Plus, NBA and NHL playoff spreads and dynasty fantasy football rankings.
Underdogs prevailed in historic fashion over the weekend.
Rich Strike won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday evening at 80-1 odds, the second-longest odds for a winner in the race’s 148-year history. Later that night, Dmitry Bivol scored a massive upset against Canelo Alvarez to retain his title as light heavyweight champion. And in the NBA and NHL playoffs, quite a few underdogs won to extend their series.
Catch up on all the action from the weekend and get ready for tonight’s games with Winners Club.
NBA Postseason Continues
The 76ers were in bad shape late last week. They trailed the Heat, 2-0, and Joel Embiid had yet to play in the series. He made his triumphant (masked) return Friday night and Philadelphia emerged from the weekend with a pair of wins to even the series at two games apiece and James Harden showed up in a big way in Game 4.
The Mavericks similarly dropped the first two games of their series on the road, despite the brilliant play of Luka Dončić. When the series shifted to Dallas, they wholly removed Chris Paul from the equation and tied the series with the Suns.
Then there’s the Celtics-Bucks and Grizzlies-Warriors series, both of which resume tonight. After splitting the first two games, Milwaukee and Golden State both prevailed at home over the weekend to take a 2-1 lead. The Bucks did so in the final minute, while the Warriors blew out the Grizzlies by 30 points. Memphis may be without All-Star point guard Ja Morant for Game 4—he’s listed as doubtful after injuring his knee in the previous game
Morry Gash/AP
Monday
7:30 p.m. ET (TNT): Celtics vs. Bucks (-1.5) | Milwaukee leads series, 2-1
10 p.m. ET (TNT): Grizzlies vs. Warriors (-10.5) | Golden State leads series, 2-1
Tuesday
7:30 p.m. ET (TNT): 76ers vs. Heat (-3.5) | Series tied, 2-2
10 p.m. ET (TNT): Mavericks vs. Suns (-6.5) | | Series tied, 2-2
Updated NBA Finals Futures Odds via SI Sportsbook:
Warriors +220
Suns +333
Bucks +450
Heat +700
Celtics +750
76ers +1100
Mavericks +1900
Grizzlies +3000
Stanley Cup Playoffs Heating Up
The Predators are on the verge of elimination tonight against the Avalanche, though the rest of the Round 1 series have been rather competitive.
The Capitals have surprisingly given the Eastern Conference regular-season champion Panthers trouble through three games and can take a 3-1 series lead with a win at home tonight. And the Maple Leafs are giving the two-time defending champion Lightning all they can handle.
Monday
7 p.m. ET (TBS): Panthers (-175) vs. Capitals | Washington leads series, 2-1
7 p.m. ET (ESPN): Rangers vs. Penguins (-110) | Pittsburgh leads series, 2-1
9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN): Avalanche (-250) vs. Predators | Colorado leads series, 3-0
9:30 p.m. ET (TBS): Flames (-154) vs. Stars | Dallas leads series, 2-1
Reinhold Matay/AP
Tuesday
7 p.m. ET (ESPN): Bruins vs. Hurricanes (-143) | Series tied, 2-2
7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): Lightning vs. Maple Leafs (-125) | Series tied, 2-2
9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN): Blues vs. Wild (-138) | Series tied, 2-2
10 p.m. ET (ESPN): Kings vs. Oilers (-213) | Series tied, 2-2
Fantasy Football Rankings
Thinking of starting up a dynasty fantasy football league? First, allow me to say you 100% should. It’s a great way to keep the action going all year long and avoid the dead period between the fantasy football championship and a late summer draft.
And if you are thinking of joining the dynasty community, SI Fantasy has two sets of rankings for you to consult ahead of your draft.
Michael Fabiano released his top 200 late last week and Matt De Lima has a sortable spreadsheet for you to sift through according to your league settings. De Lima’s rankings include top 400 for PPR and superflex leagues and you can sort by his top 75 rookies if you’re already in a dynasty league.
See where our experts differ and what they agree on as you construct a championship team.
Shawn Childs has two new fantasy football team previews out now. His latest outlooks focus on the Patriots, who at least marginally improved at receiver in the offseason, and the Jets, who spent a top-10 pick on a receiver and an early second rounder on a running back. The AFC East preview is complete—check it out below.
In Other News
The Story Behind Rich Strike’s Shocking Win: It took another horse being scratched the day before the race for the eventual winner to enter the field and prior to Saturday, Rich Strike had won just one race. After a come-from-behind win, he’s the talk of the racing world.
Bivol Upsets Alvarez, Retains Title: Dmitry Bivol defeated Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision over the weekend and Alvarez has already indicated he’s up for a rematch.
Kings Hire Warriors Assistant Mike Brown: Sacramento reportedly became the first team to fill its coaching vacancy this offseason with Brown set to take over for Alvin Gentry. The Kings have cycled through coaches for years throughout their 16-season playoff drought.
Max Verstappen Wins Miami Grand Prix: The Red Bull driver won his second race in a row over the weekend in Florida and he’s drawing close to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for the drivers’ championship.
That’s all for today. I’ll talk to you again Wednesday morning.