The NBA playoffs get underway on Saturday, with four total games. The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers tip things off at 1:00 p.m. ET to begin a Prime Video tripleheader, with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets meeting at 3:30 p.m. ET, and the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks squaring off at 6:00 p.m. ET. On ABC, the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers close out the schedule with an 8:30 p.m. ET tip at Crypto.com Arena. We have a couple of NBA same game parlays (SGPs) for you.
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(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Minnesota Timberwolves (+210) at Denver Nuggets (-258) | O/U 231.5 (-110/-110)
- Leg 1: Timberwolves +6.5 (-105)
- Leg 2: Over 231.5 Points (-110)
- Leg 3: Rudy Gobert to Record a Double-Double (+131)
The Timberwolves and Nuggets meet in Game 1 at Ball Arena in Denver. The Nuggets won three of the four regular-season meetings, but the Timberwolves posted a 117-108 win in Denver on March 1 in the most recent matchup as a 3-point underdog while the Under (241.5) cashed. Denver went 3-1 against the spread (ATS) in four meetings, while splitting the total 2-2 in the regular season.
Minnesota closed out the regular season with wins in three of the final four games, while also going 3-1 ATS in the span. The Over cashed in the final three meetings, while going for 120 or more points in each of the final four games. The Timberwolves also allowed 126+ in the final three games, and at least 113 points in six of the final four outings.
For Denver, it threw the hammer down on March 20, winning the final 12 games of the regular season. However, it was just 5-8 ATS in the final 13 outings, while cashing the Over in five consecutive games to close out the season. The Nuggets offense was on fire, going for 127+ in each of the final six games, including a 127-107 win over No. 1 seed Oklahoma City in the penultimate game of the regular season.
We’re going to take the Timberwolves with the points, and we’ll go with the Over on the total for the top part of our three-leg same-game parlay (SGP).
For the player prop portion of our SGP, let’s keep it simple, as these teams feel each other out in Game 1. We have Nikola Jokic on Denver, and that’s imposing for sure, but Rudy Gobert should be able to hold his own. He averaged 10.9 points per game (PPG) and a team-high 11.5 rebounds per game (RPG), although just 7.0 PPG and 9.5 RPG in four meetings with the Nuggets. It won’t take much for the “Stifle Tower” to get to a double-double, however, and it’s worth a roll of the dice at plus-money.
Parlay Odds: +550
Houston Rockets (-205) at Los Angeles Lakers (+170) | O/U 207.5 (-105/-115)
- Leg 1: Rockets -5.5 (-105)
- Leg 2: Over 207.5 Points (-105)
- Leg 3: Alperen Sengun 35+ Pts + Rebs + Asts (-124)
The Rockets and Lakers meet for the 10th time in the postseason since 1981. The Lakers have won six of the previous nine series, while going 24-16 in the 40 all-time postseason games. The last time these teams met came in 2020 in “The Bubble” during the COVID-19 global pandemic, with the Lakers winning in five games.
We get LeBron James and Kevin Durant going head-to-head, so you know that’s going to get the eyeballs on the TV, and that’s why it is the ABC game on Saturday, with the other three offerings simply on Prime Video.
We might not have Luka Doncic, though, as he missed the final five games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury. He has the potential to return at some point during this series, but he has been ruled out for Game 1. Austin Reaves (oblique) has been ruled out for the entire series. Durant (knee) also popped up on the injury report due to a right knee contusion, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll sit.
The Lakers won two of the three regular-season meetings, and the road team was 3-0 SU/ATS in the three meetings, too, while the Under cashed in two of those three outings. L.A. is 4-1 SU in the past five meetings in this series, while going 5-1 ATS across the past six outings.
We’re going to back the Rockets to get the job done in Game 1, while taking the Under based on the missing parts for the home side.
For the player prop, while all of the focus likely features on LeBron, KD, etc., don’t overlook Alperen Sengun in the middle. He averaged 20.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 6.2 APG while hitting 51.9% from the field during the regular season. Against the Lakers, he was good for 20.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 7.0 APG in two regular-season matchups. Go high on Sengun’s player combo, and let’s get off to a hot start.
Parlay Odds: +455
