Pickswise
Wise n' Shine: What you need to know to bet better on Thursday, May 19

Wise n' Shine: What you need to know to bet better on Thursday, May 19

Ricky Dimon
Ricky DimonAuthor
UpdatedSep 15, 2026
Reading time4 min

The NBA and NHL playoffs are in full swing, plus we have plenty of Major League Baseball action on Thursday. Moreover, the PGA Championship is getting underway. It’s another huge day in the world of sports, so let’s not waste any time and get right to making your next bet better. Here is our latest installment of Wise n’ Shine!

About Last Night

Warriors too much for Mavericks
We had no trouble cashing our Warriors -5 bet, as Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was a rout for the home team. The Dubs dominated Dallas 112-87, putting seven players in double-figures while limiting Luka Doncic to 20 points.

Flames-Oilers craziness cashes multiple plays
The Battle of Alberta began with an absolutely wild Game 1, in which Calgary defeated Edmonton 9-6. Our 3-star best bet of Over 6 cashed 7 minutes into the second period and the Flames’ victory capped off our +420 parlay in successful fashion. Elias Lindholm’s goal made red-hot NHL expert Mark Lammey 2-0 on player props and bumped his current streak to 14-4.

Mets, Yankees win in much different fashion
Max Scherzer left Wednesday’s game due to injury, but the Mets (25-14) still rolled over the Cardinals 11-4. The Yankees (28-9) won because of their pitching, as Gerrit Cole paced them to a 3-2 victory at Baltimore.

Today’s Slate

Can Boston bounce back?
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off on Thursday. The Celtics will try to earn a split in Miami. Head over to our NBA picks page to see all of our previews and predictions.

Lightning, Avalanche look to take control
The all-Florida showdown in the NHL playoffs has the Lightning ahead of the Panthers 1-0 heading into Thursday. In the Western Conference, Colorado is seeking a 2-0 lead over St. Louis tonight. You can find all of our hockey coverage on the NHL page.

Small 8-game MLB schedule
About half of the teams in Major League Baseball are in between series. Still, there is enough on Thursday to whet the appetite of MLB fans, including another Cardinals-Mets game. Check out all of our MLB previews.

Star-studded first round of PGA Championship
The season’s second major is here! And it will start with a bang, as some epic first-round pairings include Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. You can find all of our coverage on the golf page.

Best Bet of the Day

NHL: Florida Panthers 3-way ML (+105) over Tampa Bay Lightning
7:00 pm ET, TNT

Florida will be pushing hard to bounce back from a Game 1 loss, as heading back to Tampa Bay down 2-0 for Games 3 and 4 would be a major challenge. The opener was a tough 1-1 battle until the third period, when the Lightning came alive. Florida will obviously be looking to play a full 60 minutes in this one, and it can. The Panthers put plenty of shots on net in Game 1 and they should be able to convert more times on such chances in Game 2. Check out our full preview for Lightning vs Panthers.

Must-watch

Make sure you catch today’s edition of our daily sports betting show, Let’s Bet It!, at 10:00 am ET on our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/c/Pickswise.

Hosts Lauren Jbara and Jared Smith will be joined by Jonathan Von Tobel, NBA analyst and host of the “Hardwood Handicappers” podcast, to discuss the playoff action. There will also be MLB predictions, NHL Ice Picks and Plays of the Day.

Must-read

Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off tonight and we are bringing you a can’t-miss player prop bet for Celtics-Heat.

For the PGA Championship we are featuring Diane Knox Balas’ best bets in addition to her best prop bets. We also have first-round leader picks as well as first-round 2-ball best bets. You can also find out why a Tiger Woods PGA win would result in historic losses for sportsbooks.

Check out more great content as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.

Stat of the Day

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Game 1 of the Avalanche-Blues series went to overtime (Colorado won 3-2). The Avs outshot the Blues 13-0 in OT, won more face-offs (34 to 19), had more hits (47 to 39) and had more high-quality scoring chances.

Boost of the Day

Golf: Tiger Woods to shoot 70 or better in round one of the PGA Championship
Boosted to +300 with FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook is celebrating the start of the PGA Championship with a boost on Tiger’s odds of shooting 70 or better on Thursday from +175 to +300.

Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news, and best bets. Check out our expert NBA picks, NHL picks, MLB picks and Golf picks for the latest game picks.

Exclusive Offers
See all
Polymarket — Deposit $10, Get a $50 Trading Bonus
Polymarket
PolymarketDeposit $10, Get a $50 Trading Bonus
$50
Novig — Deposit $10, Get $25 in Trade Credits
Novig
NovigDeposit $10, Get $25 in Trade Credits
$25
Underdog — First-Time Deposit Match + Keep Your $1,000,000
Underdog
UnderdogFirst-Time Deposit Match + Keep Your $1,000,000
$1,000,000
Onyx Odds — Spend $10, Get $111 in Bonus Picks
Onyx Odds
Onyx OddsSpend $10, Get $111 in Bonus Picks
$111
Bet365 — Bet $10, Get $365 in Bonus Bets, Win or Lose
Bet365
Bet365Bet $10, Get $365 in Bonus Bets, Win or Lose
$365
Fanatics — Bet $20, Get $350 in FanCash
Fanatics
FanaticsBet $20, Get $350 in FanCash
$350
BetMGM — Get Up to $1500 in Bonus Bets if your First Bet Does Not Win
BetMGM
BetMGMGet Up to $1500 in Bonus Bets if your First Bet Does Not Win
$1,500
ProphetX — Trade $50, Get $75
ProphetX
ProphetXTrade $50, Get $75
$75
Rebet — Get a 100% Deposit Match up to $100
Rebet
RebetGet a 100% Deposit Match up to $100
$100
FanDuel — Bet $5, Get $350 in Bet Reset Tokens over 7 Days
FanDuel
FanDuelBet $5, Get $350 in Bet Reset Tokens over 7 Days
$350
When you click our links to visit an operator and sign up, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. This financial relationship helps support our site.
Pickswise
Get exclusive 
free sports picks
to your email
subscriber 1
subscriber 2
subscriber 3
18K users have
already subscribed
Enter your email address
By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy