NBA parlay picks March 12: Back the Knicks and fade the Spurs

There are six NBA games on Sunday and we’re got picks for half of them in today’s parlay.

The pregame narrative: The Philadelphia 76ers have been cooking at home and the Oklahoma City Thunder are going up against the league’s worst team — both are good bets on the moneyline. We’re also buying a handful of points for the New York Knicks against the Los Angeles Lakers

NBA odds as of 12:04 p.m. on 03/12/2023.

NBA parlay picks

Parlay: 76ers ML, Thunder ML, Knicks +7.5 (+214)

76ers ML (-315): This is the chalkiest leg of our parlay but there isn’t much doubt Philadelphia will get the job done against the Washington Wizards.

The 76ers are 25-10 at Wells Fargo Center this season and are currently in the midst of a four-game winning streak. That can be largely attributed to Joel Embiid’s superhuman play.

Embiid is averaging 37.7 points during this run while the team is putting up 129.25 points per game as a whole. Things are clicking in the City of Brotherly Love and we expect that to continue.

Washington wouldn’t be the team to stop Philadelphia, either. The Wizards boast a mediocre 16-19 record on the road and have lost four of their past five games.

Other parlay legs

Thunder ML (-159): Oklahoma has exceeded everyone’s expectations this season but this is less about the Thunder and more about their opponents.

The San Antonio Spurs are in full-blown tank mode. They’ve got the league’s worst record (17-49) and have lost 17 of their last 20 games. The Spurs’ leading scorer — Keldon Johnson — is also listed as questionable for today’s contest.

Oklahoma City has a squeaky-clean injury report and that means Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be gearing up for a big game.

Expect him and the Thunder to run rampant on the Spurs’ league-worst scoring defence.

Knicks +7.5 (-220): The Knicks rattled off nine straight wins but have since followed that up with three losses in a row. They should get back on track tonight, though, against a shorthanded Lakers squad.

That said, we’re opting for a bit of security and are taking New York on a 7.5-point alternate spread. That’s a number the Knicks have covered in 10 of their last 11 games.

Tom Thibodeau’s team also has the best ATS road record in the NBA (22-12).