Ricky Dimon
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Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic…. How’s that for an NBA Saturday? The slate may not be a huge one (seven games), but with the players mentioned above it packs plenty of punch. And, as of this morning, there is not a single postponement! Victory!
Here’s our five-team parlay for Saturday:
Jazz -6.5 (-110)
Pistons +8.5 (-110)
Nets -7.5 (-110)
Bulls +9 (-110)
Nuggets ML (-135)
Parlay odds: +2168
For this parlay we mix in two favorites against the spread, two underdogs and the points, and one outright winner. Let’s break down each of the five legs one by one.
Utah Jazz -6.5 over Golden State Warriors (-110)
The Warriors have been surprising but also inconsistent. Which one are they going to choose for this tough game at red-hot Utah? A trip to Utah is a challenge, and that’s putting it mildly. The Jazz are among the hottest teams in the league, on an awesome 7-0 SU/ATS run. The continuity they enjoy is especially helpful this season. Donovan Mitchell is heating up, so there is no reason they can’t keep it rolling. Their defense is near the top of the league (third in scoring defense) and so is the outside shooting (second in three-point shooting percentage). Golden State is looking to rebound from a home loss to the Knicks in a bad scheduling spot. It was the second game of a back-to-back and the Warriors are just not very deep right now. Stephen Curry scored 30 points, but nobody else contributed more than 17. Other than the Curry matchup, the Jazz should have the upper hand all over the floor.
Detroit Pistons +8.5 over Philadelphia 76ers (-110)
The Pistons have lost three straight games, but they have managed to stay competitive in all three. Their biggest loss during this stretch is by eight points to Atlanta, but even that was an overtime game and one in which they squandered a 14-point fourth-quarter lead. The 76ers are coming in after two strong wins against the Celtics, which now gives them a 9-1 record at home—but their fortunes drastically change away from the Wells Fargo Center. They have just two wins in six games on the road this season and their level of play really drops off when they travel. Look for fatigue to also be a factor for the 76ers following their battles with Boston, the second of which came on Friday. Tobias Harris logged more than 40 minutes in both contests and it will be interesting to see how he is impacted in a back-to-back situation.
Brooklyn Nets -7.5 over Miami Heat (-110)
Both teams are coming off disappointing defeats—of the double-digit variety—on Friday. However, the Nets will be bringing Kevin Durant back into the lineup and the former MVP should be fresh and ready to torment Miami. Durant has scored fewer than 28 points just once so far this season and with his inclusion here, the Nets should have too much firepower for an undermanned Heat team. With Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro listed as out, reinforcements do not seem to be on the way for the Heat team—who slumped to just 81 points against the Raptors on Friday. Brooklyn struggled to cope with the size and physicality of the Cavaliers’ big men in their two recent losses, but Miami will not be able to outmatch them in the same way. DeAndre Jordan has a height advantage over Bam Adebayo and should be able to keep him in check on the glass.
Chicago Bulls +9 over Los Angeles Lakers (-110)
Anthony Davis is most likely suiting up on Saturday, but he is dealing with a minor ankle injury and the Lakers won’t want to do anything crazy with him at this point in the young season. Either way, the Bulls have been in stellar form of late and should be able to keep this one close. They are riding a three-game winning streak and for the 2020-21 campaign are averaging 117 points per game. Zach LaVine has emerged as a real star, going for 27.4 ppg (fifth in the league). The last time these two teams met it went down to the wire, with L.A. surviving 117-115.
Denver Nuggets ML over Phoenix Suns (-135)
These two teams just squared off on Friday, also in Phoenix. Denver recovered from a 14-point halftime deficit to come away with a 130-126 overtime victory. That pushed the Nuggets’ winning streak to two games, as they had previously knocked off Oklahoma City 119-101. They are 7-3 since beginning the 2020-21 campaign 1-4. Nikola Jokic may not be averaging a triple-double anymore, but who cares? Jokic continues to be dominant, and he is missing that triple-double average by just one-tenth of an assist (9.9 apg, to go along with 25.5 ppg and 11.3 rpg). Denver’s star big man delivered 31 points, 10 boards, and eight dimes on Friday. It’s hard to feel good about the Suns’ chances here, and not just because they squandered a big lead in the first leg of this back-to-back. Devin Booker left with a hamstring injury and is unlikely to play in this one. There is always a chance that Chris Paul sits out the second game of a back-to-back, as well. Going in somewhat of an opposite direction, Phoenix is just 3-5 since starting the season 5-1.
Pickswise is the home of free NBA picks and predictions. We will cover all the big offseason news before making picks for every game during the 2021 season.
