The NBA choosing to schedule three playoff games on the first night of the NFL Draft is — shall we say — an interesting decision.
But it is what it is, so have the remote control or your multiple-screen setup prepared for a busy night.
New York fans will have to assume the triple-threat position on Thursday. The Jets (No. 2 overall) and Giants (No. 5) both select in the top five of the NFL Draft, the Knicks visit the Hawks in Game 3 with their Eastern Conference playoff series tied at 1-1 and the Yankees — behind Boston native Cam Schlittler — go for a three-game sweep of their rival Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are slight 1.5-point favorites over Atlanta, while the Bronx Bombers are -148 favorites over the Red Sox (+124).
Fans interested in MLB futures betting can check out the latest DraftKings promo code.
There are many options on a sporting landscape that includes two other NBA playoff matchups, three NHL playoff tilts and a nine-game MLB schedule. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Thursday, April 23. All times Eastern.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Knicks at Hawks
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Atlanta | TV: Prime Video
SportsLine pick — Model: Knicks -1.5 | Expert: CJ McCollum Over 18.5 total points -125 (Mike Barner)
The Hawks evened this series at 1-1 in large part because of CJ McCollum. Despite drawing the ire of the Madison Square Garden crowd, he poured in 32 points in Monday’s 107-106 Game 2 victory. SportsLine expert Mike Barner notes that McCollum has attempted at least 20 shots in each of the first two games in the series and is 7-for-19 from behind the arc. “He should continue to have a high usage rate and jack up a lot of threes in Game 3, making this Over appealing,” he says. Meanwhile, the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, says the New York has a 55.0% chance to cover and assigns a ‘C’ grade to Knicks -1.5.
Cavaliers at Raptors
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Toronto | TV: Prime Video
SportsLine pick — Model: Raptors +127 | Expert: Brandon Ingram Over 19.5 total points -121 (Mike Barner)
This series shifts to Scotiabank Arena, which is huge for the Raptors. Since the All-Star break, they had the second best home scoring margin (+12.7) in the league. In addition, over their final nine home games, they scored 124.6 points a game while holding teams to 104.6. They went 8-1 over that stretch. The SportsLine Projection Model says Toronto has a 56.0% chance to win and gives a strong ‘A’ grade to the Raptors money line (+127). Meanwhile, Barner thinks the series shifting to Canada will also benefit Ingram, who shot 49.9% from the field and 42.1% on 3-pointers at home during the regular season. “As the Raptors look to get on the board in this series, expect Ingram to play a ton and remain one of the focal points of their offense,” Barner says.
Nuggets at Timberwolves
Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: Minneapolis | TV: Prime Video
SportsLine pick — Model: Under 233.5 | Expert: Cameron Johnson Over 11.5 total points -115 (Mike Barner)
Johnson has eclipsed this line in each of the first two games of the series, scoring 12 points in Game 1 and 13 points in Game 2. That’s despite him shooting a combined 3-for-13 from behind the arc. Barner notes that Johnson shot 43.0% on his attempts from deep this season and expects him to return to the mean. “Expect him to play around 30 minutes as the Nuggets try to regain homecourt advantage, making this Over the way to go,” Barner says. Meanwhile, the SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 65.0% chance the teams combine for 233 points or fewer and assigns a moderate ‘B’ grade to Under 233.5.
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MLB best bets, where to watch
Yankees at Red Sox
Time: 6:10 p.m. | Location: Boston | TV: FS1 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Yankees -148 | Expert: Cam Schlittler pitcher to record a win +131 (Matt Severance)
Boston-bred New York righty Cam Schlittler will make his Fenway Park debut when he takes on the Red Sox on Thursday. Raised in nearby Walpole, Mass., Schlittler grew up a Boston fan and dreamed of pitching for the Red Sox. However, he was selected by the Yankees in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft. In last year’s playoffs against Boston, he was sensational, throwing eight shutout innings while striking out 12 and walking none in a 4-0 New York win. “I know Aaron Boone will try and get his guy a ‘W’ if at all possible tonight to pour salt in the Red Sox wound,” SportsLine’s Matt Severance says. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Yankees have a 57% chance to win and gives a ‘C’ grade to the New York money line (-148).
