NHL-NBA parlay: We (deep) dish on this tasty Chicago-style parlay

We’re not going to tell you that you can’t put ketchup on your hot dog, but we’ll warn you that if you pass on this Chicago hoops-hockey parlay, you’re going to miss out on some solid cash. Both the Blackhawks and Bulls are below .500, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wager some serious dough on the two in this low-risk, high-reward parlay.

The Bulls saw their three-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday, but their opponent, the Charlotte Hornets, have dropped back-to-back games and have the third-worst record in the NBA. As for the Blackhawks, yes, we know they have the worst record in the NHL, but they’ve won three of their last five games and are starting to play a little bit better. So, take the Blackawks (+3) via the alternate spread line and the Bulls on the moneyline against the Hornets.

The Hornets have dropped back-to-back games and are an abysmal 3-9 this month. And Charlotte’s losses have been blowouts lately. Each of the Hornets’ last six losses have been by double-digits, and even though we don’t expect them to lose by 10 or more to the Bulls on Thursday, we still expect them to lose.  

To top it off, the Bulls are 18-14 against the East and crushed the Hornets by 18 points back in November in the only matchup of the year between the two squads. It’s certainly been a disappointing start for both teams, but Chicago is clearly the better team, and that’s why we love the Bulls over the Hornets.

As for the Blackhawks, yeah, they’re still the worst team in the league and have lost back-to-back games, but they’ve played much better this month. The Hawks are 6-5 in January and even beat the Flames earlier this month. And most importantly, Chicago hasn’t lost a game by more than three goals in over a month. We know … not all that impressive, but considering Chicago has two separate eight-game losing streaks already this year, it kind of is. Sad, yes. But still true.

A 3.5-goal spread is certainly safer than the three-goal spread we’re going with, but the odds line is way better on the three than the 3.5. Calgary is the better team and should win without much of a problem, but don’t expect it to be by more than three goals.  

The Parlay: Chicago Bulls over Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Blackhawks (+3) vs. Calgary Flames (+103 odds via Barstool)

Bet $100 to win $103