This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
Alex Barutha
Joel Embiid over 45 combined points + rebounds + assists at Bucks (-250) -- WynnBET, 1:47 PM CT
The Bucks acquired Serge Ibaka to bolster their frontline, but I still don't think it's enough to effectively contain Embiid, who is playing at an MVP level. Since the New Year, the center has averaged 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 32.2 minutes. There's a lot of juice on these odds, but it's a relatively manageable number for him to hit based on his recent play.
Joe Bartel
3-leg parlay: Jalen Green 14+ points and assists + Seth Curry 20+ points and assists + Tyrese Maxey 1+ three pointers (+126) -- 11:04 AM CT
It's the night before All-Star weekend. If there were ever a time to not place a bet, it would be now. In these scenarios, I like to throw a combination of things together to see if a large payout is on the line. I suspect you could tag any of my other colleagues' bets at the end of this to be a substantial parlay, but even just these three felt like relatively good odds. I'm most confident with Maxey 1+ threes, even though that's easily the worst odds (-588) of the trio. Any parlays built should at least have that one involved. Jalen Green and Josh Giddey have been the bane of my betting existence this season, but that number is too small considering the number of shots he takes per game, and Curry's figure feels relatively safe given all the pieces missing in Brooklyn.
