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Monday’s Best MLB, NBA & NHL Bets (5/8)

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No matter your sport of choice, there's always sports betting action to be had. We'll have you covered each and every day with our daily best bets. Here are all of our best bets across each major sport in action today.

Today's Best Bets

Here are today's best bets.

MLB Best Bets

Colorado Rockies (+152) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (-180) | O/U 8.5 (+100/-122)

The Colorado Rockies sent lefty Kyle Freeland to the mound once this season against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and it was easily his worst outing of the year. That start was the only time in seven appearances this year that Freeland failed to complete five innings, as he was tagged for nine runs (seven earned) in just 2 2/3 innings. Thus, another date with the Rockies' lefty is the perfect remedy for a Pirates team that has lost a season-high seven consecutive games, as the Rockies went a National League worst 27-54 on the road last season.

The Rockies are already five games under .500 on the road this season (third-worst in the National League), and the Pirates have feasted on poor competition, going 12-6 against teams under .500 this year. Furthermore, the Pirates are 13-0 this season when hitting 2+ home runs. The Rockies have allowed at least two home runs in three of Freeland's last five starts, including a 14-3 home loss to Pittsburgh on April 17.

Mitch Keller is second among all Pirates starters in WHIP (1.20) and WAR (0.6). And per Stuff+, his fastball has been electric, ranking 18th among all qualified starting pitchers. Keller also has a 0.16 Win Probability Added rating (per FanGraphs), while the league average is -2.61. We expect him to lead the team to victory against southpaw Kyle Freeland, as the Pirates are 6-4 against left-handed starting pitchers this season.

The Pirates have won each of the previous four meetings with the Rockies and five of the last seven in Pittsburgh. Back the Pirates to end their long losing streak tonight.

Pick: Pirates ML (-180)

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NBA Playoffs Best Bets

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

The Miami Heat are leading this series 2-1. They have looked like a true playoff contender that could make it to the Eastern Conference championship. The Knicks have been unable to stop the Heat when Jimmy Butler plays. New York must find a way to stop Butler if they want to win this series.

Jimmy Butler is playing the best basketball of the playoffs. In the one game that New York won, Butler sat out that game. When Butler played, they beat the Knicks by an average of 13 points. This game is in Miami, and the Heat player is much better at home. Being at home and the playoff dominance of Jimmy Buttler make this one of the best bets of the night.

Bet: Miami Heat -4.5 (-105 DraftKings)

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NHL Playoffs Best Bets

Vegas Golden Knights (+146) at Edmonton Oilers (-178) | O/U 6.5 (-144/+118)

The Oilers continued to show why they were the best offense in the regular season by transitioning that into the playoffs.

It all started with Leon Draisaitl once again, but there were other guys that decided to score a goal, including Connor McDavid, who grabbed two to keep his multi-point streak going at six.

Edmonton's offense was never the problem in the playoffs. Stuart Skinner has lacked consistency, including allowing five goals in the Game 1 loss. Game 2 marked the first time he allowed under two goals in the playoffs, which included saving six high-danger shots and 1.6 goals saved above expected.

The Golden Knights' offense wasn't stagnant. They were able to get the puck near the net, but they could not grab rebounds and get second chances. They had the expected goals advantage in this game, but Skinner was a wall, and Edmonton was able to clear it out.

It's been a tough couple of games for Laurent Brossoit, who has a .847 save percentage and a 5.41 GAA. In Game 2, the Golden Knights didn't do him any favors by giving Edmonton six power play opportunities, but he did allow a short-handed goal. There is no announcement of the lineup for Game 3, but I expect Brossoit to be in the crease, but he may get a quicker hook than the second intermission if Vegas falls behind early.

I don't think the Oilers will get that many PP chances again, but if other guys besides Draisatil keep contributing, this series could end quickly. I'll continue to ride with Edmonton, as the Vegas defense hasn't contained them in this series.

Best Pick: Oilers 60 Min Moneyline (-125)

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