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Planning on watching today's Avalanche and Wild game? Catch the action at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN, as the Wild hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The Avalanche are favored by -1.5 in this Central division showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 6 goals.<h3>COLORADO AVALANCHE VS MINNESOTA WILD BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Minnesota Wild +1.5This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center at 8:00 ET on Thursday, January 9th.<h3>WHY BET THE MINNESOTA WILD:</h3><ul><li>Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Wild winning this game by a score of 4-2.</li><li>We like the Wild on the moneyline (+111)</li><li>The Wild are also our pick on the spread at +1.5</li></ul><h3>Is a Road Win Possible for Colorado?</h3>Following a 5-2 loss to the Predators, the Avalanche are now 25-16-1. Colorado led 1-0 early in the second period, but Nashville responded with five unanswered goals. 

The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 7 goals went over. The Avalanche were underdogs on the puck line, and their defense allowed two empty-net goals in the third period.In their 5-2 loss to Nashville, Colorado took 30 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Cale Makar opened the scoring with his 5th goal of the season, a power-play effort in the second period. Nathan MacKinnon added his 6th goal, which came with just 2:17 left in the game. Makar also picked up his 16th assist on MacKinnon’s goal. MacKinnon now has 14 assists after setting up Makar’s earlier goal. The Avalanche had 23 giveaways in the game.Justus Annunen made 21 saves with a save percentage of 87.5%, but the Avalanche's defense struggled late, giving up two goals in the final 1:14. The first came at 18:46 in the 3rd period, followed by another at 19:19. Annunen also allowed three earlier goals, including two on the power play.<h3>Will the Minnesota Defense Show Up at Home?</h3>With a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 26-11-4. Minnesota was favored on the puck line, but they didn’t cover. The total was set at 6 goals, and the combined score of 3 fell short of that mark.

Ryan Hartman scored first for the Wild at 9:41 in the opening period, but Toronto tied it up with just 52 seconds left in the first. Matt Boldy netted the game-winner 2:14 into overtime.Ryan Hartman netted his third goal of the season, while Matt Boldy added his sixth in the Wild's 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs. Jared Spurgeon picked up two assists, bringing his season total to three, and Marco Rossi added his seventh assist on Boldy’s game-winner. The Wild fired 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods. They recorded 15 offensive giveaways and failed to convert on any power play opportunities.Defensively, the Wild allowed a late first-period goal to Toronto, but they held the Maple Leafs scoreless for the rest of the game, eventually winning 2-1 in overtime. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves with a 96.4% save percentage, while the defense added 7 takeaways and 22 hits.

Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild Betting Pick & Prediction 1/9/25

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At 9:00 ET, the Miami Heat (-212) will travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz (+177) in a non-conference matchup. The Heat are currently 7th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 18-17, while the Jazz are 14th in the West at 9-26.

The over/under line for this game is currently set at 223.5 points. KJZZ will have TV coverage from the Delta Center.<h3>MIAMI HEAT VS UTAH JAZZ BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Miami Heat -5.5This game will be played at Delta Center at 9:00 ET on Thursday, January 9th.<h3>WHY BET THE MIAMI HEAT:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 119-89 in favor of the Heat.</li><li>Our projections have Tyler Herro finishing with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the Heat finishing with a field goal percentage of 45.4% and knocking down 15 threes.</li></ul><h3>Is a Road Win Possible for the Heat?</h3>Miami moved to 18-17 on the season after a 114-98 road win over the Warriors on Tuesday. The Heat, who were +9 point underdogs, not only won but covered the spread. The total points for the game were 212, falling short of the 216.5 O/U line. A key moment came when Miami went on a 10-0 run, turning a 35-29 deficit into a 39-35 lead. They outscored the Warriors 30-20 in the 4th quarter to seal the win.The Heat's balanced offensive attack led them to a 114-98 win over the Warriors, with Nikola Jovic pacing the team with 20 points, including 11 in the 4th quarter. Bam Adebayo added 19 points, while Jaime Jaquez contributed 18, scoring 11 of those in the opening period. Miami hit 16 threes at a 40% clip, finishing with an overall field goal percentage of 47.3%. Tyler Herro chipped in 14 points, and Alec Burks scored 8 of his 11 points in the final quarter.Defensively, the Heat were strong in their win over the Warriors, allowing just 98 points. They gave up 23 points in the 1st quarter and 25 in the 2nd. The 3rd quarter was their toughest, with 30 points allowed, but they tightened up in the 4th, giving up only 20 points. Overall, Miami held Golden State to 40% shooting, including just 28% from three, with the Warriors hitting 14 threes. The Heat sent the Warriors to the line only 5 times, where they made 4 free throws. Miami finished with 39 defensive rebounds, 6 steals, and 3 blocks.<h3>Can the Jazz Hold Strong at Home?</h3>The Jazz fell to 9-26 on the season after a 124-121 home loss to the Hawks on Tuesday. Utah, who entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs, managed to cover the spread with the narrow defeat. The total score of 245 points exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 238.5 by 6.5 points. Utah went on a 12-0 run early, turning a 31-20 deficit into a 32-31 lead. However, they couldn’t hold on, as Atlanta edged them out in the 3rd quarter, 28-27. The Jazz made a push in the 4th, outscoring the Hawks 32-31, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.Lauri Markkanen connected on 8 threes, shooting 53.3% from deep, and finished with 35 points in the Jazz's 124-121 loss to the Hawks. He scored 15 points in the 2nd quarter. Collin Sexton added 24 points, with 8 coming in the 4th quarter, while Walker Kessler contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds, scoring 10 points in the final period. Utah made 19 threes, shooting 39.6% from beyond the arc, but hit just 41.7% of their shots overall. Markkanen's 8 threes were a big part of their success from long range.The Jazz's defense struggled in the 1st quarter, giving up 36 points, but they tightened up in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, allowing 29 and 28 points, respectively. However, a 31-point 4th quarter from the Hawks led to a 124-121 loss. Overall, Utah allowed Atlanta to shoot 48% from the field. Utah had a tough time defending the three, as the Hawks hit 18 threes at a 40% clip. The Jazz sent the Hawks to the line 15 times, where they made 12 free throws. Defensively, Utah recorded 8 steals and 4 blocks.

Miami Heat vs Utah Jazz Betting Pick & Prediction 1/9/25

We have this NCAAB conference tilt in Illinois on Monday, February 20, and here you can take a look at the best Golden Gophers vs. Fighting Illini betting pick and odds.



Minnesota is desperate to avoid the tenth defeat in a row when they visit Illinois at State Farm Center. The Fighting Illini are clear -15.5 favorites on <a href="https://www.bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/mybookie/">MyBookie Sportsbook</a>, while the total is set at 134 points. These Big Ten rivals will face for the second time in a month; the Fighting Illini won 78-60 in Minnesota.



Golden Gophers lost to Penn State at home



The Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-17, 9-13-25 ATS) are experiencing the worst period of their season; they suffered nine consecutive defeats and are at the rock-bottom of the Big Ten with just one conference win. The Golden Gophers managed to score more than 61 points for the first time in nine games but still ended up with a 76-69 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions at home. Minnesota shot well from the floor (50.0%) but made only four triples opposite Penn State’s ten.



Sophomore forward Dawson Garcia led the Golden Gophers with 23 points and seven rebounds. Pharrel Payne posted a double-double of 18 points and game-high ten boards along with six assists, Joshua Ola-Joseph scored 11, while Ta’lon Cooper chipped in six points, game-high nine dimes, and game-high four blocks.



Fighting Illini took a narrow loss against Indiana



The Illinois Fighting Illini (17-9, 17-9-0 ATS) are also going through a rough patch as they lost three of the last four games. The Fighting Illini are back home from a two-game road trip on which they suffered a couple of defeats to the Penn State Nittany Lions and Indiana Hoosiers. The latter was painful; the Hoosiers won 71-68, and although RJ Melendez had a chance to force overtime, he missed his three-point attempt as time expired. Illinois shot just 39.3% from the field in this loss.



Senior forward Matthew Mayerled the Fighting Illini with 24 points, team-high eight rebounds, and game-high five blocks. Jayden Epps scored 12 points with a game-high three steals, while Dain Dainja finished with 11 points, five boards, and two thefts.



G Terrence Shannon Jr. was absent from the previous game with concussion-like symptoms, and it remains to be seen if he will take on Minnesota on Monday.



Trends:



Minnesota:



<ul>
<li>4-9-1 ATS in the last 14 road games</li>



<li>2-5 ATS in the last seven games following a straight-up loss of more than 20 points</li>
</ul>



Illinois:



<ul>
<li>6-1 ATS in the last seven games overall</li>



<li>6-1 ATS in the last seven home games</li>
</ul>



Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Pick



Even if the Fighting Illini’s best player and top scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. is unavailable to play against Minnesota on Monday, I am sure the hosts will easily outscore the inefficient Golden Gophers. Minnesota averages only 61.2 points per game, which makes it one of the weakest offenses in college basketball. While they are not bad defensively, Illinois is averaging 74.9 ppg and allows 65.3 ppg, so I give a huge advantage to the Fighting Illini. They already destroyed the Golden Gophers this season, and I think they will do it again.



Pick: Take the Fighting Illini at -13.5 (-133)



The Total



Minnesota’s offensive inefficiency is the biggest reason for the bettors to offer such a low total. Still, that’s a great opportunity for Over bettors to make a profit, and I am riding that horse. Illinois scored 78 in a win over the Golden Gophers a month ago, and I am backing them to score 75-80 here as well. As long as the visitors score around 60 points, we have a winner here. Over is 5-2 in the Golden Gophers’ last seven games after scoring less than 50 points in their previous game, while Under is 5-2-1 in the Fighting Illini’s last eight overall.



Pick: Go Over 132.5 points (-130)

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Odds, Pick, Prediction 2/20/23

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