On May 12 of last year, during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Precious Achiuwa Jersey, the Celtics forward erupted for 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting, while also grabbing 8 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists, and recording 4 steals. It is safe to say that, at that moment, the player was at the absolute peak of his powers.

However, in an instant, it all came crashing down. While scrambling for a loose ball, Tatum went down. He clutched his right heel—a sight that is never a good sign. Burying his face in a towel, he furiously pounded the floor with his one remaining healthy foot. Team medical staff eventually helped him off the court, his right foot completely unable to bear any weight.

As we now know, he had suffered a torn Achilles tendon—a devastating injury for anyone, let alone an athlete whose livelihood depends on running and jumping. Remarkably, Tatum completed his rehabilitation and returned to the court in just 298 days—a recovery timeline significantly shorter than those of DeMarcus Cousins ​​(357 days), Klay Thompson (414 days), or Kevin Durant (552 days) following similar Achilles injuries.

This Thursday, Tatum will return to the very court where he suffered that traumatic injury, as he and the Boston Celtics face off against their arch-rivals, the New York Knicks, at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are currently favored by 4.5 points to defeat the Celtics.

While the Knicks-Celtics matchup is the marquee event of the day, there are plenty of other options available within a packed sports slate that includes five additional NBA games and six MLB contests. Here is a rundown of the games worth watching—and betting on—this Thursday, April 9. All times are Eastern Time.

The Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors are set to play the second game of this "Igor Shesterkin Jersey" at Scotiabank Arena. On Tuesday, the Raptors routed the Heat with a 121-95 victory. In that contest, Ingram scored 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, despite playing just 29 minutes. Banna notes that the Miami Heat are the fastest-paced team in the league (averaging 104.37 offensive possessions per 48 minutes). "Another stat working in Ingram's favor is that he averages 23.0 points per game at home, shooting an impressive 49.3% from the field," he said. Meanwhile, the SportsLine projection model—which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times—indicates a 63.6% probability that the combined score of both teams will not exceed 236 points, assigning a grade of B to the "Under 236.5 points" betting option.

In Friday's matchup, the Knicks possessed significantly more momentum than the Celtics. Although it will be difficult for the New York Knicks (51-28) to overtake the Boston Celtics (54-25) for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks currently hold a mere half-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers (51-29), temporarily sitting in the third spot in the East. If they secure the No. 3 seed, the Knicks could potentially face the Celtics in the second round (a matchup in which the Knicks hold a 2-1 record this season); conversely, if they fall to the No. 4 seed, they might face the Pistons—a team that has won all three of its meetings against the Knicks this season. SportsLine's predictive model indicates a 68.1% probability that the combined score of the two teams will reach 217 points or higher, assigning a top-tier "A" grade to the "Over 216.5 points" betting option.

The Lakers have struggled in the absence of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. With both players sidelined due to injury for their last two games, Los Angeles first fell 128-134 to the lottery-bound Mavericks, followed by a crushing 87-123 defeat at the hands of the Thunder. The Lakers' already poor defensive efficiency has deteriorated further; over their last two contests, they have allowed opponents to score a staggering 129.8 points per 100 offensive possessions. SportsLine's predictive model indicates a 59.0% probability that the combined score of the two teams will reach 226 points or higher, assigning a "Grade B" rating to the "Over 225.5 points" betting option.

The two starting pitchers from the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final are set to face off once again: Eduardo Rodriguez and the Arizona Diamondbacks will take on Nolan McLean and the New York Mets at Citi Field. Last month, Rodriguez pitched four scoreless innings in the WBC final, helping Venezuela secure a 3-2 victory over the United States. McLean, meanwhile, allowed two earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. The Mets have scored 7 runs or more in each of their last six games. SportsLine's predictive model indicates a 67.9% probability that the combined score of the two teams will reach 8 runs or higher, assigning a "B" grade to the "Over 7 Runs" betting option.

With Yu Darvish sidelined for the season—and Joe Musgrove and Griffin Canning also landing on the injured list—the San Diego Padres are in dire need of a starting pitcher to step up; Randy Vásquez might just be the answer they need. The 27-year-old right-hander has allowed just eight hits and one earned run over 12 innings pitched so far, while recording 11 strikeouts. According to Baseball Savant data, he ranks in the top 5% for ground-ball rate (a metric in which he ranked only in the 41st percentile last year). "Prop Bet Guy" notes that the Rockies possess a strikeout rate of 27%—the fifth-highest in the league. "While a two-game sample size is far from sufficient, this is already a relatively low line," he observed. Meanwhile, the SportsLine projection model gives San Diego a 75.0% probability of winning and assigns a "B" grade to the Padres' moneyline (-196).