Ricky Dimon
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With the NBA off on Christmas Eve, Thursday marks the last day of action prior to Christmas Day’s marquee slate. Given that nobody is taking the court on Friday, it is no surprise to see that Thursday’s schedule is jam-packed. And – as of publishing this morning – there has only been one postponement so far. It’s a Christmas miracle!
We have plenty to work with as we try to formulate a winning mega parlay, so here we go.
Detroit Pistons +9.5 (-110)
Denver Nuggets -9.5 alternate spread (+230)
Oklahoma City Thunder +15 (-110)
Parlay odds: +1103
For this parlay we are going with a pair of underdogs against the spread and one favorite against an alternate spread. Let’s break down each of the 3 legs one by one.
Detroit Pistons +9.5 over Miami Heat (-110)
Covid absences have been rocking the NBA, but Detroit doesn’t have many health issues of its own. Only guard Killian Hayes is out due to illness, but the Pistons just don’t have much talent — especially with top scorer Jerami Grant out until the New Year with a thumb injury. Miami has been managing pretty well, too; it is the traditional injuries that have hurt this club more than anything. Both Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler are banged up. PJ Tucker is a more recent addition to the injured list, and those are the Heat’s 3 best defensive players. Guard Tyler Herro was out for a few games, including a loss to Detroit last weekend. Now the Heat are even bigger favorites at home. They probably won’t lose again, but asking them to win by double-digits may be too much.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat
Denver Nuggets -9.5 alt spread over Charlotte Hornets (+230)
The high-scoring Hornets have dropped 3 in a row and 4 of their last 5 games on a current 6-game road trip, which ends tonight in Denver. The lineup has mostly stabilized following a recent Covid outbreak, as they could only be without Gordon Hayward, who has a back issue. In the loss at Utah earlier this week, Charlotte shot just 38.6 percent from the floor, and despite having 3 players score 20+ points they still lost by 10.
The Nuggets are coming off a bad loss to the Thunder on Wednesday, so they should be eager to bounce back in this one. At home, they are 8-5 and enter tonight’s game on a run of 11 wins in their last 12 against teams from the Southeast Division. It’s also worth pointing out they have covered the spread in 4 of their last 6 games vs Eastern Conference representatives. Charlotte doesn’t really have anyone on the inside to put on Nikola Jokic, so he should rebound in a big way.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Charlotte Hornets vs Denver Nuggets
Oklahoma City Thunder +15 over Phoenix Suns (-110)
Jokic attempted only 9 shots in total and the Thunder won their 3rd game in a row by holding the Nuggets to just 94 points last night. All 5 starters scored in double-figures, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who had 27. OKC is now 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games. The Thunder have been even better on the road, going 9-2 ATS in their last 11. They have done quite well in head-to-head meetings with Phoenix, as well, covering 7 times in the last 10 games.
The Suns are still rolling, but they have had their issues covering vs OKC on their home court. In the last 7 games played in this matchup at the Footprint Center, Phoenix is just 2-5 ATS. All winning streaks have to come to an end at some point. Will the Thunder end the Suns’ home streak tonight? Probably not, but they have a decent chance of keeping this game close. They have beaten the Suns 7 times in the last 10 head-to-head matchups and are currently on a 3-game winning streak. It also has to be said that 15 points is a lot to cover. Give me the road team plus the points.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Oklahoma City Thunder vs Phoenix Suns
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