This week's NBA action continues with 4 new games coming our way this Thursday. The highlight of the night is in Atlanta where the Hawks face off with the 76ers. I've included that game into my Mega Parlay, along with two other picks. Continue reading to see it below.
Head over to our NBA predictions page for picks on the Spread and Total for all 4 games tonight, but let's jump straight into my Parlay now!
Under 222.5 Points in Sixers vs Hawks (-110)
Philadelphia's biggest problem right now is scoring the basketball. With James Harden being out and Joel Embiid going in and out of the line-up, they've struggled on offense quite a lot. In their last two games they've put up just 100 and 104 points, while on the season they rank just 25th in pace of play averaging 96.83 possessions per game. Tyrese Maxey has taken over the point-guard spot in Harden's absence, I think the plan in tonight's game will be to slow down the tempo and force the Hawks to play more in the half-court which should limit their production. Another reason to consider the under in this game is Atlanta's defense which has improved a lot compared to last season. Over their last 3 games they have a defensive rating of 100.6, and on the season they rank 8th in opponent field goal percentage holding teams to just 45.8% from the field. With the last 2 meetings finishing with both teams failing to crack the 100-point mark, I think backing the under is the way to go here.
Portland Trail Blazers ML (+225)
The Blazers have pleasantly surprised us with a few really big wins lately and they are coming off a 10-point road win over the Hornets last night. Their games have been close lately with 2 of the last 3 wins being decided at the buzzer, so this team has proven to be very good in the clutch, even when Dame Lillard isn't playing. With him in the line-up I feel like they have a really solid chance against the unconvincing Pelicans. Even if New Orleans got the win last night in Chicago, they are just 6-5 on the season which is far below what some people expected. They've played only 3 games so far this season and their offensive numbers there are far below than they are in road games. At 5-1 on the road, Portland is one of the hottest road teams in the NBA. They've beaten way better teams on the road this season than the Pelicans, I think they are more than capable of getting the upset here.