Will Diamondbacks cover vs. Giants? | Steve Sarkisian almost left Texas for Alabama

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Thursday, April 18, 2024

Good afternoon, sports fans.

The NBA Play-In Tournament produced quite a bit of excitement on Wednesday as Nicolas Batum nearly single-handedly led the Philadelphia 76ers past the Miami Heat. Elsewhere, it was the Chicago Bulls who eliminated the Atlanta Hawks and now travel to Miami to see if they can capture the No. 8 seed on Friday. NBA action will resume tomorrow, but there are plenty of contests on the diamond to keep us entertained. Consider this a sneak preview for the type of expert analysis and insight you will receive as a SportsLine subscriber.

Heat star Jimmy Butler is expected to miss multiple weeks due to an MCL injury.

The Patriots are "open to anything" in regards to the NFL Draft.

We're exactly one week away from the 2024 NFL Draft, so here isour consensus mock.

All times Eastern |Game odds via SportsLineconsensus

Today's top story

STEVE SARKISIAN ADMITS THAT HE THOUGHT ABOUT TAKING THE ALABAMA JOB

The college football landscape was rocked this offseason when Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement. Shortly after Saban revealed that he was retiring, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian admitted that he thought about taking the Alabama head coaching job for a short time. Sarkisian, who did serve as the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator for two seasons, ultimately decided that it made more sense to stay at Texas considering that the Longhorns are "on the cusp" of something special.

"Naturally, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it," Sarkisian said, "but it took me all of about 60 seconds to say, 'Yeah, I'm not doing that.' I had an awesome two years at Alabama and loved my time under Coach Saban, but ultimately you want to reap what you sow."

The Hot Ticket

Diamondbacks at Giants, 9:45 p.m. | TV: FS1

The Pick: Diamondbacks (+127)

Key trend: The Diamondbacks have won three of their last five games.

SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein is 12-2 in his last 14 moneyline picks involving the Giants.

Hartstein: "In his three-year career, Arizona's Ryne Nelson has been excellent on the road (3.32 ERA) and horrific at home (7.02 ERA). On Thursday, he pitches in San Francisco where he dominated the Giants twice last season, posting a 1.98 ERA over 13.2 innings. Logan Webb usually excels at home, but he's shown extreme vulnerability to left-handed batters this season. In addition, D-Backs bring some potent ones in the form of Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Joc Pederson. Arizona had the better travel situation entering this game and features the better bullpen. The Giants shouldn't be laying this big of a number."

Here's what else SportsLine is saying about the game:The Projection Model has a "B" pick on the moneyline, while having "C" picks on the spread and total.Get one week of picks from SportsLine completely free with the promo codeNEWSLETTER*

Also on tonight ...

Marlins at Cubs, 7:40 p.m. | TV: ESPN+

The Projection: Cubs (-169)| Grade: B -- Moderate

SportsLine's Projection Model has "B" grades on the moneyline and total, while having a "C" grade on spread for the contest. The Cubs are 4-1 straight-up over their last five games, so we expect that trend to continue in this spot.

SportsLine expert picks: Our staff has combed through the Thursday night MLB slate and offered their best plays as the season continues.Get one week of picks from SportsLine completely free with the promo codeNEWSLETTER*

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