Andrew Wilsher

The 76ers won’t have too much time to celebrate their comeback win over the Celtics, as Round 2 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs begins on Monday at Madison Square Garden. Playing the Knicks will be a completely different challenge than it was playing the Celtics, but it’s one that the 76ers will embrace with open arms. Just like with Boston, there is unfinished business between these two sides, as the Knicks eliminated Philly in the first round 2 seasons ago. The core of both teams has remained intact since, so it adds another element into what is a storied rivalry. Game 1 will be a feel out game for both teams. Oddly enough, all 4 regular season games were won by the road team, so despite being 7.5-point dogs in the opener, the Sixers will like their chances.

Meanwhile, the Knicks had a couple days to rest and prepare for this series, as they were the only team to advance in the East without having to play a Game 7. Beating the Hawks by double digits in 3 straight games, including the 51-point drubbing in Game 6, will have the Knicks brimming with confidence as they continue their quest of returning to the Eastern Conference Finals. Head coach Mike Brown has to feel good after seeing how Karl-Anthony Towns played against Atlanta; he took full advantage of his size down low and notched a pair of triple-doubles along the way. Mikal Bridges also silenced his critics by scoring 24 points after a sub-par opening to the series. Expectations are high in Knicks land ahead of the start of this series.

We did not see all that much defense in the 4 regular season meetings between these teams, as the projected total of 212 points was surpassed in all 4 games. This being the postseason, the pace of play should go down a bit and the defenses will tighten up, but I still feel like that number is a tad too low considering the offensive talent on both rosters. There could also be some tired legs out there on Philly’s roster after their grueling series with the Celtics, which could lead to a more open game to start this series. I’m backing the over.

76ers vs Knicks Game 1 prediction: Over 212 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 213.5.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves open their series on the road against the San Antonio Spurs, but the matchup is heavily tilted by Minnesota’s injury situation and the physical toll of their previous series. The Timberwolves are coming off a demanding playoff battle with Denver, where they advanced through defense, rebounding, and late game execution, but now face a much deeper and fresher Spurs team. The biggest storyline is the status of Anthony Edwards, who is dealing with a left knee bone bruise and remains sidelined for Game 1. Even if he suits up at some point in the series, there are real questions about his explosiveness, workload, and ability to carry Minnesota’s offense at a high level. Compounding the issue, Minnesota is already without Donte DiVincenzo, which further limits perimeter shooting and spacing, forcing increased creation responsibilities onto Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels in difficult matchup conditions.

San Antonio, meanwhile, enters Game 1 fully rested and rolling after a dominant first round series win over Portland. The Spurs have looked like one of the more balanced offensive teams in the postseason, with spacing, pace control, and shot creation all working efficiently. Their centerpiece, Victor Wembanyama, continues to present a unique two-way challenge, impacting the game as a rim protector while also stretching defenses offensively. At home, San Antonio’s depth becomes even more dangerous, as multiple secondary creators are capable of exploiting mismatches against a Minnesota team that may be operating below full strength. The combination of rest advantage, home court, and offensive versatility gives the Spurs a clear structural edge heading into the opener.

From a betting perspective, this is a classic “situational mismatch” spot. Minnesota’s path to staying competitive hinges almost entirely on Edwards’ health, and any limitation significantly lowers their scoring ceiling. Without consistent perimeter creation, the Timberwolves risk long stretches of inefficient half court offense, especially against a disciplined Spurs defense. San Antonio, on the other hand, has the tools to push pace and build separation early if Minnesota struggles to score. With all factors considered, this sets up as a game where the Spurs’ depth and health advantage should translate into control from start to finish.

Timberwolves vs Spurs Game 1 prediction: Spurs -13 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -13.5.

The Tampa Bay Rays enter the new week in a groove. Tampa Bay has won 9 of its last 10 games and has been great at home throughout the first 5 weeks of the season. Owning a record of 11-4 at Tropicana Field to start the 2026 campaign, the Rays should enter this Monday night matchup against the Blue Jays with plenty of confidence. Nick Martinez is slated to take the mound in this one, and he has allowed 2 or fewer earned runs in each of his first 6 starts this season. The Rays are 5-1 in those games.

On the other side, the Blue Jays head to Tampa after splitting a 4-game series with the Twins in Minnesota over the weekend. The Blue Jays have had their struggles on the road early on this season, as they are just 6-10 away from Toronto. Starting pitcher Eric Lauer is off to a rough start. He enters this matchup with a 6.00 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over 6 starts. The Blue Jays are just 2-4 in those starts, and things won’t get any easier as they go up against the red-hot Rays on the road. Let’s ride the hot hand and back the Rays on the money line in this one.

Blue Jays vs Rays prediction: Tampa Bay ML (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable to -110.

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The New York Yankees will look to complete a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night behind Cameron Schlittler, who enters at 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA and 0.74 WHIP through seven starts. The Orioles will counter with Shane Baz who has struggled this season, entering at 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across six outings. 

The Orioles simply haven’t had answers for New York’s offense in this series, getting outscored 27-9 through the first three games. A big part of their offensive success has been from players like Cody Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez, Ben Rice and Aaron Judge. Even with Rice exiting early on Sunday due to a hand injury, he’s expected to be available for tonight’s matchup. Baltimore’s struggles go beyond just pitching – they haven’t been able to generate offense, batting .170 in this series and .196 in their last seven games, and things won’t get any easy against Schlittler, who has been lights out. On top of that, the Orioles bullpen has been heavily utilized throughout the series, while the Yankees come in with a fresher, more reliable relief group. With everything pointing in favor of the Yankees, I’m backing them to win big in the Bronx as they wrap up this AL East matchup against the Orioles, making them my best bet of the day. 

Orioles vs Yankees prediction: Yankees -1.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable up to -130. 

The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants kick off a three-game series at Oracle Park between these National League West Division rivals. The Padres turn to RHP Randy Vasquez, who has posted a 3-0 record, 2.94 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across six starts in 33 2/3 IP. That includes a victory last time out against the Colorado Rockies in his most recent road start on April 21. The Padres have posted a perfect 6-0 record in six starts with Vasquez on the hill, while going 14-13 in each of their other games. The Padres offense really struggled over the weekend against the lowly Chicago White Sox, winning just one of three games, with a total of six runs. They’re 1-4 in the past five games, too.

For the Giants, believe it or not, they’re actually much worse offensively. They enter play with a six-game losing streak, and they cobbled together just two total runs of offense in an interleague road sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays, getting outscored 10-2. In the six-game skid, San Francisco has managed just nine total runs, or 1.5 runs per game (RPG). Look for the Giants to really struggle against Vasquez, who is cooking right along.

Padres vs Giants prediction: Padres ML (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable to -160.