Avery Perri

Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.

MNF Week 4 TD picks: Back Tyreek Hill and Sam LaPorta in doubleheader

MNF Week 4 TD picks

I’ve got one TD pick for each game of tonight’s Monday Night Football doubleheader.

The pregame narrative: In South Beach, I’m backing Tyreek Hill to find the end zone with a new quarterback under centre. Later on, Sam LaPorta is my pick when the Detroit Lions host the Seattle Seahawks.

Check out the best MNF Week 4 TD picks for tonight’s doubleheader.

MNF Week 4 TD picks

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Best bet: LaPorta anytime TD (+150)

This should be an excellent matchup for Detroit’s sophomore tight end, who is coming off a great rookie season.

LaPorta led all TEs in touchdowns (10) last year while ranking fourth in catches (86) and fifth in targets (120).

He’s a sure-handed, proven red zone threat that should get a lot of work against Seattle.

The Seahawks are off to a 3-0 start thanks in large part to their secondary. That unit has allowed the fewest passing yards per game and has the second-best defensive EPA per dropback, per RBSDM.com.

So why is that a good thing for LaPorta? Well, the top dogs on that secondary are Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen, and they’ll be tasked with slowing down Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. That should create some nice matchups for our guy.

And if you look at Seattle’s injury report, you’ll see it lists two starting inside linebackers: Boye Mafe (out) and Jerome Baker (hamstring, questionable).

The middle of the field is LaPorta’s office. He should have an easier time getting open tonight.

Key stat: Seattle has allowed the fifth-most receiving yards per game to tight ends this season.

Quick picks

Hill anytime TD (+120): Picking a TD scorer from a matchup with Will Levis and Tyler Huntley under centre seems nasty, but I do like Hill’s chances.

At the end of the day, you can’t teach speed and Hill has it in spades.

The veteran wideout is capable of taking the top off any defence and erupted for an 80-yard score in Week 1. He’s struggled since, but that was with Skylar Thompson as his quarterback. I’m banking on Huntley doing what’s best for himself and the team, which means throwing the ball to Hill.

Last year, Hill scored 13 touchdowns and amassed an NFL-best 1,799 receiving yards. If Mike McDaniel is as big of an offensive mastermind as we’ve been led to believe, he will find a way to get that man open.

Chidobe Awuzi is out and L’Jarius Sneed (hamstring) is listed as questionable. That should help free up Miami’s offensive playmakers, most notably Hill.

Picks made at 11:10 a.m. ET on 09/30/2024.

MNF Week 4 TD picks: Back Tyreek Hill and Sam LaPorta in doubleheader

MNF Week 4 TD picks

I’ve got one TD pick for each game of tonight’s Monday Night Football doubleheader.

The pregame narrative: In South Beach, I’m backing Tyreek Hill to find the end zone with a new quarterback under centre. Later on, Sam LaPorta is my pick when the Detroit Lions host the Seattle Seahawks.

Check out the best MNF Week 4 TD picks for tonight’s doubleheader.

MNF Week 4 TD picks

Go to full NFL betting markets.

Best bet: LaPorta anytime TD (+185)

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I’m backing LaPorta to clear his 39.5 receiving total as part of a +410 same-game parlay, so why stop there?

This should be an excellent matchup for Detroit’s sophomore tight end, who is coming off a great rookie season. LaPorta led all TEs in touchdowns (10) last year while ranking fourth in catches (86) and fifth in targets (120).

He’s a sure-handed, proven red zone threat that should get a lot of work against Seattle.

The Seahawks are off to a 3-0 start thanks in large part to their secondary. That unit has allowed the fewest passing yards per game and has the second-best defensive EPA per dropback, per RBSDM.com.

So why is that a good thing for LaPorta? Well, the top dogs on that secondary are Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen, and they’ll be tasked with slowing down Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. That should create some nice matchups for our guy.

And if you look at Seattle’s injury report, you’ll see it lists two starting inside linebackers: Boye Mafe (out) and Jerome Baker (hamstring, questionable).

The middle of the field is LaPorta’s office. He should have an easier time getting open tonight.

Key stat: Seattle has allowed the fifth-most receiving yards per game to tight ends this season.

Quick picks

Hill anytime TD (+185): Picking a TD scorer from a matchup with Will Levis and Tyler Huntley under centre seems nasty, but I do like Hill’s chances.

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At the end of the day, you can’t teach speed and Hill has it in spades.

The veteran wideout is capable of taking the top off any defence and erupted for an 80-yard score in Week 1. He’s struggled since, but that was with Skylar Thompson as his quarterback. I’m banking on Huntley doing what’s best for himself and the team, which means throwing the ball to Hill.

Last year, Hill scored 13 touchdowns and amassed an NFL-best 1,799 receiving yards. If Mike McDaniel is as big of an offensive mastermind as we’ve been led to believe, he will find a way to get that man open.

Chidobe Awuzi is out and L’Jarius Sneed (hamstring) is listed as questionable. That should help free up Miami’s offensive playmakers, most notably Hill.

Picks made at 11:10 a.m. ET on 09/30/2024.

Seahawks vs. Lions Week 4 same-game parlay predictions: Back Detroit and LaPorta at +410 on MNF

Seahawks vs. Lions predictions

The Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions meet for the second game on Monday’s NFL doubleheader.

The pregame narrative: Seattle is undefeated but I think Detroit is the much better team. Back the Lions ATS alongside player prop bets on Sam LaPorta and Geno Smith.

Check out our Seahawks vs. Lions predictions for the matchup on Sept. 30.

Seahawks vs. Lions SGP predictions

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Parlay: Seahawks -3.5 + LaPorta over 39.5 receiving yards + Smith over 199.5 passing yards (+410)

Seahawks -3.5 (-110): I’m not bought in on Seattle just yet.

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The Seahawks have looked good, don’t get me wrong, but they haven’t had to face an elite offence.

They toppled Bo Nix in his first career start in Week 1 and were taken to overtime by Jacoby Brissett and the New England Patriots in Week 2. Seattle blew out the Skylar Thompson-led Miami Dolphins last Sunday, but is that really impressive?

The Lions in Detroit represent a different test for Mike Macdonald and Co.

Detroit is coming off its best season in the last 30 years and is 2-1 with a pair of wins over respectable opponents. Its loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was somewhat fluky as the Lions out-gained their opponents by 247 yards.

Dan Campbell’s squad is an NFL-best 14-7 ATS at home over the last three seasons. I’m happy to back the Lions with a field goal and a hook.

SGP legs

LaPorta over 39.5 receiving yards (+108): This is a manageable line for one of the league’s best tight ends.

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Seattle’s secondary has been elite so far. It allows the fewest passing yards per game and has the second-best defensive EPA per dropback, per RBSDM.com.

But again, it hasn’t faced a gunslinger like Jared Goff yet. And also, the team isn’t great at covering tight ends. Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen are shutdown corners but they’ll be tasked with slowing down Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

That should allow Laporta — who ranked fifth in targets among tight ends last season — to eat.

Seattle has allowed the fifth-most receiving yards per game to tight ends this season.

Smith over 199.5 passing yards (-455): In my mind, Seattle should be chasing Detroit all game — a game script like that would work heavily in Smith’s favour.

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But even if it’s a close one, this line should be a cinch.

Smith threw for 289 yards last week and 327 yards the week before that. He’s completing passes at a 74.8% clip this year and Seattle’s pass-play percentage (59.68) is in the upper third of the NFL.

Detroit’s defence is good but the secondary is certainly its weakness. It ranks 20th in defensive EPA per dropback and has allowed 216.7 passing yards per game.

Smith has recorded 200-plus passing yards in seven of his last 10 starts.

Picks made at 10:47 a.m. on 09/29/24

MLB best bets Sept. 29: Bet on Philadelphia behind Aaron Nola

MLB best bets

The final Sunday of MLB’s regular season features 15 games all starting in the 3 p.m. ET hour.

The pregame narrative: Aaron Nola has had a nice year for the Philadelphia Phillies and should give his team a shot to lead after five against the Washington Nationals. Elsewhere, bet on the Atlanta Braves to beat the Kansas City Royals.

Check out these MLB best bets for Sept. 29.

MLB best bets

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Best bet: Phillies F5 moneyline (-118)

The Phillies’ 94 wins through 161 games were enough to earn them a bye through the wild-card round.

After today’s contest, we won’t see them play until Oct. 5 at Citizens Bank Park against an undecided NLDS opponent. Rob Thomson could elect to rest some starters, but that wouldn’t make much sense given the lengthy time off they’ll already have.

One person who will be playing is Nola, and that’s good enough for me.

The veteran righty has a respectable 3.52 ERA this season and is coming off back-to-back quality starts (6.0 IP, three or fewer ER) against the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers.

Nola has seen plenty of this Nationals lineup and the results speak for themselves.

He’s started against the Nats three times this season and has held them to just two earned runs across 19.1 IP. In 84 combined at-bats the Nats are batting .202 against Nola with a .250 slugging percentage, per Baseball Savant.

On the other side, Washington sends Jake Irvin to the bump and he’s struggled to contain the Phillies.

Philadelphia is batting .274 with a .476 SLG against Irvin in 91 combined plate appearances. The righty also has a concerning 4.54 ERA at home and a 5.24 ERA in September.

Key stat: Philadelphia cashed this bet in each of Nola’s three starts against Washington this year.

Quick pick

Braves -1.5 (-110): The Braves are one of three teams (Mets, Diamondbacks) fighting for the remaining two NL wild-card spots. A few weeks ago it looked like Atlanta would be missing out but its recent heater has the squad in pole position.

Atlanta has won five straight games and seven of its last eight, covering this spread in six of those matchups.

The fact that the Braves are even contending for a wild-card spot without Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider and Austin Riley is crazy. But they’ve managed to keep chugging.

Today, they should stay hot against the ice-cold Kansas City Royals.

KC has lost 18 of its last 30 games and flamed out in the AL Central battle. Fun fact, if you take away all of the Royals’ games against the Chicago White Sox, against whom they went 12-1, they would have a losing record (73-75).

Charlie Morton gets the ball for Atlanta opposite Alec Marsh, and the former has been cruising. Morton has a 3.12 ERA in his last seven games while Marsh has a 5.01 ERA in the same span.

Picks made at 9:26 a.m. ET on 09/29/2024.

MLB best bets Sept. 29: Bet on Philadelphia behind Aaron Nola

MLB best bets

The final Sunday of MLB’s regular season features 15 games all starting in the 3 p.m. ET hour.

The pregame narrative: Aaron Nola has had a nice year for the Philadelphia Phillies and should give his team a shot to lead after five against the Washington Nationals. Elsewhere, bet on the Atlanta Braves to beat the Kansas City Royals.

Check out these MLB best bets for Sept. 29.

MLB best bets

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Best bet: Phillies F5 moneyline (-121)

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The Phillies’ 94 wins through 161 games were enough to earn them a bye through the wild-card round.

After today’s contest, we won’t see them play until Oct. 5 at Citizens Bank Park against an undecided NLDS opponent. Rob Thomson could elect to rest some starters, but that wouldn’t make much sense given the lengthy time off they’ll already have.

One person who will be playing is Nola, and that’s good enough for me.

The veteran righty has a respectable 3.52 ERA this season and is coming off back-to-back quality starts (6.0 IP, three or fewer ER) against the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers.

Nola has seen plenty of this Nationals lineup and the results speak for themselves.

He’s started against the Nats three times this season and has held them to just two earned runs across 19.1 IP. In 84 combined at-bats the Nats are batting .202 against Nola with a .250 slugging percentage, per Baseball Savant.

On the other side, Washington sends Jake Irvin to the bump and he’s struggled to contain the Phillies.

Philadelphia is batting .274 with a .476 SLG against Irvin in 91 combined plate appearances. The righty also has a concerning 4.54 ERA at home and a 5.24 ERA in September.

Key stat: Philadelphia cashed this bet in each of Nola’s three starts against Washington this year.

Quick pick

Braves -1.5 (-110): The Braves are one of three teams (Mets, Diamondbacks) fighting for the remaining two NL wild-card spots. A few weeks ago it looked like Atlanta would be missing out but its recent heater has the squad in pole position.

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Atlanta has won five straight games and seven of its last eight, covering this spread in six of those matchups.

The fact that the Braves are even contending for a wild-card spot without Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider and Austin Riley is crazy. But they’ve managed to keep chugging.

Today, they should stay hot against the ice-cold Kansas City Royals.

KC has lost 18 of its last 30 games and flamed out in the AL Central battle. Fun fact, if you take away all of the Royals’ games against the Chicago White Sox, against whom they went 12-1, they would have a losing record (73-75).

Charlie Morton gets the ball for Atlanta opposite Alec Marsh, and the former has been cruising. Morton has a 3.12 ERA in his last seven games while Marsh has a 5.01 ERA in the same span.

Picks made at 9:26 a.m. ET on 09/29/2024.

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Bills vs. Ravens Week 4 prop picks: Bet on Dalton Kincaid and Justice Hill on SNF

Bills vs. Ravens prop picks

This week’s Sunday NFL slate ends with an absolute banger.

The pregame narrative: The Buffalo Bills are rolling and battle a Baltimore Ravens team off to a sluggish start. I like Dalton Kincaid to factor into the passing game and Justice Hill to clear a modest scrimmage yard total.

Check out my Bills vs. Ravens prop picks for Sept. 29.

Bills vs. Ravens prop picks

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Best Bet: Kincaid over 37.5 receiving yards (-114)

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Kincaid hasn’t had his breakout game yet but I’m calling for it on Sunday.

And to be clear it’s not because he’s been playing poorly, it’s because Josh Allen has been spreading the wealth around the offence and the Bills have been blowing teams out.

The second-year tight end cleared this line against the Jacksonville Jaguars with 41 yards in a 37-point blowout. Buffalo did whatever it wanted in that game and most of the starters were getting rested by the end of the third quarter.

In Baltimore, I expect the Ravens to put up much more of a fight.

A close contest is the type of game script we want for this prop. But even if the Bills start front-running I love Kincaid’s chances of clearing this number.

Baltimore’s rush defence is stout but its secondary is falling apart at the seams. The Ravens have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game and the most passing yards. It isn’t often you see a team so good at one aspect of defending and so poor at another.

Tight ends have feasted against Zach Orr’s defence with Jake Ferguson most recently going off for six catches (11 targets) and 95 yards.

Key stat: The Ravens have allowed the second most receptions and receiving yards to tight ends this year.

Quick picks

Hill over 29.5 rushing and receiving yards (-114): Am I missing something here? Hill has cleared this total in all three games, posting 50-plus scrimmage yards twice.

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Derrick Henry is Baltimore’s bell cow back but Hill is a respectable No. 2 and features heavily on third down. The 26-year-old has at least two catches in every game and hauled in six for 52 yards in the season opener.

Hill only had one carry in that game but has gotten a little more run on the ground since, and most recently had five carries for 33 yards against the Dallas Cowboys.

Buffalo has a solid rush defence but has given up plenty of catches to RBs. It has allowed the fourth-most receptions and fifth-most receiving yards to running backs so far.

Hill and Henry have both logged 104 snaps this season and I expect the shifty tailback to make a difference in what should be a close game.

Picks made at 1:54 p.m. ET 09/28/2024.

MLB best bets Sept. 28: Back the Dodgers, take the under in Seattle

MLB best bets

The MLB playoff picture is almost set in stone but there is still value on the betting board today.

The pregame narrative: The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from clinching home-field advantage and I expect them to start hot in Denver. Elsewhere, take the under in a matchup between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics.

Check out these MLB best bets for Sept. 28.

MLB best bets

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Best bet: Athletics/Mariners under 7.5 runs (-110)

The Mariners’ playoff hopes are dead and the culprit is an anemic offence.

Seattle ranks 22nd in runs per game (4.14), 29th in batting average (.224), and 30th in strikeout rate (26.9%). The team’s bats have heated up in September but it is too little too late.

With nothing to play for, I can see this game being a slog.

Joey Estas gets the ball for the Athletics and the second-year starter hasn’t had a great year. He has a 4.99 ERA but has done well against this Mariners lineup.

In three starts, Estas has held Seattle to five runs and a .167 batting average.

On the other side, Emerson Hancock sees the A’s for the first time. The righty has put together a pair of decent starts since returning from Triple-A, and just held the Texas Rangers to two runs over 5.0 IP.

Three of Seattle’s last four games have gone under this total as have each of Oakland’s last three.

Key stat: The Mariners (4.14 runs/game) and Athletics (3.96) rank 22nd and 26th in scoring.

Quick picks

Dodgers F5 -1.5 (-106): Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stats against the Colorado Rockies don’t look pretty. In 31 plate appearances (two starts) the Rockies are batting .370 with a .519 SLG.

But it’s fair to say the Japanese rookie has had a bit of bad luck. According to Baseball Savant, Colorado’s .387 xSLG is noticeably lower.

In his first start against the Rockies, he held them to one earned run in 6.0 innings before allowing four earned runs in 3.0 IP last week. I’m confident enough in the righty’s stuff that he’ll have a good outing.

Yamamoto has a solid 2.96 ERA on the season and an 85th-percentile K rate.

And even if he struggles, Los Angeles is more than capable of blowing Antonio Senzatela out of the water.

Shohei Ohtani is on another planet right now with 24 hits in his last 34 at-bats (.706 batting average, six doubles, six home runs). And he’s just one piece of baseball’s deadliest offence. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez are three of 12 Dodgers with a wRC+ above 110.

L.A. has scored 18 runs in its last two games and should come out of the gate firing tonight.

Picks made at 12:30 p.m. ET on 09/28/2024.

MLB best bets Sept. 28: Back the Dodgers, take the under in Seattle

MLB best bets

The MLB playoff picture is almost set in stone but there is still value on the betting board today.

The pregame narrative: The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from clinching home-field advantage and I expect them to start hot in Denver. Elsewhere, take the under in a matchup between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics.

Check out these MLB best bets for Sept. 28.

MLB best bets

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Best bet: Athletics/Mariners under 7.5 runs (-108)

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The Mariners’ playoff hopes are dead and the culprit is an anemic offence.

Seattle ranks 22nd in runs per game (4.14), 29th in batting average (.224), and 30th in strikeout rate (26.9%). The team’s bats have heated up in September but it is too little too late.

With nothing to play for, I can see this game being a slog.

Joey Estas gets the ball for the Athletics and the second-year starter hasn’t had a great year. He has a 4.99 ERA but has done well against this Mariners lineup.

In three starts, Estas has held Seattle to five runs and a .167 batting average.

On the other side, Emerson Hancock sees the A’s for the first time. The righty has put together a pair of decent starts since returning from Triple-A, and just held the Texas Rangers to two runs over 5.0 IP.

Three of Seattle’s last four games have gone under this total as have each of Oakland’s last three.

Key stat: The Mariners (4.14 runs/game) and Athletics (3.96) rank 22nd and 26th in scoring.

Quick picks

Dodgers to lead after three innings (-121): Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stats against the Colorado Rockies don’t look pretty. In 31 plate appearances (two starts) the Rockies are batting .370 with a .519 SLG.

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But it’s fair to say the Japanese rookie has had a bit of bad luck. According to Baseball Savant, Colorado’s .387 xSLG is noticeably lower.

In his first start against the Rockies, he held them to one earned run in 6.0 innings before allowing four earned runs in 3.0 IP last week. I’m confident enough in the righty’s stuff that he’ll have a good outing.

Yamamoto has a solid 2.96 ERA on the season and an 85th-percentile K rate.

And even if he struggles, Los Angeles is more than capable of blowing Antonio Senzatela out of the water.

Shohei Ohtani is on another planet right now with 24 hits in his last 34 at-bats (.706 batting average, six doubles, six home runs). And he’s just one piece of baseball’s deadliest offence. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez are three of 12 Dodgers with a wRC+ above 110.

L.A. has scored 18 runs in its last two games and should come out of the gate firing tonight.

Picks made at 9:58 a.m. ET on 09/28/2024.

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Best MLB prop bets Sept. 28: Bet on Skenes to finish strong, Yamamoto to shove

MLB prop bets

I’m backing two stud rookies on the last Saturday of MLB’s regular season.

The pregame narrative: Paul Skenes can potentially lock up the NL Rookie of the Year award with a strong outing today. I say he does it. Elsewhere, I’m backing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to clear his strikeout total and Adolis Garcia to rack up multiple bases.

Check out the best MLB prop bets for Sept. 28.

MLB prop bets

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Best bet: Skenes over 6.5 strikeouts (-129)

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I find it outrageous that people suggest Skenes won’t win the NL Rookie of the Year.

Pittsburgh’s ace has put together a historic season, posting a 1.99 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 22 starts. His 167 strikeouts in 131.0 IP equates to an 11.47 K/9 and that, along with his ERA, would be the best in baseball had he thrown enough innings to qualify.

Skenes has cleared this line in 16 of 22 starts including each of his last three.

He fanned nine Reds in 5.0 IP his last time out on just 73 pitches. The only thing working against Skenes clearing this wager in my mind is an internal pitch count.

The New York Yankees are a tough, tough lineup to get out but they’ve been a little swing-happy lately.

They have the 10th-highest K rate against right-handed pitching in the last 30 days and just allowed Corbin Burnes to rack up nine Ks in 5.0 IP a few days ago.

Skenes’ stuff is even better than Burnes’ and I expect the rookie to finish his season on a high note.

Key stat: Skenes has 25 strikeouts in his last three starts (17.0 IP).

Quick pick

Yamamoto over 5.5 strikeouts (-130): Yamamoto got lit up by the Colorado Rockies his last time out, ceding four earned runs and five hits in 3.0 IP. But he still struck out four and I’m betting on a rebound tonight.

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The Japanese phenom has largely been a stud in his first year of MLB action. He has a 2.96 ERA and an 85th percentile K rate, per Baseball Savant.

Yamamoto played the Rockies once before last week’s start and fanned seven in 6.0 IP.

He’s also been slowly increasing his pitch count since returning from the IL and now would be a good time to have a lengthy outing. The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs so Dave Roberts should give Yamamoto some runway.

Garcia over 1.5 bases (+112): Garcia’s season has been a disappointment but at least he’s finishing strong.

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The Texas Rangers outfielder has a hit in eight of his last 10 games and has cleared this line six times.

He went yard last night for his 25th home run of the season and has a good chance to hit for power against Los Angeles Angels starter Griffin Canning.

Canning has a 5.24 ERA on the season and ranks in the 25th percentile or lower in hard-hit rate, xBA, xSLG and average exit velocity.

Garcia is 4-for-11 against the righty with a double and two home runs.

Picks made at 3:31 p.m. ET on 09/27/2024.

Stanley Cup picks and predictions for 2024-25 NHL season: Best bets, value plays and long shots to win

Stanley Cup predictions

The NHL season is upon us, and every team’s end goal is the Stanley Cup.

The pregame narrative: The Edmonton Oilers were one game short of glory last season and they open the new year as the favourite. Even as the favourite, the Oilers are a good bet to win it all. Two other Canadian teams are intriguing at their price point.

Check out my Stanley Cup predictions for the 2024-25 season, including the best value and long-shot picks.

Stanley Cup predictions

Go to the latest Stanley Cup odds. Click linked odds to bet now.

Stanley Cup picksBetting odds
Edmonton Oilers+800
Colorado Avalanche +1,100
Vancouver Canucks+1,400
Ottawa Senators +4,000
Pittsburgh Penguins+5,000

Best Stanley Cup bets

Oilers (+800): The Oilers dug themselves a hole in the Stanley Cup finals last season, going down 3-0 before climbing back and losing Game 7 in heartbreaking fashion.

What’s not to like this year, though? McDavid and company are a year more experienced and the captain showed he’s a playoff performer. He scored 42 points and was a +12 in 25 games during last year’s run.

Leon Draisaitl is a top player in the league as well and Zach Hyman is coming off a 54-goal season.

Last season, the Oilers went 5-11-2 to start the season. If the defence and goaltending are sound and Edmonton can get off to a better start, I think the team could be a wagon heading into the spring.

Avalanche (+1,100): The other team I like from the West is the Avs.

I might be star-struck by the sheer talent on this roster but it’s something I can’t ignore. Nathan MacKinnon is the best player in the league not named McDavid and Cale Makar is the best there is on defence.

The one concern is goaltending with Alexander Georgiev having a .897 SV% last season but 24-year-old Justus Annunen looks ready to take over if things go south.

Annunen had a .928 SV% and 2.25 GAA in 14 appearances last season. He’s a wildcard but it’s more than they had heading into last year.

Fans know Colorado can get it done. This could be the year that the Avs’ talented core adds a second Cup.

Stanley Cup predictions: Best value

Canucks (+1,400): The big concern here is last season was a fluke but I view the Canucks as a top-tier team — yet they carry 14-to-1 odds.

Vancouver took Edmonton to seven games without Thatcher Demko and the core remains intact.

Captain Quinn Hughes is a year older and if he can make a stride on defence to add to his dynamic offensive game, he’ll be right up there with Makar.

Hughes finished with 75 assists and 92 points last season … not too shabby for a 24-year-old defenceman.

J.T. Miller had 100-plus points while Elias Pettersson (89) and Brock Boeser (73) also contributed heavily. There’s no reason the Canucks shouldn’t build on last year’s success and last year was pretty darn good.

Long-shot picks to win

Senators (+4,000): If there’s one young Canadian team I’m bullish on, it’s the Sens.

The youth on offence and defence is promising and they seemingly solved their goalie issues as well. An offseason trade for Linus Ullmark provides a much-needed upgrade and he gives the team stability in the backend.

Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson are three names to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

They may be a few years away still, but the Sens are a long shot for a reason and it’s all about predicting when they will break out.

Penguins (+5,000): Let’s explore the opposite side of the spectrum and visit an experienced team.

Sidney Crosby is locked into a new contract, and the rest of the locker room is still present. Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson are among others who will need to tap into their prime if they want to win one final Cup.

Other teams that sit at 50-to-1 odds are the New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres. I have to believe the Penguins have the most potential of those teams to make a run if they can lock in.

The issue is Pittsburgh has finished fifth in the Metropolitan in consecutive seasons and would need to make a jump this season to even make the playoffs. Do Crosby and Co. have it in them?