Happy Thursday, Pickswise Nation! The Celtics took advantage in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and are now just 2 wins away from the championship, but today is all about the NHL playoffs and a tidy MLB slate. Let’s get into making your next bet better!
About Last Night
Celtics power past Warriors in Game 3
The Celtics secured a huge 116-100 win over the Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to take a 2-1 series lead. They now just need to win their two remaining games at TD Garden and they will be NBA champions. The Celtics are -230 odds with FanDuel Sportsbook to win the series, while the Warriors are +185.
Rough day for New York while Dodgers bounce back
New York’s baseball teams have been red-hot this season, but that wasn’t reflected in yesterday’s results as the Yankees lost 8-1 to the Twins while the Mets were crushed 13-2 at the hands of the Padres. Meanwhile, the Dodgers got back on track with a 4-1 win over the White Sox. Pickswise’s player props experts stayed hot as JutPicks had 2 winners to make us 4-0 over the past 2 days.
Today’s Slate
Lightning meet Rangers on the ice in massive Game 5
Game 5 of the Lightning vs Rangers Eastern Conference Finals takes place today with plenty on the line. The series is tied at 2-2 and whoever wins tonight will go 1 win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. The home team has been victorious in every game so far — can the Rangers maintain that at Madison Square Garden tonight? Read our Lightning vs Rangers preview.
11 games in MLB
We’ve got 11 games taking place today in MLB, starting at 12:35 pm ET with a matchup between the Diamondbacks and Reds. Yankees vs Twins takes place at 7:20 pm ET on ESPN+, while a clash between the Red Sox and Angels at 9:39 pm ET closes out the day’s games. Check out today’s MLB game previews.
RBC Canadian Open golf gets underway
The Canadian Open is this week’s tournament on the PGA Tour, and Pickswise golf analyst Diane Knox Balas has her best bets. Read Diane’s picks for the Canadian Open.
Best Bet of the Day
MLB: Boston Red Sox ML over Los Angeles Angels
9:39 pm ET
This may not seem like a pitcher’s duel on paper, but it could develop into one very quickly. Nick Pivetta was having a mediocre start to the season, but all of the sudden the Canadian became the best pitcher on Boston’s staff. In his last six starts, Pivetta has a 1.32 ERA and was dominant against any offense he faced. He shut down the White Sox, Rangers, Astros, and more during that six-game stretch. The Red Sox have won five of those six starts. As good as Pivetta has been this season, the Red Sox offense might be better. In the last 15 days, Boston ranks 3rd in batting average and 4th in OPS. Wednesday’s 1-0 win made it seven wins in a row. Boston offers value as the underdog on Thursday with a red-hot offense and a surging Pivetta on the mound. Read our full game preview for Red Sox vs Angels.
Must-watch
Enhance your sports betting knowledge by watching our daily sports betting show Let’s Bet It! at 10:00 am ET.
Lauren Jbara and Jared Smith host today’s show, and are joined by Pickswise lacrosse analyst Dan Arestia to analyze Week 2 of the PLL season. NBA analyst Jonathan von Tobel also joins the duo to break down last night’s Game 3 between the Warriors and Celtics. Lauren and Jared will also look at tonight’s Lightning vs Rangers game and, of course, give their Plays of the Day.
Check it out at our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/c/Pickswise and remember you can also access the show through Spotify and Apple Podcasts (search for Let’s Bet It Presented By Pickswise).
Must-read
In addition to our picks on the side and total, we have a same game parlay for Lightning vs Rangers (+650 odds) and looking to make it 2 wins in a row after our Game 4 parlay cashed. We also have our best player prop for that huge matchup.
Meanwhile, Jared Smith is going Back to the Futures with his latest MLB analysis, which includes a +400 pick!
Be sure to head over to the Analysis tab for all today’s great betting content as it drops throughout the day.
Stat of the Day
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin hasn’t allowed more than 3 goals in an NHL playoff game since Game 4 of the 1st round.
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