Ricky Dimon
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The NBA playoffs are here. Saturday marks the beginning of the first round and we also have plenty of hockey games to go along with some soccer action in both the English Premier League and Major League Soccer. It’s another big day in the world of sports, so let’s not waste any time and get right to making your next bet better. Here is our latest installment of Wise n’ Shine!
About Last Night
Hawks, Pelicans win play-ins to reach NBA playoffs
Well, if the play-in round is a precursor of things to come then the NBA playoffs sure are going to be fun. Atlanta came back from 14 points down to beat Cleveland for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. New Orleans also won on the road, erasing a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun the Clippers for the final spot in the West.
Morant returns, Grizzlies dominate
The Grizzlies made one more statement in advance of the playoffs when Ja Morant returned from a brief injury absence and they destroyed the Pelicans 141-114 on Saturday. Memphis is the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, while Golden State beat San Antonio 100-94 to strengthen its hold on No. 3.
Panthers ground Jets
The nightcap of a small 2-game NHL slate saw Florida humiliate Winnipeg 6-1. It was a productive game for the Pickswise team, as we cashed the Panthers on the 3-way money line, Over 6.5 and Sam Bennett Over 0.5 points (he had 1 assist).
Today’s Slate
Four NBA playoff games
Round one of the NBA playoffs begins with three games in the Western Conference and one in the East. Memphis, Golden State and Philadelphia are among the teams in action. Head over to our NBA picks page to see all of our previews and predictions.
Wild vs Blues on ABC
A massive 14-game NHL schedule is headline by an ABC showdown between Minnesota (46-21-6) and St. Louis (44-20-10) at 3:00 pm ET. A high-scoring Toronto squad will try to light up the stat sheet again when it visits Ottawa at 7:00 pm ET on NHL Network. You can find all of our hockey coverage on the NHL page.
The first full week of MLB action comes down the stretch
Weekend series in Major League Baseball continue on Saturday. Atlanta is battling San Diego at 4:05 pm ET on FS1 before the Yankees visit the Orioles at 7:05 pm ET on ESPN+. Check out all of our MLB previews for the full 15-game slate.
Best Bet of the Day
Memphis Grizzlies -7 over Minnesota Timberwolves
3:30 pm ET, ESPN
Although the regular-season series was split between the teams, you won’t find many people picking the Timberwolves to advance. Opening on the road won’t be easy, and they lost both of the regular-season meetings at FedEx Forum at least 7 points apiece. With home-court advantage, Memphis should come out with a ton of energy – especially since Ja Morant is back and ready to play. In the regular-season finale against New Orleans five days ago, the Grizzlies poured in 141 points and Morant looked as solid as ever with 21 points and 9 assists in just 27 minutes. The Grizz were one of the most reliable teams against the spread in home games this season, covering in 27 of 41. They also have the experience from last year’s postseason, plus the rest advantage is on their side. Count on Memphis winning big.
Check out our Timberwolves vs Grizzlies preview
Must-watch
Make sure you catch today’s edition of our daily sports betting show, Let’s Bet It!, at 10:00 am ET on our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/c/Pickswise.
Must-read
It’s a huge day in the NBA with the playoffs getting started. Don’t miss our 3-team mega parlay for Saturday’s games, a +1591 same game parlay for Jazz-Mavericks, some best futures bets and much more.
We also have a couple of soccer parlays, one exclusively for the English Premier League and another involving both EPL and FA Cup games.
Check out more great content as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.
Stat of the Day
The Nuggets finished the regular season No. 1 in the NBA in effective field-goal percentage and they make nearly 80 percent of their free-throws. Not too far behind are the Warriors, who are No. 3 in effective field-goal percentage. With Stephen Curry returning, Over 223.5 in the DEN-GSW game is another one of our best bets on Saturday.
Boost of the Day
Arsenal and Tottenham both to win in regulation
Boosted to +250 with FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook is celebrating a busy day in the English Premier League by boosting the odds on both Arsenal (vs Southampton) and Tottenham Hotspur (vs. Brighton & Hove Albion) winning in 90 minutes from +200 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.
