Good day Draftdimers,
With our first article behind us we also put the first call jitters in the past as well. Last night the picks didn’t go as planned, however that doesn’t mean the end of the world. That means it is time to get hot and start stacking up the dubs. A wise man once said, “betting is a game of inches, and the inches we need are everywhere around us.” Or something like that. With Thursday Night Football, NBA, and NCAA Mens Basketball on the docket for tonight, this has all the makings of a great night on the books.
- NUGGETS ML -110 3U
Who is a more exciting big man in the league right now other than the Joker? Nikola Jokic is an absolute phenom who leads the Nuggets in points, rebounds, and assists on the year. Coming off three straight losses, with the most recent coming from a heartbreaking 116-115 loss against Luka and the Mavs, the Nuggets are looking to right the ship here tonight when they travel to Portland. Damian Lillard and the Blazers are going for win number three in a row, however they will be running into an angry Nuggets team looking to find their stride.
Portland currently leads the season series against the Nuggets 1-0 with a convincing 135-110 victory coming back in October. The Nuggets will be hungry to even the series and get the sour taste of that thriller in Dallas out of their mouth with a win tonight. Denver is currently sitting -1 for the spread on tonights game. In their last 10 games Denver sits 7-3 against the spread. On the flip side the Portland Trailblazers are currently 1-4 ATS in their past five games at home. Even though I do like Denver covering that one point, I am erring on the side of caution and taking the better team on the road tonight for a safer ML play.
Tip off for this game will be at 10PM EST.
- IOWA -3.5 -115 3U
Unranked Iowa (6-2) looks to defend their home court against their state rivals #20 Iowa State (7-1). Iowa comes into this game looking to win their 5th straight home victory after falling to #15 Duke in their last game at the Jimmy V Classic. Looking to continue their home dominance against Iowa State, Iowa has won their last three home meetings against the Cyclones while going 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven meetings. During their 3-game home win streak against the Cyclones, the Hawkeyes have won by an average margin of 18.7 points which makes this -3.5 spread even juicier.
Diving into the numbers a little bit more, Iowa has been playing very good basketball dating back to last season where they have gone 15-4 in their last 19 games. Iowa is currently 4-0 ATS at home this season, and with their historic dominance as of late against the Cyclones I believe this is another win for them ATS.
Tip off for this game will be 8PM EST.
- RAIDERS -6.5 -110 5U MAX BET
The Las Vegas Raiders (5-7) travel to SoFi stadium to take on the Los Angelas Rams (3-9). Derek Carr and the Raiders are currently undefeated since the notorious crying press conference that took place after they lost to the Colts. The Raiders are riding a hot 3-game win streak with two of those victories coming on the road in Denver and Seattle. During this stretch, Adams has been electric gathering 392 yards off of 22 catches and 2 touchdowns. With the Rams currently on a downward spiral with injuries crippling their team, there is no chance they slow down Adams and co. enough to find that very elusive 4th win of the season.
The Rams are currently on a 6-game losing streak that had them fail to find a win during the entire month of November. With Matthew Stafford out and newly acquired Baker Mayfield landing in LA just this week, this won’t be the week they find their groove. The Raiders have been surging trying to find some traction in the AFC West and hunting for a playoff spot. With the Raiders still being in the hunt they won’t look to lose that momentum against a team who is desperately trying to find their 2022 identity.
With the Raiders last three games being decided by six or more points against good defenses, this -6.5 spread is no Hail Mary whatsoever. Take this bet with confidence knowing that the Raiders will remain scorching and the defending super bowl champions will continue their forgettable 2022 campaign.
Kickoff for this game is at 8:15PM EST.
- RAIDERS @ RAMS U44 -120 1U
If you are looking to have a little fun on the books tonight, the under in this Thursday Night game seems like a great bonus play. During the Rams 6-game losing streak they have failed to at least hit 20 points 4/6 games. While on the flip side the Raiders are averaging 21.5 points in their last six games. Sprinkle a little on this with confidence.
-NJ Calls