Sports Handicapper Ray Monohan's Picks & Predictions

UNDER 219

Detroit (2-16, 1-8 AWAY, 7-11 ATS) in the Big Apple tonight to play the Knicks. (10-7, 5-3 HOME, 9-6-2 ATS). Tip off at MSG is 7:30pm ET. This is their first matchup this season. Knicks opened this one as a -2pt favorite. Last year NY won all 5 matchups. Last game was on 1/15/23 a NY 117-104 W staying UNDER the 225 total. Tonight's total is 219. Opened at 222.5. I still think we're getting good value on the UNDER here. This is my last NBA play for the day. Going to the Eastern conference and playing on the UNDER in the Pistons/Knicks matchup. This will be the last game of NYK's 4 game homestand. Detroit comes in on the 2nd night of a B2B, with some DET->NYC travel. They were blown out by LAL last night 133-107. We're now at 15 losses in a row for DET, and things aren't good in the MotorCity. Cunningham is one of the few bright spots for DET he's consistently scoring at least. Thompson and Livers are helping out too, but this team is just so inconsistent from night to night. Some bodies missing from this game that helps this play. Joe Harris OUT, Bojan and Monte (?). For NYC Arcidiacono and Brown are (?). Stats, neither team is scary on OFF. DET 109ppg (27th), NY 110ppg (26th). Knicks are the best defensive team in the NBA currently allowing only 110ppg (1st). DET shoots only 29 3pt'ers per game putting them 29th. NY 12th with 36 3's att. per. Knicks will get after it tonight on D, DET ranks 29th in the NBA with 17 TO's per game. Knicks took down Charlotte 115-91 on Tuesday in tourney action. Knicks have now held 7 teams to fewer than 100 points. No Pistons average more than 13ppg. You see where I'm going with this? Total has gone UNDER in all of NYC L5 games vs. Central Div. teams. If DET gets down early they can't keep up, they're proving that this year. They can't come back in games. It's a losing culture. Misery loves company. I expect DET to bring NYC down in this one. Expect a bad game to watch, with some defense sprinkled in by NYC. Barrett, Grimes, Quickley, Randle can all get after it on D. Maybe parlay this with a Knicks spread win? Your call. Back the UNDER. Hop on. Good Luck, Razor Ray.

Thursday 7* NBA O/U Play

UNDER 228

Clippers (8-9, 7-10 ATS, 3-6 AWAY) vs. Warriors (8-10, 7-11 ATS, 3-6 HOME) tonight in San Francisco. Tip off at 10pm ET start time on NBA TV. These two last played on 3/15/23 a Clippers 134-126 win. Those were much different lineups than we're seeing tonight. Clips come in with momentum off of last nights win in SacTown, Warriors rested after a loss in SacTown on Tuesday. I'm backing the UNDER tonight. Clips have won 3/5, Warriors have lost 3/5. Big minutes last night for Harden (39), George (40), Kawhi (37) Clips come into this one on a B2B, and the Warriors are 2-men down with Payton II, and Paul likely sitting. Green being back in the lineup always helps the defensive side of a Warriors game. Sure GSW plays high scoring games, but the Clippers can get after it on defense. Expect to see more Moses Moody tonight. (Right now, you're saying... Who?). LAC 19th in PPG at 112PPG, GSW 114PPG. LAC 108PPG allowed on D (6th in NBA), GSW 114PPG (20th). In my mind tonight defense "trumps' offense. Recent NBA trends indicate that the under bet has been successful for the Clippers in various scenarios. Notably, the under has hit in their L4 road games against teams with a home winning percentage below .400 and also in their L4 following a straight-up win. Additionally, the under has been a reliable choice in 9 of L10 games after scoring 100 or more previous game. UNDER has also hit in 8/9 where their opponents allowed 100 points or more in their previous game. We're going to see defense tonight. Expect LAC to slow it down. Back the UNDER. Hop on! Good Luck, Razor Ray.

Thursday 8* NBA O/U Play

ULL +3.5

Tonight at the Pete Hanna Center in Homewood, Alabama, Samford (5-2, 1-5 ATS, 5-0 HOME) is on a hot streak with five consecutive wins, and they're ready to face the Ragin’ Cajuns (5-2, 2-3 ATS, 0-1 AWAY), who are also in good form with three straight victories. The game is set for an 8:00 PM ET tip-off on ESPN+. In terms of odds, the Bulldogs are the favorites, with a 4-point advantage over the Ragin’ Cajuns, and the over/under is set at 153. These two last met up on 12/10/22. A 75-58 ULL victory! For those looking to bet straight up, the moneyline odds are Samford -181 and Louisiana +152. Both clubs come into this one averaging 83PPG, but ULL is the better defensive club only allowing 70PPG to Samford's 74PPG. From the charity strip SAM is 75%, while ULL is 72%. ULL is the 3rd best 3-pt shooting team in the nation at 40%. SAM is 35%. SAM has the rebounding edge. We’re on Lafayette here, grabbing the points for a few reasons. They’ve won 3 in a row and 2 of those wins were impressive as they took down Buffalo and Long Beach State. They put up 92 in the win over Long Beach as this offense has been clicking here to start the season. They’ve done it with a combination of controlling the paint and getting their shooters open. They average nearly 83PPG and they’re giving up just 70 in the process. UL has been good at turning defense into offense as well. They force turnovers and will get out and run in transition. Sanford has struggled with fast paced teams and the advantage here sits with Lafayette. Tempo will be everything and Sanford will be on their heels. Trends, ULL are 4-1 SU in their L5, and are 11-3 SU in their L14 in November. Lastly, the Cajuns are 4-1 ATS in their L5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record. On the flip side, Samford are 1-7 ATS in their L8 games, and are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games, plus they're 4-12 SU in their L16 vs. Sun Belt teams. Hop on, Good Luck, Razor Ray.

Thursday 8* CBB ATS Play

Oilers -111

Probable Goalies: Skinner (7-7-1, 3.31 GAA, 0.876 SV%, 1SO) vs. Hellebuyck (10-5-1, 2.61 GAA, 0.908 SV%, 1SO)

Going back to the Oilers tonight. They're a team I'm starting to figure out, funny how it seems they're figuring themselves out too. They take on the Jets tonight in Winterpeg. Last game out EDM edged LV 5-4 in a shootout. A game they led most of the way only to falter late. They've now won 3 straight and seem to be getting on a roll. Which was what we all expected them to do, heading into this season. Skinner allowed four goals on 27 shots in the win. He's now won 6 of L8. He's looking better, and was fantastic in the recent 8-2 win over the Ducks. The team in front of him is playing better too, which helps a goalies GAA. McDavid had 1G, 2A, plus he grabbed the SO winner. Oil got revenge for last year’s second-round playoff loss to LV. There is momentum building in the EDM. locker room. Seeing McDavid getting hot as also gotten others going. Sam Gagner, Mattias Janmark and Evander Kane all scored last game. Even their 4th line is chipping in. Offensively, it’s contributions from so many different players as this team has threats on every line. McDavid is still the energy to this team and he’s playing at an unreal level right now. He’s got 12 points over the 3 wins and his ability to create scoring opportunities has ignited this team. Jets last played Tuesday, and are flat and have no momentum. A 2-0 loss to a really good Stars team with Oettinger getting the shutout. The Jets offense was non-existent in this one (obviously). Hellebuyck stopped 19 of 21 shots for Winnipeg, snapping his four-game winning streak. It was Winnipeg’s second loss in a row. Now they get a "well Oiled machine" coming into town. It won't get any easier. I admit Hellebuyck has been on another level of late .948 SV% L4 games, but EDM's offense is scary when they're clicking. OIL have outscored teams 18-6 of late. Back the hotter team tonight. I'm on the OILERS. Hop on. Good Luck, Razor Ray.

Thursday 8* NHL ML Play

Golden Knights +108

Probable Goalies: Hill (9-2-2, 1.96 GAA, 0.933 SV%) vs. Demko (11-5, 2.10 GAA, 0.928 SV%)

In this pick, we've got the Canucks 15-7-1 (8-1-1 HOME), facing off against the top team in their conference, the Golden Knights 14-5-4 (6-3-2-1 AWAY). They're going head to head on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET in Vancouver, BC, Canada, as Vegas continues their road trip up north. First place in the West on the line, then these two don't play again until March. Vegas is 17-8 all time vs. Vancouver, with 2 wins in OT. When these two have played in the past Vegas has averaged 3.4GPG to Van City's 2.8. VAN have won 3 of the L5, but the last matchup went Vegas' way a 4-3 win in Vancouver on 3/21/23. This year VAN have the NHL's top offense, but they're going up against the #3 defensive team in the NHL, no easy task. We all know it's easier to prevent goals, than to score them in the NHL. Vancouver recently secured a 3-1 win at home against the Ducks on Tuesday, while the Knights had a tough road battle, losing 5-4 to the Oilers, with a 2-0 shootout setback. It's starting to get tight in the Pacific division. With LA and Vancouver chasing Vegas that started the season on fire going 11-0-1 in their first 12. I can't ever count Vegas out of a game. They showed their resilience with a strong 3rd period in that game, proving they can turn things around even when they're trailing. Hill had a tough game on Monday, stopping 32 out of 34 shots, but unfortunately, the team lost 2-1 in OT to CGY. He did a great job keeping the Flames from scoring in the first two periods, but Greer managed to tie the game in the 3rd. Hill now is 3-1-1 in his last 5 games. His save percentage over the last 13 games this season is an impressive .933. On the other hand, Demko had a strong performance on Tuesday, stopping 30 out of 31 shots in a 3-1 win against the Ducks. This marked his second consecutive win, and he's currently playing the best hockey of his career. This by no means is a slam dunk for Vegas, but they are due. This is a big step up in talent for a young Canucks team. Vegas knows there are ebbs and flows in an NHL season, and they have the roster to weather down times. They're rested for this one, and will have Van City's full attention. Trends, Canucks are 1-4 in their L5 following a win. Golden Knights are 13-3 in their L16 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. I'm on the Knights tonight taking it to the home team. Hop on. Good Luck, Razor Ray.

Thursday 7* NHL ML Play

Seahawks +9.5

Dallas and Seattle have tee'd it up 21x, including two playoff matchups. In the regular season, Dallas has won 10 and Seattle 9, but in their recent 4 regular-season meetings, the Seahawks have came out on top. I was hoping this line would reach +10 but I just can't wait any longer as you all need a play from me for Thursday Night Football. Over 47.5. Tonight, the Seahawks (6-5, 5-5-1 ATS) are playing the Cowboys (8-3, 8-3 ATS). The game is set to start at 8:15pm ET and will be available on Prime Video. Cowboys are -9.5pt favorite, the O/U is set at 47.5. ML straight up bettors will be able to get the Seahawks at +341, and the Cowboys are a -447 ML favorite. I'm not the one to tell you the Seahawks can win this game tonight, but it is the NFL at the end of the day so "any given Thursday" right? But I will tell you the Seahawks SHOULD keep this one within the number. I just don't love it enough to make it a premium play. The Cowboys have been doing well lately, winning five out of their last six after a tough 42-10 loss to the 49ers.The Seahawks have lost 2 in a row and 3 of 4, 49ers and Eagles up next. This is a tough stretch no doubt, but do we really know if the Cowboys are a good team? They've won games, sure, but they've beaten 7 teams that are under .500. I think Seattle can keep the score respectable here by also getting into the endzone and the red zone. Seattle has been up and down here in 2023 and they know this is the kind of game where they have to step up on the offensive side. Look for them to open things up a bit more as they will take plenty of shots down field. Washington moved the ball last week at times against Dallas and they're going to have success doing the same in this one. Both teams played last Thursday, so they are rested and playing on a normal 7 days rest. The Hawks will have to score to keep up. I think they can. They have the weapons too. Metcalf, Lockett, Smith-Njigba, and Charbonnet are all "ball-players!" Trends, Seattle has historically done well against Dallas. hey are 4-1 ATS L5, 4-1 SU L5 vs. Dallas. They're 5-2 ATS L7 vs. NFC teams, and 16-4 SU L20 vs. NFC East teams. On the flip side Big D is 4-12 L16 vs. NFC West teams. Back the Hawks ATS tonight. If Dallas wins, it's by less than 8. Hop on! Good Luck, Razor Ray.

Thursday 5* FREE NFL ATS Play

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Over 47.5

Tonight, the Seahawks (6-5, 5-5-1 ATS) are playing against the Cowboys (8-3, 8-3 ATS). The game is set to start at 8:15pm ET and will be available on Prime Video. The Cowboys have been doing well lately, winning five out of their last six games after a tough 42-10 loss to the 49ers on October 8.The Seahawks have lost 2 in a row and 3 of 4, 49ers and Eagles up next. This is a tough stretch no doubt, but do we really know if the Cowboys are a good team? They've won games, sure, but they've beaten 7 teams that are under .500. I think Seattle can keep the score respectable here by also getting into the endzone and the red zone. When it's all said and done we're on the Over in TNF as the Cowboys and Seahawks battle it out on Thursday night. The Cowboys are red hot right now and this team is playing like a Super Bowl contender in 2023. They are getting so much production from Pollard on the ground and also they're putting together a good pass game with Prescott.  Dak has been impressive, throwing 18 TD passes and only 2 INT's during this time. The Cowboys rank 5th in total offense and 1st in scoring in the NFL coming into play. Seattle has been up and down here in 2023 and they know this is the kind of game where they have to step up on the offensive side. Look for them to open things up a bit more as they will take plenty of shots down field. Washington moved the ball last week at times against Dallas and they're going to have success doing the same in this one. Both teams played last Thursday, so they are rested and playing on a normal 7 days rest. Dallas has scored at least 33 in 4 of 5, so I'm expecting points. The Hawks will have to score them to keep up with the high flying Cowboys. I think they can. They have the weapons too. Metcalf, Lockett, Smith-Njigba, and Charbonnet are all "ball-players!" Trends, the total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas' L5, plus the OVER has hit in 6 of the Cowboys L7 vs. NFC teams. Hop on! Good Luck, Razor Ray.

Thursday 8* NFL O/U Play

Texas Tech +2.5

On Thursday, it's Texas Tech (5-1, 2-4 ATS) taking on Butler (5-2, 6-1 ATS) at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The action kicks off at 6:30 PM ET, and you can catch it on Fox Sports 1. Now, here's the scoop: the Bulldogs are just a slight 1.5-point favorite in this matchup, and the over/under is set at 137.5. Last week, the Red Raiders defeated Michigan 73-57 in the Battle for Atlantis, ending the event with a 2-1 record. The Bulldogs (5-2) had a similar performance in Orlando at the ESPN Events Invitational. They won two games in a row against Penn State and Boise State after a close loss to #19 FAU. We're backing the Red Raiders here, as they have value in this spot. Butler isn't overwhelming opponents like they used to do in the past. The Bulldogs are a lower tier team in terms of total offense, ranking 78th in total points per game. They have struggled from behind the arc as well, ranking 165th in the entire nation, shooting at. 33.5% clip. Texas Tech is a much deeper team and one that has started 5-1 this year. They are one of the best in the entire nation on the defensive side, allowing just 69PPG. They swarm to the ball and throw out many different looks to frustrate the opposing defense. This is the kind of game where they can overwhelm the Bulldogs on the defensive end and force them into a lot of turnovers and tough shots. Trends time, TT are 5-1 SU L6, and 6-1 SU L7 in November. Butler are 2-5 SU L7 in November. Hop on! Good Luck, Razor Ray.

Thursday 9* CBB ATS Play