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Friday’s Best MLB, NBA & NHL Bets (5/5)

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No matter your sport of choice, there’s always sports betting action to be had. We’ll have you covered each and every day with our daily best bets. Here are all of our best bets across each major sport in action today.

Today’s Best Bets

Here are today’s best bets.

MLB Best Bets

To Hit A HR: Justin Turner (+800)

The red-hot Red Sox hit the road after winning six straight games and sweeping the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. The first stop of their five-game road trip is in Philadelphia, where they’ll take on the 2022 World Series runner-up Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. 

Chris Sale will take the ball for Boston in the series opener, while Philadelphia opts for Zack Wheeler. Wheeler’s off to a respectable start in 2023 as he comes into this one at 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 32.2 innings pitched. Most recently, the right-hander held the Astros scoreless over 6.0 innings in a 6-1 win. He struck out seven batters while allowing just three hits and a walk. 

While that was Wheeler’s second straight quality start, he’ll be in for a tall task tonight against a Boston lineup that’s plated 47 runs over their six-game win streak (7.8 RPG). Furthermore, the Red Sox have seen him well in his career, slashing .290/.353/.419 against him over 31 at-bats. Specifically, Justin Turner is 4-for-8 (.500) against the righty with a home run. Turner’s off to a 5-for-13 (.385) start to May with two doubles and an RBI. Let’s lock him in to hit his third home run of the year. 

Check out our other MLB Odds, Picks & Predictions:

NBA Playoffs Best Bets

Boston Celtics (-2) at Philadelphia 76ers | O/U 214.5 (-110/-110)

The Celtics took a tough loss in Game 1 against the 76ers without Joel Embiid, but they would come up huge in Game 2 against Embiid to tie this series up as it heads to Philadelphia.

Boston showed how they have more than a few guys that can contribute. Jaylen Brown had a game-high 25 points, Derrick White and Marcus Smart had 15, and the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon, delivered 23 off the bench. Their star Jayson Tatum was a non-factor as he dealt with foul trouble and had just seven points in 19 minutes.

The Celtics’ defense also showed up in Game 2. They were better at not allowing the Sixers to facilitate the ball, especially inside with Embiid, and as a result, they couldn’t get the high-percentage shots and had a season-low 13 assists. Harden fell to earth after his 45-point performance in Game 1 and shot 2-for-14 from the floor.

The Sixers will find a way to get Embiid the ball more, and it will help the entire team get better shooting opportunities. Boston has done well on offense in both games, and I expect that to continue. This is a perfect opportunity to take the over.

Pick: Over 214.5 (-110)

Check out our other NBA Playoffs Best Bets:

NHL Playoffs Best Bets

New Jersey Devils (-107) @ Carolina Hurricanes (-112) | O/U 5.5 (+112/-137)

After their 5-1 victory in Game 1, the Carolina Hurricanes look to take a 2-0 series lead over the New Jersey Devils. Carolina has now won six of the last eight meetings between these two clubs, a trend likely to continue on Friday evening.

The Hurricanes finally turned to goaltender Frederik Andersen in Game 6 of the first round against the New York Islanders. This decision surely did not disappoint, as Andersen is now 2-0 with a .962 save percentage (SV%) and 0.95 goals against average (GAA) over his two playoff starts.

Andersen’s strong play between the pipes could continue against New Jersey, a team he has dominated throughout his career. Through 10 career starts against the Devils, he is now 8-2 with a stellar .935 SV% and 2.00 GAA.

Making Andersen’s job easier is the fact that Carolina is perhaps the best two-way team in the league. At 5-on-5 since the Christmas break, the Canes rank first in the league in both expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) and expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).

Over that same stretch, they rank four and eight spots higher, respectively, than New Jersey in those two key metrics. After a dominating effort in Game 1, look for the better team to handle business on home ice once again in Game 2.

Best Bet: Hurricanes Moneyline (-112)

Check out our other NHL Playoffs Best Bets:


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