Good morning, Pickswise Nation, and welcome to a fantastic Friday of sports. College football bowl season is here, with the Bahamas Bowl getting the party started at 11:30 am ET. There is also NBA, NHL and college basketball to enjoy today, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better!
About Last Night
49ers clinch NFC West
The San Francisco 49ers became the first team this season to win their NFL division with a 21-13 victory over the Seahawks in Seattle last night, covering the 3.5-point spread in the process. The 49ers (10-4) now have +750 odds to win the Super Bowl with FanDuel Sportsbook, behind only the Bills, Eagles and Chiefs.
Grizzlies blow away Bucks
The small NBA Thursday slate still produced some interesting results, not least the Grizzlies dominating the Bucks in a 142-101 win. A much closer contest saw the Jazz beat the Pelicans 132-129 in overtime.
Kings beat Bruins in a shootout
The Vegas Golden Knights are closing in on the Bruins for the best record in the NHL after beating the Blackhawks 4-1 in Thursday while the Bruins went down in a shootout to the Kings, having let a 2-0 lead slip in regulation.
Today’s Slate
Bowl season is here!
The CFB bowl season begins with Miami (Ohio) vs UAB in the Bahamas Bowl on ESPN at 11:30 am ET, with UTSA vs Troy following on the same station at 3:00 pm ET.
Busy night in the NBA
There’s a 10-game slate in the NBA tonight, featuring Warriors vs 76ers at 7:30 pm ET on ESPN and Nuggets vs Lakers at 10:00 pm in the second leg of the doubleheader.
3 games in the NHL
There are just 3 NHL games today with Blues vs Flames at 9:00 pm ET on ESPN+ being the day’s top matchup.
College hoops action
Xavier vs Georgetown and Creighton vs Marquette are among the best college hoops games on the Friday slate.
Best Bet of the Day
NCAAF: UAB Blazers -10.5 over Miami (Ohio) Redhawks
8:00pm ET
The Bahamas Bowl is a battle of 6-6 teams. The double-digit spread may seem large for UAB to cover but there are reasons to back the Blazers. UAB’s strong running game, led by workhorse RB DeWayne McBride, can help to build and stretch out a lead. The Blazers have scored at least 37 points in 3 of their last 4 games. UAB is only 4-5 ATS as a favorite this season, but all 6 of its victories have come by at least 10 points. When the Blazers win, they usually do it comfortably.
Must-watch
Don’t forget to check out our daily show Let’s Bet It on our YouTube channel atyoutube.com/c/Pickswise at 10:00 am ET.
You can also access the show at any time through Spotify and Apple Podcasts (search for Let’s Bet It Presented By Pickswise).
The Week 15 edition of Pickswise Playbook, our weekly NFL preview show, is also available, featuring former NFL star Tank Williams, so be sure to check that out too!
