Ricky Dimon
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Good morning, Pickswise Nation. The NBA postseason is underway, with the Hawks and Lakers having secured spots in the traditional playoffs. There are no games on Thursday, but sports fans have MLB and NHL action to enjoy along with the start of another golf tournament. It’s another big day in the world of sports, so let’s get right to it and make your next bet better with Wise n’ Shine!
About Last Night
Pickswise cashes both first-basket bets in the NBA
Pickswise NBA expert Germantas Kneita hit both of first-basket best bets for the play-in tournament games on Wednesday. OG Anunoby of Toronto was a huge +1100 winner and the New Orleans big man Jonas Valanciunas cashed at +370.
Zadorov scores ’em all as Flames win
Calgary’s Nikita Zadorov may be a defenseman, but he was feeling offensive on Wednesday. Zadorov recorded a hat-trick, scoring all 3 goals for his team in a 3-1 victory over San Jose. The Islanders and Stars were the other winners.
Rays remain undefeated
The Rays still haven’t lost. Tampa Bay battled to a 9-7 win over American League East rival Boston and is now 12-0 – 1 victory short of tying the all-time record for the best start to a season. In other news, Clayton Kershaw picked up his second win of the year as the Dodgers hammered the Giants 10-5.
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Today’s Slate
Penultimate day of the NHL regular season
Only 2 days remain until the Stanley Cup playoffs get underway, and to say that Thursday is a big one would be an understatement. Thirty of the 32 teams are lacing up their skates tonight. Make sure you check out our NHL picks for all 15 games.
Small 7-game slate in Major League Baseball
Thursdays are generally light on baseball with a lot of teams in between series, and this week is no exception. Only 7 games are on the docket, including an afternoon showdown in the American League East between the Red Sox and the Rays. Don’t miss our MLB predictions.
Best Bet of the Day
MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Over 8.5 (-110)
7:45 pm ET, Bally Sports
The Cardinals are back home after a successful trip to Colorado, winning 2 of 3. Their bats came to life in Colorado, which isn’t a surprise considering the conditions out there. Still, St. Louis boasts a powerful lineup that should be able to maintain momentum at home – especially with Vince Velasquez taking the mound for Pittsburgh. Velasquez did not make it out of the 5th inning in either of his first 2 starts and he is saddled with an ERA near 10.00. Look for the Cards to do most of the heavy lifting as this contest goes over the total. Read our full Pirates vs Cardinals predictions.
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Must-read
It’s another busy day on the diamond, so make sure to check out our MLB YRFI/NRFI best bets and our MLB mega parlay at +766 odds. We also have an NHL mega parlay at +1019 odds for today’s massive 15-game schedule.
On the links, the PGA Tour is getting right back in action following the Masters and Diane Knox Balas has delivered her best bets for the RBC Heritage.
Read all of our sports betting articles as they arrive throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The Wild have allowed the fourth-fewest goals per game this season and when they visited Nashville earlier this season a total of just 3 goals were scored in the game.
Quote of the Day
“They fought hard, but it’s more about the dismantleization of the Timberwolves. I don’t know if it’s a word, but it sounds good. It’s a word because I said it.”
— Shaquille O’Neal following the Timberwolves’ collapse and overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference play-in tournament. Minnesota will host Oklahoma City in a win-or-go-home game on Friday.
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Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news and best bets. Check out our expert NFL Picks, NBA Picks, Soccer Picks and NHL Picks pages for our latest game picks.
