Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
Good morning, Pickswise Nation. The NBA is nearing its all-star break, but we have 1 more day of regular-season action prior to the hiatus. There is also plenty on offer in the NHL and college basketball, while Tiger Woods returns to the golf course. It’s another big day in the world of sports, so let’s get right to it and make your next bet better with Wise n’ Shine!
About Last Night
LeBron leads Lakers to a win
LeBron James returned from an ankle issue to play for the first time since breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record last Tuesday. He scored 21 points as the Lakers defeated the Pelicans 120-102. Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, Memphis and Denver were other winners.
NHL mega parlay cashes at +1063
Pickswise’s +1063 NHL mega parlay was a winner on Wednesday. The Rangers covered their -1.5 puck line against Vancouver, Buffalo did the same in a rout of Anaheim and Colorado took down Minnesota. We also hit our Coyotes ML best bet at +195 odds as Arizona edged past the Lightning.
Another #1 bites the dust
On the heels of then-#1 Purdue’s loss this past Saturday, top-ranked Alabama lost at Tennessee 68-59. Meanwhile, Marquette edged Xavier 69-68 in a thriller between 2 top-25 teams.
DraftKings Sportsbook is currently giving new customers $150 in bonus bets if their team wins when they sign up now and bet $5. That’s all there is to it! Grab this amazing sign-up offer by clicking this link.
Today’s Slate
A trio of NBA games prior to the break
The proverbial first half of the 2022-23 NBA season wraps up with 3 games tonight. Thursday’s schedule includes a doubleheader on TNT – Bucks at Bulls and Clippers at Suns. Don’t miss any of our NBA picks.
Devils vs Blues on ESPN
A showdown between the Devils and Blues is getting national television treatment on ESPN at 9:00 pm ET, and we’ve got a 3-star best bet for the game. The Hurricanes, Jets, Capitals, Bruins, Kraken and Golden Knights are also lacing up their skates. You can find our hockey coverage on the NHL page.
Purdue looks to bounce back
After losing to Northwestern last weekend and falling out of the #1 ranking spot, Purdue visits Maryland at 6:30 pm ET on FS1. In other Big Ten competition, Iowa hosts Ohio State at 9:00 pm ET on ESPN. Here are our college basketball predictions.
Best Bet of the Day
NHL: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 over Montreal Canadiens (-150)
7:00 pm ET, ESPN+
The Canadiens are well out of the playoff picture, while the Hurricanes lead the Metropolitan Division by only 3 points and need every win – especially over bad teams like Montreal. Carolina’s back end has been among the best over the past month. The Hurricanes limit scoring chances, ranking 3rd in expected goals – which has led to a top-10 ranking in goals against per game. As for the Habs, they tend to leave their goalies hanging out to dry – ranking 27th in expected goals against. Offensively, it is more of the same for the Hurricanes. Since mid-January, they have been one of the best teams in putting pressure on net, ranking 9th in expected goals. Look for the Hurricanes to dominate and cover the puck line. Check out our full Canadiens vs Hurricanes predictions.
You can bet all of today’s sports at FanDuel Sportsbook, which has a great new-customer offer to take advantage of. If you sign up for FanDuel right now, you can get a No Sweat First Bet worth up to $1,000. Click here to join FanDuel right now.
Must-read
Before the all-star break hits, don’t miss our +878 NBA mega parlay. We also have a +996 NHL mega parlay for Thursday’s festivities. Today’s sports schedule is also headlined by the return of Tiger Woods, who is part of Diane Knox Balas’ Genesis Invitational picks.
Although the NFL season is over, it’s never too early to start looking ahead toward the 2023 campaign. In fact, we have already done it! Here are the Super Bowl 58 odds and best bets to be made. If you’re ready for some more football in the immediate future, be sure to read our XFL season preview.
Check out more great content as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
Purdue out-rebounded Maryland by 10 in last month’s head-to-head contest, which is no surprise. The Boilermakers lead the entire nation in offensive rebounding rate, while the Terrapins rank just 150th in defensive rebounding rate.
Quote of the Day
”I’m excited to go out there and compete and play with these guys. And I would not have put myself out here if I didn’t think I could beat these guys and win the event. That’s my mentality.“
— Tiger Woods during a press conference prior to the Genesis Invitational at Riviera
All of today’s biggest games are available to bet with BetMGM, the premier destination for online sports betting. New customers can earn themselves a $1,000 deposit bonus by signing up right now! Click here to lock in this great sign-up offer.
Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news and best bets. Check out our expert college basketball picks, NBA Picks, Soccer Picks and NHL Picks pages for our latest game picks.
