OPTIMAL BET · THE SLATE
Monday, May 18
Tonight’s board: NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 · 14 MLB · NHL Second Round Game 7
The Western Conference Finals tip off in Oklahoma City tonight, while the NHL’s second round comes down to a do-or-die Game 7 in Buffalo with a trip to the Eastern Conference Final on the line. A 14-game MLB slate fills out the board, and the WNBA’s landmark 30th season continues with Dallas hosting Washington.
NBA
Western Conference Finals, Game 1
The Thunder earned home-court advantage through the West after dispatching Minnesota and Denver, while the Spurs — powered by Wembanyama’s breakout postseason — punched their first conference finals ticket since 2017.
Spurs at Thunder · 8:30 ET
Paycom Center · NBC · Market: OKC -6.5, total 220.5, OKC ML -240
Wembanyama is expected to generate four combined steals and blocks — more than any other player on either roster — with his shot-blocking ceiling alone reaching six. Castle has quietly emerged as San Antonio’s primary facilitator, projected to dish more assists than Fox tonight, giving the Spurs two playmakers capable of exploiting Oklahoma City’s switching scheme.
| Team | PTS | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA | Wembanyama 24.3 | Wembanyama 12.8 | Castle 6.1 |
| OKC | Gilgeous-Alexander 30.0 | Holmgren 8.6 | Gilgeous-Alexander 6.6 |
The full NBA slate
| Matchup | Time ET | Line | Total | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA @ OKC | 8:30 | OKC -6.5 | 220.5 | OKC 66.6% |
MLB
14-Game Monday
Six weeks into the season, elite starting pitching is separating contenders from pretenders, with sub-3.00 ERA rotations driving the early standings across both leagues.
Brewers at Cubs · 7:40 ET
Wrigley Field · Market: CHC -1.5, total 10.5, CHC ML -165
Imanaga holds more than a full inning’s edge over Sproat in expected workload, with a strikeout ceiling approaching nine that dwarfs anything on Milwaukee’s pitching side. Chicago’s lineup spreads the production evenly, with four starters sitting within a fraction of two combined hits, runs, and RBIs — making depth, not any single bat, the engine of the Cubs’ offense tonight.
Top bats (Hits + Runs + RBIs, p50)
The full MLB slate
| Matchup | Time ET | Line | Total | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE @ DET | 6:40 | DET -148 | 8.5 | DET 54.4% |
| CIN @ PHI | 6:40 | PHI -125 | 9.5 | PHI 50.4% |
| ATL @ MIA | 6:40 | MIA -110 | 8.5 | ATL 52.3% |
| BAL @ TB | 6:40 | TB -152 | 7.5 | TB 55.5% |
| NYM @ WSH | 6:45 | NYM -141 | 9.5 | NYM 58.7% |
| TOR @ NYY | 7:05 | NYY -203 | 9 | NYY 61.9% |
| BOS @ KC | 7:40 | BOS -112 | 9 | BOS 53.3% |
| HOU @ MIN | 7:40 | MIN -115 | 9.5 | HOU 51.0% |
| MIL @ CHC | 7:40 | CHC -165 | 10.5 | CHC 56.8% |
| TEX @ COL | 8:40 | TEX -150 | 9.5 | TEX 60.7% |
| OAK @ LAA | 9:38 | OAK -129 | 8.5 | OAK 56.3% |
| CWS @ SEA | 9:40 | SEA -175 | 7.5 | SEA 57.9% |
| SF @ ARI | 9:40 | ARI -137 | 9 | ARI 52.8% |
| LAD @ SD | 9:40 | LAD -154 | 7.5 | LAD 60.6% |
NHL
Second Round, Game 7
The Canadiens and Sabres have traded blows through six games, and the winner advances to face Carolina in the Eastern Conference Final starting Thursday.
Canadiens at Sabres · 7:30 ET
KeyBank Center · ESPN · Market: BUF -1.5, total 5.5, BUF ML -120
Suzuki is the only skater on either team with a realistic path to three points, giving Montreal’s captain the highest upside of any forward on the ice tonight. Buffalo’s edge, if it exists, runs through shot volume — Thompson and Dahlin are both expected to put three pucks on net — and a home-ice structure that should keep Montreal’s attempts manageable in a game where one hot goaltender likely decides the series.
The full NHL slate
| Matchup | Time ET | Line | Total | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTL @ BUF | 7:30 | BUF -120 | 5.5 | BUF 51.7% |
