Holding the Thursday afternoon slot for Today's Top Picks was awesome, right up until all the basketball disappeared. With the NBA season having wrapped up now and Virginia shoving it in everyone's face when it comes to March Madness, we're limited this week in what we can pick.
I begged -- nay, pled -- for the chance to use some Masters props ahead of Friday, but my evil editors said no dice. (I didn't actually even ask, but I do love the Masters almost as much as anything in the world -- if you're like me, you can stream the Masters on CBSSports.com throughout the entire tournament.) They screamed at me to "go watch some hockey," so fine, that's what I'll do.
Fortunately for me, there's a team on Thursday that I'm familiar with: the Carolina Hurricanes! They play in my hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, and they're back in the playoffs for the first time in several years. Bojangles. Battleships. Beat Washington.
I'm not exactly sure tonight is the night they do beat the Capitals though. Washington is a pretty good team at home, and they won't be nervous about playing in the playoffs, while the 'Canes might be a bit amped up to be in the postseason.
I do, however, think that we should get a good game in Washington, and one that actually features quite a bit of defense. So let's use that as a springboard for finding some winners tonight.
1. Hurricanes at Capitals: Under 5.5
NHL Playoffs Round 1, 7:30 p.m. ET (USA Network)
The Canes have a pair of talented goalies and are willing to take their sweet time attacking on offense. Six of their last eight games have stayed under five total goals, with only the Flyers going over on a pair of matchups against Carolina. One of those games included a late March battle against the Capitals. I think these teams will spend at least the first period playing things close to the vest, and even then I expect Carolina to try and keep from becoming a shootout.
Looking to cash in on NHL DFS on Thursday? DFS millionaire Mike McClure has built tournament lineups for FanDuel and DraftKings that you're going to want to check out before locking in your plays.
2. Mets at Braves: Over 9
This is a matchup that features a pair of pitchers with sub-1.00 ERAs, so naturally there's an expectation that the two teams won't put up huge numbers. Steven Matz has come out of the gates well, and Kevin Gausman's just been a better pitcher since leaving the hellscape that is Baltimore for the Braves. I'm not buying they can shut down these offenses, though. Both New York and Atlanta have been mashing all season long -- the Mets have 69 runs scored while the Braves have totaled 59. Atlanta is mashing in April, scoring 8, 6, 9, 4, 2, 4, 8 and 7 runs in their games this month. Two of those were in Colorado, but the others were at home, where Atlanta looks very comfortable hitting. The Mets have been an Over factory lately, with a combined 69 runs being scored by both teams in their last four games.
SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh is on an MLB heater, going 9-4 in his last 13 picks. He's locked in three strong moneyline plays for Thursday, including the Red Sox representing good value against the Blue Jays even as -200 favorites. Get his best bets only at SportsLine.
3. Rockies at Giants: Under 7
This line stinks. Seven runs for these two teams? The bonus of the Rockies being postponed against the Braves earlier in the week means that Jon Gray is now starting, which is a huge bonus for the Under. Also a bonus for the Under? The Rockies hitting away from Coors Field. They have a .528 OPS away from home and just two home runs. The Giants generally aren't good on offense; they have just 38 runs this season and sport a .538 OPS at home. Heading to a pitcher-friendly park won't help matters. I think this is a grinder situation where the winner is scratching out a late run to try and steal a division victory.
DFS millionaire Mike McClure also has MLB tournament lineups locked in for three major daily fantasy sites. One of his Thursday plays: Randal Grichuk, who has three homers on the season. Get his full lineups only at SportsLine.
