The NBA starts playing for real in just a few days. We get a pair of games on Thursday and another five on Friday. We are going to build an NBA parlay that has a nice return with three of these matchups. It’s really hard to get a read on just how teams are going to react in the unique Orlando bubble surroundings. Even the scrimmages don’t provide a lot of insight into what we can expect when the games matter.
That being said, there is no need to keep your powder dry. Here’s an NBA parlay made by The Touchback for the Thursday and Friday games.
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NBA Parlay for 7/30 and 7/31
Utah Jazz (+120) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Zion Williamson has brought a lot of buzz to the Pelicans, but it seems odd they are favored in this game. ESPN’S Basketball Power Index gives the Utah Jazz a 61.9 percent chance to win. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert seem fine physically and appear to have put their COVID-19 issues behind them. Betting on the Jazz here is a no brainer.
Washington Wizards (+233) vs. Phoenix Suns
We are all in on the Wizards to make the NBA playoffs and they need to start strong if that is going to happen. The Suns aren’t very good and don’t really have a chance at reaching the eighth seed in the West. It’s hard to see what exactly they are playing for. This is a game the Washington Wizards can win.
Portland Trailblazers -4 (+131) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
This is the riskiest bet in the parlay, but the Portland Trailblazers are healthy and match up really well with the Grizzlies now that Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic are healthy. Plus, how can you root against “Skinny Melo”? Taking the Blazers at -4 isn’t ideal (this means the Blazers need to win by five or more points), but the odds on the straight moneyline dragged down the parlay.
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The NBA parlay wager: $10 wins $159.23
This is a fun parlay for three games that offers a good return. Two of the teams are actually favored by the ESPN Basketball Power Index which means this isn’t just a bunch of wild long shots. The real downside is the Jazz losing on Thursday, which would be a bummer. However, the other wagers available on the remaining Friday games don’t move the needle. We will also be back with a parlay for the weekend games, so keep an eye out for that.
