If you\u2019re a Toronto sports fan, watching Maple Leafs\u2019 goalie Anthony Stolarz hit the ice face down, just minutes into last night\u2019s game at Scotiabank Arena against the Washington Capitals, was symbolic of a Leafs\u2019 season gone wrong, wasn\u2019t it? Stolarz is a big man \u2013 6-foot-6, 248 pounds. And the Maple Leafs are the biggest, richest team in the NHL \u2013 valued at $4.4 billion, according to Forbes.<\/p>\n
On the ice, though, the Leafs are one of the worst teams in the league. The last few weeks has been a death march to what will be a merciful end to the regular season, next week. So, watching Stolarz collapse like that said everything. We\u2019re hoping it isn\u2019t serious, and he comes back healthy next season, but the faster we can close the door of this Leafs\u2019 season the better it will be for our mental health.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the Edmonton Oilers dominated last night, beating up the San Jose Sharks, 5-2, on the back of another Connor McDavid hattrick. There\u2019s only two points separating the first place Oilers and a charging Vegas Golden Knights team in the Pacific Division, so that win was huge.<\/p>\n
The Ottawa Senators looked great taking out the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night 6-2. The Senators sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference this morning, just two points up on the Columbus Blue Jackets for the last wildcard spot. The Senators host the Florida Panthers tonight at the Canadian Tire Centre Betway has the Sens as -300 favourites (the lowly Panthers are +240).<\/p>\n
And the Toronto Blue Jays beat the L.A. Dodgers yesterday, 4-3, after six losses in a row. Plus, they\u2019re playing the Masters at Augusta National \u2013 so it isn\u2019t all dark clouds.<\/p>\n
For sports betting<\/a> fans, there\u2019s plenty to focus on for today. Here are our picks:<\/p>\n NBA<\/strong><\/p>\n Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m. EST Scotiabank Arena<\/strong><\/p>\n Scottie Barnes, 20+ Points, <\/strong>+135 at Betway<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The Raptors are knee deep in the Eastern Conference race now, with the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament beginning April 14, and the playoffs set to start April 18. Tonight they host the Miami Heat for the second straight game at home, after defeating the Heat handily, 121-95, on Tuesday night (the Raptors lead the season series 3-0).<\/p>\n The Heat are second in the NBA in scoring, averaging 120.4 points per game, so that Tuesday game was an anomaly, and they\u2019ll be more run and gun tonight. That\u2019s especially true with their two guards, Tyler Herro and Norm Powell, back in the lineup. Powell used to play for the Raptors, so he\u2019s likely going to want to make a point against his former team tonight. Powell is averaging 17.0 PPG versus Toronto, and he\u2019s at 21.9 PPG this season, so you might want to take a flyer on Powell +20 points, +150, at Betway.<\/p>\n Right now, the Raptors sit sixth in the Eastern Conference \u2013 that final playoff spot \u2013 one game up on the Philadelphia76ers. They\u2019re going to want to avoid the Play-In Tournament at all costs, so just like Tuesday, tonight\u2019s game represents an early start to playoff basketball, in their minds.<\/p>\n Betway has the Raptors at -160 betting favourites for tonight, the Heat at +130. Toronto has no injuries to report. Probable starters for tonight are Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.<\/p>\n Barnes continues to emerge as an NBA star in what has been a solid, injury-free campaign, and as the Raptors grow into a credible playoff team (a sixth-place finish will only boost that), Barnes matures more into the team\u2019s guiding force. He was stellar in Tuesday\u2019s win \u2013 25 points, off 10-for-16 shooting.<\/p>\n NHL<\/strong><\/p>\n Florida Panthers at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. EST, Canadian Tire Centre<\/strong><\/p>\n