Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
Good morning, Pickswise Nation. The World Cup is back…and perhaps better than ever! Following a 2-day hiatus, the semifinals in Qatar get underway on Tuesday. We also have plenty of NHL, NBA and college basketball action before football resumes this weekend. 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
Pickswise goes 11-2 ATS in Week 14 as Patriots win and cover
We cashed Patriots -1 and Under 43.5 as New England took care of Arizona 27-13 on Monday Night Football. That completed an awesome Week 14 of handicapping in which our experts went 11-2 ATS.
Rare bad night for Celtics
Boston may be the best team in the NBA, but it got beat 113-93 by the Clippers. Our prop expert went with an under prop in that game and it worked out to perfection, as Jaylen Brown was held below the 29.5 points+rebounds+assists threshold. Brooklyn, Miami, Memphis and Dallas were among other winners on Monday.
Chris Beard does time while his team needs extra time
Texas being pushed to overtime by Rice had long odds, but not as long as the odds on head coach Chris Beard missing the game due to being under arrest. Beard was charged with domestic assault earlier in the day and is suspended indefinitely, so he wasn’t around for the Longhorns’ 87-81 OT victory.
Today’s Slate
Can Messi and Argentina make it to the final?
The semifinal round of the World Cup kicks off today. Argentina is going up against 2018 finalist Croatia, as Lionel Messi looks to make his second appearance in the championship game. Here are our World Cup predictions.
NBA doubleheader on TNT
There are only 5 games in the NBA, but they certainly pack a punch. Today’s schedule is headlined by a doubleheader on TNT that begins with the Bucks hosting the Warriors before the Celtics visit the Lakers. Don’t miss any of our NBA picks.
Dirty dozen in the NHL
It’s a great day to be a hockey fan, as there are 12 contests on offer. A somewhat rare NHL game on the main ESPN channel pits the Capitals against the Blackhawks. Boston, New Jersey and Toronto – the 3 best teams in the league right now – are also taking the ice. You can find our hockey coverage on the NHL page.
Tough exam on the hardwood for Memphis
Head coach Penny Hardaway will take his Memphis team to Tuscaloosa for a showdown with #4 Alabama on Tuesday night. #5 Houston and #9 Arizona are also in action. Check out all of our college basketball predictions.
Best Bet of the Day
NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning ML over Seattle Kraken (-192)
10:00 pm ET, ESPN+
The Kraken continue a 4-game road trip and come into this one with only 1 win in their last 4 games. Now they have the task of taking down 1 of the best-built teams in the NHL. Can they do it? Doubtful. There is just too much talent, leadership and depth on this Lightning roster to expect them to lose at home to a weaker opponent. Moreover, 1 of the NHL’s best goalies in Andrei Vasilevskiy will be tending the crease. He compiled a .960 save percentage in his most recent outing, which is nothing new for him. It’s hard to see Seattle getting many pucks past him and keeping up with the Bolts’ high-powered offense. Check out our full Kraken vs Lightning predictions.
Must-read
There may not be any football today, but we have taken a look ahead at opening lines for NFL Week 15 schedule and college football bowl games. We have also produced a Same Game Parlay for Tuesday’s World Cup contest. Don’t miss our +1524 SGP for Croatia vs Argentina. Speaking of big-odds parlays, here is our +1258 NHL mega parlay.
Check out more great content as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Must-watch
Don’t forget to check out our daily show Let’s Bet It! on our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/c/Pickswise at 10:00 am ET.
Lauren Jbara and Jared Smith are your hosts today and they will be joined by Steve Ceruti (@ceruti on Twitter), podcast manager and soccer/basketball writer at The Ringer. There will be Monday Night Football reaction, college football bowl game discussion, World Cup talk and – as always – Plays of the Day.
You can access the show at any time through Spotify and Apple Podcasts (search for Let’s Bet It Presented By Pickswise).
Stat of the Day
The Ducks are far and away the worst road team in the NHL with a 2-11-3 such record. On Tuesday they face the Maple Leafs, who are 10-2-3 at home.
Quote of the Day
“We don’t have a specific plan, at least not yet, for stopping Lionel Messi. Usually we don’t concentrate on just stopping one player but the whole team. The way we approach that is we need to stop them as a team, not by man marking or some kind of similar tactics. Argentina is not only Messi.”
— Croatia striker Bruno Petkovic
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