Our game-theory parlays are on a solid 2-0 run, and we’ll look to keep the momentum rolling with this one. The premise of the parlay — that, this late in the year, not every team still has the incentive to win — leads us to back teams alive in the playoff race at the expense of those who have been eliminated. Making your parlay picks with teams’ big-picture goals in mind is a sharp way to make money late in the year. Here are my top NBA parlay picks for Monday, March 27 at FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Best NBA Parlay Picks | March 27
New York Knicks Moneyline -900
As usual, we’ll start with the safest leg. The New York Knicks will line up against the Houston Rockets, who are stuck on the wrong end of a back-to-back. The Rockets are a comedic 2-10 when playing without rest this year. They are 2-12 when playing with a rest disadvantage. The Rockets have long since been eliminated from the playoffs but could play themselves out of top-three lottery odds by winning too many games.
In contrast, the New York Knicks rank fifth in the Eastern Conference. They are five games behind the fourth-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers but only two games ahead of the sixth- and seventh-ranked Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat. With games against the Cavaliers and Heat scheduled for later this week, expect the Knicks to come into this game looking for a much-needed freebie win.
Phoenix Suns Moneyline -270
The life that Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz showed earlier in the season has kept the books from ruling them out completely. However, the Jazz rank a dismal 24th in net rating since the All-Star Break (-4.1) and have been holding out Markkanen, Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson late this year. Markkanen is questionable tonight, but Sexton and Clarkson have already been ruled out.
The Phoenix Suns have every reason to win this game. At 39-35, they rank fourth in the Western Conference with only a half-game lead over the fifth-ranked Los Angeles Clippers. The Suns haven’t even officially clinched a playoff berth with fourth through 12th separated by only four games. The Suns rank ninth in net rating since the pause (+3.4) but have plenty of competitive games left on their schedule, including two dates with the Denver Nuggets.
Chicago Bulls +10.5 -290
The Chicago Bulls could win this game outright. They rank fourth in net rating since the All-Star Break (+6.9), well ahead of the 16th-ranked Los Angeles Clippers (-0.2). With Paul George now sidelined for L.A., it’s hard to see why the Clippers are a 4.5-point favorite for tonight’s action. The Clippers just lost to the New Orleans Pelicans by a 21-point margin on Saturday and should struggle against a Bulls team playing for its life.
The Bulls have an aging roster and a 39% chance of making the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight. At 36-38 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, they must keep winning to cement their lead over the 11th-ranked Indiana Pacers and 12th-ranked Washington Wizards, who they lead by only 3.5 games. Further, they’re only a half-game back of the eighth-ranked Atlanta Hawks. If they can them, they’d have a much easier path to the playoffs.
Final NBA Parlay Picks for March 27
Knicks ML & Suns ML & Bulls +10.5: +104 for 0.5 Unit at FanDuel
Trading at +104, this parlay has implied odds of 49%. This should win more than half the time. Neither the Jazz nor the Rockets have shown any desire to compete for a playoff spot. The Rockets can’t even make it this year. Although both the Bulls and Clippers are looking to win, the books continue to overestimate L.A. at home, especially without George.
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