PGA’s 5th Major

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Developing Stories 📰

The PGA Tour's stars will shine again, but iconic TPC Sawgrass also will have another moment in the sun this week at the 2023 Players Championship. The Pete Dye course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. presents one of the most complete tests of the PGA Tour season. The 144 players in the Players Championship 2023 field will have to work to be the one to claim the record $4.5 million winner's payout. Top-ranked Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy headline the field. Justin Thomas, the 2021 Players champion, and major winners Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa also are among those set to tee off Thursday. Cameron Smith won last year at 13-under par, but he won't be back to defend. Former winners who will be on hand include Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott. The weather looks calm for March in Ponte Vedra Beach. Forecasts call for it to blow in the mid-teens during the tournament. Temperatures are perfect for golf, sitting in the 70s each afternoon. There is a little rain in the forecast for Friday evening into Saturday morning. Just enough to prime the greens for scoring over the weekend. Here are the players I will be taking in this weeks tournament:

Justin Thomas +2000

Patrick Cantlay +1800

Headlines 🚨

On This Day in Sports History: 1971 Joe Frazier ends Muhammad Ali's 31 fight winning streak at Madison Square Garden 

Paul Gasol becomes 12th player to have his jersey retired as a Laker

Daniel Jones and the New York Giants agree to a 4 year $160 million contract and tag running back Saquon Barkley

The Baltimore Ravens franchise tag QB Lamar Jackson after both sides were unable to reach a deal

The NY Jets are in trade talks with Packers QB Aaron Rodgers 

The Miami Dolphins release CB Byron Jones which will save them $13.6 million in 2023

Ja Morant under investigation for flashing a gun on IG live; could potentially face a 50 game suspension

Jalen Brunson misses second straight game for Knicks but is "improving"

Drew Timme becomes Gonzaga's all time leader scorer after beating St. Marys in the WCC tournament

UCLA moves to No. 2; Houston still atop AP Poll

Trends 📈📉 via Oddsshark and VSiN

🏀 Hawks at Wizards

• Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Washington

• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Atlanta

• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games 

🏀 Trail Blazers at Celtics

• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games 

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Portland

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games at home

🏀 Cavaliers at Heat

• The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami

• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Miami

• Miami is 21-1 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Cleveland

• Miami is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Cleveland

🏀 Mavericks at Pelicans

• Dallas is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games when playing New Orleans

• The total has gone OVER in 9 of Dallas's last 12 games when playing on the road against New Orleans

• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New Orleans's last 8 games 

🏀 Bulls at Nuggets

• The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chicago's last 12 games when playing Denver

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago

• Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

🏀 Thunder at Suns

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games 

• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games on the road

• Phoenix is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Oklahoma City

• Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

🏀 Raptors at Clippers

• Toronto is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers

• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto

• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Clippers's last 8 games when playing Toronto

🎓🏀 ACC

• ACC opening round favorites have gone 17-1 SU and 13-5 ATS (72.2%) since ’16.

• ACC semifinal underdogs are 12-17 SU but 21-5-3 ATS (80.8%) since 2007, and 8-0-1 ATS since ’17.

🎓🏀 BIG 12

• Underdogs in the opening round of the Big 12 tourney are on a 7-6 SU and 12-1 ATS (92.3%) surge.

• Laying 4 points or more has proven quite risky in the Big 12 tourney, as favorites of this magnitude are 28-11 SU but just 14-25 ATS (35.9%) since ’14.

• Totals of 150 or higher have gone 16-4 (80%) over the last nine years in the Big 12 tournament.

🎓🏀 BIG EAST

• Big East quarterfinal double-digit favorites are on an 11-1 ATS (91.7%) run since 2006.

• Big East semifinal dogs have been a very profitable play of late, 6-8 SU but 11-3 ATS (78.6%) since 2015.

• Ten of the last 12 Big East championship games have gone UNDER the total (83.3%).

🎓🏀 BIG TEN

• Against public perception, games with totals of less than 129 are on a 13-5-1 OVER (72.2%) run in the Big Ten tournament.

• Teams that are off a bye in the Big Ten tournament are 14-10 SU but 5-18-1 ATS (21.7%) versus teams that already played since 2018.

🎓🏀 PAC-12

• Pac-12 tourney favorites of 4.5 points or less boast a point spread record of 25-9-1 ATS (73.5%) over the last nine years.

• Pac-12 tourney first-round favorites are just 6-15 ATS over the last six tournaments (28.6%).

• Pac-12 semifinal favorites have gone 7-1 SU and ATS in the last four tournaments.

🎓🏀 SEC 

• Lines of 7 points or more should be noted for two reasons in the SEC tourney. First, favorites in these games are on a 26-6 SU and 19-11-2 ATS (63.3%) run since 2014, and second, these games have gone UNDER the total at a 22-9-1 (71%) rate.

• The bye has proven critical in the SEC tournament of late, as rested teams are on a 23-9 SU and 19-13 ATS (59.4%) run versus teams that have already played.

🏒 Wild at Jets

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games 

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road

• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Winnipeg's last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota

• Winnipeg is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Minnesota

🏒 Bulls at Pistons 

• Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing at home against Chicago

• Detroit is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

🏒 Ducks at Canucks

• Anaheim is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Vancouver

• Anaheim is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Vancouver

• Vancouver is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games 

• Vancouver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

Public Money 🤑 via VSiN at 9AMCT

🏀 NBA

52% of bets and 77% of money is on ATL -3.5

50% of bets and 71% of money is on OVER 235.5 ATL at WSH

38% of bets and 61% of money is on BOS -10

67% of bets and 86% of money is on OVER 231.5 POR at BOS

65% of bets and 80% of money is on DEN -8

44% of bets and 62% of money is on PHO -13

34% of bets and 51% of money is on TOR +3

59% of bets and 79% of money is on OVER 229 TOR at LAC

🎓🏀 NCAAB

47% of bets and 71% of money is on UNDER 133.5 FRES at CSU

34% of bets and 54% of money is on UNDER 130 RICH at GMU

49% of bets and 67% of money is on SJU -6.5

65% of bets and 85% of money is on UNDER 146 NWST at AMCC

49% of bets and 67% of money is on CAL +14

57% of bets and 78% of money is on HOW -8

26% of bets and 93% of money is on UNDER 133 UTEP at WKU

32% of bets and 52% of money is on UNDER 131 OSU at WIS

53% of bets and 75% of money is on UNDER 140.5 MSM at IONA

43% of bets and 60% of money is on WYO +7

29% of bets and 47% of money is on OVER 148.5 WYO at UNM

40% of bets and 66% of money is on UNDER 134.5 MISS at USC

32% of bets and 83% of money is on UNDER 133.5 LAF at COLG

20% of bets and 49% of money is on OVER 147.5 LAS at DUQ

45% of bets and 66% of money is on UNDER 141.5 GTOWN at NOVA

39% of bets and 70% of money is on UNDER 133 DSU at NCCU

56% of bets and 73% of money is on UTAH ML

53% of bets and 84% of money is on ALC -2

59% of bets and 89% of money is on LSU -2

47% of bets and 85% of money is on UNDER 141.5 LSU at UGA

19% of bets and 40% of money is on UNDER 130 ORST at ASU 

Future Odds 🔮 via Bovada Sportsbook

Injury Report 🏥 via ESPN

BOS (PG) Payton Pritchard | Questionable - Ankle

DAL (C) JaVale McGee | Questionable

DAL (SF) Reggie Bullock | Questionable 

DEN (SF) Michael Porter Jr | Probable - Illness

DEN (SF) Vlatko Cancar | Questionable - Wrist

MIA (PG) Kyle Lowry | Out - Knee

MIA (PF) Kevin Love | Questionable - Ribs

OKC (PG) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Questionable

OKC (F) Jalen Williams | Out - Wrist

POR (C) Jusuf Nurkic | Questionable - Calf

POR (G) Ryan Arcidiacono | Out - Back

POR (SG) Anfernee Simmons | Out - Ankle

TOR (PG) Dalano Banton | Questionable 

WSH (PG) Monte Morris | Out - Back

 Picks 🔒

West Virginia -4 | West Virginia has a +175 scoring differential and wavering 76.7 PPG. Erik Stevenson and Tre Mitchell have led the way for WVU this season. Texas Tech plays a slow tempo offense. If West Virginia can use the 3 point line to their advantage they should be able to cover in this matchup.