Will Rory McIlroy hang on for the career Grand Slam?
Or will Bryson DeChambeau thwart him in the Masters, like he did in last year’s U.S. Open. (Arguably, McIlroy thwarted himself with two missed putts in the final three holes at Pinehurst.)
Wes Reynolds, Matt Youmans, Kelley Bydlon and Matt Brown offer their third-round impressions and make final-round recommendations on wagers.
McIlroy and DeChambeau will tee off in the final pairing at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. >>Today’s tee times.
NBA’s regular-season finale
I asked VSiN.com senior editor Zach Cohen what we need to know about the last day of the NBA regular season:
In the Eastern Conference, things are pretty straightforward. The third-seeded Knicks are locked into an opening-round meeting with the sixth-seeded Pistons, and the fourth-seeded Pacers will face the fifth-seeded Bucks. Then, the Play-In Tournament will decide who faces the top-seeded Cavaliers or the second-seeded Celtics. We’ll know the seventh seed rather quickly, as the Magic will host the Hawks on Tuesday. The loser of that game will then face the winner of Heat-Bulls to decide who faces Cleveland. Easy enough, right? Well, good luck figuring out the Western Conference.
The only certainties out West are that the Thunder are the No. 1 seed, the Rockets are the No. 2 and the Lakers are the No. 3. We also know that the Grizzlies will be in the 7 vs. 8 Play-In Tournament game. It’s possible Memphis will host that game, but the team will be playing in that game regardless of what happens on Sunday. We also know the Kings and Mavericks will battle it out in the 9 vs. 10 game, though home-court advantage for that game hasn’t yet been decided. Sacramento will be the home team if the group beats Phoenix. Dallas will host it if the team earns a road win over Memphis, combined with a Kings loss. Everything else is a freaking nightmare.
One thing I know is that the Timberwolves are in great shape compared to where they were a few days ago. Once looking Play-In bound, they’re 22-point favorites against a miserable Jazz team, and a win means they’ll be as high as fourth and as low as sixth. Also, Anthony Edwards’ technical foul from the other night was rescinded, so he won’t be suspended for this one. That said, it’d be genuinely stunning if Minnesota can’t find a way.
Something that could clear things up is the meeting between the Nuggets and Rockets. If Denver wins, Nikola Jokic and Co. will be the fourth seed in the West. And Houston has no reason to win the game, which is why the Nuggets are favored pretty heavily on the road. If Denver does lose to Houston, the only way the Nuggets would be Play-In bound is with a Timberwolves win over the Jazz combined with a Warriors win over the Clippers.
Speaking of that Golden State-Los Angeles game, the Clippers will be either fourth or fifth with a victory. But the best the Warriors can do is finish sixth. You think Adam Silver is rooting for that? Stephen Curry vs. LeBron James in Round 1? I think so. Though it’s worth noting that Golden State can end up in the Play-In Tournament if things don’t break right.
I guess none of that sounds that crazy. However, a Jazz win over the Timberwolves would throw a wrench into everything. Just know that there’s still a lot of moving parts heading into a chaotic final day.
>>Look for Zach’s Best Bets later this morning.
Makinen’s NASCAR predictions
Steve Makinen has posted his final simulation for today’s stop at Bristol.
Since the arrival of the next-gen car, starting spot has proven of utmost importance to winning at Bristol. As such, the final simulation finds the top 5 qualifiers all ranked in the top 6 projections. Kyle Larson paces the field followed by Denny Hamlin, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, and Christopher Bell, who was #1 on the initial simulation run Tuesday.
Ricky Stenhouse had a great day Saturday and should be a top underdog contender, as should Ty Gibbs and Chase Briscoe.
Here are my projections:
Top 5: Larson, Blaney Hamlin, Bell, Elliott
Top underdogs: Stenhouse, Gibbs, Beuscher, McDowell, Briscoe
Favorites to struggle: Busch, Byron, Logano
Today in MLB
Greg Peterson has filed his top plays for today.
Steve Makinen and Adam Burke will file their contributions by mid-morning and you can find them on the MLB page.
Other MLB resources
>Our daily matchup page with more detail by clicking on “Matchup Analysis.”
>Makinen’s daily power ratings
>DraftKings/Circa Betting Splits
Quick Hits
NHL: Jonathan Davis will post his top picks later this morning.
Soccer: Nigel Seeley has three plays for the weekend EPL menu.
Horse Racing: Keeneland picks from Ed Sehon.
This is The VSiN Daily newsletter for Sunday, April 13. Sign up for this free email and get picks and insights delivered to your in-box every morning.
