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NFL Draft shocks and NBA playoff drama reshape the season's biggest storylines

From Carnell Tate's stunning rise to Austin Reaves' timely return, the NFL and NBA just delivered twists no one saw coming. Who's poised to break out next?

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The image shows a group of men standing next to each other on a field, wearing helmets and gloves....
The image shows a group of men standing next to each other on a field, wearing helmets and gloves. In the background, there is a blur of people, a board with text, and a sky. The text on the board reads "Auburn vs Virginia Tech - 11/28/15 College Football Pick, Odds, and Prediction".

NFL Draft shocks and NBA playoff drama reshape the season's biggest storylines

There was a broadcasters' convention all week in Las Vegas and I had a client dinner during the draft, so I asked VSiN.com managing editor Adam Burke to file his notes.

NFL Draft: Surprise, surprise

The first round of the NFL Draft reminded us of one thing: even "sharp" markets can get blindsided.

Sportsbooks and prediction markets were active all day, but once the draft started, the board turned unpredictable.

What stood out:

  • No. 2 twist: Arvell Reese surged to heavy favorite status - but the Jets took DE David Bailey at No. 2.
  • No. 4 shocker: The Titans selected WR Carnell Tate at longshot odds (as high as 50-1).
  • More surprises: The Rams reached for QB Ty Simpson at No. 13, S Caleb Downs fell to the Cowboys at No. 11, and Jadarian Price (No. 32) made it two first-round RBs despite heavy Under money (the other being Jeremiyah Love, the Giants' pick at No. 3).

Rookie of the Year (DraftKings opening odds):

  • Offensive ROY: Jeremiyah Love (+200), Carnell Tate (+350), Jordyn Tyson (+450), Fernando Mendoza (+550), Jadarian Price (+750)
  • Defensive ROY: David Bailey (+350), Sonny Styles / Arvell Reese (+500), Caleb Downs (+700), Mansoor Delane (+800)

NBA Playoffs: Game 3s on deck

Celtics (-7.5) at Sixers, 7 ET (Prime Video). Total: 215.5. Series tied 1-1. Lakers (+9.5) at Rockets, 8 ET (Prime Video). Total: 206.5. LA leads 2-0. Spurs (-1.5) at Blazers, 10:30 ET (Prime Video). Total: 220.5. Series tied 1-1.

Injury watch: Wembanyama (questionable), Embiid (doubtful), Reaves (expected back)

MAKINEN

Zach Cohen's NBA Report

Home Cooking

Thursday belonged to the home teams.

Atlanta edged New York behind CJ McCollum's late shotmaking, while Toronto flipped the script with a 22-point win over Cleveland - a game that also flew Over.

Minnesota made the loudest statement, blowing out Denver and holding the Nuggets to just 34% shooting.

Injury Watch

Oklahoma City is going to have to adjust on the fly, as Jalen Williams is expected to miss extended time with a hamstring strain. That's a big loss for a team that leans heavily on its secondary scoring behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Lakers, on the other hand, could be getting a boost. Austin Reaves is trending toward playing in Game 3, and if he's out there, Los Angeles will have a real shot at pushing this series to 3-0.

Then there's San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama (concussion) is questionable for Game 3, and that's obviously the biggest swing factor on the board.

Philadelphia's situation is the most interesting. Joel Embiid is listed as doubtful, but not officially ruled out. That at least leaves the door open for a potential return in Game 4 - and that would completely change the complexion of this series.

NHL Playoffs

Jonathan Davis will post his top plays for these games later this morning:

Lightning (-122) at Canadiens (+102), 7 ET (TNT). Series tied 1-1. Golden Knights (-112) at Mammoth (-108), 9:30 ET (TBS). Series tied 1-1. Oilers (-130) at Ducks (+110), 10 ET (TNT). Series tied 1-1.

MLB Best Bets

Greg Peterson has the full card covered.

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