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Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 6: Back Cole Caufield, Kirill Marchenko on Thurday

I’m backing two players to score from Thursday’s NHL slate.

The pregame narrative: Cole Caufield is in a prime position to produce against the Edmonton Oilers. I’m also taking a flier on Kirill Marchenko to bury one at generous odds.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 6.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Marchenko anytime goalscorer (+230)

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on fire, and Marchenko is a big reason why.

Columbus is 7-3 in its last 10 games, averaging a healthy 3.6 goals per game.
Marchenko has potted six goals in that span and leads all Blue Jackets skaters with 24 goals on the season.

The Russian winger riding shotgun on the first line with Adam Fantilli and is an integral part of the team’s top power play.

The problem is that the Blue Jackets play Sergei Bobrovsky and the Florida Panthers on Thursday. The netminder has put a slow start behind him with a .921 SV% since Jan. 1.

Still, I expect this to be close with the way Columbus has been playing and Marchenko should be a factor.

Key stat: Marchenko has three goals in his last four games.

Quick pick

Caufield anytime goalscorer (+175): Is it officially panic time in Edmonton? I think so.

The Oilers just got shelled, 6-2, by the Anaheim Ducks and are 1-6 in their last seven games while allowing 4.71 goals per game.

Stuart Skinner is starting in net tonight, and he has a 3.42 GAA and .867 SV% since Feb. 1. I can’t trust him and don’t trust Edmonton’s defence to buckle down in front of him.

Caufield is on a nice little run since his perceived 4 Nations Face-Off snub, scoring in four of his last five games.

Picks made at 10:37 a.m. ET on 03/06/2025.

Premier League predictions Matchday 28: Prop picks on Cody Gakpo and Leandro Trossard

I’ve got two prop bets for this weekend’s Premier League action.

The pregame narrative: A well-rested Cody Gakpo should make noise for Liverpool against relegation-bound Southampton on Saturday. After that, look for Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard to register a shot on target against Manchester United

Check out the best Premier League predictions for Matchday 28.

Premier League predictions

Go to full Premier League betting markets.

Best Bet: Gakpo to score or give an assist (+100)

Liverpool has one hand on the Premier League trophy and can potentially go 16 points clear of Arsenal with a win this weekend.

Picking up three points, at home, against last-place Southampton seems like a certainty.

Southampton has allowed the most goals (65) and has the most xG conceded (65.1), according to FotMob.
The Saints also allow the most shots (17.89) and shots on target (6.74) on a 90-minute basis.
Liverpool is -800 to win and Mohamed Salah, who paces the league with 25 goals, is -350 to score.

I’m not in love with Salah’s odds so will instead turn to Gakpo.

The Dutch national missed Liverpool’s Champions League Round of 16 game against PSG on Wednesday but Arne Slot is hopeful he’ll return to action on Saturday.

Gakpo is averaging 0.70 goals and assists per 90 in the EPL, which is the third-best mark among all Liverpool players who have started one or more games.

Key stat: Gakpo has four goals in his last five starts across all competitions.

Quick pick

Trossard over 0.5 SOT (-125): Arsenal’s hopes to win the Premiership are dead in the water without Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, who are out with hamstring injuries.

The duo have combined for 27 goals and assists (15 for Saka, 12 for Havertz) in the EPL, and Trossard is next with nine goal contributions.

The Belgian forward should have plenty of opportunities to fire a shot on goal against Manchester United, which is conceding the eighth-most xG per game (42.8).

Trossard has logged a shot on target in four of his last five games across all competitions.

Picks made at 12:49 p.m. on 03/06/25.

Premier League predictions Matchday 28: Prop picks on Cody Gakpo and Leandro Trossard

I’ve got two prop bets for this weekend’s Premier League action.

The pregame narrative: A well-rested Cody Gakpo should make noise for Liverpool against relegation-bound Southampton on Saturday. After that, look for Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard to register a shot on target against Manchester United

Check out the best Premier League predictions for Matchday 28.

Premier League predictions

Go to full Premier League betting markets.

Best Bet: Gakpo to score or give an assist (-113)

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Liverpool has one hand on the Premier League trophy and can potentially go 16 points clear of Arsenal with a win this weekend.

Picking up three points, at home, against last-place Southampton seems like a certainty.

Southampton has allowed the most goals (65) and has the most xG conceded (65.1), according to FotMob.
The Saints also allow the most shots (17.89) and shots on target (6.74) on a 90-minute basis.
Liverpool is -835 to win and Mohamed Salah, who paces the league with 25 goals, is -152 to score.

I’m not in love with Salah’s odds so will instead turn to Gakpo on a goals and assists market.

The Dutch national missed Liverpool’s Champions League Round of 16 game against PSG on Wednesday but Arne Slot is hopeful he’ll return to action on Saturday.

Gakpo is averaging 0.70 goals and assists per 90 in the EPL, which is the third-best mark among all Liverpool players who have started one or more games.

Key stat: Gakpo has four goals and an assist in his last five starts across all competitions.

Quick pick

Trossard over 0.5 SOT (-136): Arsenal’s hopes to win the Premiership are dead in the water without Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, who are out with hamstring injuries.

The duo have combined for 27 goals and assists (15 for Saka, 12 for Havertz) in the EPL, and Trossard is next with nine goal contributions.

The Belgian forward should have plenty of opportunities to fire a shot on goal against Manchester United, which is conceding the eighth-most xG per game (42.8).

Trossard has logged a shot on target in four of his last five games across all competitions.

Picks made at 12:49 p.m. on 03/06/25.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 6: Back Artturi Lehkonen, Cole Caufield on Thurday

I’m backing three players to score from Thursday’s NHL slate.

The pregame narrative: Artturi Lehkonen and Cole Caufield are in prime positions to produce against the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers, respectively. I’m also taking a flier on Kirill Marchenko to bury one at generous odds.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 6.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Lehkonen anytime goalscorer (+155)

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If you’ve been reading my NHL picks over the past week, you’ll have noticed a common theme: Fade the Sharks at every opportunity.

San Jose logged consecutive wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres but is still one of the worst teams in hockey.

The Sharks rank near the bottom of the NHL in several key defensive categories on a 60-minute basis, per Natural Stat Trick:

32nd in goals (3.61)
31st in shots (31.64)
31st in chances (66.22)
27th in high-danger chances (12.56)

Lehkonen is the Avalanche’s leading scorer since the team traded away Mikko Rantanen in late January, with eight goals in 13 games.

The Finn is on Colorado’s top line with Nathan MacKinnon and on the top power play with MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas and Jonathan Drouin.

That is about as good as it gets for goal-scoring opportunities.

Key stat: Lehkonen has three goals in his last three games.

Quick pick

Caufield anytime goalscorer (+190): Is it officially panic time in Edmonton? I think so.

The Oilers just got shelled, 6-2, by the Anaheim Ducks and are 1-6 in their last seven games while allowing 4.71 goals per game.

Stuart Skinner is starting in net tonight, and he has a 3.42 GAA and .867 SV% since Feb. 1. I can’t trust him and don’t trust Edmonton’s defence to buckle down in front of him.

Caufield is on a nice little run since his perceived 4 Nations Face-Off snub, scoring in four of his last five games.

Marchenko anytime goalscorer (+240): The Columbus Blue Jackets are on fire, and Marchenko is a big reason why.

Columbus is 7-3 in its last 10 games, averaging a healthy 3.6 goals per game.
Marchenko has potted six goals in that span and leads all Blue Jackets skaters with 24 goals on the season.

The Russian winger riding shotgun on the first line with Adam Fantilli and is an integral part of the team’s top power play.

The problem is that the Blue Jackets play Sergei Bobrovsky and the Florida Panthers on Thursday. The netminder has put a slow start behind him with a .921 SV% since Jan. 1.

Still, I expect this to be close with the way Columbus has been playing and Marchenko should be a factor.

Picks made at 10:37 a.m. ET on 03/06/2025.

Knicks vs. Lakers SGP predictions March 6: Bet on Karl-Anthony Towns and Luka Doncic at +340

The New York Knicks begin their five-game road trip on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The pregame narrative: Los Angeles is running red-hot, and I expect it to win behind a strong Luka Doncic performance. On the other side, look for Karl-Anthony Towns to stuff the stat sheet.

Check out my Knicks vs. Lakers SGP predictions for March 6.

Knicks vs. Lakers predictions

Parlay: Lakers moneyline | Towns over 38.5 PRA | Doncic 3+ threes (+340)

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Lakers moneyline (-165): I looked long and hard at teasing up the Knicks as underdogs but got less confident the more I looked into their recent track record.

New York has won six of its last 10 games and it hasn’t been pretty:

All four losses came by 12-plus points against contending teams (Celtics twice, Cavaliers, Warriors).
Five of New York’s six wins were by five points or fewer — and three required overtime. Those wins were against the Joel Embiid-less 76ers, Bulls, Hawks, Heat and Grizzlies.

Los Angeles, meanwhile, has won seven straight games while holding opponents to a meagre 103.1 PPG.

The Lakers are a stellar 24-7 at home this season and should have all of their top dogs available.

NBA SGP picks

Towns over 38.5 PRA (-113): On Tuesday, I backed Zion Williamson to clear his 29.5 points/rebounds total against the Lakers in a +360 SGP that cashed.

Zion blew by that mark with 37 points and four rebounds, and I expect KAT to have similar success.

The two players are far from carbon copies of each other, but this is more about matchup opportunity than anything else.

Los Angeles is missing a bona fide centre since trading away Anthony Davis, starting unproven Jaxson Hayes at the No. 5 and Dorian Finney-Smith at the No. 4.

Towns does plenty of damage from the outside, but I expect him to crash and bang in the paint and hoover up rebounds against an undersized lineup.

He’s averaging 24.5 points, 13.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists on the season.

Doncic 3+ threes (-360): Much to the dismay of Mavericks fans, Doncic is looking more and more like the perennial MVP candidate we’re accustomed to with each passing game.

The dynamic point guard has turned up the heat over his last three outings:

Feb. 28 vs. LAC: 31 points, 3-of-9 from deep
March 2 vs. LAC: 29 points, 5-of-12 from deep
March 4 vs. NO: 30 points, 6-of-13 from deep

Doncic has taken at least seven 3s in every game with L.A., which puts us in a great spot from a volume standpoint. Now he’s taking even more — and has begun to make them.

New York has the worst 3-point defence in the NBA (37.5%). Doncic went 7-for-14 from deep against the Knicks the last time he played them.

Picks made at 8:48 a.m. ET 03/06/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 4: Back Leon Draisaitl, Tage Thomspon on Tuesday

I’m picking two players to score during Tuesday’s 10-game NHL slate.

The pregame narrative: Leon Draisaitl is running away with the Rocket Richard trophy and should add to his league-leading total tonight. Elsewhere, back Tage Thompson against a San Jose Sharks team playing on a back-to-back.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 4.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Draisaitl anytime goalscorer (-118)

I’m not going to get cute with my best bet tonight. Draisaitl is on a heater, and his Edmonton Oilers host an awful defensive team in the Anaheim Ducks.

The German is pacing the league with 44 goals — nine ahead of second-place William Nylander.

Draisaitl has scored in eight of his last nine games and ranks near the top of the league in several key offensive categories, per Natural Stat Trick:

2nd in goals per 60 (2.04)
7th in expected goals (26.4)
14th in shot percentage (21.9)

The Oilers have struggled to defend lately — allowing 4.4 goals per game since returning to play on Feb. 22 — so there’s a good chance this becomes a barn-burner.

The Ducks allow 32.1 shots per game, which is tied for the most in the NHL.

Key stat: Draisaitl has scored in five of his last six games against the Ducks.

Quick pick

Thompson anytime goalscorer (+115): One of the only teams worse at defending than the Ducks is their cross-state rivals in San Jose.

The Sharks allow the most goals (3.68) and shots (32.1) per game.
They also give up the second-most chances on a 60-minute basis (66.4).

Thompson is one of the lone bright spots on an awful Sabres roster. He’s scored 29 goals in 53 games and his 1.76 goals per 60 ranks fourth behind Alex Ovechkin, Draisaitl and Brayden Point.

San Jose snapped an eight-game losing streak when it beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in a shootout on Monday, but I expect a return to regularly-scheduled programming tonight (getting blown out).

Picks made at 4:06 p.m. ET on 03/04/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 4: Back Leon Draisaitl, Tage Thomspon on Tuesday

I’m picking two players to score during Tuesday’s 10-game NHL slate.

The pregame narrative: Leon Draisaitl is running away with the Rocket Richard trophy and should add to his league-leading total tonight. Elsewhere, back Tage Thompson against a San Jose Sharks team playing on a back-to-back.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 4.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Draisaitl anytime goalscorer (-122)

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I’m not going to get cute with my best bet tonight. Draisaitl is on a heater, and his Edmonton Oilers host an awful defensive team in the Anaheim Ducks.

The German is pacing the league with 44 goals — nine ahead of second-place William Nylander.

Draisaitl has scored in eight of his last nine games and ranks near the top of the league in several key offensive categories, per Natural Stat Trick:

2nd in goals per 60 (2.04)
7th in expected goals (26.4)
14th in shot percentage (21.9)

The Oilers have struggled to defend lately — allowing 4.4 goals per game since returning to play on Feb. 22 — so there’s a good chance this becomes a barn-burner.

The Ducks allow 32.1 shots per game, which is tied for the most in the NHL.

Key stat: Draisaitl has scored in five of his last six games against the Ducks.

Quick pick

Thompson anytime goalscorer (+107): One of the only teams worse at defending than the Ducks is their cross-state rivals in San Jose.

The Sharks allow the most goals (3.68) and shots (32.1) per game.
They also give up the second-most chances on a 60-minute basis (66.4).

Thompson is one of the lone bright spots on an awful Sabres roster. He’s scored 29 goals in 53 games and his 1.76 goals per 60 ranks fourth behind Alex Ovechkin, Draisaitl and Brayden Point.

San Jose snapped an eight-game losing streak when it beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in a shootout on Monday, but I expect a return to regularly-scheduled programming tonight (getting blown out).

Picks made at 3:12 p.m. ET on 03/04/2025.

Pelicans vs. Lakers SGP predictions March 4: Bet on L.A. to win, Zion Williamson to go off at +360

The Los Angeles Lakers host the New Orleans Pelicans in Tuesday’s NBA nightcap.

The pregame narrative: Los Angeles is rolling and I expect it to pick up a win against a bottom-feeding New Orleans squad tonight. Prop bets on Zion Williamson and Dorian Finney-Smith round out this +360 wager.

Check out my Pelicans vs. Lakers SGP predictions for March 4.

Pelicans vs. Lakers predictions

Parlay: Lakers moneyline | Williamson over 29.5 points and rebounds | Finney-Smith 2+ threes (+360)

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Lakers moneyline (-375): Los Angeles is on a six-game winning streak and now has sole possession of the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed.

The Lakers have beaten some credible competition during this stretch, like the Clippers (twice), Timberwolves and Nuggets.

New Orleans’ playoff hopes are long gone but, to its credit, the team has continued fighting with a 4-1 record since Feb. 23.

I can’t say those wins have been as impressive, though, as the victims were the Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs (twice), Suns and Jazz.

The Lakers are 23-7 at home this season while the Pelicans are an awful 6-25 on the road — there’s no need to overthink this leg.

SGP legs

Williamson over 29.5 points and rebounds (-112): This is a smash play in my books. Williamson is on a tear and draws a solid matchup against the Lakers. Check out his stats over the last 15 games:

25.7 PPG
7.3 RPG
62.0 FG%
30+ points/rebounds in 11 of 15

Los Angeles is missing a legit centre since trading away Anthony Davis. Williamson should feast on the glass and in the paint against an undersized lineup.

The explosive power forward has missed a bunch of games this season but is a force when he plays, ranking in the 100th percentile for usage rate (33.6%), according to Cleaning the Glass.

Williamson is averaging 24.4 points and 6.9 rebounds in nine career games against the Lakers, clearing this mark seven times (and in two of the last three).

Finney-Smith 2+ threes (-136): No one seems happier about the Doncic acquisition than Finney-Smith, who said he’s gotten “butt-naked, wide open” 3-point looks since the trade.

The swingman is averaging 1.6 threes on 37.3% shooting since Feb. 1 and has at least one 3-pointer in 10 of 12 games.

New Orleans is tied for 24th in opponent 3-point percentage (36.7%) and gives up the most 3s per game to opposing power forwards (2.83), according to Fantasy Pros.

Picks made at 3:00 p.m. ET 03/04/2025.

Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid Champions League SGP predictions March 1: Back Mbappe and Alvarez in +360 wager

Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid predictions

Football fans are treated to a Champions League edition of the Madrid Derby at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.

The pregame narrative: Atletico Madrid has a two-point lead over Real Madrid in the La Liga table, with a league-low two losses. I expect both teams to score in a competitive fixture with Kylian Mbappe and Julian Alvarez providing offence.

Check out my Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid SGP predictions for March 4.

Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid predictions

Go to full Champions League betting markets

Parlay: Both teams to score | Mbappe over 1.5 SOT | Alvarez over 1.5 shots (+360)

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Both teams to score (-155): Atletico Madrid has been impenetrable in La Liga, conceding a league-low 16 goals with the lowest xG against (24.1), per FBRef.

Things haven’t gone quite as smoothly for Diego Simeone’s side in European play, though, with 12 goals allowed in eight UCL fixtures.

The Atleti have papered over that with a strong offence and enter this match having won five straight UCL matches:

Atletico Madrid has scored 17 goals during its five-game winning streak.
Both teams have scored in four of those games (BTTS is 6-2 overall in Atletico’s eight UCL matchups).

I’m confident that Atletico can score on Tuesday but am equally doubtful it will be able to keep Real Madrid off the board.

In La Liga, Los Blancos rank second in average possession (61.3%), goals per match (2.1) and xG (51.7). They’ve also scored 17 goals in their last five UCL games, with the opponent scoring in four of those.

Both La Liga fixtures between Real and Atletico this season ended in a 1-1 draw.

Other SGP legs

Mbappe over 1.5 SOT (-125): Mbappe had a slow start to the season but that feels like the distant past. Lately, the French striker looks like the superstar we’re accustomed to seeing.

Mbappe has scored nine goals in his last nine games.
He logged 2+ SOT in eight of those contests, and had three against Atletico Madrid on Feb. 8.

It’s in Madrid’s best interest to open this game up and play with a fast pace, as it did against Manchester City in the Round of 16 playoff.

Mbappe has a bevy of world-class playmakers trying to get him the ball, and I think he’ll have another statement game on Tuesday.

Alvarez over 1.5 shots (-175): Alvarez is thriving in his first season with Atletico.

The Argentinian national scored 19 and 17 goals, respectively, in his last two campaigns with Manchester City but was playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland.

Now, he has the reins for the Atleti and has buried 21 in 26 games across all competitions.

I’m not looking for Alvarez to score and I’m not even looking for him to put two shots on target. I just need two shot attempts for this leg to cash.

He’s done that in three straight games and has at least one shot attempt in 20 straight starts dating back to Nov. 10.

Soccer picks made at 11:00 a.m. on 03/04/25.

Raptors vs. Magic SGP predictions March 4: Back Paolo Banchero and Cole Anthony at +350

For the second time in three days, the Toronto Raptors take on the Magic in Orlando.

The pregame narrative: Toronto won a rock fight, 104-102, on Sunday and I expect another low-scoring affair in Round II. Prop bets on Paolo Banchero and Cole Anthony round out this +350 wager.

Check out my Raptors vs. Magic SGP predictions for March 4.

Raptors vs. Magic predictions

Parlay: Under 215 points | Banchero 25+ points | Anthony 1+ threes (+350)

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Under 215 points (-215): Orlando is one of the most unders-friendly teams in the NBA, cashing the wager at a 62.9% rate (second to only the Charlotte Hornets).

There are a few reasons for that, which I’ll lay out here:

Orlando plays at the second-slowest pace (possessions per 48 minutes) in the league.
It also has the second-best defensive rating and the third-worst offensive rating.
The squad attempts the eighth-fewest 3s per game (35.3).

Toronto is also a good team to target on unders. It ranks 29th in 3-point attempts (32.8/game) and makes (11.4/game) — the only team making fewer 3s on a nightly basis is Orlando (10.8).

This game will be contested inside the arc and at a slow pace, meaning fans won’t see a track meet at Kia Center.

The under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between the Magic and Raptors, cashing in five straight.

SGP legs

Banchero 25+ points (-108): Someone is going to have to score in this matchup, and my bet’s on Banchero.

The power forward fell just shy of this total on Sunday, scoring 23 points with just nine field goal attempts. He went 12-for-15 from the charity stripe and played 39:08 in the loss.

That was a weird game. I don’t expect Banchero to go to the line as often but he should be taking way more than nine shots in the rematch.

Banchero averaged 28.3 points and 21.3 field goal attempts in his previous seven games, clearing this line four times while landing on 24 points once.

Toronto allows the 13th-most PPG to opposing power forwards, according to Fantasy Pros.

Anthony 1+ threes (-335): I mentioned how little each team shoots the deep ball, but this isn’t asking for much. It also brings this wager’s odds up from +205 to +350.

Anthony has cleared this line in 18 of his last 20 games and is shooting a respectable 37.1% from beyond the arc since Jan. 1.

The point guard has played 14 games against the Raptors in his career, cashing this bet 13 times while shooting 41.8% from deep.

Picks made at 10:00 a.m. ET 03/04/2025.