Ricky Dimon
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Week 18 in the NFL is here. The College Football Playoff National Championship between Alabama and Georgia is just two days away. On this Saturday we also have plenty of action in the NBA, NHL, and college basketball.
As such, let’s not waste any time and get right to making your next bet better with our latest installment of Wise n’ Shine!
About Last Night
Lakers lead us to a successful parlay
Our Friday NBA parlay was a +597 winner, opening with the Timberwolves covering against the Thunder before the Wizards and Bulls went over and the Lakers covered against the Hawks. Chicago’s 130-122 win over Washington keeps it atop the Eastern Conference standings at 26-10. Our Saturday NBA parlay will be posted here. Let’s make it two in a row!
Pickswise experts go 2-0 ATS in college basketball
It wasn’t a big slate on Friday, but the Big East gave us a couple of betting opportunities. Our experts cashed in on both games, successfully picking Xavier -5.5 over Butler (the Musketeers won 87-72) and Marquette -2.5 over Georgetown (the Golden Eagles cruised 92-64).
Today’s Slate
Week 18 begins in the NFL
The first-ever Week 18 in the NFL kicks off on Saturday with Chiefs at Broncos and Cowboys at Eagles. Kansas City is battling for playoff positioning in the AFC, while both Dallas and Philadelphia are headed for the postseason in the NFC. You can find all of our NFL coverage on this page.
Heat vs Suns caps off 6-game NBA schedule
Some of the best teams in the NBA are taking the court today. Among them are the Suns, Jazz, Bucks, and Heat. Miami at Phoenix wraps up the proceedings, while the one nationally televised game pits New York against Boston on NBATV at 7:30 pm. Head over to our NBA picks page to see who we’re tipping.
Huge 11-game slate in the NHL
Even with four postponements already confirmed, there are still a whopping 11 games on today’s NHL schedule. Some of the matchups are mouth-watering, too. Among them are Bruins vs Lightning, Panthers vs Hurricanes, Maple Leafs vs Avalanche, and Capitals vs Wild. You can find our predictions for every NHL matchup here.
Twenty top 25 teams taking the court
Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven…not 18, not 19…. No, 20 of the top 25 teams in college basketball are playing games on Saturday. All-ranked showdowns include Kansas vs Texas Tech and Tennessee vs LSU. Check out all of our CBB picks.
Best Bet of the Day
New York Rangers ML over Anaheim Ducks
10:00 pm ET, ESPN+
The Rangers are continuing a 5-game road trip at Anaheim on Saturday. Since the Christmas break the Rangers have gone 3-2-0 with two solid wins over the Lightning. The Ducks came back from break ice cold, losing 3 straight games until Tuesday — when they beat the Flyers. Anaheim is also dealing with Covid issues; its game on Thursday was postponed and big names like captain Ryan Getzlaf and starting goalie John Gibson are on the protocol list. New York, on the other hand, is expected to go with its starter — Igor Shesterkin. He is the No. 1 goalie in the NHL in goals saved above expected. Count on the Rangers rolling. Read our full game preview for Rangers vs Ducks.
Must-watch
The Week 18 edition of Pickwise Playbook is up and running. Check out the show featuring Ross Tucker, Chris Rose, and Jared Smith as they pick out all the best bets for the games on Saturday and Sunday. Be prepared for some Chris Rose NFL trivia coming at you, as well!
We also have another episode of our daily betting show, Let’s Bet It, that you should be on the lookout for. On Saturday, Jared Smith is joined by Alex Glaze and Mark Zinno to discuss the NBA, college basketball, NFL, and the College Football Playoff National Championship. Don’t miss their picks and best bets for the two Saturday NFL games in addition to Alabama vs Georgia on Monday night.
Make sure you subscribe to our Pickswise Youtube channel so you never miss an episode!
Must-read
Our Week 18 NFL coverage is highlighted by Jared Smith’s breakdown of how potential player bonuses could affect prop betting this weekend. Also check out Jared’s best bets in addition to Connor Grootenhuis’ best underdog plays.
Alabama vs Georgia is getting closer and closer, and as a result our coverage is ramping up. Be sure to check out my early lookahead to the title game and my best player prop picks. If you’re looking for more best bets, Ross Tucker offered his earlier in the week and a roundtable of experts also weighed in on the title game.
Visit the Analysis tab for even more great sports betting content.
Online sports betting in New York going live today
The New York Gaming Commission suddenly announced on Thursday that online sports betting would go live in the state on Saturday morning. At 9:00 am Eastern, you will be able to legally place bets from your cell phone or computer throughout New York. Here is everything you need to know.
Stat of the Day
The Eagles have scored the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL (24) and are averaging 5 yards per carry. Those numbers will no doubt worry the Cowboys, who have allowed the 7th-most yards per carry this season.
Boost of the Day
Chiefs to win and Darrel Williams to score a touchdown
Boosted to +160 with FanDuel Sportsbook
Week 18 in the NFL is kicking off with Chiefs vs Broncos on Saturday afternoon, and FanDuel is celebrating the occasions with an odds boost. Kansas City winning and Darrel Williams scoring at least one touchdown has been raised from +125 to +160.
Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news, and best bets. Check out our expert NFL picks, NCAAF picks, NBA picks, NHL picks and Soccer picks for the latest game picks.
