The conference finals begin on Tuesday night in both the NBA and NHL, with a pair of Game 1s headlining tonight's sports calendar. In the NBA, the Timberwolves and Thunder tip off the Western Conference finals in Oklahoma City. The NHL Playoffs features the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes facing off in the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years. 

We highlight the top betting opportunities with links to full game analysis and picks throughout the article while providing the top betting tips for today's matchups.

There is also a link to the best sportsbook offer today from BetMGM. BetMGM offers new users up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first bet loses when using the bonus code SPORTSLINE. See more about the offer below. 

Best NBA bets today

Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder (-7, 216.5): 8:30 p.m. ET

The Western Conference pits the top team in the NBA during the regular season vs. the hottest team over the last two months. OKC finished the year with an NBA-best 68-14 record, while Minnesota is 25-6 since March 2. 

The teams split 2-2 during the regular season, although if Minnesota plans to knock off the favored Thunder, it will need to find a way to slow down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA scored 37, 39 and 40 in three of those meetings. 

OKC may have the better record and home-court advantage, but Minnesota has been more profitable to bettors lately. The Timberwolves are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games, while the Thunder are 3-7. 

Six SportsLine experts have plays in this game. Get full analysis and expert picks for Timberwolves-Thunder Game 1 at SportsLine!

Best NHL bets today

Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes (-125, 5.5): 8:00 p.m. ET

Florida and Carolina may not be considered traditional NHL powerhouses, but they have been fixtures in the conference finals recently. The Panthers are making their third straight appearance in the Eastern Conference finals. Two of those years, Florida's opponent has been the Hurricanes. Carolina is hoping for a different outcome after getting swept by the Panthers in 2023. 

While Florida is the defending Stanley Cup champion, Carolina comes in as the hotter team, going 8-1-1 over its last 10 games. We could be in for a lower-scoring series, with seven of the last 10 meetings between the two teams going under the total. 

Matt Severance, who is 146-70-8 in his last 224 NHL side picks, has a play in this game. Get full analysis and expert picks for Panthers-Hurricanes Game 1 at SportsLine!

Best MLB bets today

Detroit Tigers (-180, 7.5) at St. Louis Cardinals 7:45 p.m. ET

Don't look now, but the Tigers have the best record in MLB at 31-17. If that wasn't enough good news for Detroit fans, the Tigers will have ace Tarik Skubal on the mound for Tuesday's matchup against the red-hot Cardinals. 

Skubal is coming off his worst outing of the season, where he allowed seven hits and five runs in 6.1 innings versus Boston. Prior to that rare poor outing, though, Skubal had given up two runs or fewer in seven straight starts. 

St. Louis beat Detroit 11-4 on Monday and is now 13-2 in its last 15 games. The Cardinals will give the ball to Erick Fedde, who is 3-3 with a 3.44 ERA. Fedde enters Tuesday's matchup having pitched 14.2 straight scoreless innings, including a complete game shutout over Washington on May 9.

Get full analysis and expert picks for Tigers-Cardinals at SportsLine!

Today's featured sportsbook promo

BetMGM Sportsbook has an offer that allows bettors to be rewarded even if their initial wager loses. 

Using promo code SPORTSLINE, new users can deposit at least $10 and make their first bet using the First Bet Offer Token. If the bet wins, the customer will receive their bet stake plus winnings in cash. If the bet loses, BetMGM offers the customer bonus bets back equal to the amount of the wager, up to $1,500. Bonus bets cannot be cashed out until they are bet and only pay out winnings, not the original amount of the bonus bet.

Terms and conditions for the BetMGM welcome bonus:

• If your initial bet was $49 or less, you'll receive one bonus bet token. If your bet was $50 or more, you'll receive five bonus bet tokens in 20% increments.
• A customer has seven days to use the First Bet Offer token. The token will be automatically applied to the first selection added to the bet slip.
• If the bet loses, your bonus bets will be available once your initial wager is settled. 
• Bonus bets expire within seven (7) days.

Other games to bet on for Tuesday, May 20

MLB: New York Mets at Boston Red Sox (6:45 p.m. ET)

MLB: Texas Rangers at New York Yankees (7:05 p.m. ET)

MLB: San Diego Padres at Toronto Blue Jays (7:07 p.m. ET)

MLB: Kansas City Royals at San Francisco Giants (9:45 p.m. ET)

MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10 p.m. ET)

Over at SportsLine, you'll get top-notch analysis, including game breakdowns and expert advice, on every key game. You can also join the SportsLine Discord channel for even more expert picks. 

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