It’s good to know that the NBA + NHL playoffs won’t be all chalk, all the time after Tuesday…
and even better to know that Reggie Bush is about to reclaim something he never should’ve lost.
Put The Brooms Away
What Happened: The lower seeds finally showed some life in both the NBA and NHL playoffs. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a series!…at least in some cases.
Why It Matters: Prior to last night’s games, teams with a higher (better) seed had gone 11-0 in the NBA playoffs and 8-2 on the NHL side.
Despite Kawhi Leonard’s return to the lineup, the Dallas Mavericks evened up their series with the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Indiana Pacers easily dispatched a Milwaukee Bucks team still without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
On the ice, the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators rode big goal totals to even up their respective series with the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks.
The Avs still possess more firepower than most NHL teams, and these are long series, so if you took Colorado at negative odds, fret not (yet, at least.) Ditto for Mavs bettors, who can feel confident that with Luka DonÄŤić cooking, anything’s possible.
How We’re Feeling Today
Unmoved by the Heisman Trophy Trust’s decision, but happy for Reggie Bush at least.
The Heisman Trust will be giving back Bush the 2005 trophy he won at USC after the running back forfeited it due to NCAA sanctions placed on the Trojans. That stemmed from Bush receiving “improper benefits.”
Improper benefits in 2005 = NIL money in 2024. But more importantly, no one outside of the Heisman Trust ever took that decision seriously anyway.
Bush was a once-in-a-lifetime college player, a one man highlight reel who looked like he was playing at 1.5 speed most of the time. There have been few stars bigger in the college game than #5, and no clerical decision could change that.
Good on Reggie for getting his trophy back, but he never lost his status as a college football legend. Now, let’s all go and watch Bush’s 2005 run against Fresno State. You know the one we mean.
The Look Ahead
Leon Draisaitl SOG – Plus money on over 2.5 SOG? Consider it long and hard folks. Draisaitl had a goal and assist on three shots on net against the Kings in Game 1, after recording 3+ shots in three of four regular season games against LA. Draisaitl has played 50 playoff games and put at least three on net in 32 of those. After a seven-goal game from Edmonton, you can expect more offense tonight.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. POINTS + ASSISTS – Jaquez’ PA line for tonight is 18.5, which he has bested in four of his last five games, including Game 1 against Boston with 16 points and four assists. As long as Playoff Jimmy Butler is Injured Jimmy, the Heat will rely on Jaquez to provide a spark on the offensive end. So far, he’s been up to the task.
Noah Hanifin POINTS – The former Calgary defenseman shined in his first postseason game with Vegas, recording two assists in the team’s 4-3 win over Dallas in Game 1. Hanifin had recorded six points in the final five regular season games too, so if the Golden Knights’ offense continues to push the pace, Hanifin should benefit personally. (Hanifin over 0.5 points is another plus money opportunity as of this writing.)
