Today's best bets: Back the Yankees, plus two 'A' rated NHL picks

The NBA Play-In Tournament will take a quick break Thursday, but there's still plenty of baseball and hockey action for sports bettors to target. The 2025 MLB season rolls on with 10 games, while the NHL regular season officially concludes Thursday with seven contests. The SportsLine Projection Model can help bettors navigate which matchups to target, as it simulates every game 10,000 times and weighs the simulations against publicly available odds to give SportsLine members an important edge.

Here are the model's top-rated plays for Thursday in MLB and NHL.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS at BUFFALO SABRES | 4/17 | 7 p.m. ET
Model pick: Sabres -1.5 (+164)

Neither team is making the postseason. The Sabres sit near the bottom of the Atlantic Division, while the Flyers are last in the Metropolitan Division. However, the SportsLine model is backing Buffalo to cover the puck line, projecting the Sabres to do so 41% of the time to bring value at these odds. Even though Philadelphia has won both matchups this season between the two teams, the model is backing Buffalo to conclude the 2024-25 regular season with a decisive win.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS at COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 4/17 | 7 p.m. ET
Model pick: Blue Jackets -1.5 (+181)

The model is providing another 'A' rating for an NHL contest, backing the Blue Jackets against the Islanders. Just like Flyers-Sabres, this matchup has no playoff implications, as both teams have been eliminated. However, Columbus has won five games in a row, while New York has dropped 10 of its last 13, including a 4-3 loss to the Blue Jackets. SportsLine projects Columbus to cover the puck line 43% of the time, bringing value at these odds.

NEW YORK YANKEES at TAMPA BAY RAYS | 4/17 | 7:05 p.m. ET
Model pick: Yankees -106

After sweeping the Royals to begin the week, the Yankees head down to Florida to take on the Rays in a divisional matchup. Tampa Bay enters this four-game series having dropped its past two to the Red Sox, with the lineup striking out 13 times in Wednesday's 1-0 loss. The model has New York winning 53% of simulations.

More Thursday picks

You've seen the top NBA, MLB and NHL predictions from the model. Now, see today's best sports betting picks from one of SportsLine's most versatile handicappers, Matt Severance. He's on a 144-83-1 run in the NBA (+2613), a 118-62-6 run in the NHL (+2340), and a 50-25 (+1166) run in MLB. Visit SportsLine to see his best plays for today, all from an expert who is red-hot in all three sports.

You can also visit SportsLine now to see the model's MLB score projections and props for every game Thursday. You can also get NBA picks to capitalize on the model's 156-115 roll in professional basketball and tap into puck-line NHL picks.