Thursday NBA Playoff Parlay: Trust 76ers and Double-Doubles

I’m assembling a three-leg parlay. While you could certainly do a ton of your own research, the beauty is that I’ve already done that legwork for you. Let’s dive into the top NBA picks for tonight.

TWO GAME 6s TONIGHT 🍿

▪️ Bucks, Sixers look to force a Game 7
▪️ Pacers, Knicks look to advance to Round 2

The #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel continue tonight on TNT! pic.twitter.com/7YcjXgJgQN

— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2024

Thursday’s NBA Player Props

NBA Parlay Pick: Bucks SF Khris Middleton to Record Double-Double (+100)

I have yet to find one reason why we shouldn’t back Khris Middleton again tonight. I’m already on Middleton to go over his 8½ rebounds prop betting line, so expecting him to finish with double-digits in the column isn’t a stretch. He finished Game 4 with a team-high 12 rebounds and 17 rebound chances. He has played four healthy games in this series, finishing with 10 rebounds in Games 1, 3, and 4.

Milwaukee has not ruled out Giannis Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard, but the Bucks have listed them as doubtful again for Game 6. Middleton played just one game this season without Giannis and Lillard, and he finished with seven rebounds in just 23 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is averaging 40 minutes per game in this series and 15 rebound chances in the playoffs.

During the regular season, Indiana allowed the seventh-most rebounds per game to opposing small forwards. The Pacers averaged the third-most possessions per game, which led to more rebounding opportunities for their opponents. I’m rolling with Middleton again tonight to finish with his fifth double-double in this series!

NBA Parlay Pick: Knicks SG Josh Hart to Record Double-Double (-179)

There is nothing New York Knicks fans and Tom Thibodeau loves more than imagining Josh Hart playing every minute of every game. Hart is as old-school as they come in the modern NBA. If Hart isn’t in foul trouble, he will be on the floor. It’s as simple as that. He played 53 minutes in the overtime loss in Game 5 and the entire 48 minutes in the Game 2 win. He is averaging an insane 46.4 minutes in this series. Hart had a double-double in the first two games of the series and has since cooled off despite being on the floor.

The 76ers will likely look to double-team Jale Brunson, who continues to dominate them. Brunson will defer to his teammates. Doc Rivers opted to sag off Hart at the 3-point line in the first three games and Hart made the Sixers pay. He finished with 22, 21 and 20 points in Games 1-3 but went cold in the last two games. He finished with 18 points in the previous game so we should expect another double-digit showing in the points column.

To win this leg, Hart will need to grab at least 10 rebounds. In this series, he has finished with 13, 15, 6 (early foul trouble), 17 and 9. Hart is just one of four players averaging over 20 rebound chances per game in the playoffs. Only Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid are averaging more chances. I’m trusting Hart to have another massive stat line.

Josh Hart has been BRINGING IT in the First Round against the Sixers…

Listen to him MIC’D UP during Game 3, where he scored 20+ for the 3rd-straight game 🗣️💪

NYK lead 2-1 | Game 4: 1:00pm/et on ABC pic.twitter.com/PbbhFDnUfZ

— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2024

NBA Parlay Pick: Philadelphia 76ers (-155) Moneyline

Get out the tin foil hats! I believe the NBA wants to have at least two games on the Saturday schedule. We already have Game 1 of the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves second-round series set for Saturday. If the Bucks or 76ers win tonight, they will force a Game 7 that will also be played on Saturday. With the Bucks currently hobbled with injuries to two of their stars, it will likely be the 76ers who will be the ones to force a Game 7.

I’m opting for the moneyline instead of the point spread because these playoff matchups often come down to the wire. There’s plenty of info that says to take the Knicks, who were the fourth-best team in the NBA this season, bouncing back after a loss. However, the Sixers are 20-6 this season at home with Joel Embiid on the floor. Philadelphia has all the momentum in the series after Tyrese Maxey stunned the Knicks in Game 5 and led the Sixers to an overtime win. This game should be another sweat from start to finish, but bank on Philly to force a Game 7 this Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Questions Of The Day