Phil Agius
Show Bio
Good morning, Pickswise Nation. The NFL schedule is out and now we just have to wait 4 months for them to start playing the games! There is a ton of great sports action today, though, with NBA and NHL playoff games and a busy day of baseball. Let’s get straight to making your next bet better!
About Last Night
Heat into Eastern finals
The Heat punched a ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 99-90 win over the 76ers in Philadelphia to win the series 4-2. Thursday’s other matchup did produce a Game 7, however, as the Mavericks beat the Suns 113-86. Both teams have won their 3 home games in that series, with the decider being played in Phoenix on Sunday.
Perfect NHL props run continues
Pickswise expert Mark Lammey extended his amazing streak on NHL player props with another 2-0 night on Thursday. It was the fourth perfect day this week, taking him to an incredible 9-1 record since Sunday. On the ice, we were assured of another 3 Game 7s thanks to wins by the Bruins, Lightning and Oilers, but the Blues ended the season of the Wild with a 5-1 win for a 4-2 series success.
Astros double up against Twins
The Astros finished off their suspended game against the Twins in style, improving a 5-1 overnight lead to an 11-3 win, then added a 5-0 shutout success in the scheduled Thursday game. The Reds continued their revival with a 4-0 win over the Pirates, while the Yankees and White Sox put on a show with New York winning 15-7.
Today’s Slate
Crunch time for NBA road teams
The Bucks can win their playoff series over the Celtics with a home win tonight (7:30 pm ET, ESPN), with the Warriors in the same situation as they host the Grizzlies (10:00 pm ET, ESPN). Read today’s NBA game previews.
Three-game slate in the NHL
The Penguins, Panthers and Flames are the teams who can advance by winning their NHL games tonight, with the Rangers, Capitals and Stars aiming to force a Game 7. Read today’s NHL game previews.
Big day of baseball
We have a full slate of 15 MLB games today, including Astros vs Nationals at 7:05 pm ET on ESPN+. Read today’s MLB game previews.
Best Bet of the Day
Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Under 211
7:30 pm ET, ESPN
Even though the last 2 games in this series went over the total, we could be set for a low-scoring game tonight. The Bucks are allowing just 99.8 points per game, with Boston at 104.9 per game. Milwaukee’s efficiency hasn’t been all that good in this series, but that was to be expected against an elite defense like Boston’s. With the return of Robert Williams III, expect Boston to rely on their defense to win tonight’s game. Take the under. Read our full game preview for Celtics vs Bucks.
Must-watch
Don’t forget to check out our daily show Let’s Bet It! on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/Pickswise every day at 10:00 am ET.
Lauren Jbara and Jared Smith are your hosts today and they will be joined by Brian Scalabrine, former NBA champion and Pickswise NBA analyst, to discuss the NBA playoffs. The team will also give their thoughts on the NFL schedule and take a look at today’s slates in the MLB and NHL before revealing their Plays of the Day.
You can also access the show through Spotify and Apple Podcasts (search for Let’s Bet It Presented By Pickswise).
Must-read
Our same game parlays for tonight’s Celtics vs Bucks and Grizzlies vs Warriors games are available right now, and don’t forget to check out our analysis of the lines for the NFL Week 1 schedule. Football fans may also want to check out our best bets for this week’s USFL games.
Lead betting analyst Jared Smith has delved into the MLB Futures markets in his latest Back to the Futures article, and you can also get ahead for this weekend’s English Premier League soccer games with our Sunday EPL soccer parlay.
Read all of our great sports analysis as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The Bucks have gone under the total in 6 of their last 7 games when playing as home favorites.
Boost of the Day
New York Rangers & Calgary Flames both to win
Boosted to +250 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook has enhanced the odds of the Rangers (vs Penguins) and Flames (vs Stars) both winning their NHL games tonight from +180 to +250.
Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news, and best bets. Check out our expert NBA picks, NHL picks, MLB picks and Soccer picks for the latest game picks.
