Phil Agius
Show Bio
First, they took away the NFL, and now they’ve taken the NBA too — but only for a few days. Don’t worry though, we still have another fantastic Friday of sports ahead of us. There’s NHL, college basketball, and the Winter Olympics on the schedule, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better!
About Last Night
Pickswise NBA cappers on a heater
After our amazing day of NBA handicapping on Wednesday, which you can read about here, the Pickswise team stayed on a heater heading into the all-star break, cashing our NBA parlay (Hornets +5, Wizards +5, Mavs -2) at +612 odds, and that man Filip Tomic was at it again with another winning same game parlay! This time it was a +1915 winner on the Nets vs Bucks game! Joel Embiid scored 42 points in the Sixers’ 123-120 win over the Bucks, while Luka Doncic hit 49 as the Mavs beat the Pelicans.
Canadiens stun Blues
Thursday’s biggest surprise result in the NHL saw the 9-33-7 Montreal Canadiens snap a 10-game losing run with a 3-2 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues (28-14-6). The Detroit Red Wings upset the New York Rangers 3-2 in a shootout.
NCAAB Best Bet cashes
We had only one 3-star play on Thursday college hoops games and it was a winning pick as St. Mary’s -3 cashed against San Francisco. It was a rare day on the hardwood when all the ranked teams taking the court avoided upsets!
Today’s Slate
NHL takes center stage
With the NBA on a rest day ahead of the All-Star Weekend, the NHL is in the spotlight today with 4 games. There are some top-quality matchups, though, including Predators vs Hurricanes and Panthers vs Wild. Read today’s NHL game previews.
College hoops and Winter Olympics too!
You can check out our picks for today’s top college basketball games, with Richmond taking on VCU at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN2. And we also have a pick for the men’s curling final at the Winter Olympics between Great Britain and Sweden.
Best Bet of the Day
Carolina Hurricanes ML vs Nashville Predators
7:00 pm ET, ESPN+
The Nashville Predators have struggled coming out of the NHL all-star break, losing all 3 of their games and being outscored 13-6. The Hurricanes have also stumbled out of the stoppage, losing 4 of their last 5 games, but they have a great chance to improve their record tonight. Carolina creates far more chances, ranking 2nd in expected goals, whereas the Predators are 21st. The Hurricanes have allowed the fewest goals per game this season, thanks to their excellent goaltending. Nashville is also strong in that area, so with top goalies in net for both teams, lean on the team with the better offense and take the Hurricanes. Read our full game preview for Predators vs Hurricanes.
Must-watch
Don’t forget to check out our daily show Let’s Bet It! on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/Pickswise every day at 10:00 am ET. Today the team will be giving out their picks for today’s NHL and college basketball games and, as ever, the Plays of the Day!
Must-read
The NFL season is over and, fresh from his unforgettable trip to the Super Bowl, our lead betting analyst Jared Smith assesses what we learned from the 2021 NFL season. Our NASCAR expert is looking ahead to Sunday’s Daytona 500, and we have a great parlay for Saturday’s EPL soccer (+868 odds). Our 2022 MLB team previews are still building up, with the Kansas City Royals the latest team in the spotlight.
Read all our great sports analysis as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The first 2 NHL meetings between the Kings and Golden Knights this season produced a combined 17 goals.
Boost of the Day
This odds boost from FanDuel Sportsbook involves 3 of today’s 4 NHL games, with the odds of the Hurricanes (vs Predators), Stars (vs Blackhawks) and Golden Knights (vs Kings) all winning enhanced from +310 to +400.
Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news, and best bets. Check out our expert NFL picks, NCAAF picks, NHL picks, Soccer picks, and MLB picks for the latest game picks.
