Phil Agius
NBA
Show Bio
Good morning, Pickswise Nation, and welcome to another wonderful week of sports. The NBA stars are off today following the weekend’s all-star festivities, but we still have NHL and college basketball action to look forward to, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better.
About Last Night
Tatum stars for Team Giannis
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored the first basket of the NBA All-Star Game before heading straight to the bench, but the team he picked got the job done, beating Team LeBron 184-175 in Utah. Team Giannis had been 2.5-point underdogs, while over 324.5 points cashed comfortably. LeBron James also left early after sustaining a bruised finger, while Jayson Tatum (+1000) was named MVP after scoring an all-star record 55 points.
Blackhawks upset Maple Leafs
The upset of the day in the NHL saw the Chicago Blackhawks win 5-3 at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In Sunday’s big games, the Avalanche beat the Oilers 6-5 with a Mikko Rantanen goal late in overtime, while the Devils overcame the Jets 4-2.
3-1 day in the XFL
Both road teams were favored in the XFL on Sunday and while the Battlehawks got the job done against the Brahmas, winning 18-15, the Sea Dragons lost 22-18 to the Defenders, who won their home opener at Audi Field. The Pickswise handicappers went 3-1 with our picks on Sunday, so be sure to check out their plays for Week 2 later in the week.
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Today’s Slate
6-game slate in the NHL
Today’s Presidents’ Day slate in the NHL includes some early action with Ducks vs Panthers on NHL Network at 1:00 pm ET, the same time as the Senators vs Bruins matchup on ESPN+. Check out today’s NHL picks.
Kansas vs TCU tops the bill
The big game on the college hardwood is #9 Kansas vs #22 TCU at 9:00 pm ET on ESPN. The Louisville vs Duke game at 7:00 pm on ESPN should also be one to watch. Read today’s NCAAB predictions.
Best Bet of the Day
NCAAB: Louisville Cardinals +18.5 over Duke Blue Devils
7:00 pm ET, ESPN
The Cardinals have had a disastrous season, winning just 4 games, but they have been competing hard of late and picked up an 83-73 win over Clemson last time out. Louisville also tested Virginia, losing 61-58 as a 16-point underdog. The Cardinals have covered in 3 straight games and 5 of the last 6, including 3 in a row as double-digit underdogs. Duke covered last time out, but the Blue Devils are just 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games. Duke hasn’t had a lot of success as a double-digit favorite this season, either, going 1-5 ATS in the last 6 such games. Look for Duke to continue struggling against the number. Check out our full Louisville vs Duke predictions.
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Must-read
Our NHL mega parlay and NHL player props both include early games, so be sure to check those out soon. We also have a college basketball mega parlay for you on this holiday morning, while Ricky Dimon has tennis picks for this week’s tournaments in Doha and Dubai.
Keep an eye out for more great sports analysis as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The Bruins have a 22-2 record on home ice this season.
Quote of the Day
“I think I had like 49 and Dame was like ‘Yo, the record’s 52.’ He was like: ‘Go get it.'”
Jayson Tatum followed instructions and broke the All-Star Game record set by Anthony Davis in 2017.
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