It’s great to be a sports fan nowadays. The NHL and the NBA Playoffs are already in full swing and the two leagues have lined up two fantastic games that will definitely tickle your fancy tonight. First off, the New York Rangers look to solidify their advantage when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals showdown.
Over at the NBA, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs look to even up their series with the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 2 of their Western Conference First Round matchup. Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two pivotal games and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of St. Louis vs. Minnesota and Golden State vs. New Orleans.
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New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (7:00 PM ET)
[sc:NHL240 ]The New York Rangers grabbed a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the Pittsburgh Penguins after a heart-stopping 2-1 win in Game 3 on Monday night. Carl Hegelin and Chris Kreider scored the goals for the Rangers who held off a furious fight back by the Penguins late in the third period to preserve the win.
It’s back to the drawing board for the Penguins who need to find a way to start games strong. They had another slow start in Game 3, managing just 11 shots through the first two periods. The onus is on captain Sidney Crosby to carry the scoring cudgels for Pittsburgh. He was shut out in Game 3 after scoring twice the previous game that ended his lengthy postseason goal drought.
The total has gone under in Pittsburgh’s last five home games.
Click here for an in-depth breakdown of this game.
Writer’s Prediction
Pittsburgh levels the series at two games apiece with a gritty 3-2 win.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 PM ET)
Line: San Antonio Spurs (+1.5) at Los Angeles Clippers (-1.5); total: 207.5 – view all NBA lines
The Los Angeles Clippers opened their 2015 playoff campaign in the best possible way, trouncing the San Antonio Spurs, 107-92, in Game 1 of their Western Conference First Round matchup. As expected, it was Chris Paul and Blake Griffin who led the way for the Clippers. Paul had 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a brilliant all-around performance while Griffin wreaked havoc inside the paint, scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 boards.
If there’s one team in this league who can bounce back from such a deflating defeat, though, it’s got to be the defending champion Spurs. For San Antonio to grab the equalizer tonight, it needs to do a much better job executing on the offensive end. The Spurs had a horrible shooting night in Game 1, making just 36.6% of their field goal attempts (34-of-93).
It’s crucial for the Spurs that their Big Three rebound with a much better performance tonight. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili had a rough day in the office in Game 1, combining for just 31 points on a horrid 11-of-31 shooting from the field.
The Spurs are 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 road games with the Clippers.
You can check a complete preview of this game here.
Writer’s Prediction
San Antonio wins, 101-94, to knot the series at 1-1. Create a betting account now and bet on the best games for tonight.
