Ben Dezell

CFB & NBA Handicapper

College football handicapper for Pickswise. Ben graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Ben spent his time on campus covering the Golden Gophers football team

Live Picks 2

Live Parlays 0

Weekly News Articles 0

Location

Minnepolisa, MN

Favorite Sports

Favorite Teams

Greatest Betting Win

Best betting memory I have is when I first started betting sports. My friend and I were in Texas for a Rangers game and we took probably about 6 random same-game props, not really knowing what we were doing. It took extra innings in the game but miraculously each bet ended up hitting.

Greatest Achievements

My greatest sports betting achievement would be correctly picking Virginia to win the men’s basketball National Championship in 2019. This was coming off their 2018 year where they were the first team eliminated by a 16 seed. The championship game was in US Bank stadium where I was able to go and see Virginia finalise their run in person.

Education

Ben graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Minnesota.

Experience

Ben has been a fan of sports his entire life. Through his studies, he was able to spend time covering sports at the University of Minnesota. These sports included football, tennis, soccer, and baseball

Favorite betting market / type

Money Line

Favorite bookmakers

Ben's Picks

Point Spread Pick

WAS Wizards +7.0(-110)

Reasoning

After starting their season 4-11, the Memphis Grizzlies are one win away from getting back to a .500 record. Tonight, they will have the chance to do just that against the Washington Wizards. The Grizzlies have a record of 15-16 this season, and they are 8-8 when playing on the road. Memphis has won their last two games, with their last win coming against the Milwaukee Bucks 125-104. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the team in scoring with 24 points, and Ja Morant added 17 points and 10 assists in his return to the lineup. The Wizards have a record of 6-23 and 3-10 on their home floor. Washington has lost two of their last three games, but they are coming off a 138-117 win over the Toronto Raptors in their previous game. Keyshawn George led the team in scoring with 23 points while Bilal Coulibaly added 21 points and 8 rebounds.

The Wizards have the second worst record in the NBA, but there have been some encouraging signs as of late. It started around a week ago in the last time these two teams competed. Memphis had a 20 points lead in the first half before the Wizards stormed back to win 130-122. In the Wizards last win against Toronto, Washington shot 59% from the field and had 62 points in the paint. The Wizards will get the chance to keep their momentum going against an injury-riddled Grizzlies team. Memphis will be without key players such as Zach Edey, Vince Williams Jr. and Brandon Clarke. The Grizzlies just welcomed back Ja Morant from injury in their previous game, but the team could still be trying to be careful with Morant’s minutes. Morant only played 25 minutes against Milwaukee. I don’t expect this number to go up with this being the first time Morant has played back-to-back games since the beginning of November. The Wizards have a lot of confidence right now, and I expect they put forth a good effort tonight.

Grizzlies vs Wizards prediction: Wizards +7 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Grizzlies vs Wizards predictions

BET +7.5 NOW WITH

Ben Dezell

Point Spread Pick

TOR Raptors +4.5(-110)

Reasoning

The Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors will battle Sunday afternoon. The Warriors have a record of 16-15, but are only 6-11 when playing away from home. Golden State has won their last three games, including a 126-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks in their previous game despite only shooting 28% from three. Stephen Curry led the team in scoring with 23 points, and Jimmy Butler added 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. The Raptors have a record of 18-14 this season and a record at home of 8-7. Toronto has lost three of their last four games with their last loss coming against the Washington Wizards 138-117. Brandon Ingram led the team in scoring with 29 points while Scottie Barnes added 14 points and 7 assists.

After winning nine straight games, the Raptors have fallen into inconsistent play. In their last 13 games, they have only won four times. The whole team has struggled to put forth a consistent offensive effort, but if you had to look at one player, it would be Scottie Barnes. In the month of December, Barnes numbers are down across the board. Barnes is averaging 17.7 points per game and is shooting 48% from the field and 26% from three this month. He is also averaging 3.4 turnovers per game. The good news for Toronto is they are taking on a Warriors’ team that has struggled to shoot the ball from beyond the arc in their last couple of games. The Warriors shoot the most threes per game in the NBA at 44 per contest. In three of their last four games, the Warriors have shot below 30% from beyond the arc. The Raptors will be on their home floor tonight against Golden State, who have struggled when playing away from home. With the potential return of RJ Barrett to the lineup, I like the Raptors at home in this one.

Warriors vs Raptors prediction: Raptors +4.5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

Bet like a Caesar with this AMAZING new customer offer from Caesars Sportsbook. If you bet just $1, you’ll receive DOUBLE YOUR WINNINGS on your next 20 bets! 👥 using the Caesars promo code PWCONTENT20X, where you can bet on our Warriors vs Raptors picks.

BET +4.5 NOW WITH

Ben Dezell