Thursday’s slate brings a blend of intensity and predictability as the NBA and NHL seasons continue to wind down. The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets each clinched a top-6 seed in the Western Conference, officially avoiding the play-in tournament. Out east, the New York Knicks also punched their ticket to the playoffs following Philadelphia's loss to Miami on Monday. With that, here are tonight's best bets brought to you by BetOnline.org. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
First Pick: Under 5.5 Goals
Rundown: The Las Vegas Golden Knights (33-26-16) will conclude a four-game homestand against the Calgary Flames (31-35-8) at T-Mobile Arena.
The Golden Knights enter Thursday looking to make a final push for the top seed under new coach John Tortorella, who assumed the helm on Monday after the team parted ways with his predecessor, Bruce Cassidy. Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner lead the way with a respective 78 and 71 points with the former having 53 assists. Goalie Adin Hill has contributed as well, tallying 22 saves against Vancouver.
On the other hand, Calgary will aim to bounce back following a brutal 9-2 loss to Colorado in which the team’s only goals came from forward Brennan Othmann and center Ryan Strome. Goalies Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley will especially hope to regroup after surrendering four and five goals, respectively. As of today, the Flames are seventh in the Pacific with 70 points, possessing a comfortable 18-point advantage over last-place Vancouver.
Due to the favorable matchup, bettors can expect Las Vegas to keep up the pace during a point in the season where results mean more than ever.
Second Pick: Los Angeles Lakers +8.5
Rundown: The Los Angeles Lakers (50-26) will head on the road for a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder (60-16) at Paycom Center.
The Lakers begin their April slate having multiple reasons for excitement. For one, they secured back-to-back 50-win seasons under coach JJ Redick, ending March with only two losses. Additionally, Luka Dončić recorded his third-consecutive 40-point game on Tuesday, logging his 600th point, which surpassed Kobe Bryant’s 578. Moreover, Dončić has also been a force defensively with his team-high 1.7 spg while center Deandre Ayton has maintained his upswing with a team-leading 8.3 rpg.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City looks to maintain their dominance as the NBA’s top team with star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 31.6 points and 6.5 assists per game. Chet Holmgren has been another key piece with his team-leading 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Jared McCain and Isaiah Joe also continue to shine with their respective 10.8 and 10.7 ppg.
Even though the Lakers have a tough matchup on their hands, expect them to show relentless tenacity on the court.