Best bets today: Pacers-Knicks among SportsLine's best bets for NBA, MLB, NHL for May 23

Bettors have many different options to choose from on Friday, May 23, with conference finals in the NBA and NHL, as well as MLB games on the schedule. In the NBA, the New York Knicks will look to rebound at home after blowing a late 14-point lead to the Indiana Pacers in Game 1. The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs features the Dallas Stars trying to go up 2-0 at home over the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final.

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 promotion today from Fanatics Sportsbook. Fanatics offers players up to $1,000 in "No Sweat Bets" over their first 10 days with the platform. See more about the promotion below. 

Best NBA bets today

Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks (-6, 224.5) 8:00 p.m. ET

The Pacers and Knicks have a history of epic playoff battles, but Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals has to rank near the top of the list. New York led by 14 with 2:34 left, then Indiana stormed back to force overtime and eventually won an all-time thriller 138-135 to take a 1-0 series lead. 

Tyrese Haliburton led the way for the Pacers with 31 points and a last-second shot to send the game into overtime. Karl Anthony-Towns owned Indiana in the regular season, and that continued into the playoffs. KAT finished with 35 points and 12 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson poured in 43.

We could see another high-scoring game on Friday. Five of the last six meetings between the two teams have gone Over the total. 

Five SportsLine experts have plays in this game. Get full analysis and expert picks for Pacers-Knicks Game 2 at SportsLine!

Best NHL bets today

Edmonton Oilers at Dallas Stars (-120, 6.5) 8:00 p.m. ET

The Oilers have to be kicking themselves for letting one slip away on Wednesday. Edmonton led 3-1 after two periods, but three straight power play goals propelled Dallas to a 6-3 victory in Game 1. 

The game was a lot closer than the 6-3 score would indicate because the Stars netted two late goals. The Oilers need to improve on power plays and faceoffs to avoid going down 2-0. Edmonton was outscored 3-1 on power plays, while Dallas held a 41-25 edge on faceoffs. Dominating those two areas helped the Stars score five unanswered goals in the third period. 

Edmonton is a good bet to strike first on Friday. Dallas has surrendered the first goal in 11 of its 14 playoff games this year. 

Get full analysis and expert picks for Oilers-Stars Game 2 at SportsLine!

Best MLB bets today

Los Angeles Dodgers (-115, 8.5) at New York Mets 7:10 p.m. ET

Two of the favorites to win the World Series square off on Friday when the Dodgers travel to New York to battle the Mets. After a brief four-game losing streak, Los Angeles has now won two straight, while New York is 2-5 in its last seven games. 

The Dodgers will turn to veteran Clayton Kershaw. The left-hander is making his second start of the season after allowing five runs in just 4.0 innings versus the Angels. The Dodgers lost that game 11-9.

On the hill for the Mets will be Griffin Canning, who has been impressive this season with a 5-1 record and 2.47 ERA. Canning has allowed two runs or fewer in six straight starts. The Mets have been profitable with the 29-year-old on the mound, going 8-1 when Canning starts this season. 

Get full analysis and expert picks for Dodgers-Mets at SportsLine!

Today's featured sportsbook promo

With no promo code required upon registration, Fanatics Sportsbook offers $100 in "No Sweat Bets" for 10 straight days, which applies only to the first bet you make daily. For example, if you bet $100 on Day 1 and opt into the promo when placing the bet, you would receive a $100 bonus bet the following day if your bet loses. If the $100 bet wins, you would receive your stake and winnings in cash. 

To maximize the full value of the promo, a customer would need to repeat $100 bets for the first 10 days after creating a new account. The bonus bets must be used within seven days or they will expire.

Fanatics Sportsbook promo code terms and conditions:

• Minimum deposit: $10
• No promo code required
• Must be 21 or older and in a state where Fanatics Sportsbook legally operates.
• Place a daily first bet of at least $1 on any market with odds of -500 or longer (-450, -300, +150, etc). If your qualifying wager loses, you'll receive a bonus bet equal to the amount of your losing wager, up to $100 per day, for 10 consecutive days. This means you can earn up to $1,000 in bonus bets over the promo period.
• Bonus bets are credited to your account within 72 hours of your qualifying wager settling as a loss.
• Each bonus bet expires seven days after issuance.
• After the initial qualifying bet on Day 1, you must opt-in to the promotion each day before placing your qualifying wager to continue receiving bonus bets.
• Bonus bets cannot be cashed out or withdrawn and do not contribute to winnings earned at Fanatics Sportsbook.

Other games to bet on for Friday, May 23

MLB: Cleveland Guardians at Detroit Tigers (7:10 p.m. ET)

MLB: San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves (7:15 p.m. ET)

MLB: Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros  (8:10 p.m. ET)

MLB: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins (8:10 p.m. ET)

MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at St. Louis Cardinals (8:15 p.m. ET)

Over at SportsLine, you'll get top-notch analysis, including game breakdowns, betting trends, predictions, and expert advice, on all the NBA Playoff, NHL Playoff and MLB games slated for Friday, May 23. You can also join the SportsLine Discord channel for even more betting tips and expert picks. 

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