Good morning, Pickswise Nation! March Madness may be over after Kansas pulled off an epic comeback to beat North Carolina 72-69, but we still have some great NBA and NHL action to look forward to tonight as we get closer to the playoffs. Let’s dive into making your next bet better!
About Last Night
Kansas crowned kings of NCAA Tournament
It started with 68 teams, but in the end the Kansas Jayhawks were the last team standing after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels in an epic national championship game. The Jayhawks trailed by 15 at halftime, but fought back in the second half to secure victory in a nail-biter.'Read Andrew Ortenberg’s reaction to that incredible matchup.
NHL team goes perfect
While there was plenty of excitement in the college hoops finale, our NHL handicappers went a perfect 4-0 on sides last night. That includes successfully picking the Leafs to beat the Lightning at +110, while the Blue Jackets +1.5 successfully covered the puck line but were downed by the Bruins in overtime.
Today’s Slate
Tidy slate in the NBA
The NBA took the night off last night to allow college hoops to take center-stage, but returns with a vengeance tonight with a juicy 12-game slate. That includes a crunch game between the Bucks and Bulls at 8:00 pm ET on ESPN, while the Lakers try to keep their postseason hopes alive when they meet the Suns at 10:30 pm ET. Check out our picks for tonight’s NBA matchups.
Ice, ice baby
On top of that, we’ve also got 10 games to get hyped up for in the NHL, including an intriguing battle between the red-hot Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators at 8:00 pm ET. Read our predictions for today’s NHL games.
Champions League soccer action
It’s the quarterfinals of the Champions League in Europe, and we have picks for both of tonight’s matchups in which Liverpool battles Benfica and Atletico Madrid meets Manchester City. Read our Champions League soccer picks.
Best Bet of the Day
Boston Bruins ML over Detroit Red Wings
7:30 pm ET, ESPN+