March 02, 2022
Legalized sports gambling has blown up across the country over the last couple of years. That’s certainly true for Philly sports fans residing in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. If you check Twitter on an NFL Sunday or right before a Sixers game, you’re sure to see people posting their bet slips.
A fun wrinkle for those exploring the sports gambling scene is same-game parlays, where people throw together a bunch of different statistical prop bets together in the hopes of pulling off a big payday.
Whenever I talk about sports gambling, I always want to reiterate that you should bet responsibly. If you’re doing that, it can be a fun avenue that adds some juice to your normal sports-watching experience.
This is even more true since the Sixers acquired James Harden. Fans are amped about acquiring one of the greatest scorers of all time and betting on Harden to reach some wild statistical marks. I’m sure the sportsbook will adjust to this newfound Harden-Joel Embiid pairing, but it looks like some Sixers fans are already making a little scratch from their new favorite guard.
There will be even greater appetite for this since Harden is making his Philadelphia debut on Wednesday night.
I took to Twitter to solicit some responses from the Sixers faithful about what parlays they’ll be throwing together in honor of Harden suiting up at Wells Fargo Center.
Brent Cohen is trying to make it three for three on bets in the Harden era:
2/2 in the Harden era. Tonight it's time to buy low on Tobi. pic.twitter.com/P3F34EBWt0
— Brent Cohen (@EaglesRewind) March 2, 2022
Eric Fink of Fink’s Hoagies fame is throwing two plays together in the hopes of Harden recording his first triple-double in a Sixers uniform:
Bought my tickets for tonight thanks to James himself, I’ll be back with tonight’s bets DONT you worry pic.twitter.com/fVfQzjos04
— James Harden Von Bro Dude (@ericjawn) March 2, 2022
I appreciate this person’s acknowledgement that they don’t know a lot about gambling, but are still excited to root on the Sixers and Harden:
I have no idea how to bet NBA but let’s gooooooo pic.twitter.com/hHfh31wrqd
— BT (@EnjoyASandwich) March 2, 2022
Mike Meech, creator of the seminal Phillies blog The Fightins, is a little weary of sharing his parlay ahead of time for fear of messing up the energy around it, but he’s banking on big nights from Harden, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey:
FINE but if it loses I’m blaming you. Going for the kill, brother. 🔪 pic.twitter.com/kjEKYxSwrd
— Mike Meech (@meechone) March 2, 2022
Am I a gambling expert? Obviously not. If I was, I’d be living in Las Vegas and sipping on strawberry daiquiris poolside at the Encore Beach Club. I like to (responsibly) have fun! As for how I’ve fared during Harden’s short tenure as a Sixer, I did hit on a parlay during Harden’s first game, where I picked him to score at least 20 points, have at least six rebounds and record at least 12 assists in a Sixers win. I was so, so close during the Sixers game against the Knicks back on Sunday. I hit on five legs of a six-game parlay. The one I missed? James Harden to score 30 points. He finished with 29. Ouch.
The Wells Fargo Center will be rocking for the first Harden home game. I know there will be some Sixers fans sweating the result of Harden’s stat line as much as they’ll be sweating the result of the game itself.
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