OPTIMAL BET · THE SLATE
Friday, April 24
Tonight's board: 3 NBA playoff Game 3s · 14 MLB · 3 NHL playoff games.
Two leagues are already in the postseason — the NBA opens Round 1 Game 3s and the Stanley Cup Playoffs roll through a three-game Friday card — while MLB offers a full 14-game regular-season slate with Ohtani's Dodgers hosting the Cubs as the nightcap.
NBA
First Round, Game 3 Night
Every game on tonight's NBA board is a Round 1 Game 3, with the series returning to the lower seeds after opening at the higher-seed home floor. Road teams are carrying the market across all three tips.
San Antonio at Portland · 10:30 PM ET
Moda Center · Amazon · Market: SA -2.5, total 218.5, SA ML -140
Wembanyama is the only player on this floor projected for 3 p50 blocks, and his p90 points+rebounds+assists of 57.7 is six clear of anyone else in the game. The model's next-closest p90 rebounding line belongs to Clingan at 15.9 — Wemby's is 17.2.
| Team | PTS | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAS | Wembanyama 24.5 | Wembanyama 11.2 | Castle 6.6 |
| POR | Avdija 22.9 | Clingan 9.7 | Holiday 6.3 |
The full NBA slate
| Matchup | Time ET | Line | Total | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOS @ PHI | 7:00 | BOS -7.5 | 215.5 | BOS 71.0% |
| LAL @ HOU | 8:00 | HOU -8.5 | 206.5 | HOU 73.1% |
| SAS @ POR | 10:30 | SAS -2.5 | 218.5 | SAS 56.7% |
MLB
Full 14-Game Friday
A month into the season, the weekend opens with a full regular-season slate — every team in action except for rest-day clubs — and the day's headliner waits until 10:15 ET on the West Coast with the Cubs in Los Angeles.
Chi. Cubs at L.A. Dodgers · 10:15 PM ET
Dodger Stadium · Market: LAD -165, total 9.5, LAD -1.5
Ohtani is the only hitter on either side projected at p50 one-or-better in both runs and RBIs — every other stick, Freeman included, sits at 0 in at least one of those slots — and his p90 Hits+Runs+RBIs of 6.60 is the highest in the game. On the mound, Sheehan's p90 strikeouts of 8.5 outruns Taillon's 7.6, and Sheehan's p90 hits allowed (7.9) sits nearly a full hit below Taillon's (8.8).
| Team | Pitcher | IP | K | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHC | Taillon | 5.2 | 4.1 | 5.1 |
| LAD | Sheehan | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.3 |
Top bats (Hits + Runs + RBIs, p50)
| Team | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHC | Hoerner 1.8 | Bregman 1.5 | Busch 1.5 |
| LAD | Ohtani 2.4 | Freeman 2.0 | Smith 1.7 |
The full MLB slate
| Matchup | Time ET | Line | Total | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DET @ CIN | 6:40 | DET -130 | 8.5 | DET 57.3% |
| BOS @ BAL | 7:05 | BAL -120 | 8.5 | BOS 50.4% |
| CLE @ TOR | 7:07 | CLE -127 | 7.5 | CLE 56.3% |
| COL @ NYM | 7:10 | NYM -225 | 7.5 | NYM 63.7% |
| MIN @ TB | 7:10 | TB -125 | 7.5 | TB 50.1% |
| PHI @ ATL | 7:15 | ATL -143 | 9.5 | ATL 54.0% |
| WSH @ CWS | 7:40 | CWS -125 | 9.5 | CWS 50.5% |
| PIT @ MIL | 7:40 | PIT -135 | 7.5 | PIT 57.8% |
| LAA @ KC | 7:40 | KC -110 | 8.5 | LAA 51.6% |
| OAK @ TEX | 8:05 | TEX -155 | 8.5 | TEX 55.4% |
| NYY @ HOU | 8:10 | NYY -143 | 9.5 | NYY 59.1% |
| SEA @ STL | 8:15 | SEA -160 | 7.5 | SEA 61.0% |
| CHC @ LAD | 10:15 | LAD -165 | 9.5 | LAD 57.2% |
| MIA @ SF | 10:15 | MIA -114 | 7.5 | MIA 53.4% |
NHL
Stanley Cup Playoffs · First Round
The regular season wrapped on April 16 and Round 1 tipped off two days later, so every puck drop tonight is a playoff game with series still in the early stages.
Edmonton at Anaheim · 10:00 PM ET
Honda Center · Market: EDM -130, total 7.0, EDM -1.5
McDavid is the only skater on either side with a p50 points projection of 2, and the game's p90 ceiling of 3 points is held by exactly three players — all Oilers — McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard. Every Anaheim skater caps at 2 points in the upper band.
| Team | PTS | SOG | Blocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDM | McDavid 2.0 | McDavid 4.0 | Nurse 2.0 |
| ANA | Carlsson 1.0 | Gauthier 3.0 | LaCombe 2.0 |
The full NHL slate
| Matchup | Time ET | Line | Total | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBL @ MTL | 7:00 | TBL -120 | 6.0 | TBL 53.0% |
| VGK @ UTAH | 9:30 | UTAH -107 | 6.0 | VGK 51.4% |
| EDM @ ANA | 10:00 | EDM -130 | 7.0 | EDM 54.7% |
