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Clippers vs. Nuggets prop picks Game 7: Bet on Norman Powell and Jamal Murray on Saturday

It’s winner-take-all when the Denver Nuggets host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

The pregame narrative: Who doesn’t love a Game 7? L.A. eeked out a 111-105 win at home and now has a chance to knock Nikola Jokic and Co. out of the playoffs in their own building. The winner of this matchup will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 2.

Check out my Clippers vs. Nuggets prop picks on Norman Powell and Jamal Murray for Game 7 of the NBA first-round playoff series.

Clippers vs. Nuggets picks

Best bet: Powell over 16.5 points (-130)

Los Angeles wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Powell.

The veteran guard dropped 24 points in Game 6 on an efficient 9-of-15 shooting, hitting a huge three to put the game out of reach with just under two minutes to go.

Harden and Leonard are L.A.’s top scoring options, but Powell needs to be involved if the Clippers want a chance to advance.

The former Toronto Raptor is 3-0 against this line at home and 0-3 against it on the road, but that’s been more due to shooting percentage than volume:

Averages at home: 22.0 PPG, 57.5 FG%
Averages on the road: 12.3 PPG, 39.4 FG%

Powell is going to get his shots up no matter what — he’s taken at least 12 in every game — and I’m banking on some positive regression at altitude.

He averaged more PPG on the road (22.6) than at home (21.1) during the regular season, and Denver has gotten routinely torched by shooting guards.

Key stat: The Nuggets allowed the third-most points (23.71) and 3s (3.65) per game to SGs this year, according to Fantasy Pros.

Game 7 prop prediction

Murray over 10.5 rebounds and assists (-130): Murray has done his best Jokic impression over the last three games, stuffing the stat sheet across the board:

Game 6: 8 rebounds, 8 assists
Game 5: 5 rebounds, 7 assists
Game 4: 7 rebounds, 7 assists

The Canadian is 4-2 against this line this series, with another monster nine-rebound, seven-assist performance in Game 1.

Murray is getting huge minutes for Denver (42.0 a night). He will have plenty of assist opportunities running the pick and roll with Jokic.

All but one of his rebounds this series have been on the defensive end. So, it seems like Denver is committed to clearing out and letting the point guard get the ball when possible.

Clippers vs. Nuggets prop picks made at 9:57 a.m. ET 05/02/2025.

Guardians vs. Blue Jays prop picks May 2: Back Vladimir Guerrero Jr., fade Chris Bassitt

The Toronto Blue Jays open up a three-game homestand against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday.

The pregame narrative: Toronto rebounded from an ugly stretch with back-to-back comeback wins over the Boston Red Sox. The Jays hope to keep the good vibes rolling against a Guardians team leading the AL Central at 18-13.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Chris Bassitt are my Blue Jays prop picks for May 2.

Blue Jays picks vs. Guardians

Best Bet: Guerrero over 1.5 bases (-118)

Guerrero played the hero last night hitting a three-run blast in the eighth inning to put Toronto up and secure the series win.

Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits his 56th career Home Run with an exit velocity of 110+ mph pic.twitter.com/vs9HL800bI
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 2, 2025

And can we talk about where he hit that pitch from? Talk about shades of his old man.

Anyways, Guerrero is rounding into form with hits in six of his last seven games — three of those left the yard. He’s still slashing an underwhelming .267/.358/.422 this season but Baseball Savant’s advanced metrics paint a rosier picture:

.311 xBA (94th percnetile)
.518 xSLG (84th percentile)
54.3% hard-hit rate (93rd percentile)

Guerrero is still mashing baseballs, but they just happen to be going right at fielders. Things are bound to start breaking his way sooner rather than later, and we’ve already seen that over the past week.

Tonight’s matchup against Cleveland’s Logan Allen presents a strong opportunity for Guerrero to stay hot.

The southpaw owns a 4.21 ERA through five starts and just got tagged for seven earned runs on nine hits against the Red Sox.

Key stat: Guerrero is slashing .308/.417/.538 against LHP since the start of last season.

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Quick pick

Bassitt under 5.5 strikeouts (-137): The Bassitt Cy Young hype train has been derailed, at least for now. Toronto’s righty has gotten rocked in consecutive starts after posting a 0.77 ERA through his first four outings of the year:

April 22 vs. HOU: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 K
April 27 vs. NYY: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 5 K

I expect a better performance from Bassitt on Friday, but think this strikeout line is way too high, even if he works deep into the ballgame.

Why? Bassitt’s K rate was below the league average in three straight seasons heading into 2025. And while he has a 76th percentile K rate through six starts, we’re early on and have already seen a regression to the mean.

The righty is 1-3 against this line in his last four starts and has a 39th percentile whiff rate to boot.

Cleveland strikes out at the 10th-lowest rate vs. RHP, and its lineup has a 19.4% K rate against Bassitt in 35 combined plate appearances.

Guardians vs. Blue Jays picks made at 11:05 a.m. ET on 05/02/2025.

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Clippers vs. Nuggets prop picks Game 7: Bet on Norman Powell and Jamal Murray on Saturday

It’s winner-take-all when the Denver Nuggets host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

The pregame narrative: Who doesn’t love a Game 7? L.A. eeked out a 111-105 win at home and now has a chance to knock Nikola Jokic and Co. out of the playoffs in their own building. The winner of this matchup will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 2.

Check out my Clippers vs. Nuggets prop picks on Norman Powell and Jamal Murray for Game 7 of the NBA first-round playoff series.

Clippers vs. Nuggets picks

Best bet: Powell over 16.5 points (-108)

Los Angeles wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Powell.

The veteran guard dropped 24 points in Game 6 on an efficient 9-of-15 shooting, hitting a huge three to put the game out of reach with just under two minutes to go.

Harden and Leonard are L.A.’s top scoring options, but Powell needs to be involved if the Clippers want a chance to advance.

The former Toronto Raptor is 3-0 against this line at home and 0-3 against it on the road, but that’s been more due to shooting percentage than volume:

Averages at home: 22.0 PPG, 57.5 FG%
Averages on the road: 12.3 PPG, 39.4 FG%

Powell is going to get his shots up no matter what — he’s taken at least 12 in every game — and I’m banking on some positive regression at altitude.

He averaged more PPG on the road (22.6) than at home (21.1) during the regular season, and Denver has gotten routinely torched by shooting guards.

Key stat: The Nuggets allowed the third-most points (23.71) and 3s (3.65) per game to SGs this year, according to Fantasy Pros.

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Game 7 prop prediction

Murray over 10.5 rebounds and assists (+104): Murray has done his best Jokic impression over the last three games, stuffing the stat sheet across the board:

Game 6: 8 rebounds, 8 assists
Game 5: 5 rebounds, 7 assists
Game 4: 7 rebounds, 7 assists

The Canadian is 4-2 against this line this series, with another monster nine-rebound, seven-assist performance in Game 1.

Murray is getting huge minutes for Denver (42.0 a night). He will have plenty of assist opportunities running the pick and roll with Jokic.

All but one of his rebounds this series have been on the defensive end. So, it seems like Denver is committed to clearing out and letting the point guard get the ball when possible.

Clippers vs. Nuggets prop picks made at 9:57 a.m. ET 05/02/2025.

Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series odds: Matchups, schedule and betting odds

The Stanley Cup playoffs are underway.

The latest: The Eastern Conference second round is set, with the Toronto Maple Leafs being the only Canadian team to advance. Out West, the Winnipeg Jets have a 3-2 lead, while the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars

Check out the latest Stanley Cup playoffs series odds for first-round action below.

Stanley Cup playoffs series odds: First round

Western Conference

St. Louis Blues (+150) vs. Winnipeg Jets (-182) — Winnipeg leads 3-2

The latest: Connor Hellebuyck, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, put up strong enough numbers to win the award again. He looked human in Games 3 and 4, allowing 11 goals on 43 shots, but Winnipeg responded with a 5-3 win in Game 5 on home ice.

Up next: Game 6 is on Friday, May 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Colorado Avalanche (-138) vs. Dallas Stars (+115) — Series is tied leads 3-3

The latest: This always seemed like it was going the distance, didn’t it? Colorado picked up a 7-4 win to stave off elimination in Game 6 led by a goal and two assists from none other than Nathan MacKinnon.

Up next: Game 7 is on Saturday, May 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Rockets vs. Warriors prop picks Game 6: Bet on Jimmy Butler, fade Jalen Green on Friday

The Golden State Warriors have another opportunity to close out their series against the Houston Rockets.

The pregame narrative: Golden State lept out to a 3-1 lead after winning both games in the Bay Area. Houston responded with a convincing win at home in Game 5, but finds itself as a 5-point underdog on Friday.

Check out my Rockets vs. Warriors prop picks featuring Jimmy Butler and Jalen Green for Game 6 of the opening round.

Rockets vs. Warriors prop picks

Best Bet: Butler over 19.5 points (-132)

It’s been an up-and-down series for Butler. The veteran forward came out of the gates firing with a 25-point performance before getting injured in Game 2, which caused him to miss Game 3.

Butler then returned with a 27-point showing in Game 4 but had just eight points in Houston on Wednesday.

So what are we going to get from him? My guess is a lot.

I’m not going to put a ton of stock into Butler’s Game 5 performance. Golden State was awful as a whole, with Steph Curry scoring just 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting. Butler (25 minutes) and Curry (23 minutes) sat out most of the second half.

Steve Kerr and Co. probably want nothing to do with heading back to Houston for Game 7, and I expect Butler to get plenty of run on Friday. He played 40-plus minutes in both games that he cleared this line.

Curry should also get things going, given that the Rockets allowed the most PPG to point guards this season, according to Fantasy Pros. That should stretch the floor for Butler.

Key stat: Excluding Game 2, Butler has reached the 20-point milestone in 19 of his last 25 playoff games.

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Game 6 prop prediction

Green under 20.5 points and rebounds (-114): Green’s 38-point outburst in Game 2 looks like a true anomaly. The fourth-year guard is getting his first taste of playoff action and has stunk the joint out in the other four games this series.

Game 1: 7 points (3-of-15 shooting)
Game 3: 9 points (4-of-11 shooting)
Game 4: 8 points (3-of-8 shooting)
Game 5: 11 points (3-of-8 shooting)

Green hasn’t been shooting accurately, and now he’s not even shooting with volume. That seems like a pretty good baseline for a fade.

The Warriors are running out a small-ball lineup with Butler at power forward and Draymond Green at centre, but that hasn’t stopped them from feasting on the glass.

Golden State was seventh in rebounding rate following Butler’s acquisition in the regular season. The Dubs also held shooting guards to the 11th-fewest points and seventh-fewest rebounds per game.

Green is 1-4 against this line in this series.

Rockets vs. Warriors prop picks made at 2:11 p.m. ET 05/01/2025.

Kings vs. Oilers Game 6 prop picks: Bet on McDavid and Draisaitl to keep chugging

The Edmonton Oilers have a chance to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth-straight year.

The pregame narrative: Edmonton lost the first two games of this series but stormed back to win three straight. At home, I expect none other than Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to turn the lights out on Los Angeles’ season.

Check out my Kings vs. Oilers prop picks for Game 6 of this first-round matchup.

Kings vs. Oilers picks

Best Bet: McDavid 1+ power play points (+115)

The Oilers started this postseason off by going 0-for-5 on the man advantage through two games.

Since then? They’re 4-for-7 and looking like one of the most dangerous units in the league. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering what Edmonton’s PP did in last year’s Stanley Cup run:

29.3% success rate (ninth all-time among playoff teams with 15-plus GP).

11 power-play goals in 12 home games.

What is surprising, however, is that McDavid has been involved in zero power-play goals this postseason.

Edmonton’s captain has done a ton of damage at 5-on-5, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets involved on the man advantage.

Over the past two seasons (regular season and playoffs) he’s produced 92 power-play points. That’s third behind Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov.

Key stat: Edmonton’s power play has generated the most high-danger chances per 60 this postseason (67.86), according to Natural Stat Trick.

Quick picks

Draisaitl to score (+100): Let’s keep things simple with this pick. Draisaitl is one of the greatest playoff performers of all time, and he’s shown it this series.

The Rocket Richard winner (52 goals this season) has three goals and 10 points in five games.

Draisaitl ranks eighth all-time in postseason goals per game (0.557). The short list in front of him includes names like Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard, Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux.

Los Angeles knows all too well how dangerous Draisaitl is, considering this is the fourth straight year it has had to deal with him.

He has 20 goals and 20 assists in 23 playoff games against the Kings, scoring in 15 of those contests.

Beneficial to both McDavid and Draisaitl is the play of L.A.’s goalie Darcy Kuemper. He’s coming off a strong game but still own as 3.45 GAA and .899 SV%.

Kings vs. Oilers prop picks made at 1:13 p.m. ET 05/01/2025.

Kings vs. Oilers Game 6 prop picks: Bet on McDavid and Draisaitl to keep chugging

The Edmonton Oilers have a chance to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth-straight year.

The pregame narrative: Edmonton lost the first two games of this series but stormed back to win three straight. At home, I expect none other than Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to turn the lights out on Los Angeles’ season.

Check out my Kings vs. Oilers prop picks for Game 6 of this first-round matchup.

Kings vs. Oilers picks

Best Bet: McDavid 1+ power play points (+125)

The Oilers started this postseason off by going 0-for-5 on the man advantage through two games.

Since then? They’re 4-for-7 and looking like one of the most dangerous units in the league. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering what Edmonton’s PP did in last year’s Stanley Cup run:

29.3% success rate (ninth all-time among playoff teams with 15-plus GP).

11 power-play goals in 12 home games.

What is surprising, however, is that McDavid has been involved in zero power-play goals this postseason.

Edmonton’s captain has done a ton of damage at 5-on-5, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets involved on the man advantage.

Over the past two seasons (regular season and playoffs) he’s produced 92 power-play points. That’s third behind Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov.

Key stat: Edmonton’s power play has generated the most high-danger chances per 60 this postseason (67.86), according to Natural Stat Trick.

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Quick picks

Draisaitl to score (-124): Let’s keep things simple with this pick. Draisaitl is one of the greatest playoff performers of all time, and he’s shown it this series.

The Rocket Richard winner (52 goals this season) has three goals and 10 points in five games.

Draisaitl ranks eighth all-time in postseason goals per game (0.557). The short list in front of him includes names like Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard, Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux.

Los Angeles knows all too well how dangerous Draisaitl is, considering this is the fourth straight year it has had to deal with him.

He has 20 goals and 20 assists in 23 playoff games against the Kings, scoring in 15 of those contests.

Beneficial to both McDavid and Draisaitl is the play of L.A.’s goalie Darcy Kuemper. He’s coming off a strong game but still own a 3.45 GAA and .899 SV%.

Kings vs. Oilers prop picks made at 1:13 p.m. ET 05/01/2025.

Nuggets vs. Clippers SGP predictions Game 6: Bet on Leonard, Braun and Powell on Thursday

The Denver Nuggets have the Los Angeles Clippers on the brink of elimination as the series heads back to Intuit Dome for Game 6.

The pregame narrative: Following a blowout Denver win at altitude in Game 5, Los Angeles is a 7-point favourite back on its home court. The Clippers are hoping for a return to form for their star players, especially the struggling James Harden, to avoid another early playoff exit in the Kawhi Leonard era.

I’m staying away from picking a side on Thursday, and am instead backing three players — Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell and Christian Braun — to produce. Check out my Nuggets vs. Clippers playoff SGP predictions for Game 6 on Wednesday, May 1.

Nuggets vs. Clippers predictions

Parlay: Leonard 20+ points | Powell 2+ threes | Braun over 7.5 rebounds and assists (+290)

Leonard 20+ points (-275): Nikola Jokic is the best player on the court, but Leonard is reminding everyone that he’s not far off.

The Klaw is averaging 25.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists this series on 55.7% shooting.

He’s scored 20-plus points in each game and has reached this milestone in 20 straight games dating back to the regular season. In that span, Leonard is averaging a healthy 26.2 PPG.

Denver allowed the seventh-most PPG to small forwards this season, according to Fantasy Pros.

I expect Leonard to be a force with L.A.’s season on the line.

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NBA SGP legs

Powell 2+ threes (-250): Powell fell short of this line in Game 5, going 1-for-5 from deep in 32 minutes of play.

But he had cleared it in every game prior and shot a combined 7-for-16 from deep in Los Angeles’ two home games.

On the whole, Powell has had a fantastic year. The former Toronto Raptor posted career-highs in 3-pointers made (3.0) and attempted (7.1) per game. That 41.8% clip was the 17th-best in the NBA.

Denver allowed the third-most 3-pointers per game to shooting guards this season (3.66).

This seems like a great spot for him to get back in the saddle.

Braun over 7.5 rebounds and assists (-109): Braun isn’t the flashiest player, but he gets big minutes for the Nuggets and was instrumental in their past two wins.

Game 4: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Game 5: 11 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists

Playing 38.4 minutes a night, I love his chances of stuffing the stat sheet again. The shooting guard had seven rebounds/assists in Game 3 and eight in Game 2.

Since the start of April, he’s averaging 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists (10.0 RA) and is 7-4 against this line.

Nuggets vs. Clippers predictions made at 9:00 a.m. ET 05/01/2025.

Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series odds: Matchups, schedule and betting odds

The Stanley Cup playoffs are underway.

The latest: The Eastern Conference second round is set, with the Toronto Maple Leafs being the only Canadian team to advance. Out West, the Winnipeg Jets have a 3-2 lead, while the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars

Check out the latest Stanley Cup playoffs series odds for first-round action below.

Stanley Cup playoffs series odds: First round

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

St. Louis Blues vs. Winnipeg Jets (Winnipeg leads 3-2)

Embed: #112637

The latest: Connor Hellebuyck, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, put up strong enough numbers to win the award again. He looked human in Games 3 and 4, allowing 11 goals on 43 shots, but Winnipeg responded with a 5-3 win in Game 5 on home ice.

Up next: Game 6 is on Friday, May 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars (Dallas leads 3-2)

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The latest: This always seemed like it was going the distance, didn’t it? Colorado picked up a 7-4 win to stave off elimination in Game 6 led by a goal and two assists from none other than Nathan MacKinnon.

Up next: Game 7 is on Saturday, May 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Timberwolves vs. Lakers prop picks Game 5: Bet on Anthony Edwards and Austin Reaves

The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves meet for a potential series-deciding game on Wednesday night.

The pregame narrative: After splitting the first two games, Minnesota took care of business at home and now has Los Angeles on the brink of elimination. I’m looking for each team’s shooting guard — Anthony Edwards and Austin Reaves — to produce.

Check out my Timberwolves vs. Lakers prop picks for Game 5 of the opening round.

Timberwolves vs. Lakers prop picks

Best Bet: Edwards over 6.5 rebounds (-118)

Edwards flexed his scoring muscles on Sunday, exploding for 43 points. He also secured nine rebounds, which isn’t as flashy but just as important in a 3-point win.

Playing with hustle is a prerequisite to being a great rebounder, and Edward has that in spades. Take a look at what he’s done over the past two postseasons on the glass:

7.2 rebounds/game
5+ rebounds in 17 of 20 games
7+ rebounds in 12 of 20 games

Every inch of the court should be contested in Game 5, including under the basket.

Standing at 6-foot-4, Edwards isn’t a giant. But neither is anyone getting big minutes for L.A., and Edwards has a superhuman vertical that allows him to literally rise above the competition.

He’s cleared this line in three of four games this series while landing on six rebounds in the outlier.

Key stat: Los Angeles allowed the seventh-most rebounds per game to shooting guards over the last 30 days of the regular season, according to Fantasy Pros.

Game 5 prop prediction

Reaves over 24.5 points and rebounds (-112): Reaves has really blossomed into a special player for the Lakers.

The undrafted shooting guard posted career highs in points (20.2), rebounds (4.5) and assists (5.8) this season, with efficient 3-point shooting and stingy defence.

Luka Doncic and LeBron James are the top dogs in L.A., but Reaves is the type of player who can push a team into championship territory.

He’s 1-3 against this line so far, but finished with exactly 24 PR in Game 4. And he only played 35 minutes after getting into foul trouble.

Back on home court, I’m expecting a tidier game from the playoff-seasoned guard.

I’m also encouraged to see that Reaves’ 3-point volume — and efficiency — went way up on the road.

Games 1 & 2: 3-of-14 from deep
Games 3 & 4: 10-of-23 from deep

Scoring is the easiest way to rack up counting stats, and I’m banking on Reaves continuing to help in other ways. He’s had five-plus rebounds in three straight games.

Timberwolves vs. Lakers prop picks made at 4:16 p.m. ET 04/29/2025.