Free Sports Picks of the Day

Often a team suffers a letdown in their second game after losing a superstar following winning initially. I believe that's going to be the case with the Spurs in their game tonight against the Pistons.

San Antonio gave an inspired, gutty performance in upsetting the Suns on Thursday after learning Victor Wembanyama would be out for the rest of the season because of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. All Wembanyama was doing was averaging 24.3  points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists while leading the league in blocked shots with 3.8 per game. Keep in mind, too, that Charles Bassey, who is Wembanyama's backup, has missed the last six games with a knee injury.

Also please note that the Spurs defeated Phoenix in Austin not San Antonio. The game tonight also will be in Austin.

It takes two, though, to make the right handicap. The key question is have the Pistons improved enough this season to justify laying mid-range points with them on the road?

I'm going to say yes. The Pistons enter this matchup with a season-best four-game win streak. Their 29-26 record at this point of the season is their best mark in seven years. Only six teams have had a better record than the Pistons since Dec. 21. Detroit is 18-9 during its past 27 games, registering the fifth-best defensive rating and nine-best offensive ranking during this time span.

San Antonio, by comparison, is 24-29 and has lost 13 of its last 19 games.

The wild-card is Detroit last played nine days ago. The Pistons went into All-Star break riding a lot of confidence and optimism. I have to trust that J.B. Bickerstaff will have the Pistons ready to play to keep their momentum going.

(Editor's note: Stephen Nover is 21-10-1 on his last 32 premium plays. Stephen is 13-3 on his college basketball premium plays this month. All of Stephen's plays come with his signature deep dive analysis.) 

1* Free Play on Miami-OH

PSP Data Driven 1* Raptors.

At Professionalsportspicks we see a future where those handicapping sports without advanced analytics and data-driven strategies will be left behind. Our data-driven picks use data integration, search and discovery, and knowledge management along with collaboration with our in-house handicappers. By isolating relevant trends, removing human bias, and targeting only lines with a positive expected value above a certain threshold, our data-driven picks promise to outperform any and all human competitors.

Our models suggest that the value is on the Underdog. Toronto are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against Miami. Miami are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games.

1* Free Sharp Play on Oakland vs IUPU Ft Wayne under

Free Play from Doc’s Sports. Take Marquette Golden Eagles -1.5 over Villanova Wildcats (7p.m., Friday, February 21 FS1) The Wildcats have made a run but still will not make the NCAA Tournament and their coach will be lucky to survive come season’s end. Marquette is still in the hunt to win the Big East regular season and will need to win out to likely have any chance of that happening. Just like Marquette from top to bottom better than Villanova in this game. If it is close, Villanova will likely find a way to lose the game. Do not miss out on Doc’s Sports weekend card featuring plays in basketball, hockey, and MMA. Sign-up now and let 53 years of handicapping experience work for you.

Free Total Annihilator On Sacred Heart vs Merrimack over

1* Free Pick on Warriors

All plays are made using sophisticated machine learning models.

1* NBA - Wolves/Rockets FREE PICK on Rockets -3.5 

1* FREE INFO PLAY

NCAAB Free Pick - Marquette at Villanova

Rating: 1 Unit

Marquette has won each of its last 10 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents. While Villanova has lost four of its last five games against AP-ranked opponents at Wells Fargo Center and has lost the first half in four of its last five night games at Wells Fargo Center.

Michael is coming off a MONSTER DAY as he WON on both the NBA and CBB hardwood!  Tonight he's back with more WINNERS!  You can not afford to miss tonight's WINNERS

NBA Streak:   6-0   100%   $1200.00

NBA Past 7 Days:   5-0   100%   $1000.00

NBA Past 30 Days:   58-42   58%   $2070.00

1* Free Pick on Pistons

Ricky's 1* play on M-OH.

Key Angle: It's important to remember that Ricky never makes a bet on any game based on just one angle. In order to make the grade, all his premium picks must meet several important criteria. He doesn't share all his secrets within his analysis, instead he chooses to reveal only the angle that he feels is the most significant. Here in this game the recent history of these two teams is particularly significant.

- Miami-Ohio are 13-3 SU in their last 16 games.

- Miami-Ohio are 12-0 SU in their last 12 games at home.

- Miami-Ohio are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games.

Verdict: The value is on the Home favorite.

The Memphis Grizzlies (36-19) are set to face the Orlando Magic (28-29) on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 7:00 PM EST at the Kia Center in Orlando. The Grizzlies have been strong this season, boasting a 36-19 record and leading the league in pace with 103.5 possessions per game. They rank 5th in field goal percentage at 48.6% and 6th in defensive rating at 111.8. However, they've faced challenges recently, dropping four of their last five games. They played last night and lost at Indiana, 113-127. The Magic, with a 28-29 record, have shown resilience, winning four of their past five games, inlcuding a game last night at Atlanta in a 114-108 win.  Despite ranking 29th in offensive rating at 108.8 and 30th in three-point shooting at 30.6%, they've managed to find ways to win. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant continues to be a pivotal player, leading the team's high-paced offense. His playmaking and scoring abilities are crucial for the Grizzlies' success. Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero has been impressive, recently recording 36 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists against the Hawks. Both teams played last night, but the Grizzlies had to travel and that always makes this spot more difficult. Plus Orland has been playing very well compared to the Grizzlies. I'll take the points at home with the Magic tonight. 

FREE PLAY on Cubs

Recommended Bet: Sampdoria

Friday's NBA Free Pick

PLAY ON: Knicks +7.5 

Memphis came out last night against /Indiana and looked asleep at the proverbial wheel and lost by DDs to Indiana despite of being the superior side on paper. Meanwhile,, their opponents Orlando also played last night in Atlanta beating the Hawks as slight road chalk. From a rest advantage neither of these teams has an edge. From a matchup perspective the Grizzlies are the far superior side, and despite of Orlando being the superior ppg defensive side, the Grizzlies actually rank top 10 in defensive efficiency. Also from a SRS perspective the Grizzlies rank4th in the league with a 6.38 mark while the Magic rank 19th with a -1.86 mark. So the Grizzlies at -3 are viable wagers according to the SRS numbers.

Grizzlies are 4-0 SUATS this season vs Southeast division opponents and 9-4 ATS  overall as road favs. Orlando has failed to cover 15 of their L/24 home games and failed to cover 13 of 19 non conference affairs.

NBA team vs the money line - a very good team (+7 or better PPG diff.) against an average team (+/- 3 PPG diff.) after 42 or more games, after allowing 125 points or more are 26-4 since the 1997 season with the average ppg diff clicking in at 9.4 which easily qualifies on this ATS offering.

Play on the Grizzlies 

Friday NBA Free play. My selection is on Detroit minus the points over San Antonio at 8:30 pm ET on Friday.

We'll back the Pistons as they aim to stay hot out of the All-Star break, heading into San Antonio to face a Spurs squad dealing with major adversity. San Antonio took a significant hit with the news that Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the season due to injury. While the Spurs managed to pull off a minor 'upset' over the Suns last night, that victory leaves them in a clear letdown spot in the second leg of a back-to-back.

Despite last night’s win, San Antonio had been struggling against the number, going just 2-5 ATS in its previous seven contests. Meanwhile, Detroit has quietly been one of the most profitable teams in the league over the past few weeks, going 6-1-1 ATS in its last eight games. Look for the Pistons to take advantage of a depleted and fatigued Spurs squad.

Take Detroit. Projected score: Detroit 118, San Antonio 108.