Basketball Parlay of the Day: Tuesday, January 22nd

Disclaimer: Every basketball parlay in this series is going to be a simple 4-legger, so we won’t be getting too crazy nor diving into the hellish world of teasers or 10-leggers.

A basketball parlay is RISKY, RISKY, RISKY so approach with caution and avoid tossing full unit bets on these picks. With that said, who doesn’t want to toss down a little parlay that can pay you out exponentially more money. After all, sports betting is supposed to be fun. Why not live a little?

Welcome to a new daily installment focused on building out the optimal parlay across the NBA and NCAA basketball world. We’ll be starting our series off with 2 college games and 2 NBA games to round out our first 4-leg parlay. Without further ado, let’s dive in:

Basketball Parlay of the Day

San Diego State Aztecs vs Fresno State Bulldogs (-7.5) – 11:00pm ET

San Diego State has simply not been the same basketball program they have been in years past. Losing every single MWC conference game so far (except a lone win against struggling Wyoming), the Aztecs are very clearly not playing their best basketball of the year.

Compare that to Fresno State who comes into the matching scalding hot. With the exception of an elite Nevada squad and a very underrated Utah State squad, the Bulldogs have beat up on similar squads to the Aztecs and handily covered a 7.5 point spread in the rest of those games.

Playing at home in front of their fans on top of simply being one of the better teams in college basketball should be enough to get Fresno State to cover. Factor in the Aztecs not having a true quality win on the year and we have a potential blowout recipe on our hands.

Basketball Parlay Pick: Fresno State (-7.5)

Texas A&M Aggies vs Florida Gators (-11.5) – 8:30pm ET

The Aggies are just not a great basketball team this year. After losing a strong crop of talent to the NBA after last season, they’ve struggled to find their identity in the absence of their star play-makers. With their only conference win coming over lowly Alabama (and a 1 point win at that), it is very safe to say there are some problems down in college station.

Florida has been good, not great this year. While they have some quality wins to their resume and play extremely well against higher ranked teams, at 10-7, the Gators are looking to start making a run now. The Gators play a typical brand of SEC basketball where they look to beat you with their athleticism and physicality, but lack a bit of outside shooting.

With the home crowd at their back and facing a reeling Aggies team, the Gators should have no problem covering this rather large point spread. If Florida comes out hot, this game could be over before it even starts. However, should the Aggies somehow catch fire early on, look for the Gators to slowly grind their way back into the game before pulling away for the cover late.

Basketball Parlay Pick: Florida Gators (-11.5)

Portland Trail Blazers (+5.5) vs Oklahoma City Thunder – 8:00pm ET

A matchup between two elite Western Conference offenses, the Blazers and Thunder clash for the second time on the year. The Thunder were victorious in their first time around, squeaking out a 2 point win in Portland. However, Portland has caught fire again in taking down Utah and the high-octane Pelicans in back to back matchups.

Meanwhile, the Thunder are on a bit of a run of their own. After a hard-fought win against the Sixers, the Thunder cruised to victory last night.

Playing some of their best all-around basketball (minus the fact that Westbrook forgot how to shoot), the Thunder are an extremely dangerous team. While they always have had offensive firepower, the emergence of Steven Adams offers them a gritty glass cleaner who is more than content to do the dirty work that helps their offense flow in a more efficient manner.

Although the Blazers dropped their last game at home to the Thunder, the Blazers have a knack for keeping games close and within striking distance. Both teams come into the game with a solid night’s rest so we don’t have to worry about back to backers. Instead, look for the underdog team that has a knack for keeping games close to cover this spread.

Basketball Parlay Pick: Portland Trail Blazers (+5.5)

Minnesota Timberwolves (-5.5) vs Phoenix Suns – 9:00pm ET

The only reason the Timberwolves aren’t favored by 10 here is because they recently barely snuck out a win over these same Suns (at home no less).

However, the Wolves were coming off a back to back and were likely a bit worn down. Now with a day of rest and a rejuvenated Karl-Anthony Towns ready to dominate the Suns depleted front court, the Timberwolves look to be in prime position to come out with a statement win against the lowly Suns.

With Ayton being ruled as doubtful for the tilt against the Timberwolves, the Suns cannot expect a repeat performance of their last game. Towns will occasionally struggle and the Wolves become very beatable when that occurs.

The Suns showed no ability to really take advantage of that and it would be unrealistic to think Towns won’t dominate the Suns JV front court. Don’t over think this one, Hammer Towns and the Wolves.

Basketball Parlay Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves (-5.5)

Total Payout: +1200 (varies slightly from book to book)

Check back in tomorrow for another edition of the “Basketball Parlay of the Day” series on Fantasy CPR!