Phil Agius
Show Bio
Good morning, Pickswise Nation, and welcome to another wonderful week of sports. We have playoff action in the NBA and NHL again today, plus MLB and soccer action, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better.
About Last Night
Brooms are being readied in the NBA
Could we really see a pair of series sweeps in the NBA Conference Finals? The disappointing Celtics last night joined the Lakers in going 3-0 behind in their series with a tame 128-102 Game 3 loss to the Heat. The Celtics are +800 odds with FanDuel Sportsbook to rally and advance, but the latest NBA Championship odds see the Nuggets as -220 favorites with the Heat at +260, Celtics +1200 and Lakers +3200.
Our golf expert picked 22/1 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka
We hope you followed Diane Knox Balas’ picks for the PGA Championship as Brooks Koepka won his 5th Major at +2200 odds, beating Scottie Scheffler by 2 shots.
More YRFI/NRFI success
The Pickswise YRFI/NRFI picks went 2-0 again on Sunday, extending our run in our daily first-inning picks articles to 30-10. Our best bet of under 9 runs in Cubs vs Phillies cashed comfortably as Philadelphia won 2-1, while the Mets won both games in their doubleheader against the Guardians by scores of 5-4 and 2-1.
NHL overtime run continues
Anyone who told you an NHL game lasts for 3 periods needs to be questioned, as overtime was required for the fourth straight NHL playoff game last night. The Golden Knights beat the Stars 3-2 to take a 2-0 series lead as the teams head to Dallas for Game 3 on Tuesday.
If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can bet just $1 and instantly get $200 in bonus bets! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Click here to join Bet365 right now.
Today’s Slate
Lakers on the brink
It’s Game 4 of the Nuggets vs Lakers series at 8:30 pm ET on ESPN, with LeBron James’s team needing to get the win to keep their season alive. Read today’s NBA predictions.
Purring Panthers head home
The Florida Panthers got it done on the road and lead 2-0 as they head home for Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes at 8:00 pm ET on TNT. Check out today’s NHL picks.
12-game MLB slate on Monday
Today’s 12-game MLB slate begins with White Sox vs Guardians at 6:10 pm ET and includes Giants vs Twins on FS1 at 7:40 pm ET. Check out today’s MLB picks. There’s also a key game in the EPL relegation battle and we have soccer picks for Newcastle vs Leicester.
Best Bet of the Day
MLB: Texas Rangers ML over Pittsburgh Pirates (-135)
6:35 pm ET
Monday evening in Pittsburgh will feature a pitching matchup between Dane Dunning and Luis Ortiz. It may not look like a must-watch game, but with the value available, it is. Based on the Rangers being slim favorites, oddsmakers are saying that Dunning is only slightly better than Ortiz and the Texas lineup is a little better than Pittsburgh’s. But Dunning is no longer a 4th or 5th arm in a rotation like he was last season. He started this season in the bullpen and had a 1.77 ERA with a 0.836 WHIP in 8 appearances and was soon promoted. He has made 3 starts and has accumulated a 2-0 record with a 1.59 ERA and a 0.941 WHIP and he faced some of the best lineups in baseball in the Braves, Angels and Mariners. Check out our full Rangers vs Pirates predictions.
Now you can bet any of our MLB predictions at FanDuel Sportsbook, which has a great new-customer offer to take advantage of. If you sign up for FanDuel right now, you can get a $1,000 No Sweat First Bet! Click here to join FanDuel right now.
Must-read
Today’s Nuggets vs Lakers Same Game Parlay and MLB YRFI/NRFI Best Bets are ready to read, along with our Hurricanes vs Panthers Same Game Parlay and NHL player props.
Keep an eye out for more great sports analysis as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The Lakers have an 0-8 record when trailing 3-0 in playoff series, with an average margin of defeat of 22.7 points in their last 3.
Quote of the Day
“We can point fingers. But, in reality, it’s just embarrassing.”
Jaylen Brown got straight to the point after the Celtics’ latest loss.
Unibet has arrived, and you can get $100 in bonus bets by signing up right now. Click here to join Unibet and lock in their great new customer bonus.
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.
