Wise n’ Shine: NBA predictions, MLB best bets and NHL picks for Friday, May 19 

Photo of Ricky Dimon

Ricky Dimon

NBA

Show Bio

Since graduating from Davidson (The College That Stephen Curry Built), I have been writing about sports -- just about any and all you can think of! -- and coaching tennis in Atlanta, GA. Beyond the four major sports, I am an avid tennis fan and cover the ATP Tour on a daily basis. If I'm not busy writing, you can generally find me on a tennis court or traveling the world wherever a sporting event takes me. For Ricky Dimon media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.
Read more about Ricky Dimon

Good morning, Pickswise Nation. For the second night in a row we have conference finals action in both the NBA and NHL. There are also plenty of games on the Major League Baseball diamond in addition to the PGA Championship second round. 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 

Nuggets take 2-0 lead over Lakers
The Nuggets trailed most of the way on Thursday but rallied late to beat the Lakers and extend their advantage to 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals.

Panthers win a marathon in Game 1
Florida and Carolina needed 4 overtime periods to decide their series opener, with the Panthers finally emerging on top for a 3-2 win after a Matthew Tkachuk goal decided the 6th-longest game in NHL history.

Pickswise remains on fire with YRFI/NRFI plays
The Pickswise experts are now 26-8 in their last 28 YRFI/NRFI bets after cashing the YRFI both Yankees vs Blue Jays and Dodgers vs Cardinals. In those games New York prevailed 4-2 and St. Louis humiliated Los Angeles 16-8. 

You can bet on today’s sporting events at DraftKings Sportsbook, which has thousands of betting options available and a great new customer offer where you can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets automatically! Click here to sign up for DraftKings. 

Today’s Slate

Boston tries to bounce back
The Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and Celtics advances to Game 2 tonight. Boston is once again at home as it tries to rebound from Wednesday’s 123-116 loss. Check out today’s NBA picks.

Stars vs Golden Knights series gets started
In the NHL it’s Western Conference Finals day, as Dallas and Vegas will lock horns. Game 1 will be hosted by the Golden Knights at 8:30 pm ET on ESPN. You can read all of our NHL predictions.

A full 15-game MLB schedule
A full 15-game slate in Major League Baseball includes the Rays hosting the Brewers on ESPN+ and the Orioles paying a visit to the Blue Jays on Apple TV. Don’t miss our MLB predictions.

Best Bet of the Day 

Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics Over 215.5
8:30 pm ET, TNT

The floodgates opened in Game 1, as both teams shot over 50% from the field with 26 threes made between them. The projected total of 212.5 points was surpassed with ease, so that’s now 3 straight games between these opponents at TD Garden with more than 230 points scored. For Game 2 the total has gone up to 215.5 but it’s hard to imagine the teams drastically slowing down the pace after so many high-scoring games between them this season. The over for Boston has now cashed in 9 of 12 games. Check out our full Heat vs Celtics predictions.

You can bet on this pick over at Caesars, which has a great sign-up offer where you can get up to $1,250 back on your first bet! Click here to sign up for Caesars right now. 

Must-read

Be sure to jump all over our baseball content on this busy Friday. Our YRFI/NRFI best bets are already posted along with a +1032 MLB mega parlay. We are also getting you ready for Game 1 between the Stars and Golden Knights with a +600 Same Game Parlay. In the NBA, we have a Heat vs Celtics Same Game Parlay and NBA player prop, while in horse racing, we’re looking ahead to the Preakness Stakes.

Read all of our sports betting articles as they arrive throughout the day on the Analysis tab. 

Stat of the Day

The over is 10-1 in the Heat’s last 11 games on the road. 

Quote of the Day 

Damn right I did. Damn right we did. And the best part about it is we still don’t care what none of y’all think. We don’t care if you pick us to win. We never have. We never will.

— Heat star Jimmy Butler on if his team always believed it could make a run in the NBA playoffs 

You can bet on all today’s sports at FanDuel, America’s #1 sportsbook, which has a great new customer offer where you can secure a No Sweat First Bet up to $1,000. Click here to take advantage of this awesome offer. 

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. 

Pickswise
*
By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy