Zack's Past Picks
Today’s Super Bowl is the ultimate matchup where the side is tough to take. In the prop market this could turn out to be an advantageous game on both sides. I’ll be eyeing DeVonta Smith who has a 100 percent target to reception rate in the postseason. A heightened game I expect Smith to get a few extra targets from quarterback Jalen Hurts as they have a long time connection from their college days. Play Smith over.
An ugly loss can be the fuel for a team in their next outing. Expect that today on a light college basketball board on Super Bowl Sunday for UMass. The Minutemen had Saint Louis on the ropes up ten late, but could not execute and finish off the job. Today, they will face a La Salle team they routed by twenty two points January 19th. Take UMass to complete the season sweep.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been on a prolonged slump that has featured a 2-6 stretch. Without Giannis in the lineup we saw how much of an issue it can be in their latest game against the Atlanta Hawks. Still, this matchup is on their home court and Philadelphia has had their own internal issues that spilled over between Kelly Oubre Jr. and Joel Embiid. Take the Bucks even minus Giannis.
The Oklahoma City Thunder may be atop the Western Conference standings, but Memphis has been the better team as of late. They’ve won nine out of ten games and are 21-5 on their home floor. Look for the Grizzlies to continue their surge especially with the Thunder in a back to back spot.
A team that has been hurt via injuries and trades over their last two games are the Golden State Warriors. They have lost to both the Utah Jazz and the Lakers, but that was a 24-hour period after a heavy trade losing three role players. Expect the addition of Jimmy Butler to ignite them at Chicago, even if Butler plays limited minutes. Lay it with the Warriors.
Out in the Big South there could be a slow start for the home team in Gardner Webb. Just two nights ago they had the conference leader in UNC Asheville in a tight game up until the final five minutes. Yet, I expect Gardner Webb to recover against a Charleston Southern team that is poor at the free throw line and one dimensional with Take Kelly. Lay it with Gardner Webb.
Wofford has been a tricky team to figure out. They’ve had blowout road wins over UNC Greensboro and Furman, but have also had a poor home loss to VMI. After a strong start to Southern conference play that featured a 5-2 mark with the two losses by two points, they have faded. They are just 1-3 over their last four games, and this is a revenge spot for Mercer who scored just 49 points in the first matchup to Wofford. Take the home dog here.
Opportunity has presented itself once again for second year player Keyonte George. With both Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson out, George’s role has expanded. In his latest matchup against the Warriors he produced 26 points. Additionally, he has knocked down four three pointers in consecutive games. Take his points over tonight against the Suns.
Now that we are in the month of February there are key spots for inevitable let downs. It’s the final full month of conference play, and teams are going to be more susceptible in road spots. Look for that to be the case today for Saint Louis that has allowed key spurts to the opposition over their last two games against Dayton and Mass. Expect Saint Joseph’s to perform much better a second time seeing Saint Louis. Lay it with the Hawks.
Amidst the Atlanta Hawks vast changes has rose Dyson Daniels role when it comes to scoring. In three straight games, Daniels has scored 19 points or more, which is five points higher than his season average. He’s also filling in rebounds and assists which makes his role vital on a team lacking depth. Ride his points over trend tonight against the Bucks.
Milwaukee multiple times this season has rode extreme waves of winning and losing. After a four game losing streak, they did their job in Wednesday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets. Tonight, they get another opportunity against a below .500 team in the Atlanta Hawks who have dropped nine of ten games. Take the Bucks with new pieces to build upon their Hornets performance.
The Indiana Pacers will play their third game in four nights on their current road trip. They will face a Clippers team that struggled their last outing against the LA Lakers from a defensive stand point. Siakam on the year ranks 24th in the NBA in field goal percentage, and I expect him to correct a recent three game one for 10 stretch beyond the arc. Take Siakam’s over.
Portal defects hit San Diego hard this season, as they have gone just 4-20 on the season. Losses have mounted as they go into tonight’s matchup against Pacific on a ten game losing streak. Throughout the losses they have been competitive with close losses against Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount, and Washington State. They even showed resilience in what looked to be a blowout loss last week against Pepperdine. Take the Torreros who are being over adjusted ATS due to their losing streak and road spot at Pacific.
The Dallas Mavericks defensively are short handed as Anthony Davis will not make his debut until Saturday. Tonight will be a tall task against a Celtics team that just went on the road and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers. Expect Jaylen Brown to build on his recent performance over Dallas in which he scored twenty two points, as the Celtics continue their recent hot streak.
The LeMoyne Dolphins will go into their third straight road game tonight against St. Francis. They come in on a three game losing streak, where they have struggled in second halves. This came to light in their latest loss against Wagner where they led at halftime. Expect LeMoyne to step it up against a St. Francis team that has had a full week off of action.