Best bets today: Knicks-Celtics among SportsLine's top plays for NBA, MLB, NHL for May 5

There are three Game 1s across the NBA and NHL playoffs on Monday night, along with several MLB games on the schedule. In the NBA, the Knicks-Celtics and Nuggets-Thunder each kick off their second-round series. The NHL also features a Game 1 playoff showdown between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs. 

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 DraftKings. New users who risk at least $5 on their initial wager will receive $200 in bonus bets regardless of whether the bet wins or loses, with no promo code required. 

Best NBA bets today

New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (-9, 212.5): 7:00 p.m. ET

The good news for New York is it advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs by defeating the Detroit Pistons in six games. The bad news is the Knicks now have to face a Boston Celtics team that has won eight of the last 10 meetings by an average margin of 13.6 points.

If New York wants to pull the upset on Monday, it will need to do a better job of guarding the perimeter. In Boston's four wins over the Knicks this season, the Celtics averaged 21 three-pointers and shot 45.3% from beyond the arc. 

This series should be played at a faster pace, and the Over has cashed in five of the last seven meetings. 

Five SportsLine experts have plays in this game. Get full analysis and expert picks for Knicks-Celtics Game 1 at SportsLine!

Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder (-9.5, 225.5): 9:30 p.m. ET

The Thunder were the best team in the NBA during the regular season, and that carried into the playoffs, where OKC completed a four-game sweep over Memphis. It was a much tougher road for Denver, who needed seven games to get by the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Not only will Oklahoma City have the home court advantage in Game 1, but the Thunder are also the more rested team with eight days off. These are two of the top offenses in the NBA, although seven of the last 10 meetings have gone Under the total. 

Mike Barner, who is 151-106 in his last 257 NBA player prop picks, has a play in this game. Get full analysis and expert picks for Nuggets-Thunder Game 1 at SportsLine!

Best NHL bets today

Florida Panthers (-125, 5.5) at Toronto Maple Leafs: 8:00 p.m. ET

The Maple Leafs scored the second-most points (108) in the Eastern Conference and are 29-14-1 at home this season. Florida enters the series without top blueliner Aaron Ekblad, who is serving a suspension. Despite all that, oddsmakers opened Toronto as a home underdog in Game 1.

One reason the Panthers are slight favorites is because they have won four of the last five meetings. Furthermore, even though the Maple Leafs defeated Ottawa in six games, they weren't overly impressive, with three of the meetings going into overtime. 

If recent history means anything, expect strong play from both goaltenders in this series. Seven of the last 10 meetings have gone Under the total, with the winning team scoring three goals or fewer each time. 

Matt Severance, who is 138-66-7 in his last 211 NHL side picks, has a play on this game. Get full analysis and expert picks for Panthers-Maple Leafs Game 1 at SportsLine!

Best MLB bets today

San Diego Padres at New York Yankees (-154, 7.5) 7:05 p.m. ET

Red-hot San Diego travels to the Bronx to face the Yankees on Monday. The Padres have won five straight games, while New York dropped two of three to Tampa Bay over the weekend. 

This should be a tremendous pitching matchup between Nick Pivetta and Carlos Rodon. Pivetta is 5-1 this season with a minuscule 1.78 ERA. The right-hander has allowed three runs or fewer in all six starts. Meanwhile, Rodon has been lights-out in his last three outings, giving up just three runs over 19 innings. The Yankees won those games by a combined score of 21-4.

With two top pitchers on the mound, runs could be at a premium. Both teams have gone Under the total in seven of their last 10 games. 

Get full analysis and expert picks for Padres-Yankees at SportsLine!

Today's featured sportsbook promo

DraftKings Sportsbook is offering new users the opportunity to earn $200 in bonus bets with an initial wager of at least $5. No promo code is required. Whether your first bet wins or loses, customers will receive $200 in bonus bets to use within seven days. 

The initial bet can be placed on one of the two NBA Playoff games for Tuesday, NHL Playoff games, MLB, or another sport of interest. In addition to the bonus bets, any winning bet will award the customer their winnings in cash. Let's say you bet $5 on the Thunder to beat the Nuggets, and they successfully do. You will receive your $5 initial bet plus winnings from the bet in cash. As part of the introductory promotion, DraftKings will also give you eight $25 bonus bets to use within seven days.

Terms and conditions for the DraftKings welcome bonus:

• The bonus is available to new DraftKings customers only in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WY and WV.
• New users must deposit a minimum of $5.
• The bonus bets are received as eight $25 bonus bet tokens within 72 hours of your initial bet settling.
• The bonus bets must be wagered once before any winnings can be withdrawn.
• The bonus bets are not included in any cash winnings, nor are they transferable or refundable.
• The bonus bets expire after seven days.

Other games to bet on for Monday, May 5

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Atlanta Braves (7:15 p.m. ET)

MLB: San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs (7:40 p.m. ET)

MLB: Houston Astros at Milwaukee Brewers (7:50 p.m. ET)

MLB: New York Mets at Arizona Diamondbacks (9:40 p.m. ET)

Over at SportsLine, bettors can get game breakdowns, betting trends, predictions and expert advice on all the NBA Playoff, NHL Playoff and MLB games scheduled for Monday, May 5. There's also the SportsLine Discord channel for even more betting tips and expert picks on all major sporting events. 

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