Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
The weekend is here, and it’s a great Friday for sports. The NBA Play-in Tournament is back, and we still have MLB and NHL action to look forward to as well. Let’s get straight to making your next bet better!
About Last Night
Freeman gets standing ovation in home debut
The Dodgers played their first home game of the season on Thursday night, and the crowd was electric. Freddie Freeman had a huge double late in the game for his new team, and the chanting of his name was so thunderous that Freeman said after the game it was “as special as it gets” and “something I’ll never forget.”
Penguins clinch playoff berth
The Penguins have been a model of consistency in the NHL for the better part of two decades now. With their 6-3 victory over the Islanders on Thursday, Pittsburgh has now clinched a playoff berth for the 16th consecutive season. We had Penguins money line as a three-star best bet, so we certainly were glad to see Sidney Crosby scoring to help punch a ticket to the postseason.
Today’s Slate
All 30 MLB teams back in action
There was a somewhat reduced 11-game MLB slate on Thursday, but we’re back to a full card as we enter the weekend. All 30 MLB teams will be playing on Good Friday. Read today’s MLB game previews.
Jets vs Panthers on NHL Network
There are only two games to look forward to on the ice tonight, but one of them is a good one. The Jets and Panthers will do battle at 7:00 pm ET on NHL Network. Florida is looking to tighten their grip on the top seed in the East, while the Jets are looking to stay alive for a wild card spot in the West. Get our picks for both of today’s NHL matchups.
NBA Play-in Tournament resumes
After a day off on Thursday, the NBA postseason is back in action. The Hawks and Cavaliers will do battle for the right to face the Miami Heat to get things started before the Pelicans and Clippers face off in the nightcap. Atlanta/Cleveland will be on ESPN while New Orleans/Los Angeles will be televised by TNT. Check out our free picks on the side and total for both games.
Best Bet of the Day
Hawks vs Cavaliers Over 225
7:30 pm ET, ESPN
If there was ever a correlating bet situation, this is it. Hawks and the over or Cavs and the under. That’s how the 4 regular-season meetings went. Atlanta continues to score at a torrid pace, averaging more than 120 points per game in their last 10. If Cleveland’s defense was playing better, they’d have a chance to slow down the Hawks. The only game that went under in the regular-season meetings was the very first one during the opening week of the season and that posted total was 223.5. In fact, all of the regular season totals were under 230, which is a very good number for the Hawks to go over. Check out our full preview for Hawks vs Cavaliers.
Must-watch
Enhance your betting knowledge by watching our daily show Let’s Bet It, available at 10:00 am ET on our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/c/Pickswise.
Lauren Jbara and Jared Smith will discuss the NBA play-in games and playoff series odds. We’ll also have NHL Ice Picks, today’s best MLB bets and the team’s Plays of the Day.
Must-read
Celebrate the end of the play-in tournament with a same game parlay. We’ve got one for Hawks/Cavaliers (+901 odds) and for Pelicans vs Clippers (+1349 odds). We also have done some full series previews for matchups including Jazz vs Mavericks, Warriors vs Nuggets and Bucks vs Bulls.
I also just wrote up my favorite early NFL Draft prop bet plays, and you’ll want to check out our NHL player props for Friday after we went 2-0 on Thursday.
There’s plenty more great betting content on our Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The Hawks scored at least 120 points in three of their four games against the Cavaliers this season.
Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news, and best bets. Check out our expert NHL picks, NBA picks, MLB picks and Soccer picks for the latest game picks.
