Phil Agius
Show Bio
Embrace the madness, Pickswise Nation! We have another fantastic Friday of sports ahead of us, with 16 more March Madness First Round games, plus NBA, NHL and soccer on the schedule, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better!
About Last Night
Saint Peter’s star as March Madness begins
It didn’t take long for the bracket-busters to arrive. #15 seed Saint Peter’s was an 18-point underdog against #2 seed Kentucky, but the Peacocks strutted to a stunning 85-79 overtime victory. Gonzaga’s 93-72 win over Georgia State doesn’t look that crazy, but it was a wild backdoor cover for the Panthers, who were 23-point underdogs. A pair of #5 seeds lost to #12 seeds, with Iowa losing to Richmond and Connecticut beaten by New Mexico State.
Bey’s day as Pistons beat Magic
There was only 1 NBA game on Thursday and Saddiq Bey starred, scoring 51 points as the Pistons (our ML pick at +155 odds) beat the Magic.
Top teams struggle in NHL
It was a busy day in the NHL and some strong teams suffered defeats, with the Hurricanes, Rangers, Predators, Blues, and Panthers all losing. The Penguins beat the Blues in a shootout, while the Stars needed overtime to see off the Canadiens 4-3.
Today’s Slate
Can Day 2 of the First Round match Day 1 for upsets?
Arizona, Auburn, Duke, Villanova? Who’s going to be making a shocking early exit from the NCAA Tournament today? Check out our picks for today’s March Madness games,
NBA bursts back into life with 12 games
After a breather yesterday, the NBA roars back into action with 12 games today, including an NBA TV doubleheader of Grizzlies vs Hawks at 7:30 pm ET and Bulls vs Suns at 10:00pm ET. Read all today’s NBA game previews.
Capitals vs Hurricanes on NHL Network
There are 6 NHL games today, with Capitals vs Hurricanes being shown on NHL Network at 7:00pm ET. Read today’s NHL game previews.
Best Bet of the Day
Villanova Wildcats -15.5 vs Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens
2:45 pm ET, CBS
The #15 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens finished 5th in the CAA with a 10-8 conference record, but went on to win the CAA and punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately for the Blue Hens, they will have to play the Big East champion #2 Villanova Wildcats in the Round of 64. Delaware had the 204th-ranked strength of schedule, and ranks 212th in defensive efficiency, so this could be a tough day for the Fightin’ Blue Hens. Villanova will be the first top-conference opponent Delaware has played this season and the Wildcats are 9-3 ATS as a double-digit favorite in the NCAA Tournament since 2015. Trust the Wildcats. Read our full game preview for Delaware vs Villanova.
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.
The LBI team will be looking at all today’s March Madness games, suggesting the best bets and strategies, while also giving out their picks for today’s NBA and NHL games and revealing their Plays of the Day!
Must-read
Be sure to use our March Madness hub to navigate your way around all our great college basketball content throughout March, including the latest bracket, picks and expert analysis!
There’s plenty of other sports happening this week too, and don’t miss our best bets for the new Formula 1 season and a great parlay for Sunday’s EPL and FA Cup soccer.
As for today’s action, why not start with our March Madness Day 2 mega parlay and our same game parlay for Bulls vs Suns?
Read all our great sports analysis as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The Lakers have lost 13 of their last 14 games against the Raptors.
Boost of the Day
The Mavericks play the 76ers tonight and FanDuel Sportsbook has enhanced the odds of Luka Doncic scoring a triple-double from +390 to +500.
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.
