Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
Good morning, Pickswise Nation, and Merry Christmas! Not only is it the NBA’s favorite regular-season day on the calendar, but we also have more NFL action on our hands. After all, it’s not only Christmas…it’s also Sunday! 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
Cowboys still stay in the NFC East hunt
A huge Christmas Eve slate of NFL action saw the Cowboys win a wild one over the division-rival Eagles, 40-34. A Philly victory would have clinched the NFC East title. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s loss dropped it into a tie with Jacksonville atop the AFC South, while Carolina and New Orleans moved to within a half-game of Tampa Bay in the NFC South. Our NFL experts went 6-5 ATS, 7-4 O/U and 5-3 on props on Saturday.
Late FG lifts Middle Tennessee in Hawaii Bowl
Middle Tennessee beat San Diego State 25-23 in the Hawaii Bowl with a 37-yard field goal by Zeke Rankin with 2:05 remaining. We went 2-1 on our picks, cashing Under 49 and the over for MTSU QB Chase Cunningham’s passing-yardage prop. Check out all of our college football best bets throughout bowl season.
Today’s Slate
NFL Week 16 isn’t over yet….
We have already enjoyed 2 days of NFL action this week, but we still have 2 more. Prior to Monday Night Football, the Christmas Day schedule features 3 games – including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers paying a visit to the Arizona Cardinals in primetime. Here are all of our NFL predictions.
The NBA loves Christmas
Only sometimes does Christmas mean NFL football. It always means NBA basketball. A hardwood extravaganza consists of 5 marquee matchups, all of which are being televised on ESPN. It starts at noon ET (76ers at Knicks) and doesn’t end until the 10:30 pm ET showdown between the Suns and Nuggets. Don’t miss any of our NBA picks.
Best Bet of the Day
NCAAB: Creighton Bluejays –15.5 over DePaul Blue Demons (-110)
4:30 pm ET, FOX
DePaul has the unfortunate luck of traveling on Christmas and finds itself in a tough spot. The win-loss records of these 2 teams might imply that the game should be competitive, but this really shouldn’t be. Creighton has played a very tough schedule, facing 5 teams already who were ranked in the top 25 at the time. Three of those teams were in the top 10 — Arkansas, Texas and Arizona. The Bluejays just recently ended a 3-game losing skid, but that streak was during the absence of key big man Ryan Kalkbrenner. The 7-footer is a difference-maker for the Bluejays and DePaul really struggles defending the paint. The Blue Demons also rebound poorly and do not score well from close range. They instead shoot a lot of 3s, and Creighton defends the arc as well as anyone in the nation. DePaul was picked to finish last in the Big East and you may see why on Sunday.
Must-read
We have everything you need to know for Sunday’s NFL games in our Week 16 guide, which includes Same Game Parlays for Packers vs Dolphins, Broncos vs Rams and Buccaneers vs Cardinals.
Speaking of SGPs, all 5 NBA games on Christmas are getting that treatment. Don’t miss our potentially lucrative plays on 76ers vs Knicks, Bucks vs Celtics, Grizzlies vs Warriors, Lakers vs Mavericks and Suns vs Nuggets. Our prop expert has delivered his best NBA player props, as well.
Check out more great content as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Must-watch
The Week 16 edition of Pickswise Playbook, our weekly NFL preview show, is still available. It features former NFL star Tank Williams, so don’t miss it!
Stat of the Day
Miami ranks 26th in the NFL in pass DVOA heading into Sunday’s matchup with Green Bay. That’s part of the reason why our experts like the Packers +4 and Over 49.5.
Quote of the Day
“When I got there, I thought I worked hard. Then I watched what he did and put into it, and it was on a whole different level. There’s a reason he’s the best there ever was.”
— Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury on Tom Brady, with whom Kingsbury played for a season in New England
Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news and best bets. Check out our expert NFL Picks, NBA Picks, Soccer Picks and NHL Picks pages for our latest game picks.
