Best Sports Picks Today: NBA, NHL, College Basketball January 23 Predictions

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are back on the same hardwood Thursday night for an intense midseason battle. It’s a competition that gets the juices flowing every time the rivals collide.

LeBron James expressed concern about the makeup of the roster, so every Laker knows they’re in the spotlight during a nationally televised game. Boston figures to be business wise behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The Washington Capitals are a top team, so we will study their NHL game against the Seattle Kraken. Alex Ovechkin continues to chase Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record, but I don’t feel too many people are happy to see the “Great One” eventually drop to No. 2 on the list.

We’ll also be looking at a college basketball game – a pretty solid Memphis team that could do some damage during March Madness.

BOSTON CELTICS AT LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Boston is 2-0 on a four-game road trip, and one of the wins was a 125-85 rout of the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers just picked up a season-best 23-point win—111-88—over the Washington Wizards on Monday.

The Celtics beat the Los Angeles Clippers 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday, but it was a big fight when you consider that Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell and others didn’t suit up for the Clippers. Still, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla felt he got the better of everyone with this line: “I think the question would be, ‘Why would people think it would be an easy game?'” Ohhh, you really got us, Joe.

The Celtics should have more manpower against the Lakers after Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Al Horford (toe) sat out against the Clippers. Because the game was close, Tatum and Derrick White played more than 42 minutes and Brown topped 38.

James recorded his ninth triple-double of the season against Washington while Davis excelled with 29 points and 16 rebounds. Both guys need to be dynamic if the Lakers are going to pull off this win.

Lakers +6.5 points, -115 (DraftKings)

WASHINGTON CAPITAL VS. THE SEATTLE CRASH

The Capitals lead the NHL in points (69) and are tied for the lead in wins (32) during their outstanding season. Washington has won five straight games and has allowed just four goals during the stretch.

Ovechkin is 20 goals shy of Gretzky’s all-time record of 894 goals. It was catch-20. He has scored 21 goals in 31 games this season, after missing nearly six weeks with a broken left fibula. Ovechkin has failed to score in six of the last eight games as he enters the rink below the Space Needle.

Seattle has won two straight games and four of their last six while playing some solid hockey. The Kraken have scored 20 goals in the wins over that period and three in the two losses. Jared McCann had a goal and two assists in Monday’s 6-4 home win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Seattle could use a burst from scoring leader Jaden Schwartz (16), who had a hat trick Saturday but otherwise has just one goal in nine other games this month.

Over 5.5 goals, -112 (DraftKings)

WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS AT MEMPHIS TIGERS

Memphis played a tough nonconference schedule and made a lot of noise with its upset of then-No. 2 UConn in the first round of the Maui Invitational just before Thanksgiving. The Tigers lost to then-No. 4 Auburn in the tournament title game two days later.

Memphis has won five of its last six games, with the loss coming to Temple, one of its American Athletic Conference foes. PJ Haggerty fills up the arc and has 12 20-point efforts, although he was “held” to 18 in Sunday’s 77-68 road win over Charlotte.

Remember when Wichita State ran as an elite program? A regular NCAA tournament? Final Four 2013? A star like Fred VanVleet? The Shockers won 30 or more games four times in five seasons. Yes, it seems like ages ago. Mean coach Gregg Marshall resigned under pressure in the fall of 2020 for verbal and mental abuse of players, and now the program is outdated.

The Shockers went 5-13 in AAC play last season and are 1-4 so far this season. Corey Washington delivered 19 points and 18 rebounds on Saturday as Wichita State fell 75-72 to visiting East Carolina. There will be no upset.

Memphis -13, -112 (DraftKings)