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.

Truist Championship picks, predictions and odds: Back Schauffele and Hovland at Philadelphia Cricket Club

Truist Championship picks

The Truist Championship is here, providing players with a final tune-up before the PGA Championship next week.

The latest: Rory McIlroy is favoured at Philadelphia Cricket Club following a dream start to the season where he won the Masters and completed the career grand slam. Scottie Scheffler boatraced the field last week, but is sitting this tournament out.

Check out my Truist Championship picks featuring Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland.

Truist Championship picks

Best bet: Schauffele to win (+1,600) & top-20 finish (-137)

Schauffele is in fine form ahead of his PGA Championship title defence next week.

The two-time major champion has three straight top-20 finishes, including a T8 at the Masters in April.

Schauffele missed the first two months of this season with an injury, but it looks like the rust has finally been shaken off.

  • He ranks fourth in this field in strokes gained: approach (+1.10) over the last three months, according to DataGolf.
  • Schauffele is 10th in driving distance (+10.3 yards above average) in the same span.

Philadelphia Cricket Club seems like a bomb-and-gougers paradise. The issue with Schauffele has been finding fairways, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem here.

And while McIlroy is a deserving favourite, the gap between him and Schauffele isn’t that big when the two are on top of their game.

Key stat: Last year, Schauffle finished inside the top 20 in 19 of his 22 starts. That includes his two major wins and eight additional top-five finishes.

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Go to full Truist Championship betting markets.

Golf picks

Hovland to win (+2,500) & top-20 finish (+100): Is Hovland back? By his own admission, he’s not there yet. But that’s just fine.

The Norwegian won the Valspar Championship while still battling swing issues, and then carded a T21 at the Masters. He followed that up with a T18 at the RBC Heritage.

Here’s what he had to say at Augusta:

Hovland has picked up strokes on approach in seven straight events, and ranks second in this field in SG: APP over the last three months.

He’s also putting well and can bomb the ball. I’m loving these odds.

Clark to win (+5,500) & top-20 finish (+175): Wyndham Clark is a wildcard, hence the 55-to-1 odds.

That said, I think he’s worth a dart throw here.

Excluding the Zurich Championship (team event) and the Players Championship (WD), he has made the cut in seven straight events. In that span, Clark has a T5, T22 and T16.

He’s an extremely long hitter and can get hot with the irons. Clark has also won three events — including the 2023 U.S. Open — in the last three years.

Golf picks made at 4:50 p.m. on 05/07/2025.

Stars vs. Jets prop picks Game 1: Back Kyle Connor and fade Matt Duchene

Stars vs. Jets picks

The Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets begin their second-round series on Wednesday night.

The pregame narrative: Both teams are playing with house money after mounting improbable third-period comebacks in their respective Game 7s. Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck is freed up and will need to be sharp to best Dallas, which may be getting Jason Robertson (game-time decision) back.

Check out my Stars vs. Jets prop picks on Matt Duchene and Kyle Connor for Game 1 on May 7.

Stars vs. Jets picks

Best bet: Duchene to not record a point (-132)

Before we get into the picks, let’s contextualize how unlikely this matchup is.

There have only been five instances of a multi-goal comeback in Game 7 in NHL history, and two occurred in the last week.

None were as crazy as what happened in Winnipeg — the Jets erased a 3-1 deficit with two minutes left, scoring the game-tying goal with mere seconds to play before winning in double overtime.

Hellebuyck turned away all 13 shots faced in the third period and overtime. The soon-to-be Vezina winner had this to say postgame: “The weight of the world is off my shoulders … and that had nothing to do with anyone else. It’s just the mental grind of that series.”

That’s my long-winded way of saying I think Hellebuyck is back, which is why I’m fading Duchene.

Hellebuyck posted a 2.01 GAA (best in the NHL) and .925 SV% (second-best) during the regular season.

Duchene had some key contributions in Game 7 but was still held off the stat sheet in five games, including all three on the road.

Key stat: Hellebuyck owned a 1.01 GAA and .965 SV% in four starts against Dallas this year. Duchene was held pointless in each game.

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Game 1 prop prediction

Connor over 3.5 shots (+120): Connor built off his spectacular regular season by going berserk in Round 1. He led the Jets in all of the following stats:

  • Goals (4)
  • Assists (8)
  • Shots (22)
  • Chances (45)

The American-born winger only cleared this line in two games, but he turned in a seven-shot performance in Game 7.

Dallas was missing its defensive lynchpin, Miro Heiskanen, in the opening round. The Finn has been ruled out for Game 1, too.

Without Heiskanen, the Stars gave up the most chances (73.8) and the second-most shots (31.65) on a 60-minute basis, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Connor averaged 3.25 shots per game during the regular season.

Stars vs. Jets prop picks made at 2:42 p.m. ET 05/07/2025.

Nuggets vs. Thunder SGP predictions Game 2: Back Holmgren and Westbrook at +350

Nuggets vs. Thunder predictions

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets meet for Game 2 on Wednesday night.

The pregame narrative: Nikola Jokic and Co. authored a come-from-behind win to snatch the series opener on Monday. But OKC has been the best team in the league all season and is heavily favoured to level the score this evening.

Check out my Nuggets vs. Thunder SGP predictions, featuring Chet Holmgren and Russell Westbrook.

Game 2 Boost: Thunder -9.5, Gilgeous-Alexander 35+ points & Jalen Williams 20+ points. Bet now!

Nuggets vs. Thunder predictions

Parlay: Thunder -2.5 | Holmgren 2+ threes | Westbrook over 7.5 rebounds and assists (+350)

Thunder -2.5 (-500): It looked like OKC had Game 1 wrapped when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 11 with 4:30 to go.

Denver stormed back and won, but that won’t put me off backing the Thunder tonight.

  • OKC is a league-best 55-29-4 ATS this season. That includes a 29-13-2 ATS record as a home favourite.
  • The Thunder posted a +12.7 net rating in the regular season, the second-highest all-time behind the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

You can’t count a team out with Jokic at the helm, which is why I’m teasing this spread down a ton. But I would be truly shocked if Denver walked out of OKC with a 2-0 series lead.

The Thunder are 19-3 in their last 22 games, covering this spread in 17 of those contests.

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NBA SGP legs

Holmgren 2+ threes (+100): Holmgren had an ugly night on Monday, finishing with just 12 points on 0-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc.

But there’s good reason to believe he responds in Game 2:

  • Holmgren averaged 2.8 threes on 42.3% shooting in the opening round.
  • He was 6-2 against this line in his last eight games before Monday.

Denver has consistently struggled to defend the perimeter this season, ceding the 11th-most 3s per game (13.9) at the eighth-highest clip (36.4%).

Westbrook over 7.5 rebounds and assists (-117): I backed Westbrook to clear an 8.5 rebound/assist line in Game 1, and he fell woefully short — logging two of each in the win.

I’ll go back to the well with this wager for a few reasons.

Westbrook averaged 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game this season, well above this number. In four regular-season games against OKC, he averaged 12.6 rebounds/assists and cleared this mark each time.

The veteran guard was in a shoot-first mindset in the series opener, but I don’t expect that to continue for long.

He logged double-digit rebounds and assists in Games 6 and 7 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Nuggets vs. Thunder predictions made at 12:30 p.m. ET 05/07/2025.

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets Game 2: Back Toronto to score, props on Bennett and Matthews

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers meet for Game 2 on Wednesday night.

The pregame narrative: All eyes will be on Sam Bennett as the Panthers look to level the series. The forward had a contentious collision with Anthony Stolarz, causing Toronto’s netminder to leave the game and exit the arena on a stretcher.

Check out my Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets for Game 2 of the second round, featuring Bennett and Auston Matthews.

Game 2 Boost: Maple Leafs to win & over 2.5 team total, Tavares to score. Bet now!

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets

Best Bet: Bennett to record a point (-118)

Bennett is the ultimate agitator and has mastered the “accidentally-on-purpose” brand of hockey.

His incident with Stolarz marked the third consecutive postseason where Bennett took an opposing player out of the series without facing supplemental discipline:

Whether or not he intended to injure Stolarz or simply get in his kitchen is up for debate, and I’ll leave it at that.

What I do know is that Bennett isn’t just on the Panthers to create havoc.

The forward can hurt the opposition on the score sheet and has been Florida’s most productive player this postseason (team ranks in parentheses):

  • 6 points (1st)
  • 24 shots (1st)
  • 37 chances (1st)
  • 2.78 xG (1st)
  • 8 high-danger chances (2nd)

Bennett scored a goal and had seven shots in Game 1. He has every opportunity to stay hot playing on the top power play and riding with Matthew Tkachuk on the second line.

Key stat: Bennett is 14-6 against this line in his last 20 playoff games (5-1 this postseason).

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Game 2 picks

Maple Leafs over 2.5 goals (-127): Toronto’s offence exploded in the series opener, netting three goals in the first period en route to a 5-4 win.

Do I expect that to happen again? No. But this total should still be well within reach.

The Maple Leafs are 6-1 against this line during the postseason. Two of those games were won 3-2 in overtime against the Ottawa Senators, but a win’s a win.

Toronto’s “Core Four” is finally showing up in the postseason, and Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t been great after stonewalling the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first two games of the postseason.

In four games since, he has allowed 14 goals on 86 shots (.837 SV%, 1-3 vs. this line).

I’m also expecting a tight whistle after Monday’s extracurriculars, meaning both teams should see plenty of power-play looks.

Matthews over 3.5 shots (-114): Matthews isn’t scoring like he used to, and you could chalk that up to lingering injury, bad luck, or just poor play.

Toronto’s captain posted a career-low 33 goals with a 12.6% shooting percentage this season. He has two goals (one on a practically empty net) with a 7.7 SH% in the playoffs.

But he’s still generating a boatload of chances, which is what I’m keying in on.

Matthews had five shots in the series opener. He’s had at least three shots in six of seven playoff games so far and is 3-4 vs. this line.

He’s leading the team with 54 chances (i.e., shot attempts) in the playoffs, 15 more than second-place William Nylander.

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets made at 10:05 a.m. ET 05/07/2025.

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets Game 2: Back Toronto to score, props on Bennett and Matthews

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers meet for Game 2 on Wednesday night.

The pregame narrative: All eyes will be on Sam Bennett as the Panthers look to level the series. The forward had a contentious collision with Anthony Stolarz, causing Toronto’s netminder to leave the game and exit the arena on a stretcher.

Check out my Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets for Game 2 of the second round, featuring Bennett and Auston Matthews.

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets

Best Bet: Bennett to record a point (-112)

Bennett is the ultimate agitator and has mastered the “accidentally-on-purpose” brand of hockey.

His incident with Stolarz marked the third consecutive postseason where Bennett took an opposing player out of the series without facing supplemental discipline:

Whether or not he intended to injure Stolarz or simply get in his kitchen is up for debate, and I’ll leave it at that.

What I do know is that Bennett isn’t just on the Panthers to create havoc.

The forward can hurt the opposition on the score sheet and has been Florida’s most productive player this postseason (team ranks in parentheses):

  • 6 points (1st)
  • 24 shots (1st)
  • 37 chances (1st)
  • 2.78 xG (1st)
  • 8 high-danger chances (2nd)

Bennett scored a goal and had seven shots in Game 1. He has every opportunity to stay hot playing on the top power play and riding with Matthew Tkachuk on the second line.

Key stat: Bennett is 14-6 against this line in his last 20 playoff games (5-1 this postseason).

Game 2 picks

Maple Leafs over 2.5 goals (-127): Toronto’s offence exploded in the series opener, netting three goals in the first period en route to a 5-4 win.

Do I expect that to happen again? No. But this total should still be well within reach.

The Maple Leafs are 6-1 against this line during the postseason. Two of those games were won 3-2 in overtime against the Ottawa Senators, but a win’s a win.

Toronto’s “Core Four” is finally showing up in the postseason, and Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t been great after stonewalling the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first two games of the postseason.

In four games since, he has allowed 14 goals on 86 shots (.837 SV%, 1-3 vs. this line).

I’m also expecting a tight whistle after Monday’s extracurriculars, meaning both teams should see plenty of power-play looks.

Matthews over 3.5 shots (-134): Matthews isn’t scoring like he used to, and you could chalk that up to lingering injury, bad luck, or just poor play.

Toronto’s captain posted a career-low 33 goals with a 12.6% shooting percentage this season. He has two goals (one on a practically empty net) with a 7.7 SH% in the playoffs.

But he’s still generating a boatload of chances, which is what I’m keying in on.

Matthews had five shots in the series opener. He’s had at least three shots in six of seven playoff games so far and is 3-4 vs. this line.

He’s leading the team with 54 chances (i.e., shot attempts) in the playoffs, 15 more than second-place William Nylander.

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets made at 10:05 a.m. ET 05/07/2025.

Oilers vs. Golden Knights prop picks Game 1: Bet on Hertl, Perry in Tuesday’s series opener

Oilers vs. Golden Knights picks

The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights begin their second-round series on Tuesday night.

The pregame narrative: Edmonton managed to out-score its goaltending issues against the Los Angeles Kings, but it’s fair to wonder how long that will last. The battle-tested Golden Knights can score in bunches and are favoured to win the series opener in Las Vegas.

Check out my Oilers vs. Golden Knights prop picks on Tomas Hertl and Corey Perry for Game 1 on May 6.

Oilers vs. Golden Knights picks

Best bet: Hertl to score (+175)

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl once again willed their team to victory in the opening round. They combined for 21 points in six games.

And Edmonton needed that type of firepower because its goaltenders were awful.

  • Stuart Skinner got shelled through the first two games of the series, allowing 11 goals on 58 shots (6.11 GAA, .810 SV%).
  • Calvin Pickard came in relief for the following four games (all wins) but wasn’t much better, posting a 2.93 GAA and .893 SV%.

It’s unclear who will get the net on Tuesday. Each goaltender logged the “starter’s role” in a practice leading up to the game. But based on their struggles, I don’t think it matters much.

Hertl is my pick to score for the Golden Knights. He buried 32 goals this season and scored in three of six games against the Minnesota Wild.

The William Karlsson-Jack Eichel-Mark Stone line should have the unenviable job of shadowing McDavid and Draisaitl. That means Hertl will get a better matchup.

Key stat: Hertl’s nine high-danger chances and 1.73 xG ranked third among Golden Knights skaters in the first round, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Game 1 prop prediction

Perry to record a point (+125): Perry isn’t the player he used to be, but that doesn’t matter when he’s skating alongside McDavid and Draisaitl.

That trio logged 42:49 of 5v5 ice time together against L.A. and out-chanced the opposition 62-to-29, good for a 68.13% Corsi rate.

For reference, McDavid and Draisaitl hold -500 and -360 odds to find the stat sheet in Game 1.

Perry doesn’t play nearly as much of those two, as Kris Knoblauch tends to mix up the lines mid-game. So it makes sense you can get him at favourable odds.

But I’m surprised Perri is sitting at plus money, considering he’s also getting minutes on Edmonton’s top powerplay.

That unit went 5-for-7 from Games 3-6 after being held scoreless in the first two games.

Oilers vs. Golden Knights prop picks made at 8:13 a.m. ET 05/06/2025.

Oilers vs. Golden Knights prop picks Game 1: Bet on Hertl, Perry in Tuesday’s series opener

Oilers vs. Golden Knights picks

The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights begin their second-round series on Tuesday night.

The pregame narrative: Edmonton managed to out-score its goaltending issues against the Los Angeles Kings, but it’s fair to wonder how long that will last. The battle-tested Golden Knights can score in bunches and are favoured to win the series opener in Las Vegas.

Check out my Oilers vs. Golden Knights prop picks on Tomas Hertl and Corey Perry for Game 1 on May 6.

Oilers vs. Golden Knights picks

Best bet: Hertl to score (+180)

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl once again willed their team to victory in the opening round. They combined for 21 points in six games.

And Edmonton needed that type of firepower because its goaltenders were awful.

  • Stuart Skinner got shelled through the first two games of the series, allowing 11 goals on 58 shots (6.11 GAA, .810 SV%).
  • Calvin Pickard came in relief for the following four games (all wins) but wasn’t much better, posting a 2.93 GAA and .893 SV%.

It’s unclear who will get the net on Tuesday. Each goaltender logged the “starter’s role” in a practice leading up to the game. But based on their struggles, I don’t think it matters much.

Hertl is my pick to score for the Golden Knights. He buried 32 goals this season and scored in three of six games against the Minnesota Wild.

The William Karlsson-Jack Eichel-Mark Stone line should have the unenviable job of shadowing McDavid and Draisaitl. That means Hertl will get a better matchup.

Key stat: Hertl’s nine high-danger chances and 1.73 xG ranked third among Golden Knights skaters in the first round, according to Natural Stat Trick.

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Game 1 prop prediction

Perry to record a point (+125): Perry isn’t the player he used to be, but that doesn’t matter when he’s skating alongside McDavid and Draisaitl.

That trio logged 42:49 of 5v5 ice time together against L.A. and out-chanced the opposition 62-to-29, good for a 68.13% Corsi rate.

For reference, McDavid and Draisaitl hold -500 and -360 odds to find the stat sheet in Game 1.

Perry doesn’t play nearly as much of those two, as Kris Knoblauch tends to mix up the lines mid-game. So it makes sense you can get him at favourable odds.

But I’m surprised Perri is sitting at plus money, considering he’s also getting minutes on Edmonton’s top powerplay.

That unit went 5-for-7 from Games 3-6 after being held scoreless in the first two games.

Oilers vs. Golden Knights prop picks made at 4:43 p.m. ET 05/05/2025.

Champions League semifinals prop picks and predictions: Bet on Raphinha and Gabriel Martinelli

Champions League picks

The second leg of the Champions League semifinals is built up to be a classic.

The pregame narrative: Barcelona fought back from an early deficit to force a 3-3 draw against Inter Milan and now heads to the San Siro with Robert Lewandowski back in its lineup. Meanwhile, Arsenal is a heavy underdog to erase a 1-0 deficit in Paris and advance to the final.

Check out the best Champions League prop picks featuring Raphinha and Gabriel Martinelli for the second leg.

Champions League picks

Best Bet: Raphinha to score or assist (-106)

Barcelona needed a spark down 0-2 without Lewandowski in the opening leg, and Raphinha helped answer the bell.

The Brazilian forward assisted on Ferran Torres’ game-tying goal and had five shot attempts (three on target) while playing the full 90 minutes.

That marked Raphinha’s 20th goal involvement in the Champions League this season (13 matches), putting him one back of Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time record from 2013-14.

Lewandowski will be back on Tuesday, and that’s one more elite mouth for Raphinha to feed. The Polish striker has 40 goals across all competitions for Barca this year and helps stretch the pitch, making everyone more effective.

Inter Milan has been the competition’s best defensive team, but cracks are appearing in the Nerrazurri’s facade at the wrong time.

It has given up a goal in 10 of its last 11 games, with 10 goals allowed over its past six.

Key stat: Raphinha has cashed this bet in four of Barcelona’s five UCL knockout stage games.

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Go to full Champions League betting markets.

Quick pick

Martinelli over 0.5 shots on target (-106): Bukayo Saka hasn’t been his typical game-breaking self since returning from injury on April 1, with just two goals and zero assists in nine appearances.

But Martinelli has picked up some of the slack, and he seems like a great value to record a SOT on Wednesday.

  • Martinelli has a shot on target in three straight games for the Gunners, and in 7 of his last 10.
  • That includes the opening leg against PSG, where he generated a team-high 1.1 xG (three shot attempts, one SOT).
  • He has multiple shot attempts in all but one game since Saka returned to the lineup.

The Brazilian forward was Arsenal’s most dangerous player in the first leg and will likely get the full 90 for Mikel Arteta, barring an injury.

With that said, he’ll have plenty of chances to fire on net.

Champions League picks made at 3:12 p.m. on 05/05/25.

Nuggets vs. Thunder SGP predictions Game 1: Back Westbrook and Williams at +360

Nuggets vs. Thunder predictions

A star-studded Round 2 matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder kicks off on Monday.

The pregame narrative: The Oklahoma City Thunder have dismantled teams all season and are well-rested after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round. Denver, meanwhile, is a heavy series underdog following a gruelling seven-game battle against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Check out my Nuggets vs. Thunder SGP predictions on May 5, featuring Russell Westbrook and Jalen Williams.

Nuggets vs. Thunder predictions

Parlay: Nuggets +15.5 | Westbrook over 8.5 rebounds and assists | Williams 5+ assists (+360)

Nuggets +15.5 (-250): OKC has been the best team in the league all season — full stop.

It won a league-best 68 games and posted a +12.7 net rating, which was the second-highest all-time behind the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

That said, I can get behind giving the Nuggets this many points in the series opener. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the expected MVP, but Nikola Jokic is still the best player on the planet.

Jokic flashed his superhuman powers repeatedly against the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging a 24-point triple-double across seven games.

Denver covered this number in six of those matchups, as well as 15 of its last 16 since the regular season.

The Nuggets are also 3-1 against this line vs. OKC this season.

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NBA SGP legs

Westbrook over 8.5 rebounds and assists (-114): Westbrook built his legacy in Oklahoma City and now has a chance to stick it to his former team as a member of Denver’s supporting cast.

The high-flying point guard isn’t averaging triple-doubles anymore, but he still put up a respectable 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game this season.

Westbrook went 3-2 against this line in the opening round (excluding Game 3 where he left with an injury), logging double-digit rebounds/assists in Games 6 and 7.

But I’m most bullish on this play because of Westbrook’s success against OKC this year:

  • 6.8 RPG
  • 5.8 APG
  • 10+ R/A in all four games

Williams 5+ assists (-159): Williams was dynamite against the Grizzlies in Round 1, averaging 23.3 PPG on 54.2% shooting.

He also chipped in with 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, cashing this milestone bet in each contest. Williams can do it all and has a favourable matchup to excel as a passer this series.

Denver allowed the third-most assists per game during the regular season (28.8) and the fourth-most assists per game specifically to small forwards, per Fantasy Pros.

Williams has hit this mark in four of his last five games against the Nuggets, logging eight-plus assists three times.

Nuggets vs. Thunder predictions made at 1:00 p.m. ET 05/05/2025.

Knicks vs. Celtics prop picks Game 1: Bet on Mikal Bridges, Derrick White in series opener

Knicks vs. Celtics picks

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics meet for a marquee matchup in the second round.

The pregame narrative: Boston looks every bit capable of defending its title after dispatching the Orlando Magic in five games. New York, an underdog in this series and in Game 1, will need its best to advance to a conference final for the first time since 2000.

Check out my Knicks vs. Celtics prop picks featuring Mikal Bridges and Derrick White in Game 1 on May 5.

Knicks vs. Celtics prop picks

Best Bet: Bridges over 20.5 PRA (-125)

The Knicks took a big swing on acquiring Bridges last offseason for moments like this. After all, you don’t give up five first-round picks for a guy with the hopes of winning one playoff round.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson are New York’s top dogs, but Tom Thibodeau loves to give his entire starting five plenty of run.

Bridges averaged 38.7 minutes in the opening round, and he made great use of that playing time:

  • 16.2 PPG
  • 5.0 RPG
  • 1.8 APG

The swingman cleared this line in four of six games against the Indiana Pacers, logging seven-plus rebounds and assists in each of the last four contests.

Bridges averaged 18.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists (27.2 R/A) during the final 10 games of the regular season, clearing this line eight times.

That includes a game against the Celtics where he logged 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Boston is a tough matchup. It owned the 10th-best home defensive rating in the regular season and is currently second in the playoffs.

That’s baked into this line, though, and I can’t look past the amount of run Bridges will get on Monday.

Key stat: Bridges is 17-3 against this line in his last 20 games.

Game 1 prop prediction

White over 3.5 threes (+110): Joe Mazzulla’s offensive philosophy is built on taking a ton of 3-pointers.

Boston attempted a league-high 47.3 threes per game during the regular season. That’s five more than the second-place Golden State Warriors and nearly 14 more than the Knicks.

It might seem excessive, but why would the Celtics do anything else when they’re shooting a collective 36.9% from deep (eighth-best in the NBA)?

White is a big part of Boston’s deep-ball identity, averaging 3.5 makes on 9.1 attempts (38.3%) during the regular season.

The Knicks allowed opponents to shoot 36.4% from deep, which was tied for the ninth-highest mark in the NBA.

White has cleared this line in four straight games vs. New York, shooting a combined 19-for-35 in those contests (54.2%).

Knicks vs. Celtics prop picks made at 10:20 a.m. ET 05/05/2025.