Today’s shaping up to be one of those nights sports fans live for. The NBA Eastern Conference Finals tip off tonight, bringing all the drama and intensity we've been waiting for with the renewed Knicks-Pacers rivalry. Over in the NHL, the Western Conference Final is finally here—and it’s one of the most anticipated showdowns of the playoffs with Edmonton and Dallas. We're also going to dive into the MLB to polish things off.
First Pick: New York Knicks Moneyline
Rundown: This Eastern Conference final will give the fans exactly what they want. Scoring, physical defense, and a lot of drama. After last season's game seven loss in the Garden, the Knicks are looking to get their revenge. Both teams handled the No.1 and No. 2 seeds in Cleveland and Boston, so we know how competitive this series will be. The Knicks, with their home crowd advantage and momentum from taking down the defending champion Boston Celtics, make it hard to believe that they blow game one in Madison Square Garden. Everyone watching saw how much different this Knicks team is when Mikhail Bridges and OG Anunoby show their consistency, and I think they have finally figured it out. With Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns leading the way as well, I do not see Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers stealing game one. The moneyline for NYK is -180, so that brings us some solid value.
Second Pick: Dallas Stars Moneyline
Rundown: This Western Conference final between the Oilers and Stars has the makings to be an all-time classic series. Both teams have been exceptional in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and last year's conference final rematch is giving all NHL fans a whole lot to look forward to. Dallas has that vengeance factor from last year's conference final loss on their side, and with game one giving them home ice, Dallas should take game one. I do believe this series goes to seven games, and this will be as back and forth as a series can get, but I like Dallas in game one tonight. The Stars are given moneyline odds at -130. For a home game with a team as hot as Dallas, this line is very friendly. Edmonton has been equally impressive during this stretch, but Dallas is riding a large amount of momentum, and after losing to this Oilers team last season, I think Dallas comes out with just a little more tonight.
Third Pick: Seattle Mariners Moneyline
Rundown: Yesterday, the Mariners' bats never woke up in an embarrassing 1-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Yesterday's game was strange for Seattle to begin with. The game was delayed for over an hour and a half to begin with. To add on to that, the usually consistent Mariners could not even string a single run. While credit is due to Adrian Houser for putting together a fantastic scoreless six innings and picking up his first win since May 26th of last season, this kind of performance should not repeat today for the struggling 15-34 White Sox. Although Chicago is starting the impressive rookie Shane Smith, who has a solid 2.05 ERA, the Seattle bats are due to come alive after a no-show in yesterday's game. The moneyline is currently at -155, so this bet comes with a nice value. Seattle is the better team with a far better lineup. They should take care of business today and get back on track.
Parlay of the Day: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 and Minnesota Lynx moneyline
Rundown: For today's parlay of the day, we are going with two heavy favorites. Philly has covered this spread two games in a row now, so we are riding with them against the worst team in the MLB, the Colorado Rockies. Colorado has very little competition from the Phillies, who are in prime condition for a deep playoff run in October. Taijuan Walker is taking the mound for Philadelphia, and although he has a disappointing record of 1-3, he still offers a solid ERA of 2.62, compared to Colorado, which is sending out Rookie Carson Palmquist with a record of 0-1 and an ERA of 11.25. Philly should score a lot of runs today, and with the help of an experienced Taijuan Walker, Philly should help us secure the win on our first leg. For our second leg, we are shifting gears to the WNBA. The Minnesota Lynx, who were runners-up in last year's WNBA Finals, have picked up where they left off last season with a 2-0 record. On the other hand, the Dallas Wings are winless this season and seem to be in a rebuilding phase. I like Minnesota tonight against an inferior Dallas squad. Minnesota should run Dallas out of the gym and give us a win for our second leg.