WED. CONF-USA GAME OF WEEK - 88% CFB!

Today’s Free Picks

The PLAY: Memphis Grizzlies -4.5 (-110)

This is a FREE PLAY on the Memphis Grizzlies.

While I think the Pelicans will be improved over last year's disaster, I still think they're overmatched here on Opening Night, especially with their big man sidelined with injury.

New Orleans was 0-2 SU and 2-0 ATS in the preseason. It lost 130-128 at home to Houston, before a 132-125 loss at Orlando.

Memphis went 1-4 SU/ATS in the preseason, winning their final game at Miami by a score of 141-125 as a 3.5-point dog.

Last year, the Grizzlies were eighth in the regular season and played in the play-in tournament and then lost in the first round to the Thunder.

As Ja Morant goes, so go the Grizzlies. It's clearly crucial that Morant stays focused this year for Memphis to return to prominence. He's also been super-prone to injury.

The biggest change from last year was the departure of Desmond Bane, while adding Kentavious Caldwell-Hope.

New Orleans took a major step back last year and closed out the regular season by losing six straight.

The Pelicans had to deal with injuries to key players throughout the year, and they ended up finishing just 21-61.

The big change this year for New Orleans is that CJ McCollum has moved on, and they brought in Saddiq Bey and Jordan Poole.

New Orleans big man Kevin Looney is out for this game, and when Williamson is off the floor, it's hard to see the thing Pelicans matching up well with the rest of the Grizzlies.

It's a chance for redemption for Morant, and this is a very favorable matchup here on Opening Night.

The Pelicans' style of play suits the Grizzlies, and it's hard to see New Orleans doing much on the defensive end on the road tonight, either.

Lay the points, the play is on MEMPHIS.

Good luck, NP

The PLAY: Total Over 5.5 (-120)

This is a FREE PLAY on the Panthers/Bruins OVER.

As primarily a situational capper, I love the way this Atlantic Division battle between the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins sets up to be more of a high-scoring shootout, rather than grind-it-out defensive battle for a few different key situational reasons.

Florida enters 3-4, while Boston is 3-4 as well.

The Panthers are 0-4 on the road, while the Bruins are 2-1 at home.

Florida has lost four in a row and this is the finale of its first five-game road trip, before four difficult home games.

Clearly, the defending champs are going to be motivated to avoid going 0-5 on their first road trip of the season.

Boston however enters equally motivated, as it also won its first three home games, before then going 0-4 on its most recent road trip, which includes a tight 3-2 loss at Utah last time out.

I actually had Boston on the puckline in that one, as it was only -125.

Typically I wouldn't bet against the defending champs to lose a fifth straight game, no matter what the sport was, but Boston enters equally as desperate, and it enjoys a significant home-ice advantage, as evidenced by its 3-0 start so far this season.

Between two teams struggling with scoring, but desperate for a break-out performance, something has to finally "give" on Tuesday night, and in my opinion there will be a plethora of scoring.

These teams do have great goaltending and defense for the most part, but clearly its been inconsistency on the offensive end that each side has had difficulty with.

But with these desperate and hungry teams pushing the pace from start to finish like I'm expecting, I think they'll eclipse the posted number sometime in the second period.

Being primarily a "situational" capper, the actual players on the ice become a less important part of the equation for me (or in any sport for that matter). Unless of course it's a star player like Connor McDavid that's out, or a last second change to a starting goaltender for some reason.

But, for the most part, a players absence from the line-up is reflected in the line, and that, along with what I perceive be great "situations," are what I'm looking at each day when I'm going over the daily boards and making my selections.

Despite who gets the start in net for either side, and despite what their offensive numbers say to this point, I think there are so many external factors pointing to these offenses FINALLY getting off the schneid and finding the back of the net, the OVER becomes the correct call as far as the total is concerned.

Good luck, NP