NBA Play-in Game Same Game Parlay Odds & Strategy: Bulls vs Raptors & Thunder vs Pelicans

The second night of the play-in games takes place on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. There will be two games, featuring the Chicago Bulls versus the Toronto Raptors and the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the New Orleans Pelicans.

The winners of these games will face their conference’s respective losers from the first game, while the losers will be eliminated from playoff contention. Check out our constructed same-game parlay below for each game!

Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors Same-Game Parlay

Kicking things off on Wednesday night is a matchup between the Bulls and Raptors, which tips off at 7:00 EST. The legs for the Bulls vs Raptors SGP are as follows.

DeMar DeRozan 25+ Points (+185)

DeMar DeRozan has not been scoring quite as much as he did last season, but he is still liable to go off on any given night. While DeRozan has hit a bit of a rough patch in his past nine games, averaging just 18.1 points on 44.1% shooting from the field and 25.9% shooting from behind the arc, we expect him to bounce back tonight against the Toronto Raptors.

This is a revenge game. Don’t forget: DeRozan was traded in 2018, and then the Raptors won a championship without him the following season with Kawhi Leonard, who was essentially his replacement.

Toronto loves to slow the game down, ranking 25th in pace, but this is actually great for DeRozan, who does the majority of his scoring in the half-court and in isolations. DeRozan ranks in the top ten in percent of field goals made unassisted.

Lastly, since joining the Bulls, DeRozan has played the Raptors seven times; he has scored at least 25 points in four of those games and has shot 53% from the floor in that span.

Nikola Vucevic 12+ Rebounds (+135)

The Bulls have a tough matchup against a Toronto team that loves to crash the offensive glass (third in OReb%), so Nikola Vucevic needs to make sure to box out. The good news is that he always does just that against Toronto.

Vucevic has secured at least 12 rebounds against the Raptors in five of his past six games and five straight when he plays at least 32 minutes. This bodes well for “Vooch,” as there is no time to rest in a do-or-die play-in game; he could come close to 36-38 minutes in this one.

Jakob Poeltl 12+ Points (-135)

Poeltl is another player we can get tremendous value on because he will likely play quite a few more minutes than he usually does. It is a win-or-go-home game, so there won’t be any time for “load management.”

When Poeltl plays at least 29 minutes, he has hit this number in six-straight games and has a favorable matchup against Nikola Vucevic. With Toronto having limited options at the five, Poeltl should be on the floor for most of the game.

Check out the full details on the three-legged parlay for the Bulls vs. Raptors here:

• DeMar DeRozan 25+ Points (+185)
• Nikola Vucevic 12+ Rebounds (+135)
• Jakob Poeltl 12+ Points (-135)

Full SGP Odds: +900 ($10 wins $90)

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans Same-Game Parlay

First Two Legs: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 35+ Points (+130), Over 5.5 Assists (+130)

The Oklahoma City Thunder might not have a great path to get to a seven-game series with Denver but don’t expect Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to go quietly into the night. This season, SGA averaged just shy of 32 points per game on an extremely efficient 51% shooting from the field; he is going to be leaned on heavily in this game, and it would not be a shock to see him take 25 shots tonight.

SGA has shot at least 25 times in just six games this season but has reached 35 points in five of those six. The Thunder are going to need a massive game from him if they want to hang around, so expect him to be assertive from the opening tip.

Despite being a score-first (and score-second) option tonight for OKC, SGA could easily get to six assists, too; he recorded at least six assists in four of those six games mentioned above.

Lastly, SGA has played roughly 35 minutes per game this season, but it is safe to expect at least 40 minutes from him tonight. That extra floor time gives him more opportunities to rack up points and assists.

Trey Murphy 4+ Threes (+125)

As far as pure shooters go, Trey Murphy is at the top of the list in the NBA. In just his second season, Murphy has eclipsed 40% shooting from deep on significant volume; he isn’t afraid to shoot from a few feet beyond the arc either.

The question is not whether Murphy can hit four 3s but, rather, if he will get the volume necessary to do so. Murphy has hit at least four 3s in four of his past ten games, but volume has been sporadic. In four of these games, he attempted double-digit three-pointers, but in three, he shot six or fewer.

Luckily, he should get plenty of looks from deep due to Brandon Ingram’s gravity. Ingram has been playing so well recently that OKC will have no choice but to help a little bit more off of other players, and Murphy should benefit from this.

Here’s how our three-legged SGP looks:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 35+ Points (+130)
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 5.5 Assists (+130)
• Trey Murphy 4+ Threes (+125)

Full SGP Odds: +800 ($10 wins $80)