2% max recommended unless otherwise noted. 1% max recommended for soccer.
These are not Sportspicks "Recommended Picks"
2/20/23 Results
3-4 ATS
4-2 ML's Parlay Lost
0-1 "Longshots"
Game of the Night
#10 Marquette vs #19 Creighton
Location: CHI Health Center - Omaha, Nebraska
Tip-Off: 8:30 PM EST
Tale of the Tape
Marquette / Creighton
FGA - 61.0 pg / 59.1 pg
FG% - 49.4% / 46.7%
2P% - 59.3% / 54.8%
3P% - 35.3% / 35.3%
FTA - 16.3 pg / 16.4 pg
FT% - 71.0% / 75.7%
EFG% - 56.7% / 54.0%
DReb% - 68.6% / 76.9%
OReb% - 27.0% / 25.6%
TO's - 10.9 pg / 11.7 pg
Fouls - 15.9 pg / 12.9 pg
Adj. Off Eff - 120.3 / 114.6
Adj. Def Eff - 98.5 / 92.5
PPG - 80.7 pg / 76.3 pg
PAG - 70.6 pg / 67.5 pg
% FGA in Paint - 42.7% / 37.7%
Match-Up
This may not be the "Biggest" game of the night, but I wanted to give some love to the Big East. I could have chosen one of the Top-25 matchups in the Big 12 (#9 Baylor @ #14 Kansas State , #23 Iowa State @ #8 Texas) or the SEC (#11 Tennessee @ #25 Texas A&M), but we talk about those guys plenty. Instead, I want to give credit where credit is due for one of the OG Conferences in College Basketball. The Big East, currently, has five teams ranked in the AP Top 25, and four of those teams have already reached 20+ wins for the season. All 5 of those squads will, most likely, be in the NCAA Tournament Field. However, it's a WIDE-OPEN race for who is going to bring home the regular season crown!! Tuesday night's showdown in Omaha, Nebraska is one of the KEY games left on the schedule that will help decide who will be the #1 seed in the Big East Tourney. #10 Marquette will travel to CHI Health Center to take on the 19th-ranked Bluejays of Creighton. For the time being, the Golden Eagles sit alone atop the Big East standings at 13-3. However, right behind Shaka Smart's crew is a 3-way tie for 2nd between Xavier, Providence, and Creighton. Who are all 12-4 in Big East play. Clearly it's still ANYONE'S race!!
Marquette comes into this contest, winners of 7 of their last 8, coming off a 69-68 home victory over Xavier last Wednesday. Picked to finish 9th in the conference by the league's coaches, during the pre-season, the Golden Eagles are aiming for their first conference title since the 2012-13 campaign. They have four guy's averaging double-digits in scoring, and a 5th player right there knocking on that door. Marquette is led by a pair of Sophomore Guards, Kam Jones (14.9 ppg , 1.4 spg, 35.7% 3-Point) and Tyler Kolek (11.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 7.6 apg, 1.7 spg), who are the glue that holds HC Smart's up-tempo offense together. Junior Forward Olivier Maxence-Prosper is averaging 12.7 ppg, and had the game winning tip-in with 1.6 seconds left last week against Xavier. Sophomore Forward Oso Ighodaro averages 11.7 ppg while shooting 65.4% from the field, and classmate David Joplin is shooting 38.8% from long range. The Golden Eagles average 80.7 ppg and can score with anyone, but they have been suspect at times on the defensive end.
Creighton comes into this one right behind Marquette in the Big East standings, and HAVE to have this game to keep themselves in the thick of things coming down the stretch. The Bluejays have won 9 of their last 10 games, the only setback being a 94-86 loss at Providence. Head Coach Doug McDermott has five players averaging 12+ points on the offensive end, and outside of the Providence game, his squad has really picked it up of late defensively. Junior 7-footer, Ryan Kalkbrenner, leads the team in scoring at 14.8 ppg (70.3 FG%) and averages 6.8 rebounds per game. McDermott's back-court consists of Senior Baylor Scheierman (12.9 ppg , 8.1 rpg) and a pair of very talented Sophomore guards, Trey Alexander ( 13.4 ppg , 41.5% 3-Point) and Ryan Nembhard (12.0 ppg , 5.0 apg). Their 5th guy is no slouch either. Sophomore Forward, Arthur Kaluma, averages 12.2 ppg and grabs 6.3 boards per game. McDermott's teams are usually very-well coached, and rarely beat themselves. It'll be ROWDY in Omaha this evening, and if this crowd gets behind their team for 40 minutes, it could be a tall task for Shaka Smart's guy's to steal a W on the road.
Prediction
My Pick: Marquette +5.5
Final Score: Creighton 76 Marquette 73
Crick's Picks 2/21/23
Xavier -4.5 vs Villanova 6:30 PM EST
Kansas State +1.5 vs Baylor 7:00 PM EST
Texas A&M -2.5 vs Tennessee 7:00 PM EST
Robert Morris +4.5 vs Youngstown State 7:00 PM EST
Kent State -3.5 @ Ball State 7:00 PM EST
Michigan State -3.5 vs Indiana 9:00 PM EST
Arkansas -13.5 vs Georgia 9:00 PM EST
Nevada -9 vs San Jose State 10:00 PM EST
Favorite "Longshot" (+400 or worse) of the Night
Only 10% (or less) of "Unit Bet" Recommended for "Longshots"
For Example: If you normally bet 20$ per play, you shouldn't risk more than 2$ per play on these "Longshots"
Free ML Parlay (6 Picks)
Virginia Tech -145
Missouri -175
Toledo -185
Texas -360
Texas Tech +120
San Diego State -600
Total Odds Boost = +1241
10.00 to win 124.14
100 to win 1,241.00
Enjoy, what should be, a GREAT slate of games this evenin!!
Good Luck Tonight!!!!
-Crickett
New York Mayor Democratic Primary Update
Well, things are getting interesting.
Most of the polls up until now have shown Andrew Cuomo with a clear lead but today Emerson dropped a poll with Cuomo narrowly leading Mamdani on a first pass but after all the rounds of ranked choice voting had Mamdani ahead of Cuomo by 4. When this poll came out Cuomo's price took a plunge from mid 60s to mid 30. Later in the day a poll from HarrisX / Fix The City came out with Cuomo winning comfortable. Many are skeptical of the poll because of its crosstabs. Nonetheless, Cuomo rebounded and now both candidates are close to 50c each with the election day being tomorrow.
This has been a difficult race to read. Mamdani's momentum seems to be everywhere now, almost to an absurdly astroturfed extent. At the same time, his momentum seems to be primarily among affluent whites who are very vocal online whereas Cuomo hasn't really had a ground game but has been blitzing the TV networks. Cuomo is also polling better ...
Well yesterday was one of the MOST TERRIBLE "Championship Sundays" I've EVER been a part of!! That's not even from a sports betting standpoint, but from a FAN'S view!! I could rant for days about it, but I don't feel like typing all that out this afternoon... SO... With that said... If you want my opinions about yesterday in the Sportsverse... Join me for "Crick's Corner" today at 3:00 PM EST, and I'll tell ya ALL ABOUT IT!! We're OFFICIALLY in the "Dog Days" of the Sports' Calendar, however, as we have ONLY BASEBALL to wager on for the next couple months... Oh Joy... I can barely hide my excitement... Ah well.. Gotta have something to do until Football Season... I mean WHAT COULD GO WRONG right?!?! You & Your Beautiful Families STAY SAFE Out There!!! Good Luck & Good Gamblin!!!!
TUNE IN for "Crick's Corner" at 3:00 PM EST (Monday - Friday) over on the "Sportspicks" Channel on Rumble!! Hope To See Y'all There!!!!
ATS = Against The Spread
ML = MoneyLine
60 Minute ML = ML Bet for Regulation / If Game Goes to OT, Bet is a LOSS
Tie No Bet = ML Bet For Regulation / If Game Goes to OT, Bet is a PUSH
ALT = Alternate Spreads
SGP = Same Game Parlay
TT = Team Total
IPP = Individual Player Props
**PL (Puck Line) = -1.5/+1.5 Goals ...