Thursday 1/2/20 thread for free handicapping service plays and expert predictions for NFL, NCAAF, & NBA games
Marc Lawrence
Jan 02 '20, 7:00 PM in 12h
NCAA-B | Minnesota vs Purdue
Play on: Purdue -7½ -105 at BMaker
Play - Purdue (Game 618).
Edges - Boilermakers: 10-1 SU and 9-2 ATS at home in this series … Gophers: 1-9 SU and 3-7 ATS in games before facing Northwestern … With the Boilermakers looking to avenge a 75-73 loss to Minnesota as double-digit chalk in the first round of last year’s Big Ten tourney, we recommend a 1* play on Purdue. Thank you and good luck as always.
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Steve Janus
Jan 02 '20, 7:05 PM in 12h
NHL | Devils vs Islanders
Play on: Devils +177 at sportsbook
1* Free Sharp Play on Devils +177
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Stephen Nover
Jan 02 '20, 7:05 PM in 12h
NBA | Hornets vs Cavs
Play on: Hornets +2 -104 at Pinnacle
I must admit, watching a Hornets-Cavaliers matchup wasn't on my New Year's resolution list. Peeling potatoes might be more enjoyable than viewing this game. Handicapping-wise, though, I believe there's money to be made backing the underdog Hornets and not just because the Cavaliers are 0-3 ATS when laying points this season. This is Cleveland's first game back from a three-game road trip. It's the Cavaliers' first home game in nine days and first of the new year. That could prove distracting for such a young and inexperienced team as the Cavaliers. Charlotte is in stop-the-pain mode losers of six in a row. Among the defeats are two to the Celtics, one to the Jazz - who have won eight of their last nine games - and one in overtime to the Thunder, who have been playing their best ball. The Hornets' losing skid began with a road loss to Cleveland. The Cavaliers edged the Hornets, 100-98, on Dec. 18. The Hornets came from 24 points down to nearly pull the game out but Terry Rozier missed an open 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Cavaliers shot 54.1 percent from the floor in the win. Charlotte shot just 40.7 percent from the field yet came that close to winning. Charlotte shouldn't lack motivation in this quick revenge spot and there should not be such a large disparity in the shooting percentages. Cleveland ranks 27th in scoring and 22nd in field goal percentage at 44.5 percent. Charlotte is right next to Cleveland in the scoring and shooting percentage categories.
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Alex Smart
Jan 02 '20, 10:00 PM in 15h
NCAA-B | San Diego vs Loyola Marymount
Play on: San Diego -1 -110 at sportsbook
San Diego is currently in top form and is coming off a December in which it won four of its last five games .USD is holding opponents under 60 points during the five-game stretch (57.6) while averaging just under 70 points and enter this game with momentum.
The Toreros have won four straight against the Lions. They have won the season series in each of the last two campaigns.
USD has also won three straight at the Gersten Pavilion and get the nod again.
Play on San Diego to cover .
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Ray Monohan
Jan 02 '20, 10:05 PM in 15h
NHL | Blackhawks vs Canucks
Play on: UNDER 6½ -115
UNDER 6.5
Somebody's streak is going to end on Thursday night. The Chicago Blackhawks come into this one winners of 3 in a row, while the Vancouver Canucks have notched wins in their past 5 games. On Thursday night the Blackhawks (18-17-6) jet on into Vancouver in the PNW to take on the Canucks (21-15-4). Fans of these two teams around 7-10 years ago will remember what a great rivalry this was back then, and I'm sure we'll see more of the same Thursday.
Probable goalies for this one for Chicago Crawford 3.20 GAA & a .905 Save%, and for the Canucks Markstrom who has a nice .266 GAA and a .919 Save%. The Canucks are a -150 favorite (Blackhawks +130), and the over/under is set at 6.5. The Blackhawks sit last in the Western Conference's Central Division. The Canucks sit 3rd in the Pacific.
Patrick Kane leads the Blackhawks with 51 points on 22 goals and 29 assists. Elias Pettersson leads the Canucks with 41 points with 18 goals. Brock Boeser is the leading assist man on the Canucks with 25.
I have to admit Crawford has struggled this year between the pipes but on the other side Markstrom has not. Just recently Markstrom made 49 saves on 51 shots in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Kings. He is in the zone winning 4 straight, and only allowing 9 goals during that span.
The Hawks won their first matchup this year 5-2 in November, but this should be a much tighter contested game. Under is 5-1-1 in Canucks last 7 home games. I see a 2-1 or 3-2 game here.
Back the UNDER 6.5
Good Luck, Razor Ray.
Thursday 5* FREE NHL O/U Play
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Mike Wynn
Free Pick: Loyola Marymount -1½ Over San Diego
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Jim Feist
Jim Feist's Comp Pick, Thursday, January 2, 2020
01/02 12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET
CF (271) BOSTON COLLEGE VS (272) CINCINNATI
Take: (272) CINCINNATI
Reason: Your free play for Thursday, January 2,2020 is in the college football Birmingham Bowl between Boston College and Cincinnati. Your free play from Jim Feist is on 272. Cincinnati -7.5 points.
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Razor Sharp
YOUR RAZOR SHARP FREE PICK FOR THURSDAY: CHARLOTTE/CLEVELAND OVER the total of 209½
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Totals4U
Thursday's Free Selection: USC/Washington State under 148
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Roz Wins
Roz's THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2020 Free Pick
CBK
1/02 04:00 PM CB (619) RHODE ISLAND VS (620) BROWN
Take : Rhode Island
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Atlantic Sports
Thursday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: South Dakota State - 1
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#1 Sports
Thursday's Free Selection: Arkansas State Red Wolves + 3
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Platinum Plays
Your Free Pick: the Hofstra Pride -6½ over William & Mary
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Sharp Bettor
SharpBettor FREE Play Thursday, January 2, 2020
NBA
01/02 05:05 PM NBA (553) UTAH JAZZ VS (554) CHICAGO BULLS
Take : JAZZ
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Easy Money Sports
Lee's Free Early Thursday Selection Is
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL -1½
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Nevada Sharpshooter
Your free winner for Thursday : UTAH (NBA) -3½ over Chicago
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Golden Dragon
FREE WINNER for Thursday
Utah -3' NBA
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Hawkeye Sports
Thursday's Free Pick: Charleston - 6 1/2
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Huddle Up Sports
Free Play: Duquesne -3 College BB
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Arthur Ralph
Free Play THURS CBB Richmond -13
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Stephen DeAngelo
I’ve now nailed five of my last six complimentary plays in college bowl action—including the last three in a row—as Oregon rallied late to top Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Let’s keep the positive momentum going with Thursday’s freebie on Tennessee as a slight favorite over Indiana in the Gator Bowl.
Speaking of positive momentum, it’s a phrase that absolutely applies to the Tennessee Volunteers football program. After starting the season 1-4 SU and ATS, including an embarrassing 38-30 season-opening home loss to Georgia State as a 24-point chalk, the Volunteers closed on 6-1 SU and ATS run, winning their last five in a row. Of those six victories down the stretch, four were by double digits, as Tennessee got its offense cranked up (averaging 30 points per game) and, more importantly, tightened things up defensively (allowing just 81 total points—13.5 per contest—in the six wins).
Even the Vols’ lone loss down the stretch was impressive (as losses, go anyway): On Oct. 19, they went to Alabama as a 34-point underdog and lost 35-13, easily getting the money.
Tonight, the Vols run up against an Indiana squad that’s coming off one of its best regular seasons in years. Behind a high-powered offense that averages 32.6 points and 444 total yards per game, the Hoosiers finished 8-4 (7-5 ATS). Unfortunately, none of the eight teams Indiana defeated—Ball State, Eastern Illinois, UConn, Rutgers, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern and Purdue—qualified for a bowl game. On the flip side, the Hoosiers went 0-4 against bowl-qualifiers, losing to Ohio State (51-10), Michigan State (40-31), Penn State (34-27) and Michigan (39-14), giving up a whopping 41 ppg in the process!
Indiana, whose last postseason appearance came back in 2016, has also dropped four straight bowl games, its last victory coming way back in 1991! Conversely, Tennessee—which, like Indiana, is ending a two-year bowl drought—has won and covered its last three postseason games. And the Vols won all three by double digits … all against Big Ten opponents: Nebraska (38-24), Northwestern (45-6) and Iowa (45-28).
3* TENNESSEE
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Mitchell Newman
Comp play release for Thursday comes in an Atlantic 10 conference game between Dayton and LaSalle, as I back the Explorers plus the generous points on their home court against the Flyers.
Dayton does have the best player on the court in Obi Toppin who has led Anthony Grant's team to an 11-2 mark through 13 games as Toppin averages nearly 20 points per game for a Flyers team that has posted over 83 points per game compared to LaSalle's 71.8 points per game.
The Explorers will need to do a good job on defense if they wish to spring the upset, and with Ashley Howard's team allowing just 67.5 points per game, there is a strong chance that defense on their home court can keep this game close.
LaSalle is off to a 9-3 start to their season, and they have covered in 5 of their 6 lined home games. Howard is in his second full season at the helm and the former Villanova assistant has this program on the right track. He has LaSalle at 6-1 against the spread this season when they are installed as the dog, and that includes a cover against Villanova.
The home team in this series has won each of the last 10 series meetings and while an outright upset may be out of the question, I have to believe that the generous spot the host Explorers are getting will work just fine for this first conference game of the season in Philly on Thursday evening.
Take LaSalle plus the points.
1* LA SALLE
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Bob Valentino
Thursday comp play on the Grizzlies plus the points in the NBA over the Kings.
Sacramento is riding a season-high 8 game losing streak and they have covered just once in those 8 setbacks.
Memphis is playing some competitive basketball as they head into the new year, as the Grizzlies come to town with a 5-4 straight up mark over their last 9 games, and they have gone 6-2-1 against the spread in those 9 games.
The Grizzlies are also a not-so-terrible 6-9 straight up away from home with a 7-7-1 road spread mark this season. Memphis is also 6-3 this season when listed as an underdog of +1 to +4 1/2 points.
The season series numbers are about as even as you can get, as the teams have split their last 4 meetings, split their last 8 meetings and have also split their last 10 meetings overall.
It all adds up to a Memphis underdog cover.
Take the points and the Grizzlies.
2* MEMPHIS
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