Locks
NFL (0.75 Unit) Arizona Cardinals First Half Team Total Under 10.5 (-110): 7:15 PM CT on Prime Video
The old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” both applies and doesn’t apply in this game. The Cardinals offense is definitely as broken as it gets right now, particularly early in games, and doesn’t look like it’s getting fixed anytime soon. Particularly on a short week, which would require Kliff Kingsbury to stumble upon some actual coaching skills. I’m also skeptical that DeAndre Hopkins returning is the instant fix many are hoping for – it’s just that bad in Arizona right now.
But until they prove me wrong, I’ll keep exploiting their early offensive futility, because that system is far from broken. It’s now six games, and six unders to this first-half team total for the Cardinals this season, who put up points in the first quarter for the first time on Sunday. They’re dead last in first-half scoring this season at 4.8 points, and somehow they manage to always play worse in home games. With Thursday games being significantly lower-scoring in general, this should be another display of futility from the Cardinals.
NBA (0.5 Unit) LA Lakers vs. LA Clippers -5.5 (-110): 9:00 PM CT on TNT
I saw enough out of the Lakers on Tuesday, particularly offensively, to know that this could be a rough season for them. Maybe they’ll make a splashy trade, but it won’t be before tonight when they should be in trouble against their neighbors down the hall in Crypto.com Arena. This is a significant number for the Clippers to be laying, but I think it’s with good reason.
A Clippers team that opened the season as title favorites should take note of what the Lakers had done to them on Tuesday, and look to prove themselves here by comparison. As an excellent defensive squad, the Clips should be able to slow the Big 3 for the Lakers, forcing the supporting cast to keep laying bricks. With Kawhi Leonard back and after adding John Wall, the Clippers should pull away in this one and prove themselves the superior LA team.
Degenerates
No degenerates today.
Tiny Nick is 903-751 ATS (+80.7 Units) on his Locks since joining Zone Coverage.
Every day he will offer his Locks and Degenerate picks. Locks are the games he’s confident in. Degenerates are entertaining but riskier picks.