NBA Picks & Parlay of the Weekend | April 14

Not only is Sunday the last day of the NBA regular season but some are calling this the most compelling and meaningful day the NBA has had during the regular season in several years. Of the 15 games on the schedule, 12 are relevant to the playoff race or seeding. Naturally, there will be plenty of sportsbook promos to check out, especially with the playoffs on the horizon. At USA Legal Betting, we’ve decided to put together a three-leg parlay using odds from FanDuel and incorporating three of the most meaningful games on Sunday’s schedule.

Magic -5 | -108 at FanDuel

It’s unusual to see the Bucks enter a game as the underdog, and it’s not been a favorable position for them. Milwaukee is just 1-9 straight-up and 3-7 against the spread as a road underdog this season. That’s a brutal record, especially for a team that’s 3-7 in its last 10 games overall. The Bucks have been up and down, not to mention unreliable, for a long time, even before Giannis got hurt. To make things worse, Damian Lillard missed Friday’s game and is questionable to play on Sunday. Even though the Bucks need a win to secure the no. 2 seed, there is too much working against them to get behind them.

Meanwhile, the Magic might be even more motivated on Sunday, needing a win to avoid the play-in tournament. While Orlando has lost three in a row, including a 117-99 defeat in Milwaukee on Wednesday, all three of those losses came on the road. The Magic is the most reliable home favorite in the NBA, going 18-6 against the spread in that situation. Between that track record, their need for a win, and Milwaukee’s misfortune, we like Orlando to win and cover.

Pelicans -3.5 | -110 at FanDuel

This is another game that’s meaningful for both teams. The Pelicans can ensure they avoid the play-in tournament and a potential rematch with the Lakers by getting a win. Luckily, New Orleans has some momentum after four straight wins. That should make the hometown fans using Louisiana sports betting confident. All four of those wins came on the road, which should give the Pelicans plenty of confidence coming home, especially since the home team has won all three games between these teams by double digits.

The Lakers, meanwhile, are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games. In the past week, they’ve lost to the Timberwolves and Warriors and barely eked out a win over Memphis. This is a team that’s tried and started to show its age. While Los Angeles will be motivated to get a win to retain the no. 8 seed, that won’t be enough to overcome a talented and motivated New Orleans team.

Timberwolves -5 | -110 at FanDuel

Heading into the final day, the T’Wolves are in a three-way tie for the top seed in the Western Conference. With a win and a loss by either Denver or Oklahoma City, it’ll be Minnesota earning the top seed. That alone is enough to get behind the T’wolves in this game. Minnesota also got Karl-Anthony Towns back from injury on Friday, giving a team that’s 12-4 over the last month an extra boost.

In fairness, the Suns won’t be a pushover. Phoenix is also seeking a win and some help in order to avoid the play-in tournament. But the Suns haven’t been all that consistent this season despite having high-end talent. Phoenix is 1-3 against the spread in its last three games and has the fourth-worst ATS record in the NBA. That’s enough to steer us away from the Suns in such a big game that means even more to the favored Timberwolves.