NBA Parlay Picks for Wednesday, March 15, 2023

The Western Conference playoff race is entering the realm of the absurd. For years, there were jokes about true parity in the NFL leading to everyone finishing 8-8. Little did we all know that the closest to the median we would come in North American professional sports would be in the NBA’s Western Conference. Currently, eight of the 15 teams in the conference are between 36-33 and 33-35, and a late season run could mean the difference between landing the No. 5 seed and finishing No. 12 and outside the playoff race. That will make every game out West interesting down the stretch.

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Boston Celtics at Minnesota Timberwolves

It’s looking more and more likely that the Boston Celtics have surrendered the top spot in the Eastern Conference for good. Boston had the best record in the league for several months and was the overall favorite to win the title per the NBA futures odds for much of the year, but they have since been surpassed by the Milwaukee Bucks in both departments.

Boston is dealing with injuries to center Robert Williams III and reserve guard Payton Pritchard. This game comes in the middle of a six-game road trip for the Celtics, and it will be difficult for Boston because it is very wide-ranging. The Celtics are moving across the country over the course of this road trip as it starts in Atlanta and ends in Sacramento.

Even though Karl-Anthony Towns is still dealing with an injury that has kept him out since late November, the Timberwolves should be in good shape for this game. Austin Rivers and Rudy Gobert should be ready to play, and we are seeing Anthony Edwards take his game to another level.

Edwards was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he is carrying the Timberwolves late in the season. He has scored 91 points in Minnesota’s last three games while making 48.6% of his field goals. Although Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should play in this game for Boston, there’s a real chance that the most talented player on the floor is Edwards.

The Celtics might be favored by the NBA betting odds in this game, but the Timberwolves should be able to use home court to their advantage.

Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers

The most predictable team in the NBA this year has been the Golden State Warriors, much to the chagrin of people that have backed the Warriors all season long. Golden State was expected to be one of the best teams in the league after winning its fourth title in eight seasons last summer, but the Warriors are just two games above .500 at 35-33. They have lived up to the billing at home with a 28-7 record in the Chase Center, but they are just 7-26 on the road.

Golden State’s road wins have come against Houston, Minnesota, Toronto, San Antonio, Washington, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City. The only team with a winning record in that group is Cleveland, and the Cavaliers didn’t have Donovan Mitchell available for that game. Additionally, the Warriors fell on the road to the Los Angeles Clippers on Valentine’s Day, and Golden State hasn’t won a road game since January 30.

To make matters worse, Golden State is dealing with depth issues right now. Andrew Wiggins has been away from the team for a month due to personal reasons, and Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Jonathan Kuminga are all seen as day-to-day with minor injuries.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Clippers are starting to heat up at the right time. They stuck to their plan of load management with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and their two superstars are playing extremely well. Leonard has been awesome in three straight wins over Memphis, Toronto, and New York, and he has been sensational from downtown since New Year’s Day, making 49.2% of his three-point attempts since January 1.

The X-Factor is Russell Westbrook, and while everyone got a good laugh at how Golden State defended him last time, he has since showed us that he can dish and make open twos when needed. That makes the Clippers worth a play here.