OPTIMAL BET · THE SLATE

Tonight’s board: 1 NBA playoff game · 15 MLB · 1 NHL playoff game · 3 WNBA

The NBA and NHL playoffs converge on a pair of Game 5s tonight — Detroit and Cleveland are knotted at two in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, while Colorado can close out Minnesota in the West. The WNBA is in its opening week, and MLB delivers a massive 15-game Wednesday.

Eastern Conference Semifinals · Game 5

The series is level after Cleveland clawed back from an 0-2 deficit with consecutive wins at home. Tonight shifts back to Detroit, where the Pistons took both opening games.

Little Caesars Arena · Market: DET -3.5, total 212.5, DET ML -175

Cade Cunningham is projected for nearly 32 combined points and rebounds — the highest individual projection in tonight’s game — and his assists ceiling stretches past 14, well into triple-double territory. On the Cleveland side, Harden is expected to distribute nearly seven assists, but Jalen Duren’s projected nine-plus rebounds give Detroit a clear edge on the glass.

15-Game Wednesday

The Cubs ride a 10-game win streak into Atlanta while the Rays have won 16 of their last 18 heading to Toronto.

Sutter Health Park · Market: OAK -1.5, total 9.5, OAK ML -145

Shea Langeliers leads all hitters in this game with a projected 2.4 combined hits, runs, and RBIs — a significant gap over every St. Louis bat. The two starters are practically identical in projected workload and strikeout rate, but Ginn is expected to allow nearly a full hit fewer than Liberatore, tilting the run advantage toward Oakland.

Top bats (Hits + Runs + RBIs, p50)

Western Conference 2nd Round · Game 5

Colorado can advance to the Western Conference Finals tonight with a home win. Minnesota needs to win three straight to extend its season.

Ball Arena · TNT · Market: COL -1.5, total 6.5, COL ML -210

Nathan MacKinnon is the only player in tonight’s game projected for two or more points, and his four expected shots on goal are a full shot clear of any Wild skater. Minnesota needs Kirill Kaprizov to match that output, but even Kaprizov’s ceiling tops out at two points while MacKinnon’s stretches to three.

Week 1

The WNBA’s 30th season tipped off five days ago, and Wednesday’s three-game slate includes Vegas’s first road trip of the year.

Mohegan Sun Arena · Market: LV -15, total 171, LV ML -1200

A’ja Wilson is projected for 23 points and 10 rebounds — the only player on either side expected to hit a double-double — and her ceiling pushes past 36 points alone. The gap between Vegas and Connecticut is starkest in scoring: Wilson is projected for nearly double every Sun player’s output, and Jackie Young adds nearly 17 more at the guard spot.