Parlays

The Florida Panthers will take on the New York Rangers Sunday afternoon. Both teams rank at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, which was not the expectation. The Panthers are coming off a rough loss to the New York Islanders in which they led 2-0 early but lost by a score of 5-2. The defensive crumble have been a common theme this season for the Panthers, as they give up 3.31 goals per game. The Panthers’ struggles get even worse when away from Florida; they have lost 9 of their last 11 away games. Basically, the Panthers seem unmotivated to keep playing this season.

For the Rangers, they are coming off a huge 6-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. While they rank last in the Eastern Conference and have the worst home form, the most recent game showed some momentum. On the season, the Rangers are averaging 2.81 goals per game, but I think they find the back of the net today. Through the Panthers last 10 away games, they have allowed 41 total goals. The Rangers offense should be able to sneak goals past the lack-luster Panthers defense. I am taking the Rangers on the money line.

Panthers vs. Rangers Prediction: NY Rangers ML (-140) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

It’ll be a tough turnaround for the Montreal Canadiens after a Saturday evening win over the Nashville Predators. The Canadiens put forth a great effort to get the 4-1 win and move one step closer to clinching a playoff spot, but having to travel to Carolina to take on a team that has been waiting at home since their Saturday matinee against the New Jersey Devils will be a difficult ask. The Hurricanes had a relatively easy 5-2 win over the Devils, leaving no doubt why they are at the top of the Atlantic Division.

With Brandon Bussi starting on Saturday, it looks like the Hurricanes will turn back to Frederik Andersen, whose last game came in a 5-2 loss to the Canadiens earlier this week. He allowed four goals on 18 shots, which is interesting considering the Hurricanes also allowed just 19 shots on Saturday night. Rod Brind’Amour’s man-to-man defense has been a point of contention in the past, but with those defensive performances in their last two games, Carolina might be figuring something out.

The Canadiens will likely turn to Jakub Dobes after Jacob Fowler’s start on Saturday night. Dobes has been lights out lately, allowing two or fewer goals in four consecutive games, but after Carolina’s loss to Montreal and Dobes earlier this week, it feels like a perfect time for them to bounce back at home.

One interesting thing for bettors to monitor on Sunday is whether the Canadiens take this opportunity to give Sam Montembeault another start. It looks like Dobes and Fowler are carrying the ball the rest of the way, and I’m still taking the Hurricanes if it is Dobes, but if Montembeault gets the net in this one, the Hurricanes’ chances are even better.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes prediction: Carolina Hurricanes ML (-170) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The New Jersey Devils will be hosting the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. The Devils will be playing their second game in consecutive days, while the Blackhawks were sitting idle on Saturday. Both of these teams are far removed from playoff contention and are just playing for pride at this point. For teams out of the playoff hunt, defensive structure tends to break down later in the season. In the last eight games the Devils have played, the over is 7-1. For the Blackhawks, it is 3-0 in their last three games played. There are some highly skilled offensive players on both of these teams with the likes of Connor Bedard and Jack Hughes. I expect them to be driving the offense in this game. The Blackhawks are one of the weaker defensive teams in the league, averaging 3.21 goals against per game.

With both teams eliminated from the playoffs, I am expecting a game with not too much attention being paid to the defensive side of things. Look for the offense to take over in this game. Give me the over in this one.

Blackhawks vs. Devils prediction: Over 6.0 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

Sunday’s first game features the Minnesota Twins vs the Baltimore Orioles. The Twins took Saturday’s contest, 4-1, despite collecting only 4 hits on the day. As we head to the rubber match of this opening series, we get Bailey Ober vs Shane Baz on the bump. I think that gives the Orioles a distinct advantage that, coupled with their superior offense, should lead to an Oriole victory and series win.

I have some concerns with Ober. First, his velocity has been in decline with each of his spring training starts. Indeed, he didn’t crack 90 mph in his final tune-up. That is concerning, even more so for a big, tall man that is supposed to be a power pitcher. My other concern is that Ober is an extreme fly ball pitcher, and the wind is blowing out fairly hard on Sunday. On the other side, Baz is throwing around 97, and he induces weak contact that is usually on the ground. The Birds should roll in this spot.

Twins vs Orioles Prediction: Baltimore Orioles ML (-150) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Saturday’s game between the Kansas City Royals and the Atlanta Braves was a tremendous matchup. Pitching controlled the game early on with the 1st run coming in the 7th inning. The game was tied 2-2 entering the bottom of the 9th before Atlanta loaded the bases and Dom Smith hit a grand slam in his first game with the club. It is hard to execute sweeps at the Major League level, but I look for Atlanta to close out this series with another win Sunday afternoon.

Grant Holmes is the scheduled starter for Atlanta in their 3rd game of the season. Holmes was a 1st round pick back in 2014 but didn’t make his mark in the majors until 2024. He made 26 total appearances and 7 starts as a rookie, totaling 68.1 innings with a 3.56 ERA. In 2025, he converted to a full-time starter, opening 21 of his 22 appearances. Those 22 games resulted in a 3.99 ERA across 115 innings of work. Atlanta already has injuries to their pitching staff, and Holmes has a chance to step into a very nice role this season for the Braves if he can limit walks. He allowed 9 free passes in 17.2 spring training innings, but 20 strikeouts helped limit the damage to just 2 earned runs allowed.

Seth Lugo did not find as much success this spring, posting iffy results in both Spring Training and in the World Baseball Classic. Lugo also posted a 7.51 ERA across his final 44.1 innings last season following the All-Star break. At age 36, Lugo doesn’t have the greatest projections heading into the 2026 campaign, and a matchup against a solid Braves lineup could result in a poor start to his season. Given current pricing I side with the Braves to finish off the sweep of Kansas City.

Royals vs Braves prediction: Atlanta Braves ML (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable to -150 odds.

The Boston Red Sox will take on the Cincinnati Reds for the 3rd game of their series, and both teams have won a game so far. Starting today’s game will be two young guys with limited experience in the MLB. The Red Sox will start Connelly Early, who had a 1-2 record last season with a 2.33 ERA. While these numbers are good, he only pitched 4 total games prior to his sole playoff start, in which he ended with a 7.36 ERA. He may come into this one optimistic, as the Reds only have 12 hits through the first 2 games of the series. Additionally, the Red Sox have amassed more hits and have shown a better bullpen.

For the Reds, they will start Rhett Lowder, who will be making his first start since 2024. During the 2024 season, he pitched in 6 games and had a 2-2 record with a 1.17 ERA. These numbers are fantastic, but there is some concern in the fact that it has been so long since he pitched in the MLB. This is worrying when we consider that the Reds bullpen has given up 5 runs through the first 2 games. Overall, the Red Sox are hitting the ball better and the bullpen is playing better. I am taking the Red Sox on the money line.

Red Sox vs. Reds Prediction: Boston Red Sox ML (-135) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

It’s an Elite Eight showdown between the #6 seed Tennessee Volunteers and the #1 seed Michigan Wolverines. Looking back at Tennessee’s last 3 games, their defense has been impressive. They held a high-powered Miami (OH) offense to just 35.2% shooting from the floor, Virginia to 39.1% and Iowa State to 38.9%. While some may argue the Cyclones didn’t have Joshua Jefferson, I don’t think his presence would’ve changed that margin significantly. Michigan, however, has the size to match Tennessee in the paint and features major frontcourt contributors in Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson Jr. That trio will present challenges, but Tennessee has its own interior presence with Nate Ament, Felix Okpara, and J.P. Estrella, who can generate offense and compete physically inside. 

According to KenPom, Tennessee ranks 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency (94.1) and 31st in adjusted offensive efficiency (121.9). For the Wolverines, they rank 1st in defense (89.8) and 5th in offense (127.9). Tennessee’s defensive identity is built around pressure and disruption, and that presents a key challenge for a Michigan team that has struggled with ball security, ranking 205th nationally in turnovers per game at 11.7. The Volunteers will look to speed up possessions against the Wolverines, force rushed decisions, and turn those mistakes into transition opportunities. On the glass, Tennessee also holds a slight edge, averaging 45.6 rebounds per game compared to Michigan’s 43.3. Controlling the offensive boards will be critical for Michigan if they want to limit second-change opportunities for the Volunteers.

While Michigan holds the statistical edge in both offensive and defensive efficiency, Tennessee’s physicality and ability to disrupt rhythm makes this a difficult matchup. The Volunteers may not play at the same tempo as Alabama or feature the same explosive scoring depth, but their defensive pressure and rebounding are more than capable of keeping this game tight into the final minutes. 

Tennessee vs Michigan prediction: Tennessee Volunteers +7.5 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

This matchup between blue bloods in the East Region is the highlight of Sunday’s Elite 8 action, as the UConn Huskies will take on the Duke Blue Devils. The Huskies struggled down the stretch to close the regular season, but UConn has raised their level in March, as they typically have under Danny Hurley in recent seasons. To his credit, Hurley might be the best postseason coach in the sport at the moment, and he is now 16-1 against the spread over his last 17 NCAA Tournament games. Furthermore, the Huskies are in much better shape than Duke heading into this game, as it took an all-out effort from the Blue Devils to rally from a double-digit deficit in the second half to knock off St. John’s on Friday. Duke is undoubtedly an extremely talented team, but it remains to be seen if we’ll see another heroic effort from Caleb Foster just 48 hours after logging significant minutes while playing with an injured foot. Foster is the engine of this team on both sides of the floor, so anything less than a solid effort from him would spell trouble for Duke.

UConn has a blend of experienced veterans (Alex Karaban, Taris Reed Jr.) and younger players, and this mixture has proven to be very effective through its first 3 games played in this tournament. In fact, while the Huskies have played well of late, you could certainly argue that they’re still due for some positive shooting regression from beyond the arc — especially against a Duke team that just allowed plenty of 3-point looks against St. John’s. UConn has also been excellent on the glass in this tournament, which could go a long way to staying close against a Duke team that boasts an elite first-shot defense. If the Huskies are able to generate second-chance looks and impose their will in the paint, they are certainly capable of keeping this one close down the stretch.

There’s also the matter of UConn’s offense being incredibly difficult to prepare for on a short turnaround, which is certainly a major factor as to why Hurley is such an effective NCAA Tournament coach. It’s a massive credit to this coaching staff that teams consistently fall behind against UConn, and we saw that on Friday as Michigan State trailed by as many as 19 in the first half and looked totally out of sorts for the first 20 minutes. Jon Scheyer’s team has trailed in the second half in every game of this tournament, but the Duke staff has been excellent with their halftime adjustments. With that in mind, it wouldn’t shock me at all if UConn jumps out to an early lead and holds an edge at the break, before the talent of Cam Boozer and the Blue Devils’ ultimately wins out in a tight, physical battle down the stretch. I’ll be taking a plus-money shot on the 1st half money line with the Huskies in this game, but my favorite bet focuses on UConn to cover the full-game spread.

UConn vs Duke prediction: UConn +5.5 available at time of publishing. Playable to UConn +5

After winning the game in Indiana, where we saw one of the craziest endings ever to an NBA regular season game, the Clippers have now won 4 games in a row and are in prime position to make it 5 straight when they visit the lowly Bucks on Sunday. LA is at full strength for the most part, and they smoked the Bucks 129-96 in the first meeting of the season about a week ago in LA. They forced 22 turnovers in that win, with Kawhi Leonard going off for 28 points in 25 mins played. That’ll be the recipe for success in Sunday’s game as well, Milwaukee is averaging 19.7 turnovers per game in their last 3 outings.

Yesterday’s defeat to the Spurs means that the Bucks have mathematically been eliminated from making the play-in tournament and now the seasons is pretty much over. The last 3 losses have been by 32, 31 and 33 points, and considering the line-up head coach Doc Rivers is putting out there, it’s not at all surprising. Playing on a 2nd night of a back-to-back won’t do the Bucks any favors either here; there could be some tired legs out there on Sunday vs the Clippers. Recent games against Western Conference opponents tell us they’ve covered just once in 6 outings, while in games played on a Sunday this team is only 1-5 ATS.

All the signs are pointing to a convincing win for LA here, and after watching that Spurs vs Bucks game yesterday, I cannot justify backing the Bucks to cover here — even if the spread is at almost 15 points. Leonard and co. have won 6 straight vs East teams; hopefully they can guard against complacency here and get the job done vs a shorthanded Bucks side.

Clippers vs Bucks Predictions: LA Clippers -14 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The case for the under starts with the matchup. Toronto’s season profile is more defense-first than the market sometimes gives credit for. The Raptors are averaging 113.9 points per game, but allowing just 112.4, which ranks in the top 10 in points allowed; Orlando is scoring 115.7 ppg and allowing 114.8 ppg. These are teams that live in the margins and love a good old rock fight.

The matchup itself can bog down, and evidence supports this hypothesis. One meeting this season already in the Great White North finished 107-106. A higher-scoring 130-120 Orlando win in January required massive fourth-quarter offensive spike that was atypical for both combatants. Stylistically overall, neither side is built to consistently generate easy offense in this matchup. Orlando can stagnate in the half court. Toronto, meanwhile, has dealt with inconsistency in shot creation and often relies on grinding out possessions rather than flowing offensively. This creates a game environment where scoring runs are difficult to sustain. With both teams leaning on defense-first identities and capable of dragging pace down, this sets up as a physical, half-court game where every bucket is earned which are ideal conditions for the under.

Magic vs Raptors prediction: Under (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to number.

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Back-to-back wins over the Thunder and Hawks must have felt really good for the Celtics, who are looking to stay in control of the #2 seed in the East. Sunday sees them travel to Charlotte for a date with the Hornets, as they look to avenge a 29-point loss to them from earlier this month. Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta are all on the injury report though, so we’re not certain which version of the Celtics shows up here. The fact that the Knicks are just 1.5 games back in the #3 seed raises the sense of urgency for the Cs, so I think most of those players will gut it out and try to play here.

Charlotte suffered an unexpected loss vs Philadelphia last night, which ended a 5-game win streak. They were caught a bit by surprise with the return of Tyrese Maxey, and we once again got proof that the Sixers will be a tough out for whoever gets them in the postseason if their big 3 is healthy. So far this season playing with no rest hasn’t been an issue for these young Hornets, they are 10-4 SU in 14 such games. However, it’s been a struggle in recent home games against Boston with just 1 win in 8 meetings at Spectrum Center.

I’m hoping all these injuries or the Celtics players are minor and that their team shows up in this game. If that’s the case, I think they’ll be very motivated to get one back over the Hornets who thrashed them the last time they played each other. Knowing the mentality of head coach Mazzulla and his players, that loss has been stuck in their heads ever since it happened. I’ll back the Celtics to get revenge here.

Celtics vs Hornets Predictions: Boston Celtics -1 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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