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Best Bets for NBA & MLB — Thursday, April 9, 2026

Two games with real playoff stakes define tonight's card. The Knicks host the Celtics in a seeding battle at MSG with Boston's injury report in chaos, while the Cubs visit Tampa Bay in a series finale where Chicago's depleted rotation meets a Rays lineup that ranks among the league's best at home.

Boston Celtics at New York Knicks

Celtics 54-25 (No. 2 seed, East) | Knicks 51-28 (No. 3 seed, East). The Knicks lead the season series 2-1 and won their last meeting 111-89 in Boston.

7:30 PM ET·Amazon Prime Video, MSG

The Knicks enter on a 3-game win streak, going 7-3 in their last 10, and are 28-9 at home this season. Boston has won four straight but arrives with four starters — Brown, White, Hauser, and Queta — all listed as questionable on a back-to-back, creating a massive lineup uncertainty the market is pricing in. The Celtics are 47-32 ATS this season overall, but Boston is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 road games and has lost three straight at MSG by 5+ points. New York has a clear motivation edge: a Knicks win keeps them ahead of Cleveland for the No. 3 seed. The total is set at 216.5, and New York's last five home games have produced at least 217 combined points — lean Over if Boston's starters suit up, Under if key absences suppress Celtic offense.

Injuries

🟢 Jaylen Brown (left Achilles tendinitis) — QUESTIONABLE

🟢 Derrick White (right knee contusion) — QUESTIONABLE

🟢 Sam Hauser (low back spasm) — QUESTIONABLE

🟢 Neemias Queta (right toe sprain) — QUESTIONABLE

🟢 Tyler Kolek, Knicks (oblique) — GTD

Best Bets

Knicks -4.5-110

New York is 28-9 at home, leads the season series 2-1, and Boston arrives short-handed on a back-to-back. The Celtics are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 road games.

Under 216.5-110

Both teams rank among the NBA's two slowest-paced offenses. If Brown and White are limited or absent, Boston's scoring floor drops sharply and the Celtics' elite defense still keeps Knicks output in check.

Jalen Brunson Over 25.5 Points-115

Brunson averages 26 ppg this season and dropped 30 against Atlanta in his last outing. Against a potentially shorthanded Boston backcourt, his shot volume and drives to the line go up.

Chicago Cubs at Tampa Bay Rays

Cubs 4-5 (NL Central) | Rays 4-5 (AL East). Teams split the first two games of this series: Rays won 6-4 on April 6, Cubs won 9-2 on April 7.

6:40 PM ET·Marquee Sports Network, MLB.TV Tampa Bay Rays (local/regional)

Chicago hands the ball to Colin Rea in his first start of 2026 — a journeyman with a career 4.41 ERA and 1.271 WHIP — against a Tampa Bay lineup that ranks 6th in OPS at home and slugs .625 at home this season, best in MLB. The Cubs enter batting just .199 as a team, 3rd lowest in MLB, and their rotation is already compromised by Cade Horton's season-ending elbow surgery and Matthew Boyd on the 15-day IL. Tampa Bay's Joe Boyle has been sharp in 2026: 3.18 ERA, 1.65 FIP, and 0.88 WHIP across his first two starts. The Cubs have covered the run line in just 4 of their last 11 road games. Chicago does have upside when they score first — they're 41-9 (.820) when they score in the first inning since 2025 — but against Boyle's stuff, that is a tall order.

Injuries

🔴 Cade Horton (elbow) — OUT FOR SEASON

🔴 Matthew Boyd (biceps strain) — OUT (15-day IL)

🔴 Seiya Suzuki (undisclosed) — OUT (10-day IL)

🔴 Edwin Uceta, Rays (undisclosed) — OUT

🔴 Garrett Cleavinger, Rays (undisclosed) — OUT

🔴 Gavin Lux, Rays (undisclosed) — OUT (10-day IL)

Best Bets

Rays ML -150-150

Boyle's 1.65 FIP and 0.88 WHIP in 2026 is a massive edge over Rea's career 1.271 WHIP. Chicago bats .146 on the road this season — lowest in MLB — and Tampa Bay's home lineup slugs .625.

Under 8.0-115

Both starters have shown the ability to suppress runs: Boyle allowing 2 ER per start, Rea keeping the ball on the ground. Tropicana Field is an indoor environment that does not inflate totals, and both bullpens have reasons to be cautious with usage.

Junior Caminero Over 1.5 Total Bases-115

Caminero is in an early-season slump but has faced right-handed pitching well historically. Rea's career barrel rate issues match Tampa Bay's patient approach, and Caminero has the power to go deep against fastball-heavy starters.