Best bets today: Pacers-Knicks among SportsLine's top plays for NBA, MLB, NHL for May 21

Bettors have many different options to choose from on Wednesday, May 21, with NBA Playoffs, NHL Playoffs and MLB games all on the schedule. The NBA and NHL once again have conference finals series starting Wednesday. In the NBA, it's an old school Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. The NHL Playoffs features the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars facing off in the Western Conference Final for the second straight season.

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 FanDuel Sportsbook. FanDuel offers new users a "bet $5, get $250" bonus if your first bet wins. No promo code required. See more about the offer below.

Best NBA bets today

Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks (-4.5, 223.5) 8 p.m. ET

Reggie Miller or John Starks aren't on the court this time, but the 2025 version of Pacers-Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals should be just as good. Indiana disposed of No. 1 seed Cleveland, while New York sent the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics home. 

The Knicks won two of three meetings during the regular season thanks in large part to Karl-Anthony Towns, who averaged 30.3 points and 12.0 rebounds against Indiana. Both teams come into the series hot. The Pacers are 8-2 in their last 10 games, and New York is 7-3. Both teams are 7-3 ATS over that span. 

While this appears to be a close series on paper, the games haven't played out that way recently. The last seven meetings between the two have been decided by double-digits. 

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

Best NHL bets today

Edmonton Oilers at Dallas Stars (-125, 6.5) 8 p.m. ET

The Oilers' march to a second straight Stanley Cup Final appearance is just four wins away. Edmonton made short work of Vegas, beating the Golden Knights in five games, although four of the matchups were tightly contested. 

Dallas took out the top seed in the Western Conference, defeating the Winnipeg Jets in six games. The Stars are getting it done with defense. In its four wins over Winnipeg, Dallas allowed just six goals. 

This is the third straight season the Stars have reached the Western Conference Final and they will be looking for revenge after losing to Edmonton in six games last year. Dallas has been dominant at home during the playoffs, winning six straight and outscoring opponents 24-10.

Get full analysis and expert picks for Oilers-Stars Game 1 at SportsLine!

Best MLB bets today

Texas Rangers at New York Yankees (-115, 7.5) 7:05 p.m. ET

The Yankees took the first game of the series Tuesday night and have now won four of their last five. Texas will try to even things up by handing the ball to veteran Jacob deGrom Wednesday.

After dealing with injuries in his first two seasons with the Rangers, deGrom appears to be back to his dominant self. The 36-year-old has allowed two runs or less in each of his last six starts. Texas has won deGrom's last four starts by a combined score of 34-6. 

The Yankees counter with Ryan Yarbrough. The left-hander will be making his third start of the season after allowing just three runs in his first two. New York can expect to use its bullpen early on Wednesday. Yarbrough has been primarily a relief pitcher in his career and didn't reach 70 pitches in either of his prior two starts with the Yankees. 

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

Today's featured sportsbook promo

FanDuel Sportsbook offers new customers the ability to deposit as little as $5, and then make a first bet of at least $5. New users will receive $250 in bonus bets if their first bet wins. Plus, there are no minimum odds required and the first wager can be made on any sport or market. So you can bet $5 on the biggest favorite you can find, and if it wins, you'll still receive $250 in bonus bets. 

Bonus bets cannot be cashed out and must be wagered within the following seven days or they will expire. In addition to the bonus bets, any winning first bet earns the customer their winnings in cash. 

For example, let's say you bet $10 on New York to beat Indiana in the NBA Playoffs tonight, and the Knicks win. You will receive your $10 back plus winnings from the bet in cash. FanDuel will also give you $250 in bonus bets. Bonus bets are not included in any cash winnings.

Other games to bet on for Wednesday, May 21

MLB: Kansas City Royals at San Francisco Giants (3:45 p.m. ET)
MLB: New York Mets at Boston Red Sox (6:45 p.m. ET)
MLB: San Diego Padres at Toronto Blue Jays (7:07 p.m. ET)
MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies (8:40 p.m. ET)
MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10 p.m. ET)

At SportsLine, you'll get top-notch analysis, including game breakdowns, betting trends, predictions, and expert advice, on all the NBA, NHL and MLB games slated for Wednesday, May 21. You can also join the SportsLine Discord channel for even more betting tips and expert picks. 

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