Ricky Dimon
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And just like that, both of these series are tied up at 2-2. The Miami Heat took the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinal clash and it looked like the Philadelphia 76ers were reeling, but Joel Embiid’s return has Philadelphia feeling good. In the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns took care of business in their two home games but the Dallas Mavericks did the same when things shifted to the Lone Star State. The result is a pair of absolutely critical Game 5s on Tuesday night.
Let’s take a look at our next mega parlay for the playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers -4.5 (+192)
Phoenix Suns -12.5 (+220)
Parlay odds: +834
For this parlay, we are going with one underdog on an alternate spread and one favorite also on an alternate spread. Let’s break down each of the two legs one by one.
Philadelphia 76ers -4.5 over Miami Heat (+192)
The 76ers have won both games with Embiid back in the lineup and they look like a different team. Now the series shifts back to Miami and the pressure is on the Heat, who looked like a lock to advance when they led 2-0 and there was no telling when Embiid would return. It won’t be easy for the Heat to swing momentum back in their favor if they continue to endure shooting woes. The NBA’s best three-point shooting team is hitting just 29 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc in this series and only 44 percent overall from the field. When Jimmy Butler scores 40 in a game and the Heat still lose, that’s a problem.
Miami also has an issue defending the three, as Philadelphia is hitting more than 41 percent of its treys in this series. James Harden delivered his best game of the playoffs in Game 4 and Embiid has looked very good in the early stages of his comeback. If Harden can score at a high level (as he especially did in the fourth quarter on Sunday), the Sixers feel almost unbeatable. Don’t be surprised if they pull off the upset and do so without it even going down to the wire.
Be sure to check out our full Game 5 preview of Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat
Phoenix Suns -12.5 over Dallas Mavericks (+220)
Dallas won its two home games by getting enough support for Luka Doncic, but that is much easier to do at home than on the road – as we have seen already in this series. If the Mavericks are going to win the series, they have to figure out a way to get a win in Phoenix at some point. This has been an interesting series with no game more competitive than seven points. Devin Booker scored 35 on Sunday, but Chris Paul was a non-factor. There is no reason to think Paul will play like that again, especially now that the series is moving back to the desert. The 37-year-old was outstanding in the first two games at home, so if he reverts back to his normal self and Booker keeps pouring in points then the Suns should stay undefeated at home in this best-of-seven showdown without too much trouble.
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