Jimmie's Picks (1 Live)
Jimmie's Past Picks
Auburn is likely destined for a No. 1 seed regardless of the outcome of this game, but I still don't see the Tigers having a slip up here. Auburn is one of the best offensive teams in America, averaging over 85 points per game. I expect Bruce Pearl to have his team ready to go in College Station. Auburn by 6+ here.
BYU is overachieved in its first season under head coach Kevin Young, and this is a spot where I have a hard time seeing the Cougars getting blown out. The Cougs are one of the best shooting teams in the Big 12, and if they get hot from beyond the arc this game will come down to the final minutes.
Jokic pulled down 14 rebounds last night against the Milwaukee Bucks, and he's averaging 12.6 rebounds per game this season. The three-time MVP has been outstanding all season in games with no rest, and I expect that trend to continue on Friday.
Jokic has been outstanding in the second night of back-to-back games this season, averaging 34.3 ppg in nine games thus far. The last time he faced the Pistons, he scored 37. I expect another big performance from the reigning NBA MVP on Friday night.
The Gators are rolling and have performed well against the spread all season (18-7-2). Georgia has dropped four straight, with three of those losses coming by double digits. Georgia's homecourt advantage counts for something, but I expect Florida to cover its sixth straight game on Tuesday.
I had this pick listed in my Daily Promo article as part of a 5-leg parlay. Butler is averaging 21.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game since joining Golden State, and I've seen a noticeable uptick in his energy and enthusiasm since the move. I like him to go well over this number on Friday.
This is another pick I included in my daily promo parlay, and it's my top ATS pick of this NBA slate. Memphis is clearly the better team here, despite some recent struggles. This is the spot where I expect Ja Morant to snap out of his mini shooting slump, and have a big night. I have Memphis projected to win by 6 here.
No team needed the All-Star break as much as the Knicks. While things still aren't perfect on the injury front, I do expect them to be in much better shape Friday. The Knicks did just enough to win against the Bulls last night, and in my eyes that game was allowed them to knock some rust off. I'm really looking forward to watching this game on Friday night, as it could be a potential playoff matchup in a couple months. Knicks will keep this closer than 8.5 points.
I was able to get this one at 239.5 first thing this morning, but I still like the pick at this number. Both offenses are explosive here, and the defenses rank near the middle of the league. Both teams have been strong to the Over all season, and I expect that to continue on Friday.
Jacksonville State has won nine of its last 10 games, and I believe this number should be closer to -7.5 or -8. The Gamecocks are 15-8 against the spread this season and haven't lost a home game since November. I expect Jax State to cover comfortably here.
The Buckeyes average 80.0 points per game, and have erupted against far better defensive teams than Northwestern. In this spot I have Ohio State finishing with 80+ points on Thursday.
The Buckeyes are a streaky team, but have been one of the better offensive teams in the Big Ten all season. Northwestern doesn't have the same firepower, but can score when they are shooting well from beyond the arc. I see this game pushing 150 total points when its all said and done.
The Rockets are beat up and limping into the All-Star Break. Houston will for sure be without Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith, and could also be missing centers Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, and Cody Zeller. I expect Golden State to be near full strength, and Steve Kerr to be looking to work on developing chemistry with his new veteran-heavy core. I expect this to be closer to a one-score game in the end.
New Mexico is the best offensive team in the Mountain West, averaging 83.7 points per game. On the other side, Wyoming has been one of the worst offensive teams in the conference, scoring 68.3 points per game. UNM guard Donovan Dent is one of the most explosive scorers at the Mid-Major level, and Wyoming doesn't have a player who matches up well with him. I expect the Lobos to score 85+ points in this game, which should make the Over easily attainable if Wyoming has any offensive success at all.