Jayson Tatum vs. Kyrie Irving, then Luka vs. LeBron on talent-packed TNT doubleheader

Tonight, while Sixers fans watch the team host Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder looking for another huge win for the standings, there will be some fireworks on display around the league.

Not to say Thunder at Sixers isn’t a primetime worthy game. After all, Joel Embiid dropped a cool triple-double the last time they met. But let’s just say it’s not the game TNT chose to feature on this particular evening.

Celtics at Nets (Boston -3, Money Line -150)

Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

The Celtics beat the Pelicans on Wednesday, so this is the second of a back-to-back for Green, facing a Nets team that’s rattled off a franchise record 18 of 20 games. Somehow Boston’s coach Joe Mazzulla knocked off New Orleans, a three seed in the West, without asking for more than 36 minutes out of his superstar duo in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

(Sixers fans, eat your hearts out).

Because the Celts are so deep, and led by such young stars, I’m not worried about them feeling fatigued here in what would, in any other instance, be labeled a “schedule loss.” And you know why... MVP candidate Kevin Durant is out.

When the Nets lost KD a year ago to an MCL issue, they wound up losing 11 in a row. They have Ben Simmons now instead of James Harden with a bad hammy, dreaming of Philly, and Kyrie Irving for all the games. The Sixers helped them land Seth Curry and Royce O’Neal as part of that trade too. But still...

In a Single Game Parlay, I want to begin with Boston’s alternative line (-1.5 at -130). The Nets are a top-ten target for opposing shooting guards using DraftKings fantasy points. If they put Ben Simmons on Jaylen Brown then that will let Jayson Tatum really cook. If Simmons alternates who he checks, the Green guys may both hit a certain lofty threshold. Still, we respect Ben 10 enough as a defender to not bet on one of the Celts duo’s erupting for 45.

Along with that Celtics -1.5, give me Jaylen Brown’s over 24.5 (-170) and Tatum’s over 28.5 (-155). Marcus Smart may not suit up, so you could run it back the other way with Kyrie Irving’s over 28.5 (-130).

Those four bets comes in at +625 on the SGP, $10 bucks pays $72.50 and you can root for everyone to get buckets, and for your least favorite team to lose. You can also tack on Ben Simmons over 7.5 dimes (+150) to really jazz that thing up and make up for holiday season spending.

Mavericks at Lakers (Mavs -2.5, Money Line -145)

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

While everyone in New York celebrates acquiring Jalen Brunson, they’re simultaneously dragging Mark Cuban for letting Luka Doncic’s best running mate get away without trying to lock him up a year ago for just $55M, or at least topping the Knicks offer.

As such, the Mavs are facing the specter of wasting a prime Luka season. He’s doing a lot of heavy lifting. But they’re just four games over .500 at 23-19, having lost two in a row. Joel Embiid knows a bit about this from one year ago, doesn’t he? L.A. is 19-22, after LeBron James put everyone on his back and led them to an Anthony Davis-less win streak. They won six of seven recently, before dropping a game in Denver recently.

I’m looking for each team’s star to absolutely cook. I mean if they don’t, who will?

In an SGP, I’m taking the Lakers alternative line -6.5 (-180). LeBron James over 29.5 (-190), Luka’s over 31.5 (-200)... let’s see what else? Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging huge minutes lately, and 15 points per game. I’m taking his over 14.5 (-155). And finally, Thomas Bryant’s over 14.5 (-225). That parlay is up to +700.

And we get to root for more scoring again.

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