Wise n' Shine: NBA picks, NHL predictions and college basketball best bets for Thursday, March 2

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Caleb Wilfinger

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Deputy Editor for Pickswise with years of experience handicapping and giving out winning picks. Lover of all US sports and Southampton FC. For Caleb Wilfinger media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.
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Good morning Pickswise Nation and welcome to another wonderful Thursday of sports. We have a jam-packed day ahead with plenty of NBA, NHL, college basketball and golf on today’s schedule, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better!

About Last Night

NBA team keeps rolling
The Pickswise NBA team stayed hot with their picks for Wednesday’s slate, going 6-3 on ATS picks and 2-0 on our 3-star best bets for the evening. The Bucks won their 16th straight game, while the Knicks demolished the Nets at Madison Square Garden to grab firm control of the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Eventful day in the NHL
We had a fun night on the ice on Wednesday, including a couple of key results in the Eastern Conference. The Oilers dominated the Leafs 6-2, while the Rangers rallied to knock off the Flyers in overtime. Out west, the Devils won a wild 7-5 contest over the Avalanche, as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in a potential Stanley Cup Finals preview.

College hoops continues to deliver
Wednesday was another fascinating night of college basketball, as the regular season nears its conclusion. Headlining the results was a massive comeback victory for Alabama at home over Auburn, while Kentucky fell at home to Vanderbilt. Elsewhere, TCU knocked off Texas 75-73 and Penn State defeated Northwestern in overtime to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

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Today’s Slate

Marquee matchups in the NBA
Today’s 4-game NBA slate includes 2 matchups on TNT with the Sixers taking on the Mavericks at 7:30 pm ET and the Clippers facing off against the Warriors at 10:00 pm ET. Read all of today’s NBA predictions.

Solid NHL slate
There are 10 NHL games today, with the marquee matchup coming in Tampa Bay as the Lightning host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:00 pm ET. We have NHL picks for today’s games.

There’s action on the college hardwood, too
There are some big games in college basketball tonight with Michigan taking on Illinois at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN, Purdue traveling to Wisconsin at 9:00 pm ET on FS1 and UCLA hosting Arizona State at 9:00 pm ET on ESPN. Take a look at today’s college basketball predictions.

Best Bet of the Day

NHL: Minnesota Wild ML (-160) over Vancouver Canucks
10:00 pm ET, ESPN+

Throughout February, Minnesota allowed just 2.15 goals per game, the 3rd-best mark in the NHL. Meanwhile, Vancouver allowed 4.18 goals per game during that same time frame, which was the 2nd-most in the league. Don’t look now, but Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson has the 2nd-best save percentage of any goalie with more than 3 starts on the year. His incredible play was on full display when these teams last met, as the Wild won in shutout fashion with a 3-0 victory. They’ve outscored the Canucks 7-3 in their 2 meetings this season and should make it 6 straight wins against Vancouver. Read our full Wild vs Canucks predictions.

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Must-read

Today’s NBA coverage includes our NBA mega parlay, while you can also see how the Lakers’ playoff odds have shifted after news of LeBron James’ injury. We also have today’s NCAAB best bets, while our expert golf analyst Diane Knox Balas has this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational predictions.

Be sure to head over to the Analysis tab for even more great sports betting content as it arrives throughout the day.

Stat of the Day

The Warriors are 25-7 on their home floor this season. Golden State hosts the Clippers on Thursday night.

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Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news, and best bets. Check out our expert NBA picks, MLB picks, NHL picks and Soccer picks for the latest game picks.

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