This time of the year in sports is magical. The NBA regular season is winding down, and the MLB is just getting started. NBA teams that have nothing to play for or are “tanking” tend to play young guys that have a chance to make noise on their roster the following season. In MLB, pitchers are making their second to third starts and building off performances. Let’s dive into our cross-sport parlay on FanDuel for Thursday night.
Cross-Sport Parlay Builder (-114)
Dustin May 4+ Strikeouts (-410)
For the MLB leg in the cross-sport parlay, all eyes will be on Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May. May has displayed his electric stuff throughout his young career but has been held back by injuries. He has appeared in only 12 games since 2021 due to Tommy John surgery but returned late last season with vengeance. In five of his six starts, May struck out at least four batters and went at least five innings. Fast forward to last week against the Diamondbacks, and he did not miss a step. May struck out four Diamondback batters through seven innings. He tossed an encouraging 84 pitches and could be ramped up tonight on the road.
The Diamondbacks are a team that will surprise folks this season. They are young and hungry but are unfortunately in one of the toughest divisions in baseball. They have held their own against the likes of Corbin Burnes and Yu Darvish to start the season, but buying this strikeout number down to four should not be a problem for May.
Zach Collins 15+ Points (-195)
Like May, Zach Collins has been decimated by injuries. The good news is that he is healthy and playing the best basketball of his young career. He is making the most of his opportunity on a tanking San Antonio Spurs that has surprisingly found themselves as favorites tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Collins is coming off a 16-point game in which he had a 30% usage rate. He’s playing over 28 minutes per game in his last 10, which has resulted in going over this line in six of those games. When playing at least 30 minutes this season, he’s over this line in 7 of 11 games.
The Trail Blazers are a dream matchup that has also put the season on the back burner. Star Damian Lillard has been shut down, and like the Spurs, they will resort to playing their young guys. They have allowed 116 points per game in their last 10 and are playing at the 10th-fastest place, with the Spurs playing at the fastest.
