Friday’s Best MLB & NBA Picks & Predictions
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 Home Run: Mookie Betts (+300)
The Dodgers grabbed a 6-2 victory over the Cubs in last night’s series opener in the Windy City. The two National League foes are back at it this afternoon at 1:20 p.m. ET from Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL.
Speaking of the wind, we’re projected to see roughly 10.9 mph to 12.9 mph winds blowing out to dead center on the north side of Chicago today. That means we should see no shortage of home runs if batters can get the ball in the air. The pitching matchup for the second game of the four-game set features Julio Urias taking on Drew Smyly.
Smyly enters this game at 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA and 1.30 WHIP spanning 15.1 innings of work this year. His most recent outing was a winning effort against these same Dodgers, a game where he held them to one earned run on four hits and two walks. The one run came off of a Chris Taylor home run in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Mookie Betts went 3-for-4 in the game and drove in a run. As for his overall head-to-head numbers against the left-hander, he’s 11-for-31 (.355) with two long balls and four doubles. Considering his success against Smyly and the wind that we’re expecting, I think there’s a great chance Betts goes yard Friday afternoon.
- Trenton Pruitt
Check out our other MLB Odds, Picks & Predictions:
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- MLB Same Game Parlay Odds, Picks & Predictions
NBA Playoffs Best Bets
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (-2) | O/U 211 (-112/-108)
In this series, we’ve seen the defensive aspects be more prominent, which was expected from the Cavaliers and their top-ranked adjusted defense, but the Knicks, who are in the top half of the league in points allowed, have also kept Cleveland in check offensively.
The Cavs need Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland to be on the same page in order to win this series. In the Game 1 loss, it was all Mitchell, who scored 38 on 14-of-30, but Garland had just one assist and didn’t attempt a shot in the fourth quarter. The Game 2 win was more balanced, with Garland scoring 32 and Mitchell having 13 assists.
The Knicks need Jalen Brunson to be the guy he was in Game 1 when he shot 11-for-24. Cleveland put pressure on Brunson in Game 2, and he went just 5-for-17.
New York caught Cleveland off guard in Game 1, especially on the boards, but they made the adjustments. The Cavs have the formula and the talent to beat the Knicks, and that will help them take Game 3.
Pick: Cavaliers +2 (-110)
- John Supowitz
Check out our other NBA Playoffs Best Bets:
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NHL Playoffs Best Bets
Carolina Hurricanes (+105) at New York Islanders (-125) | Total 5
- Leg 1 – Islanders -125
- Leg 2 – Over 4.5 goals
- Leg 3 – Bo Horvat anytime goalscorer
- Odds: +400
This is the other series currently at Carolina, leading 2-0. However, this series has been much tighter than the aforementioned Hudson River Rivalry.
In Game 2, Carolina received a ridiculous carom off an Isles player for a goal and was granted six power plays, and they still needed overtime to take down New York. And I don’t think we need to speak more about the controversial missed call that led to Carolina’s game-winning goal.
The Islanders looked like the better team in Game 2, and the analytics back that up. New York had an expected goals margin of 2.65-1.41 at 5-on-5 play. They also racked up 14 high-danger chances and held Carolina to merely five such opportunities.
Coming home in virtually a must-win scenario, I expect maximum effort from the Islanders, a rabid home crowd, and hopefully a friendlier whistle on home ice.
Granted, the Islanders can occasionally look broken offensively. But it felt like they had a breakthrough in Game 2. They can dictate matchups better at home and free up some of their top scorers.
This will likely be another tight contest, but I like the Islanders to keep the series alive, and I think Horvat will break through for a goal after a quiet start to the series.
- Matt Barbato
Check out our other NHL Playoffs Best Bets:
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