Raptors vs. Nuggets same-game parlay: Back Toronto as teased-up underdogs against Denver
The Toronto Raptors hit the road and find themselves as massive underdogs against the Denver Nuggets.
The pregame narrative: Toronto's status as a double-digit dog has me teasing it up. Denver's offence can score at will but it likely won't need to go all out to beat the Raps, putting the under in play. Thirdly, I'm taking the under on Jamal Murray's point prop.
NBA oddsas of 2:35 p.m. on 03/11/2024.
Raptors vs. Nuggets same-game parlay
Parlay: Raptors +20.5 + Under 237.5 points + Murray under 23.5 points (+235)
Raptors +20.5 (-186): Toronto is a significant underdog in this game, making this a nice opportunity to tease it up.
The Raptors have covered this spread at a pretty decent clip despite being one of the worst teams in the league. They've cashed this wager in nine of their last 10 games ahead of this contest.
Conversely, winning by 20-plus points isn't something Denver does with much regularity. The Nuggets have failed to cover this number in eight of their last 10 outings.
Denver's 26-6 record at home is daunting, but the team is only 16-15-1 against the spread at Ball Arena.
Funnily enough, the Raptors are also 16-15-1 ATS as a visitor.
Other parlay picks
Under 237.5 points (-195): Secondly, the under seems like a wise wager to make.
Denver has been one of the best under teams in the NBA this season. It boasts the third-best under percentage (60.9%).
The Nuggets have gone below this specific total in five of their last seven contests.
Don't expect Toronto to pop off for a monster offensive performance, either. The Raptors are missing Scottie Barnes and Bruce Brown while Immanuel Quickley is also dinged up.
Toronto places 21st in offensive efficiency (111.6) while Denver places 10th in defensive efficiency (111.5).
Murray under 23.5 points (-152): Murray is capable of filling the basket at any time but I'm not expecting it to happen tonight.
The Nuggets star is coming off a season-high-tying 37-point effort against the Utah Jazz. I'm betting against a repeat performance for a couple of reasons.
The first is the matchup. The Raptors don't do much well, but they don't give up much to point guards. They're ceding the third-fewest points per game (22.19) to the position, according to Betting Pros.
Secondly, this total requires Murray to do more than he typically does. He's averaging 21.1 points per game this season, and a better-than-normal night seems unlikely given the matchup.
