No Bull, we like Chicago tonight

The Hawks couldn't hold up their end of the bargain last night, so we canter into Wednesday in need of a win. We've got a pair of picks to do just that: one for tonight's NBA play-in games and one for the NHL slate. 

Bulls worth backing tonight

We're liking the value on Chicago here as the underdogs in Toronto. These teams feel more evenly matched than a five-point spread suggests, which is why win or lose backing the Bulls is the move for us.

Over the past 15 games, these have been two of the top defensive teams in the NBA, with the slight edge going to Chicago. Since the All-Star break, the Bulls own the third-best net rating in the league, while the Raptors sit down at 13th.

These two teams have swapped wins the past few meetings this year, but over the last 10 games, Chicago has won seven times. We like the Bulls' core of Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan, and we're rolling with them to keep this close tonight. We don't hate a bet on their moneyline, either.

Betting: Chicago Bulls +5.5 (-105 CZR)

Right now in the NHL, motivation is all that matters

As the NHL regular season comes to a close, it's best to scale back your bets. Effort levels and lineups can be a bit hard to project in games that don't matter, and with two quality months of playoff hockey looming, there's no urgency to bet more than you should.

With that established, tonight's three-game slate does offer us a pair of teams with something to play for. The Islanders host the Canadiens, and New York is looking to do all it can to secure one of the East's two wild card spots. Montreal is one of the looser teams to shots and goals, which should aid the Islanders' chances tonight, and we're confident they can bring home a win. 

We'll need to pair their moneyline with something to make it playable, and we have the Dallas Stars to do just that. The Stars still have a chance to grab the top overall spot in the Central Division, and you best believe they're going to do what they can to get it. St. Louis is on the other end with nothing to play for, and Dallas took down the Blues 4-1 in their first meeting this season.

It's simple, but we're rolling with the two teams that need this win to come out and deliver.

Betting: Islanders and Stars moneyline parlay (+107 DK)

Outlier Trend of the Day

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — Steals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has failed to exceed 1.5 steals in seven of his last eight games on the road against opponents with a winning record (0.6 steals/game average).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander under 1.5 steals (-109 CZR)