NBA Parlay Picks of the Day
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Friday, March 12, 2201 at 8 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans
Pelican Offense vs. Cavalier Defense
On offense, New Orleans is rather one-dimensional.
Because it lacks guys who can or want to excel from behind the arc, New Orleans ranks 23rd in three-pointers made per game.
Instead, the Pelicans want to beat a team inside particularly with Zion and Brandon Ingram.
Both players lead New Orleans in field goals attempted. Zion doesn’t shoot threes and Ingram is at his best attacking the basket perhaps while drawing contact.
Largely because of those two players, New Orleans attempts the second-most field goal attempts per game within five feet of the basket.
Reliance on inside scoring is problematic against a Cavalier defense that, throughout the year, has ranked strongly in limiting the opponent's field goal efficiency within five feet of the basket.
Even since Andre Drummond hit the bench as a potential trade target, the Cavs have ranked fifth in limiting opposing efficiency from such a short range.
Jarrett Allen is one player who deserves credit for this strong defensive statistic. He has received All-Defensive Team votes for his rim protection.
Cavalier Offense vs. Pelican Defense
Like New Orleans, Cleveland primarily wants to attack inside when on offense.
The Cavalier offense depends largely on guards who like to drive the basketball.
Collin Sexton, for example, drives the ball with the eighth-highest frequency.
You see in the following video proof that Sexton can carry a team on his back:
Sexton is difficult to keep out of the lane. Sometimes he’ll use a screen. Sometimes Cleveland will spread the floor in order to enlarge gaps in the defense.
Once he gets inside the paint, Sexton excels at keeping defenders behind him. He’s also a talented finisher in the air.
He’ll use his threat as a jump-shooter to put defenders in a bind where they have to account for his ability to pull-up in addition to his ability to finish at the basket.
A Cavalier offense that attempts the third most field goals within five feet of the basket promises to perform well against a Pelican defense that allows the third-highest field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
Except against ATS disaster Indiana, the Pelicans have failed to cover each of their four games against teams that attempt the most field goals within five feet of the basket.
Unlike Indiana, Cleveland is no ATS disaster. The Cavs enter tonight’s game with a five-game ATS win streak.
Orlando Magic vs. San Antonio Spurs
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 9 p.m. ET at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas
Key Player Missing For San Antonio
San Antonio will be without DeMar DeRozan, who’ll miss tonight’s game due to a death in the family.
DeRozan is a crucial scorer for the Spurs. He leads the team with 20.3 points per game, which are 4.7 more than any of his teammates scores per game.
The Spurs have played three games without him, consistently struggling to score and to be efficient.
In two of those three games, they failed to reach 100 points. In the one exception, their field goal percentage was 43.2.
If 43.2 were San Antonio's season-long field goal percentage, then it would rank second-to-last in the category.
LaMarcus Aldridge’s absence is meaningful, too. He is the team’s fourth-leading scorer and, unlike his backup Jakob Poeltl, he can stretch the floor as a potential three-point shooter.
But Aldrige and San Antonio have agreed to part ways.
Magic Players Missing
To be fair, Orlando is missing some players, too, like point guard Cole Anthony.
From a points perspective, Evan Fournier is the team’s most meaningful absence. He’s Orlando's second-leading scorer, but remains injured with a groin injury.
But those absences have been and are replaceable.
At point guard, Michael Carter-Williams is stepping up. He is helping Orlando maintain its comfort with executing ball-screen actions.
From a PPP (points per game perspective), he is just as effective as Anthony on offense. But Carter-Williams also provides a strong boost with his defense, particularly in his coverage of ball-screens, as evidenced by his solid defensive rating.
Orlando Offense vs. San Antonio Defense
As one of the most ball-screen-reliant teams, Orlando matches up well with a Spur defense that ranks among the worst in limiting PPP off of the pick-and-roll ball-handler play type.
Terrence Ross, like fellow shooting guard Fournier did, is someone who will use ball-screens. With his effectivity from behind the arc — which is helping him score 23 points per game in March -- he is replicating Fournier’s scoring production.
But the key guy is Nikola Vucevic. He is Orlando’s leading scorer because he can score reliably from every level.
He, too, is an efficient three-point shooter. San Antonio will miss Aldridge as a defender because he is comfortable operating from behind the arc, whereas Poeltl isn’t.
Centers with this kind of versatility tend to plague the Aldridge-less Spurs, with one example being Dallas’ Kristaps Porzingis. On Wednesday, Porzingis reached his second-highest point total of the season (28) against the Spur defense.
Parlay Verdict
Supported by stronger rim protection, Cleveland will outpace New Orleans as guys like Sexton drive to the basket at will.
San Antonio is more hindered by player absences, which will create a void in scoring that Orlando’s offense won’t suffer thanks to the likes of Ross and especially Vucevic.
Best Bet: Parlay Cavaliers ATS & Magic ATS (Odds TBA)
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Friday, March 12, 2201 at 8 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans
Pelican Offense vs. Cavalier Defense
On offense, New Orleans is rather one-dimensional.
Because it lacks guys who can or want to excel from behind the arc, New Orleans ranks 23rd in three-pointers made per game.
Instead, the Pelicans want to beat a team inside particularly with Zion and Brandon Ingram.
Both players lead New Orleans in field goals attempted. Zion doesn’t shoot threes and Ingram is at his best attacking the basket perhaps while drawing contact.
Largely because of those two players, New Orleans attempts the second-most field goal attempts per game within five feet of the basket.
Reliance on inside scoring is problematic against a Cavalier defense that, throughout the year, has ranked strongly in limiting the opponent's field goal efficiency within five feet of the basket.
Even since Andre Drummond hit the bench as a potential trade target, the Cavs have ranked fifth in limiting opposing efficiency from such a short range.
Jarrett Allen is one player who deserves credit for this strong defensive statistic. He has received All-Defensive Team votes for his rim protection.
Cavalier Offense vs. Pelican Defense
Like New Orleans, Cleveland primarily wants to attack inside when on offense.
The Cavalier offense depends largely on guards who like to drive the basketball.
Collin Sexton, for example, drives the ball with the eighth-highest frequency.
You see in the following video proof that Sexton can carry a team on his back:
Sexton is difficult to keep out of the lane. Sometimes he’ll use a screen. Sometimes Cleveland will spread the floor in order to enlarge gaps in the defense.
Once he gets inside the paint, Sexton excels at keeping defenders behind him. He’s also a talented finisher in the air.
He’ll use his threat as a jump-shooter to put defenders in a bind where they have to account for his ability to pull-up in addition to his ability to finish at the basket.
A Cavalier offense that attempts the third most field goals within five feet of the basket promises to perform well against a Pelican defense that allows the third-highest field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
Except against ATS disaster Indiana, the Pelicans have failed to cover each of their four games against teams that attempt the most field goals within five feet of the basket.
Unlike Indiana, Cleveland is no ATS disaster. The Cavs enter tonight’s game with a five-game ATS win streak.
Orlando Magic vs. San Antonio Spurs
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 9 p.m. ET at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas
Key Player Missing For San Antonio
San Antonio will be without DeMar DeRozan, who’ll miss tonight’s game due to a death in the family.
DeRozan is a crucial scorer for the Spurs. He leads the team with 20.3 points per game, which are 4.7 more than any of his teammates scores per game.
The Spurs have played three games without him, consistently struggling to score and to be efficient.
In two of those three games, they failed to reach 100 points. In the one exception, their field goal percentage was 43.2.
If 43.2 were San Antonio's season-long field goal percentage, then it would rank second-to-last in the category.
LaMarcus Aldridge’s absence is meaningful, too. He is the team’s fourth-leading scorer and, unlike his backup Jakob Poeltl, he can stretch the floor as a potential three-point shooter.
But Aldrige and San Antonio have agreed to part ways.
Magic Players Missing
To be fair, Orlando is missing some players, too, like point guard Cole Anthony.
From a points perspective, Evan Fournier is the team’s most meaningful absence. He’s Orlando's second-leading scorer, but remains injured with a groin injury.
But those absences have been and are replaceable.
At point guard, Michael Carter-Williams is stepping up. He is helping Orlando maintain its comfort with executing ball-screen actions.
From a PPP (points per game perspective), he is just as effective as Anthony on offense. But Carter-Williams also provides a strong boost with his defense, particularly in his coverage of ball-screens, as evidenced by his solid defensive rating.
Orlando Offense vs. San Antonio Defense
As one of the most ball-screen-reliant teams, Orlando matches up well with a Spur defense that ranks among the worst in limiting PPP off of the pick-and-roll ball-handler play type.
Terrence Ross, like fellow shooting guard Fournier did, is someone who will use ball-screens. With his effectivity from behind the arc — which is helping him score 23 points per game in March -- he is replicating Fournier’s scoring production.
But the key guy is Nikola Vucevic. He is Orlando’s leading scorer because he can score reliably from every level.
He, too, is an efficient three-point shooter. San Antonio will miss Aldridge as a defender because he is comfortable operating from behind the arc, whereas Poeltl isn’t.
Centers with this kind of versatility tend to plague the Aldridge-less Spurs, with one example being Dallas’ Kristaps Porzingis. On Wednesday, Porzingis reached his second-highest point total of the season (28) against the Spur defense.
Parlay Verdict
Supported by stronger rim protection, Cleveland will outpace New Orleans as guys like Sexton drive to the basket at will.
San Antonio is more hindered by player absences, which will create a void in scoring that Orlando’s offense won’t suffer thanks to the likes of Ross and especially Vucevic.
Best Bet: Parlay Cavaliers ATS & Magic ATS (Odds TBA)
