Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
Good morning, Pickswise Nation. Championship week in college football is upon us and it kicks off tonight in the Pac-12 and Conference USA. We also have a sizable slate in the NBA, a couple of NHL contests and a decent lineup on the college basketball hardwood. It’s another big day in the world of sports, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better!
About Last Night
- The Cowboys came from behind to beat the Seahawks 41-35 on Thursday Night Football. It was the 5th game in NFL history with zero punts. The Pickswise experts cashed a +260 anytime touchdown scorer bet when Dallas receiver Brandin Cooks found the endzone.
- The Bruins, Penguins, Oilers, Maple Leafs, Devils and Islanders were among the NHL winners. Toronto, New Jersey and New York all required extra time.
- An 8-game slate in the NBA saw the Lakers get blown out at Oklahoma City, while Portland upset Cleveland and Chicago outlasted Milwaukee in overtime.
- Florida Atlantic, which made the Final Four last season, cruised past Liberty 83-58. Ranked teams went 4-0 on Thursday, as Creighton, Texas and Oklahoma also took care of business.
Today’s Slate
- Don’t miss our college football predictions for the entirety of championship weekend
- Check out our NBA previews for today’s games
- You can also read our NHL picks for tonight’s 2-game slate
- Head over to the college basketball page for Friday’s game previews
Best Bet of the Day
NCAAF: Liberty Flames -10.5 over New Mexico State Aggies (-107)
7:00 pm ET, CBSSN
The Flames were perfect in their first season in Conference USA. Not only did they secure a perfect 8-0 record in the conference, but they also won all 12 of their games and will host this title game. Liberty was +19 in touchdown margin against C-USA foes, while no other conference team was better than +8 in that department. In the regular-season meeting between these 2 teams, the Flames rolled 33-17 while out-gaining the Aggies 526 to 339. New Mexico State has been pretty good of late, but its offense probably isn’t good enough to turn the tide in the form of revenge against Liberty. In fact, the Flames should win this one by double-digits. Check out our full New Mexico State vs Liberty predictions.
Must-read
- Kick off Championship Week in college football with this Oregon vs Washington Same Game Parlay at +783 odds
- Also read our full Oregon vs Washington preview for one of the week’s biggest games
- Do your homework with these NCAAF Week 14 early picks and all the latest lines
- Be sure to check out our NFL Week 13 power rankings
- UFC on ESPN 52 takes place on Saturday night and we have best bets in addition to a 4-fight parlay
Read all of our sports betting articles as they arrive throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
Liberty averaged 38.1 points in Conference USA games during the regular season while scoring 42 touchdowns. No other C-USA team scored more than 32.
Quote of the Day
“I was rusty. I didn’t have my feels. (It) kind of went sideways at the end.“
— Tiger Woods after shooting a 3-over 75 in round 1 of the Hero World Challenge on Thursday. Woods is +60000 to win the tournament. Scottie Scheffler (-3) is a +400 favorite.
