Andrew Wilsher
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It’s the start of the new week and we’re kicking it off in style with a cross-sport parlay! The NHL returns from the all-star break, and along with NBA and college basketball action, we’ve got a great night of betting action to look forward to.
We’re in great form on these cross-sport parlays, having cashed last Wednesday’s parlay at 10/1 odds and yesterday’s parlay at nearly 12/1! I’ve taken two picks from the NCAAB and one each from NBA and NHL, and a winning ticket returns +1405 odds with FanDuel Sportsbook — over 14/1!
Let’s break down each of these plays.
NCAAB: Virginia Cavaliers +11.5 (-106) over Duke Blue Devils, 7:00 pm ET
The 9th-ranked Duke Blue Devils (19-3) will host the Virginia Cavaliers (14-9) following their 87-67 win over rival North Carolina on Saturday. Duke improved to 9-2 in the ACC and gained sole possession of 1st place in the conference after winning its last 5 games by an average margin of 13 points. The visiting Cavaliers are coming off a 71-58 home win over Miami (FL) on Saturday. They improved to 8-5 in the ACC and have won their last 2 games by an average margin of 12.5 points.
The Blue Devils have dominated their all-time series meetings against the Cavaliers, who have won at Duke only once since the 1994-1995 season. However, in their last 5 meetings at Cameron Indoor Stadium Duke has defeated Virginia by an average margin of only 2 points. Virginia ranks dead last out of all 358 college basketball teams in possessions per game, so despite the fact that Duke is the superior team there simply might not be enough possessions in the game for the Devils to establish a sizable lead. Take the Cavaliers to cover.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Virginia Cavaliers vs Duke Blue Devils
NHL: Carolina Hurricanes ML (+118) over Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:10 pm ET
The Carolina Hurricanes start a 4-game road trip coming out of the all-star break when they play the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Hurricanes were hot as the NHL headed into the break, winning 7 of their last 8 games and 4 straight before the stoppage. Not to be outdone, the Maple Leafs were playing just as well, winning 6 of their last 7 and 5 straight before the break.
Offensively, there isn’t an advantage either way. Both rank in the top 5 in expected goals and are averaging around 3.5 goals per game. Defensively, however, the edge goes to the Hurricanes. Even though both teams rank in the top 6 in goals against per game, that is due to their goaltending. Projected starters Frederik Andersen for the Hurricanes and Jack Campbell for the Maple Leafs rank in the top 13 in goals saved above average. The advantage comes from the pressure these defenses allow. The Maple Leafs rank 23rd in expected goals against while the Hurricanes are 8th. Lean on the Hurricanes defense and take Carolina.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Carolina Hurricanes vs Toronto Maple Leafs
NBA: Phoenix Suns -6 (-112) over Chicago Bulls, 8:10 pm ET
Phoenix rebounded from their surprise loss at Atlanta during the week to beat Washington by 15 points on Saturday. It was good for the Suns to see big man Deandre Ayton put together a strong game with 20 points and 16 rebounds in just 23 minutes. Chicago is near the top of the Eastern Conference this season. It will be a hard spot to hold onto, though, with injuries mounting. Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball, Patrick Williams, and Derrick Jones Jr. are all out while Zach LaVine and Coby White are questionable (neither LaVine nor White played yesterday against Philadelphia). That leaves DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic as the only real scoring threats for the Bulls, while their defense is massively affected.
The line tells you all you need to know about the current state of these teams. Chicago is at home yet still an underdog by more than 2 possessions. A healthy Chicago team can match up pretty well with Phoenix, but in their current state, I do not like the matchup at all, especially with the way they were shredded by Joel Embiid last time against the 76ers. Ayton is not at that level, but he is an interior presence. Look for Phoenix to win with ease.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Phoenix Suns vs Chicago Bulls
NCAAB: Kansas Jayhawks -1 (-114) over Texas Longhorns, 9:00 pm ET
After getting stomped at home last weekend by Kentucky, Kansas did the same to Baylor on Saturday in what was a very surprising result. That the Jayhawks won isn’t shocking, but that they dominated is alarming. Three different players took at least 4 shots from the field and didn’t miss. The Jayhawks’ defense was stout, too, as Baylor was held to just 59 points. The final score, 83-59, was actually flattering to the Bears, who closed on a 14-4 run with the game completely out of reach. Texas posted a very good win over the weekend as well, beating Iowa State by 22 points at home. The Longhorns were especially stingy on defense, giving up fewer points (41) than they have to a league opponent this season. This game is set to be a classic offense versus defense kind of contest.
Kansas is 19-3, but has not been profitable at 10-11-1 ATS. It is a similar story for Texas, which is 17-6 SU but a mere 10-13 ATS. This is a small spread, so whoever wins the game is likely to cover. This is a virtual pick ’em at -1, but you have to note that Texas is 0-3 SU/ATS as an underdog this season. It would not be a shock for the home team to win, but if the Jayhawks can play defense as they did against Baylor then anything is possible for this group. They can ride that to another big win.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Kansas Jawhawks vs Texas Longhorns
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