Phil Agius
Show Bio
Good morning Pickswise Nation, and welcome to another fantastic Friday of sports. We hope you all got what you wanted in the NFL Draft last night, and if not, there are 2 more days to go! Today we have playoffs action in the NBA and NHL, plus a busy MLB slate, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better.
About Last Night
Texans trade is draft highlight
The Carolina Panthers selected QB Bryce Young with the first pick in the NFL Draft, while Houston traded to get the 3rd pick as well as its own 2nd choice and took QB CJ Stroud as well as DE Will Anderson Jr. QB Anthony Richardson went to the Colts at #4, but Will Levis, who had been second-favorite to be the #1 pick at one point in recent days, was not even taken in the first round.
Celtics get the job done
The Boston Celtics advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs, clinching a 4-2 series win over the Hawks with a 128-120 road win in Atlanta. Prop Holliday cashed his NBA player prop pick yesterday and we’ve now hit 5 of our last 7 plays.
3-0 on NHL money line picks
The Pickswise cappers swept the Thursday NHL money lines with picks of the Lightning, Devils and Golden Knights. Vegas clinched its series over Winnipeg 4-1, while the Lightning trail the Maple Leafs 3-2 and the Devils lead the Rangers 3-2. We also cashed our Thursday NHL parlay at +446 odds.
MLB props run goes on
We went 2-0 on our MLB player props on Thursday, extending our winning streak to 9-0! It was also a 2-0 day for our YRFI/NRFI Best Bets, which puts us on a 4-0 run with those too! The Rays’ offense roared back into life with a 14-5 win over the White Sox after being shut out in their previous 2 games.
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Today’s Slate
Warriors, Lakers looking to wrap it up
We have 2 NBA games again today with the Warriors and Lakers both needing to win to advance and avoid a Game 7. It’s Kings vs Warriors first on ESPN at 8:00 pm ET, followed by Grizzlies vs Lakers at 10:30 pm ET. Read today’s NBA picks.
Game 6 action in the NHL
We have 4 Game 6s in the NHL, with the Hurricanes, Bruins, Stars and Kraken all 3-2 up, while the Islanders, Panthers, Wild and Avalanche are looking to keep their seasons alive. Bruins vs Panthers gets the action going at 7:30 pm ET on TNT. Read all of today’s NHL predictions.
14 MLB games on Friday
We have 14 MLB games today, with Royals vs Twins getting things started at 4:10 pm ET on MLB Network, while Apple TV+ is showing Phillies vs Astros at 8:10 pm ET and Cardinals vs Dodgers at 10:10 pm ET. Read all of today’s MLB predictions.
Best Bet of the Day
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers -4.5 over Memphis Grizzlies
10:30 pm ET, ESPN
After failing to close out the series in Game 5, the Los Angeles Lakers will get the chance to finish the job tonight on their home floor. They have played the Memphis Grizzlies 4 times at home this season and have come out on top every time. The Grizzlies have ranked dead last in true shooting percentage in the postseason and the Lakers have a great chance to advance and also cover the spread. Read our full Grizzlies vs Lakers predictions.
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Must-read
Today’s NBA Same Game Parlays for the Kings vs Warriors and Grizzlies vs Lakers games are ready to read, and you can also check out our MLB mega parlay and today’s top YRFI/NRFI picks plus today’s NHL mega parlay and best NHL player props. Our EPL parlay for tomorrow morning’s games is also available, along with our UFC Fight Night 223 best bets and UFC four-fight parlay for Saturday’s big fights.
Read all of our great sports analysis as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The Warriors have won 11 of their last 14 games against the Kings.
Quote of the Day
“We thought this guy has the best probability of winning Super Bowls.”
Panthers owner David Tepper explained his thinking behind taking Bryce Young with the first pick.
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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.
