Good morning, Pickswise Nation. When it’s super Wild Card Weekend, you don’t get just 2 days of NFL playoff football, you get 3. The first round concludes on Monday night, while we also have plenty of NBA, NHL, college basketball and tennis action. It’s another big day in the world of sports, so let’s get right to it and make your next bet better with Wise n’ Shine!
About Last Night
Bengals set up showdown with Bills
Cincinnati used a 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown to beat Baltimore 24-17 and book its spot alongside Buffalo in the divisional round. We cashed Ravens +8.5 and over 40.5 in Sunday’s nightcap. Meanwhile, the Bills scraped past the Dolphins 34-31 and the Giants upset the Vikings 31-24. The Bills now have +360 odds for the Super Bowl with FanDuel Sportsbook, behind only the Chiefs (+300).
NBA parlay cashes at +615 odds
We cashed our +615 NBA parlay on Sunday as Oklahoma City, Sacramento and Portland covered their respective spreads. The Thunder upset the Nets, the Kings cruised past San Antonio and the Trail Blazers destroyed the Mavericks. In other results, New York improved to 7-1 SU in its last 8 games as Julius Randle scored 42 points during a 117-104 victory at Detroit.
J-e-t-s Jets, Jets, Jets
The NFL’s Jets may have imploded down the stretch, but the NHL’s Jets continue to roll along nicely. They are now 8-1-0 in their last 9 contests – with all 8 wins coming in regulation – after defeating Arizona 2-1. There were only 2 other games on Sunday. Vancouver beat Carolina 4-3 in a shootout and Montreal knocked off the Rangers 2-1.
Today’s Slate
Wild Card Weekend ends with Cowboys vs Bucs
Wild Card Weekend has already been a rollercoaster, so what will Monday night do for an encore on the heels of the first 5 games? We will find out when Dallas pays a visit to Tampa Bay.
NBA afternoon specials on MLK Day
We have a unique NBA schedule on Martin Luther King Day. Seven of the 9 games will be tipping off in the afternoon, starting with Boston visiting Charlotte. The slate is headlined by a doubleheader on TNT, which features Atlanta hosting Miami and Phoenix traveling to Memphis.
11-game NHL schedule
The story is a similar one in the NHL, where 5 of the 11 games are dropping the puck no later than 4:00 pm ET. A showdown between the Lightning and Kraken should be especially intriguing.
Big battle in the Big Ten
Purdue is 16-1 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten, but a huge test awaits in the form of a road date with Michigan State.
Best Bet of the Day
NCAAB: Purdue vs Michigan State under 133.5 (-110)
2:30 pm ET, FOX
Purdue is 16-1 on the season with its only loss coming to Rutgers at the beginning of this month. The Boilermakers bounced back in a great way following that loss with road wins over Ohio State and Penn State in addition to an easy home victory at the expense of Nebraska. Purdue plays at an extremely slow pace and methodically punishes opponents on a consistent basis. Michigan State, however, will be happy to play that game. According to KenPom, Purdue is ranked #324 in adjusted tempo and #329 in average offensive possession length; Michigan State is ranked #303 in adjusted tempo and #252 in average offensive possession length. Look for this game to be played mostly in the half-court and result in minimal scoring.
Must-watch
Don’t forget to check out our daily show Let’s Bet It! on our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/c/Pickswise at 10:00 am ET.
Lauren Jbara and Mark Zinno are your hosts today and they will be joined by Pickswise prop analyst Bobby Stanley, aka “Prop Holliday” (@PropHolliday). There will be reactions to what we have seen so far in the NFL playoffs, a preview of the Monday night game and – as always – Plays of the Day.
You can access the show at any time through Spotify and Apple Podcasts (search for Let’s Bet It Presented By Pickswise).
The Wild Card Weekend edition of Pickswise Playbook, our weekly NFL preview show, is also available. It features former NFL star Tank Williams, so don’t miss it! Below is a clip from this week’s show where the team break down the Cowboys vs Buccaneers matchup.
Stat of the Day
The Bucs’ secondary is 28th in passing DVOA since Week 10.
Quote of the Day
”It’s comical in a sense… That shows you when you play for this organization what comes with it. That’s why it’s important to create these walls around us, create this safe place in our locker room and understanding what matters is the men that go out there and get in between the lines and put the work in throughout the week for us to go out and win.”
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on rumors that head coach Mike McCarthy could be on the hot seat