DraftKings launches $100 bonus bet offer ahead of NBA and MLB fixtures

DraftKings has introduced a promotional incentive for new users, offering $100 in bonus bets immediately following an initial $5 wager. The campaign is timed to coincide with Tuesday’s NBA Eastern Conference Finals opener between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, alongside Major League Baseball matches featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres, and the St Louis Cardinals versus the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The promotional push aligns with betting market activity surrounding the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks, holding a 53-29 regular-season record, are established as 7.5-point favourites over the fourth-seeded Cavaliers (52-30) at Madison Square Garden. The over/under for total points in the matchup is set at 217.5.

The SportsLine Projection Model has selected the Knicks to cover the 7.5-point spread against the Cavaliers. The model cites the Knicks' seven-game winning streak, six of which have been won by at least eight points, and their rest advantage over the Cavaliers, who concluded a seven-game series against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The Knicks have not played since May 10.

In MLB action, the model projects the Over 8.5 total runs for the Dodgers-Padres game, noting that neither team is starting their primary ace. Padres starter Griffin Canning holds a 10.64 ERA this season, while Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan has a 4.54 ERA. The model also backs the St Louis Cardinals to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, highlighting Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore’s recent form and the Pirates’ recent losing streak.

Combining these three specific picks into a parlay at DraftKings is projected to yield a payout of +617. The SportsLine model claims to simulate every NBA game 10,000 times and has reportedly returned over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons.