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<p>Making on a bet on this NHL game featuring the Canadiens versus the Wild? The puck drops at 8:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 6.5 goals, and the Wild are favored by -1.5 against the Canadiens.</p><h3>MONTREAL CANADIENS VS MINNESOTA WILD BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Minnesota Wild -1.5</p><p>This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center at 8:00 ET on Thursday, November 14th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE MINNESOTA WILD:</h3><ul><li>In spite of being 1.5 goal underdogs, we anticipate the Canadiens winning this one 4-3.</li><li>We like the Canadiens on the moneyline (+217)</li><li>The Canadiens are also our pick on the spread at +1.5</li></ul><h3>Will the Canadiens Defense Show Up in St. Paul?</h3><p>Montreal's 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped the Canadiens to 5-9-2 this season. Entering as underdogs on the puck line, the total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 4 goals fell short of that mark.</p> 

<p>The Canadiens didn't score until the third period, when Christian Dvorak found the net at 14:28. By then, the Penguins had already scored twice, adding an empty-net goal later to seal the win.</p><p>Montreal's offense was held in check in their 3-1 loss to the Penguins, managing just one goal. Christian Dvorak netted his first goal of the season at 14:28 in the third period. Emil Heineman picked up his first assist, while Juraj Slafkovsky added his seventh assist of the year.</p> <p>The Canadiens took 26 shots on goal but were plagued by 20 giveaways. They were shut out in the first two periods before finally getting on the board in the third.</p><p>Montreal's defense gave up the game's first two goals, one at 15:57 in the first period and another at 18:40 in the second. The Canadiens pulled within one in the third, but they conceded an empty-netter with 45 seconds left, leading to a 3-1 loss. Goalie Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense added 4 takeaways and 28 hits.</p><h3>Will the Wild Win at Home?</h3><p>The Wild improved to 10-2-3 with a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs. Minnesota was favored on the puck line, but didn’t cover. The total was set at 6 goals, and the combined score of 3 fell well under that mark.</p> 

<p>Ryan Hartman got the Wild on the board first, scoring at 9:41 in the first period. The Maple Leafs tied it up with just 52 seconds left in the first. Matt Boldy scored the game-winner at 2:14 in overtime.</p><p>Ryan Hartman netted his third goal of the season, putting the Wild on the board 9:41 into the first period. Matt Boldy followed with his sixth goal, which came 2:14 into overtime to secure the win.</p> <p>Jared Spurgeon contributed with two assists, bringing his season total to three. Marco Rossi added his seventh assist on Boldy's overtime goal. The Wild fired 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods.</p><p>On the defensive side, the Wild allowed a late first-period goal to the Maple Leafs but shut them out the rest of the way, leading to a 2-1 overtime win. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves, finishing with a 96.4% save percentage. The Wild's defense also tallied 7 takeaways and 22 hits.</p>

Montreal Canadiens vs Minnesota Wild Betting Pick & Prediction 11/14/24

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<p>The Falcons and Broncos will face off at 4:05 ET on Sunday, November 17th at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. The Broncos are the favorite with a point spread of -2.5 and a money line of -134. This non-conference matchup is being televised on FOX, and the Falcons' money line odds are +112. The over/under line is set at 44 points.</p><h3>ATLANTA FALCONS VS DENVER BRONCOS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Atlanta Falcons +2.5</p><p>This game will be played at Empower Field at Mile High at 4:05 ET on Sunday, November 17th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE ATLANTA FALCONS:</h3><ul><li>We have the Broncos winning this one by a score of 21 to 19</li><li>Even though we like the Broncos to win, our ATS pick is to take the Falcons at +2.5</li><li>We see this game finishing below the line of 44 points</li></ul><h3>Will The Falcons Pick Up A Win On The Road?</h3><p>Atlanta heads into week 11 with a 6-4 record, which has them sitting atop the NFC South at 4-1 in division play. Our projections give the Falcons an 85.5% chance of winning the division and an 86.9% chance of making the playoffs. They rank 14th in our power rankings. So far, Atlanta has gone 3-3 at home and 3-1 on the road.</p> <p>Against the spread, the Falcons are 5-5, with a +0.2 scoring margin. They are 4-4 as favorites and 1-1 as underdogs. Their O/U record is 4-6, with the under hitting in their last two games. Their matchups have averaged 47.4 points, compared to an average line of 46.6.</p><p>Atlanta's offense ranks 11th in our power rankings, averaging 23.8 points per game, which is also 11th in the NFL. They are 5th in passing yards per game, with 250.4, on 33.5 attempts per game. On the ground, they rank 12th in rushing yards per game, with 124.7, on 26.9 attempts per game. They are 17th in the league in 3rd-down conversions, with a rate of 38.1%, and their red zone conversion rate is 29%, which is also 17th in the NFL.</p> <p>Kirk Cousins threw for 306 yards in week 10, going 23/38, with one interception and no touchdowns. Bijan Robinson rushed for 116 yards on 20 carries, scoring twice, and Drake London led the team with 8 catches for 97 yards. The Falcons scored 10 points in the 3rd quarter against the Saints but were shut out in the 1st and 4th quarters.</p><p>Despite the loss, the Falcons' defense held the Saints to 269 passing yards on just 16 completions in their most recent game. New Orleans won a close one, 20-17, with Atlanta giving up two passing touchdowns. The Falcons' defense struggled to generate pressure, as they didn't record any sacks and had a -8 differential in quarterback hits.</p><p></p><p>Atlanta gave up 365 total yards, with 96 coming on 27 rushing attempts. The Falcons also allowed an average of 10.8 yards per pass attempt in the game.</p><h3>Will The Broncos Win At Home Over The Falcons?</h3><p>After a week 8 win over the Panthers, the Broncos have now dropped two straight games, bringing their record to 5-5. This includes a 41-10 loss to the Ravens in week 9 and a 16-14 loss to the Chiefs in week 10. Despite the loss to Kansas City, Denver managed to cover the spread as 7-point underdogs. They are 7-3 against the spread this season, with a +2 scoring margin.</p> <p>Heading into week 11, the Broncos rank 25th in our power rankings and have a 34.5% chance of making the playoffs. They are 3rd in the AFC West with a 1-2 division record and are 2-4 in conference games. Denver is 2-2 at home and 3-3 on the road.</p><p>Heading into week 11, the Broncos rank 27th in our offensive power rankings. They are 19th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 19.7 points per game, and they rank 24th in total offense with 303.7 yards per game. Denver is 27th in passing yards per game (186.6) despite ranking 12th in pass attempts. On the ground, they average 117.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks 20th in the league.</p> <p>Bo Nix posted a passer rating of 115 in week 10, throwing for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22/30 passing. Courtland Sutton led the team with 6 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. Denver scored all 14 of their points in the 2nd quarter against the Chiefs, after being shut out in the 1st quarter for the 3rd consecutive game.</p><p>In their 16-14 loss to the Chiefs, the Broncos' defense allowed 243 passing yards and held Kansas City to 57 yards rushing on 19 attempts. They recorded four sacks and limited the Chiefs to a 43.8% third-down conversion rate. Despite this, the Broncos gave up one passing touchdown and allowed Kansas City to finish with 300 total yards.<p></p>The Broncos' defense was effective in generating pressure, as they had four sacks and won the quarterback hit battle with a +4 differential. However, they struggled to contain the Chiefs' passing game, as Kansas City completed 66.7% of their passes and averaged 5.8 yards per attempt. This tough defeat saw the Broncos' record drop to 0-2.</p>

Atlanta Falcons vs Denver Broncos Betting Pick & Prediction 11/17/24

<p>At 10:00 ET, the Philadelphia 76ers will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers in a non-conference matchup. The Lakers (-352) are favored by 8.5 points over the 76ers (+279). The over/under line for the game is 222.5.</p>

<p>This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena and can be seen on ESPN.</p><h3>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS VS LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -8.5</p><p>This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena at 10:00 ET on Friday, November 8th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 121-103 in favor of the Lakers.</li><li>Our projections have Anthony Davis finishing with Anthony Davis points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the Lakers finishing with a field goal percentage of 50.0% and knocking down 11 threes.</li></ul><h3>Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog Philadelphia?</h3><p>The 76ers dropped to 1-6 for the season after a 110-98 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday. Philadelphia, who were +1.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The total score of 208 points fell short of the 215-point line.</p> <p>Philadelphia led 27-24 after the 1st quarter but lost momentum in the 3rd, getting outscored 33-17. They entered the 4th quarter down 84-68 and couldn’t close the gap, despite a 30-26 advantage in the final period.</p><p>In their 110-98 loss to the Clippers, the 76ers shot 54.8% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 28% with only 7 made threes. Kelly Oubre and Paul George led the way with 18 points each, with George shooting 77.8% and making 2 threes at 66.7%.</p> <p>Oubre scored 8 points in the 4th quarter, while Caleb Martin added 6 of his 14 points in the 3rd. Tyrese Maxey contributed 8 of his 12 points in the opening quarter.</p><p>Defensively, the 76ers gave up 110 points to the Clippers, who shot 56% from the field. Philadelphia allowed 24 points in the 1st quarter and 27 in the 2nd, but the 3rd quarter was their worst, giving up 33 points. They allowed 26 points in the 4th.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, the Clippers hit 12 threes at a 42% rate. The 76ers sent the Clippers to the line 19 times, where they made 16 free throws. Philadelphia recorded 10 steals and 2 blocks in the game.</p><h3>Can the Lakers Offense Score Enough at Home?</h3><p>The Lakers fell to 4-4 on the season after a 131-114 road loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Los Angeles entered the game as +4.5 point underdogs but failed to cover the spread, losing by 17. The total score of 245 points exceeded the O/U line of 232.5 by 12.5 points.</p> <p>Memphis took control early, leading 35-27 after the 1st quarter. The Lakers tightened things up in the 2nd, outscoring the Grizzlies 26-24, but a big 3rd quarter from Memphis put them up 95-81 heading into the 4th. An 11-0 run by the Grizzlies extended their lead from 95-81 to 106-81, putting the game out of reach for Los Angeles.</p><p>LeBron James led the Lakers with 39 points and 6 threes in their loss to the Grizzlies, shooting 62.5% from the field and 54.5% from deep. Austin Reaves added 19 points, while Cam Reddish chipped in 15, hitting 2 threes at 100% efficiency.</p> <p>The Lakers made 15 threes as a team, but shot just 31.2% from beyond the arc and 44.1% overall. LeBron scored 16 points in the 2nd quarter, while Reddish and Reaves each added 6 points in the 4th.</p><p>Defensively, the Lakers struggled against the Grizzlies, giving up 131 points on 51% shooting. They allowed 35 points in the 1st quarter and 36 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters. The Lakers did manage to tighten up in the 2nd quarter, holding the Grizzlies to 24 points.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, the Grizzlies hit 17 threes at a 50% clip. The Lakers sent Memphis to the line 23 times, where they made 18 free throws. Los Angeles grabbed 28 defensive rebounds but allowed 12 offensive boards. They also recorded 10 steals and 1 block.</p>

Philadelphia 76ers vs Los Angeles Lakers Betting Pick & Prediction 11/8/24

<p>The college hoops betting action goes on Wednesday, January 19, with the Big East Conference showdown at Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, Pennsylvania, so we bring you the best Marquette vs. Villanova betting pick and odds.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The Golden Eagles meet the Wildcats for the first time this season. Marquette is winless in three straight meetings with Villanova, covering just once in the process, so the Golden Eagles are listed as huge 12.5-point road underdogs on <a href="https://www.bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/bookmaker/">Bookmaker Sportsbook</a> this time around.</p>



<h2>Marquette beat No. 20 Seton Hall for its fourth straight W   </h2>



<p>The Marquette Golden Eagles improved to 12-6 straight up and 10-8 ATS on the season following a 73-72 victory over the Seton Hall Pirates this past Saturday. Playing as small 1.5-point home underdogs, the Golden Eagles extended their winning streak to four games and improved to 4-3 in the conference play.</p>



<p>Marquette forced the No. 20 Pirates into 20 turnovers. The Golden Eagles also held Seton Hall to just 28.6% shooting from beyond the arc while making 50.0% of their 3-pointers. Senior guard Darryl Morsell led the way for Marquette with 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field (4-of-5 from deep), while freshman forward Justin Lewis added 18 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.</p>



<p>Lewis has done a great job for the Golden Eagles in 2021-22, averaging 15.3 points and 7.7 boards a night. Marquette is No. 40 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 48 in the KenPom rankings. Shaka Smart’s boys score 109.7 points per 100 possessions (61<sup>st</sup> in the country) and surrender 95.9 in a return (44<sup>th</sup>).&nbsp;</p>



<h2>Villanova shoots for its seventh win in a row</h2>



<p>The Villanova Wildcats (13-4; 11-6 ATS) extended their winning streak to six games with an 82-42 thrashing of the Butler Bulldogs this past Sunday. It was their sixth consecutive ATS victory, too, as the Wildcats had no problems beating the 15.5-point line.</p>



<p>Villanova shot 59.6% from the field and 63.2% from downtown against Butler. Senior PG Collin Gilespie accounted for 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while junior guard Justin Moore had 15 points, seven boards, and five dishes. This duo has led the way for Villanova so far this season, racking up 32.9 points and 5.8 assists per game.</p>



<p>The Wildcats sit atop of the Big East Conference with a 6-1 record. Jay Wright’s boys tally 118.9 points per 100 possessions (6<sup>th</sup> in the country) and surrender only 91.2 in a return (13<sup>th</sup>). They are No. 3 in both of the latest NCAA NET Rankings and KenPom rankings.</p>



<p><strong>Trends:</strong></p>



<p><strong>Marquette:</strong></p>



<ul><li>2-5 ATS in the last seven games against Villanova</li></ul>



<p><strong>Villanova:</strong></p>



<ul><li>6-0 ATS in the last six games overall</li><li>4-1 ATS in the last five outings as double-digit favorites</li><li>6-0 ATS in the last six games against the Big East</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-marquette-vs-villanova-pick">Marquette vs. Villanova Pick</h2>



<p>Both Marquette and Villanova lack height and matchup each other very well, so I’m tempted to get the Golden Eagles to cover a big 12.5-point spread on the road. Also, both teams have been terrific as of late, so the visitors will be fired up to prove their worth against one of the best teams in the country.</p>



<p>However, Villanova has outlasted Xavier twice during its six-game win streak. The Wildcats have also trounced Butler by 40 points and Creighton by 34. They’ve gone 6-0 ATS in that span, so give me the hosts to cover even though it could be a tall task against the in-form Marquette. Still, the Wildcats have plenty of experience, while the Golden Eagles lean on four freshmen which could be a decisive factor in this game.</p>



<p><strong>Pick: Take Villanova -12.5 at -110&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p><strong>The Total:</strong></p>



<p>The Wildcats average only 62.1 possessions per 48 minutes (355<sup>th</sup> in the country), so it’s no strange that eight of their previous 12 games have flown under the total. Also, the under is 4-1 in their last five showings as double-digit favorites. The Wildcats rank 47<sup>th</sup> in the nation in the opponent field goal percentage (39.8%) and 44<sup>th</sup> in the opponent 3-point percentage (29.8%).</p>



<p>On the other side, Marquette registers 71.6 possessions per 48 minutes (40<sup>th</sup>), and the over is 4-2 in the Gilden Eagles’ last six outings. The visitors will try to speed up things against the Wildcats, but they certainly need a top-notch defensive performance in order to keep it close down the stretch. Marquette allows 70.3 points per game on 40.7% shooting from the field (79<sup>th</sup>) and 31.3% from downtown (103<sup>rd</sup>).</p>



<p><strong>Pick: Go under 137.5 points at -110&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>

Marquette vs. Villanova Odds, Pick, Prediction 1/19/22

It was another sweat, but the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets got there, so we’re off to a 2-0 start for this week on spotlight games in college basketball. More and more conference tournaments are starting with each passing day and I encourage you to head to ATS.io, where I’m talking about those on the podcast and also in article form.

As far as what’s happening here at BTB, tonight’s focus is on the game between Creighton and Villanova. It is a big game, but one that has a lot of intrigue and also some unfortunate storylines behind it. Villanova is -4.5 with a total of 147 from the fine folks at <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/bovada"><strong>Bovada Sportsbook</strong></a>. Let’s dig into this one.
<h3><strong><u>Creighton Bluejays</u></strong></h3>
Creighton has been in the news for all the wrong reasons the last few days. Head coach Greg McDermott used what he called a “terribly inappropriate analogy” in hopes of getting his team to band together. You can find out exactly what he said if you want, but needless to say it ruffled some feathers and rubbed a lot of players the wrong way.

This is the biggest game of the night and a big one for both teams with the Big East Conference Tournament looming. It is also a big game for Creighton. McDermott’s ill-advised comments came after a game in which the Bluejays lost to Xavier 77-69, but it was only their second loss since January 20. McDermott must have seen something in his team’s play that concerned him, so he attempted to head it off at the pass.

Well, now we have to wonder how his team comes together with two regular season games left to play. McDermott has been in Omaha since 2011 and this seemed to be an isolated incident, so maybe there won’t be any carryover effect for the players. He’ll certainly choose his words more wisely the next time and perhaps the players have moved on.

If the Bluejays play anything like the first meeting against Villanova, winning could cure all. Creighton won the first game 86-70 and was 32-of-54 from the floor with 1.34 pointes per possession. That was the best offensive performance of the season for Creighton. Villanova had 1.091 PPP of its own, but that wasn’t nearly enough to topple Creighton and the efficient offense in that one.

That game was played to just 64 possessions and had 156 points back on February 13. The closing total for that game was 144, so we have seen an adjustment for sure.
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<h3><strong><u>Villanova Wildcats</u></strong></h3>
Villanova is also coming off of a loss, though one that garnered fewer headlines because Jay Wright didn’t put his foot in his mouth. The Wildcats went 2-of-27 from three-point land in the 12-point loss to Butler on Sunday. That was easily the worst shooting effort of the season for Villanova, who was 5-of-22 on February 20 against UConn, but still came away with a 68-60 win. Butler had something of an out-of-body experience going 10-of-24 from deep in that one.

When Villanova has been bad, they’ve been really bad. The Wildcats only have three Big East losses, but they’ve been by 11, 16, and 12 and they’ve scored 59 and 61 points in two of those losses. Bad games from Villanova have been rare over the years, but they’ve certainly had some.

A focused Villanova team seems really scary here, though the Wildcats did not bounce back super well from their two previous Big East losses. The UConn game immediately followed the Creighton loss and the Wildcats only beat Georgetown by 10 after losing to St. John’s. Georgetown had 1.163 PPP in that game, which remains a season-high in Big East play.

We should get Villanova’s best effort here, but we should also get Creighton’s, assuming there is no residual hangover from the fallout of last weekend and the run it has gotten on social media the last couple of days. It is definitely an interesting spot for both teams in the second-to-last regular season game.
<h3><strong><u>Pick &amp; Analysis</u></strong></h3>
This game should be tighter, which could bring fouling into the equation. The first game had 156 points and only 26 free throw attempts. If this one falls around the number, the whistles will be out late in the game as the trailing team looks to extend the game. As a result, despite the low number of possessions and likely regression offensively, specifically from Creighton, the total is tough to play.

I’m looking at Villanova -4.5 here. Creighton is shooting 61.1% at the free throw line on the road over 10 games. They go from 37.7% from 3 at home to 35.2% from 3 on the road and from 61.2% on two-point shots to 53.7% on the road. Creighton is predominantly a jump-shooting team and we’ve seen some closer margins against teams less talented than Villanova on the road.

I’ll ride with the Wildcats here. This number opened 4 and we’ve seen it get bet up and I agree with that assessment.
<h4><strong>Pick: Villanova -4.5</strong></h4>
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Creighton at Villanova College Basketball Free Pick, Prediction, and Preview 3/3/21

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