is the only great team the Magic have beaten, though. Orlando’s scoring is way up through four games, but is that really sustainable? Embiid will be in good shape here (it’s not like it’s the second game of a back-to-back) and odds are the Magic do not defend Simmons as well as Toronto did.
Utah Jazz ML over Phoenix Suns (-160)
Acquiring Chris Paul during the offseason has done wonders for the Suns so far, as they’ve picked up right where they left off in the NBA bubble (3-1 record). Still, Phoenix has not faced anyone of Utah’s caliber. Anchored by Rudy Gobert, the Jazz are once again a defense-first oriented team dominating the rebounds category. Bojan Bogdanovic is also back and healthy again, and he led the team in scoring with 23 points in a recent 110-109 road win at OKC. Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell both contributed with 20 points apiece, leading a balanced team effort as the Jazz shot 50 percent from the field. The Jazz have done pretty well against Phoenix of late, specifically going 3-1 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in their last four games.
Sacramento Kings ML over Houston Rockets (+167)
It has to be said that the Kings are being slept on. They have made a very impressive 3-1 start to the season, earning two wins against a highly-rated Denver team and another over the Suns. The Rockets have started the season 0-2–but they will be welcoming back John Wall and Demarcus Cousins this game for their season debuts. While that’s an obvious positive for Houston in the long run, there could be some chemistry issues to start the season. After all, they were not even able to get many preseason minutes together due to James Harden’s offseason antics. The Kings, on the other hand, are becoming a well-oiled machine with their core having played together for a while now. It’s starting to show now, too. They also have an active defender in Harrison Barnes, who has the strength and speed to cause Harden some issues. The same goes in the frontcourt, as Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III should be able to slow down Christian Wood.
Oklahoma City Thunder +5.5 over New Orleans Pelicans (-110)
In Tuesday’s 25-point loss to the Suns, the Pelicans didn’t look good at all—especially from three-point land (a horrendous 3-for-24). New Orleans was outscored by 37 points in the second and third quarters alone. This team has had its fair share of struggles against opponents with losing records (0-6 ATS in its last six such games). Oklahoma City also lost prior to this game—a 118-107 defeat at the hands of Orlando. However, the Magic are the surprise of the season so far at 4-0. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 23 points to continue his promising rise. They have won four straight games in this head-to-head matchup with New Orleans and should at least be able to cover 5.5 points at home.
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