The Daily Sweat: Celtics and Bruins are dominating the NBA and NHL

Good thing the New England Patriots were mediocre and the Boston Red Sox aren't expected to be very good.

Boston fans would be insufferable no matter what, but they'll have to settle for owning just two of the four major pro sports. The Boston Celtics are pulling away with the best record in the NBA this regular season, and the NHL's Boston Bruins never seem to lose.

It's quite possible there will be two championship parades in Boston this season.

Both teams play on Thursday night. The Celtics are 8.5-point favorites at BetMGM over the New York Knicks, and the Bruins are -115 favorites against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Let's start with the Bruins, because they're putting together a record that is simply unbelievable. The Bruins have won six in a row and are 38-5-4 this season. That's ridiculous. They're an incredible 22-1-3 at home. Their goal differential of +83 is more than twice the second-best mark in the NHL, which is +41. Goaltender Linus Ullmark has been the best in the NHL this season. Seeing the Bruins at just -115 on Thursday night is surprising, even if it's against a very good Lightning team in Tampa Bay.

The Celtics haven't been quite as dominant, but close. They're 35-14, with a three-game lead for the best record in the Eastern Conference and a one-game lead over the Denver Nuggets for best in the NBA. The Celtics have lost two in a row after a nine-game winning streak, but they're heavily favored to get a win on Thursday night. With Jaylen Brown expected to be back in the lineup after missing a game due to injury, Boston is hard to bet against.

Boston is on top of the world in the two major pro sports in the middle of their seasons. That comes as BetMGM announced this week that they'll accept the first legal sports bet in the state next Tuesday at the BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge in Springfield. Hopefully for the hometown bettors the hot streaks of the Bruins and Celtics continue.

Here's a first look at the sports betting slate for Thursday:

NBA has 6 games

Celtics-Knicks is the first game of the TNT doubleheader, and it finishes with the Dallas Mavericks at the Phoenix Suns. Both are a little disappointing at 25-24 this season. The Suns are a 1.5-point favorites.

No. 1 Purdue highlights college hoops

Purdue is at Michigan on Thursday in a tricky matchup. Purdue is a 4.5-point favorite but it's hard to win on the road in college basketball. The Michigan crowd will be excited to see an upset.

The Pac-12 has a couple of top-25 teams in action and both are road favorites. No. 8 UCLA is a 4.5-point favorite at USC and No. 6 Arizona is a 5.5-point favorite at Washington State. Again, remember that it's hard for road teams in that sport.

Best of the rest

There are nine NHL games, highlighted by Bruins-Lightning. Another fun one is the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Washington Capitals. The Caps are a -120 favorite. The Farmers Insurance Open continues on the PGA Tour as well, with three golfers tied at 8-under-par after the first round. Taylor Montgomery is the new favorite at +750. The Australian Open also continues for all the tennis bettors out there.

What's the best bet?

I'll take the 4.5 points with Michigan at home. Michigan has not had a great season but they have won four in a row at home. Purdue hasn't lost on the road yet but has a few close calls. I'm not sure if the Wolverines get the straight up win, but it should be a close game.