Parlays

The difference so far in the series between the Pistons and Cavaliers might just be Cade Cunningham. Detroit’s point guard played the entire 4th quarter of Game 2, making plays for the Pistons down the stretch and finishing the game with 25 points and 10 assists. That ties Pistons great Isiah Thomas for most 25 and 10 games in the postseason, Cleveland just hasn’t had an answer for the size and physicality of Cunningham at the point guard position. Going into Game 3 there’s very little pressure on the Pistons, they’ve done their part by protecting home court and if they can get anything out of the next two games it’ll be a bonus for them. Their last 11 visits to Cleveland have seen them win just once though, so history isn’t on their side here.

As good as Cade has been for Detroit so far, James Harden has been the complete opposite for the Cavaliers. Whenever you have a point guard on your team accumulating more turnovers than field goals made, you will be in trouble. That’s exactly what’s happened to Harden in the first two games of this series, he’s got 11 TOs compared to just 9 FGs made. Evan Mobley is another huge disappointment so far in the series. He had just 1 (yes, one) rebound in Game 2, far too little for the former Defensive Player of the Year. Head coach Kenny Atkinson will have to come up with a completely new gameplan in the next two games, one that will get Mobley going offensively and defensively and one that’ll slow down the production of Cade Cunningham.

Cleveland is undefeated at home this postseason, which is something they’ll be counting on to continue in Game 3. It is a pivotal game for the home side, as they cannot afford to go down 3-0 here. Aside from Game 7 vs Toronto, this could be their 2nd most important game of the season and I expect them to bring their energy levels up and give it their best in what is almost an elimination game. Cleveland takes Game 3 and makes things interesting here.

Pistons vs Cavaliers Game 3 predictions: Cavaliers -4 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to that number.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to secure a borderline insurmountable 3-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Los Angeles Lakers when these 2 teams tangle once again on Saturday, this time in L.A. Oklahoma City took the first 2 games at home by scores of 108-90 and 125-107. Yes, the Lakers are now playing in the friendly confines of Crypto.com Arena, but that may not matter as much as the oddsmakers suggest (they are +8.5 underdogs after being +15.5 and +16.5 ‘dogs in Game 1 and Game 2, respectively). Should there really be that much of a shift after Los Angeles got clobbered by 18 points in each of the first 2 contests? Probably not. Those results were nothing new, either. In the regular season, OKC swept L.A. by winning all 4 matchups — doing so by a combined 117 points. And it’s not like Luka Doncic (hamstring) is coming back to save the Lakers. He is out for Game 3 and is not expected to return during this series even if his team somehow takes it all the way to a seventh game. Those are among the reasons why my Thunder vs Lakers pick is for the visitors to win and cover — again.

Just like they were throughout last year’s playoffs en route to the NBA title, the Thunder are an absolute wagon. They are 6-0 in the playoffs so far (including a first-round sweep of Phoenix) and have won every game by at least 9 points. Jalen Williams (hamstring) remains on the shelf, but OKC is accustomed to playing without him this season and it has not exactly had a serious impact. Ajay Mitchell has been stepping up in Williams’ absence to the tune of at least 15 points scored in the past 5 games and at least 18 in the past 3. Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still getting plenty of help — a lot more than LeBron James and Austin Reaves are getting on the other side. Give me the Thunder to win and win big.

Thunder vs Lakers prediction: Oklahoma City -8.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Carolina Hurricanes will be trying to finish off a sweep of their Eastern Conference semifinal series when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Aside from Game 2, this matchup has been all ‘Canes all the time. They won both Game 1 and Game 3 by 3 goals to go along with their 3-2 overtime victory in Game 2. Even on the road, Carolina was especially dominant on Thursday. It out-shot Philadelphia 31 to 19 and watched the home team rack up 38 penalty minutes compared to 20 for the visitors. Philly has been out-shot in every game during this series and by 22 overall. Such dominance is nothing new for the Hurricanes, either. They swept Ottawa in round 1, winning 3 of the 4 contests in regulation — this after recording an Eastern Conference-best 113 points during the regular season. With the top seed showing no signs of slowing down, my Hurricanes vs Flyers pick is for the visitors on the 3-way money line.

Philadelphia did extremely well just to make the playoffs and did even better to beat Pittsburgh in round 1. However, it could be the end of the road in 2025-26 for this team on Saturday. The Flyers may still be without Owen Tippett, who has missed the first 3 games with an undisclosed injury. Tippett (28 goals, 23 assists) is one of the leaders of this team both in the locker room and in terms of point production. It’s hard enough to beat Carolina even at full strength; it’s almost impossible for an undermanned squad. In the first round, Flyers mascot Gritty was launching stuffed animal Penguins off the upper deck. Well, the Penguins ain’t walkin’ through that door. These are the Hurricanes — and they are a wagon. Gritty might be tempted to launch himself off the upper deck this weekend. Give me Carolina to once again prevail in regulation and ease into the conference finals.

Hurricanes vs Flyers prediction: Carolina 3-way ML (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -130.

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The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild continue their second-round series in the NHL Playoffs. The Presidents’ Trophy winner in Colorado has now won all six of their playoff games so far, and will look to make it seven as this series hits the road. Meanwhile, this is already a must-win for Minnesota, who is down 0-2. To get you set for all of the action, here is our expert Avalanche vs. Wild prediction.

The absence of Joel Eriksson-Ek and Jonas Brodin have proven to be major issues for Minnesota. Veteran defender Zach Bogosian is returning to the lineup after a Game 2 absence, but the team needs a lot more firepower. The Wild are also facing some goaltending adversity, as both Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt have posted save percentages below .820 in each of their appearances in this series. There is much chaos forming in Minnesota, with home ice advantage in the next two games unlikely to help. Colorado’s foot is fully pressed on the gas as they are absolutely running through the playoffs so far. They are incredibly deep, mature, talented, and their play has been impeccable, outscoring opponents 27-13 and winning 5/6 games in regulation. 16 of 20 players who have suited up in these playoffs have accumulated 2+ points, with 14 finding the back of the net at least once. This has been a full team effort, and clearly look the part of a Stanley Cup winner. This won’t get any easier for Minnesota, so for our Avalanche vs. Wild prediction, we expect Colorado to continue their winning ways.

Avalanche vs. Wild prediction: Colorado Avalanche money line (-130) available at time of publication. Playable to (-150).

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After the opening game of this second-round series, the Knicks surely looked like the top team in the Eastern Conference, and New York was a massive -10.5 favorite on Wednesday following the announcement that Joel Embiid would miss Game 2 due to injury. However, contrary to popular public sentiment before the game, the 76ers were able to band together and play with a ton of desperation and grit without their superstar big man, covering the spread but ultimately coming up short in the final minutes. It was the first time that the Knicks had been in a close game since suffering a 1-point defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks back on April 23, so it had to have been encouraging for the players and coaching staff to close out a hard-fought victory at home — even if they were unable to cover the huge spread. That said, Philadelphia should have at least 1 more high-level effort game in them, and the Knicks are also dealing with a pretty significant injury that could really hamper them on both ends of the floor in Game 3.

Generally speaking, teams in the playoffs that head home after suffering a pair of defeats on the road tend to perform very well in Game 3. Logically, it makes sense; the home team is going to get a significant boost from its fans and the visitors are going to have to deal with a hostile road environment after being at home for 2 games. Furthermore, it’s hard to imagine that New York’s insanely high level of play to continue for 48 more minutes away from Madison Square Garden, especially with the news that OG Anunoby is likely to miss this game with a hamstring strain. Anunoby has arguably been the best player on the Knicks during this postseason run, and his contributions will be sorely missed on both ends of the floor.

With the Knicks’ best defender out of the lineup, there should be plenty of opportunities for the likes of Tyrese Maxey and Paul George to put up strong performances in a spot where the Sixers offense should succeed at home. With Embiid off the floor, the 76ers are able to play fast and get the Knicks on their heels a bit defensively, which we saw at different points in Game 2. If Embiid does end up playing in this one, Philadelphia’s offense has a much higher ceiling, as the Sixers should have multiple shooters on the court surrounding Embiid at all times. The home team down 2-0 trend has been a consistent cash cow over the years, and I’m not going to ignore it now. Take the Sixers on the money line. 

Knicks vs 76ers Game 3 prediction: Philadelphia 76ers ML (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to -125.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs head to Minneapolis for a pivotal Game 3 with the series tied 1-1, and through 2 games, the matchup has been defined far more by defense and physicality than offensive rhythm. Minnesota narrowly escaped with a 104-102 win in Game 1 despite a dominant defensive showing from Victor Wembanyama, who altered nearly every shot around the rim. San Antonio responded emphatically in Game 2 with a 133-95 blowout, forcing 22 turnovers and completely disrupting Minnesota’s offense from the opening quarter. The Spurs controlled tempo through aggressive perimeter defense and transition execution, while the Timberwolves struggled to generate consistent half-court scoring. Anthony Edwards, still working back from a knee injury, looked limited at times and failed to establish offensive flow, while Minnesota’s supporting cast provided little scoring support.

As the series shifts to Minnesota, expect a much more focused and urgent effort from the Timberwolves, particularly on the defensive end — where they’ve been one of the league’s best teams throughout the postseason. However, stylistically, this matchup still strongly points toward a slower, more methodical game. San Antonio has had success controlling pace and forcing half-court possessions rather than turning games into track meets, and Minnesota is unlikely to push tempo either given Edwards’ condition and the need to avoid live-ball turnovers. Playoff adjustments in swing games also tend to tighten rotations and increase physicality, making efficient scoring harder to sustain for both sides.

Even though Game 2 finished with a high total, the overall structure of this series suggests that result was more of an outlier fueled by turnovers and transition opportunities. With both teams now fully adjusted to each other’s schemes and Minnesota expected to prioritize cleaner possessions and defensive discipline, this projects as a much more controlled contest. Possessions should become more deliberate, transition chances more limited, and scoring runs harder to maintain.

Spurs vs Timberwolves Game 3 prediction: Under 216.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 215.

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The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens will play Game 2 of their second-round series on Friday night. The Sabres won Game 1 by a score of 4-2. If you did not watch the game, the scoreline may make it seem like the Canadiens actually dominated the game, as they out-shot the Sabres 28-16. However, I expect the Sabres to have more pucks to the net in Game 2.

In the regular season, these were 2 of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL. The Sabres averaged 3.45 goals per game, while the Canadiens averaged 3.40. Game 1 showed us that despite a tighter game being played from both teams, goals still can be scored. We are still awaiting some goal scoring from Cole Caufield, a player who had 51 goals in the regular season. Including Game 1, the Canadiens and Sabres have met 4 times in total this season, and all 4 of those games have gone over the Game 2 total of 5.5 goals.

Look for the Sabres to come out with a stronger performance offensively, as they will not be able to win often with only 16 shots on net. I like the chances of Game 2 going over 5.5 goals once again. Give me the over in this one.

Canadiens vs Sabres Game 2 prediction: Over 5.5 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable to -130.

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The Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights have played a pair of low-scoring games to begin this series, but things could open up a bit more in Game 3 on Friday night. The Ducks are happy to see the series shift to Anaheim, as Joel Quenneville’s squad has been great at lighting the lamp on home ice all throughout this season. During the regular season, the Ducks ranked 8th in the NHL scoring 3.44 goals per game at home. For comparison, they ranked 16th, scoring 3.02 goals per game on the road. Anaheim played 3 home games in the first round against Edmonton, scoring 7, 4 and 5 in those contests. Furthermore, Anaheim has fired 62 shots on goal so far in this series. While they’ve generated just 4 goals up to this point, that total could have very easily been higher, as the Ducks found many Grade A scoring chances in Games 1 and 2. I don’t expect them to miss those opportunities in Game 3.

Vegas had scored 4.5 goals per game over their last 4 contests before being held to just a single goal in Game 2. The Golden Knights had scored at least 2 goals in every postseason up until that point. Vegas is a veteran team full of players with plenty of playoff experience, and John Tortorella should have his team well-prepared for a bounce back performance. It’s also worth mentioning that both of these teams have been fairly undisciplined so far in this series, as we’ve seen 15 total power plays through 2 games. Only a single power play goal has been scored, but if the chances continue to pile up, it could be only a matter of time before one (or both) teams get their man advantages rolling. The over is the play.

Golden Knights vs Ducks Game 3 prediction: Over 6 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -115. 

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The Tampa Bay Rays have now won 7 in a row, and they’ll look to keep things rolling when they get ready to take on the Red Sox on Friday. Jesse Scholtens will make his 2nd start of the season for the Rays, entering with a 3-1 record and a 3.18 ERA. For the Red Sox, they’ll send the southpaw Connelly Early to the mound, who is 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA in 7 starts this season. 

Offensively, the Rays have been one of the more consistent teams in baseball, hitting .257 and averaging 4.5 runs per game compared to the Red Sox — who are hitting .237 and averaging 4 runs per game. Tampa Bay has also played well on the road with an 11-8 record, while the Red Sox have struggled to protect home field at just 6-11 at Fenway. It’s worth noting that Early has struggled at Fenway this season, going 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA.

While the Rays will likely mix and match their pitching throughout this matchup, Scholtens should be able to eat up a few innings in tonight’s game to give their bullpen a bit of a break, as he has allowed just 3 earned runs in his last 7.1 innings. The Rays are red-hot right now, and with the better offense and an even matchup on the mound, I think Tampa Bay gets the job done on the road and brings their winning streak to 8. 

Rays vs Red Sox prediction: Tampa Bay Rays ML (+115) at time of publishing. Playable up to +110. 

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Friday’s matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and the Minnesota Twins is a very fun game, in my opinion. Parker Messick has been one of my favorite starting pitchers to back in the entire sport this season, and despite a shaky start in his last outing, I am still a major fan. Messick enters Friday with a 2.40 ERA and 0.92 WHIP through 41.1 innings of work. His 2.86 xERA and 3.07 FIP support his success, as does his elite batted-ball profile. Messick not only suppresses hard contact, but he earns whiffs often and limits free passes. His profile is among my favorites of any starter currently, as he faces a Twins lineup that ranks 12 in wOBA with a 99 wRC+ against lefties this season.

Cleveland ranks 11th in wOBA against lefties, but their wRC+ sits at 107 due to playing in tougher parks so far. They face Connor Prielipp in this matchup, as the rookie southpaw makes his 4th start of his career. Prielipp has been solid so far, posting a 3.86 ERA in his first 14 innings of work. His 15 strikeouts are a signal of what he did in the minors, but Prielipp ranks just 1st percentile in average exit velocity allowed with a 3rd percentile barrel rate so far. I worry about walks with Prielipp as well, as that is something that could bite him. I favor the Guardians in this game at the current price.

Twins vs Guardians prediction: Guardians ML (-138) available at time of publishing. Playable to -145.

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The New York Mets have lost 5 consecutive Nolan McLean starts, but the right-hander gives them a clear starting pitching edge on Friday when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks. McLean enters Friday with a 2.97 ERA in his first 39.1 innings of work. His 2.33 xERA and 2.12 FIP suggest he has been even more dominant, and I am a fan of his matchup against Arizona. The Diamondbacks offense was explosive in Game 1 of their series with Pittsburgh, but they were absolutely silent in Games 2 and 3. They scored just 2 combined runs against Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller, and their competition level doesn’t get any easier Friday.

Ryne Nelson is the scheduled starter for Arizona in this game. Nelson had a strong 2025 campaign and gained a ton of supporters entering this year. His results have not been there, however, posting a 6.61 ERA in his first 31.1 innings. Nelson’s 5.79 xERA and 5.50 FIP aren’t much better, and his batted-ball profile is extremely concerning. He is allowing far too much hard contact, and his inability to keep those hard hit balls on the ground could be detrimental in any matchup. Nelson has been especially poor at home, posting a 14.40 ERA through his first 3 home outings. At current pricing, I side with the Mets despite their poor form.

Mets vs Diamondbacks prediction: NY Mets ML (-136) available at time of publishing. Playable to -140.

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