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.

UFC 314 predictions and best bets: Bet on Volkanovski to reclaim title, Pimblett vs. Chandler to end early

UFC 314 predictions

Alexander Volkanovski looks to reclaim the featherweight title at UFC 314 on Saturday.

The pre-fight narrative: Volkanovski enters this fight as a favourite over Diego Lopes, after Ilia Topuria moved to the lightweight division and vacated the belt. I like the Australian to win and am also expecting the co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Michael Chandler to end in fireworks.

Check out my UFC 314 predictions for the April 12 event in Miami.

UFC 314 predictions overview

UFC 314 predictions	Odds	Bet now ⬇️
Volkanovski to win	-138	Add to betslip
Pimblett/Chandler under 2.5 rounds	-163	Add to betslip

UFC 314 predictions made at 2:00 p.m. ET on 04/10/25.

Go to full UFC 314 betting markets.

UFC 314 predictions

Best Bet: Volkanovski to win (-138)

I’m eating the chalk with my UFC 314 picks, but that’s not a bad thing.

Volkanovski was once the best pound-for-pound fighter in the promotion, holding that title in 2022 and 2023.

He’s lost three of his last four bouts, though two came against Islam Makhachev at lightweight, and one against Topuria, who’s no longer competing in the division.

Outside of that, the Aussie boats a 26-1 record with his only other loss coming in 2013.

I expect Volkanovski to return to the winner’s circle against Lopez, who has won five fights in a row. Why? Volkanovski has incredible stamina and is the better technical fighter, and I expect him to wear down his opponent.

Lopes has never fought in the championship rounds in the top promotion, securing his last two wins by decision after 15 minutes.

The Aussie lands more strikes per minute (6.16 to 4.2), has a better striking defence (58% to 50%), lands more takedowns per 15 minutes (1.79 to 0.5) and has a better takedown defence (70.0% to 52.0%).

There are concerns about Volkanovski’s chin, considering Lopes has knockout power. That said, Volk is a seasoned veteran, and I trust him to control the pace on Saturday.

Key stat: Volkanovski is 26-2 as a featherweight.

Quick pick

Pimblett/Chandler under 2.5 rounds (-163): Pimblett has made a name for himself as a showman, picking up 16 of his 22 career wins via finish.

The Englishman is 6-0 since joining the UFC in 2021, with four wins coming in the first two rounds.

And now he’s going up against a man who lives and dies by the finish.

Chandler has fought 32 times, and only nine of those fights have gone to decision.

Seven of his last nine fights have ended before the 2:30 mark of Round 3.

On a per-minute basis, Chandler lands (4.49) and absorbs (4.3) strikes at a high clip.

I like Pimblett to win this bout, and was debating backing him to win via KO at -115. But Chandler still has some lightning in his gloves, and it wouldn’t shock me if he caught Pibmlett with a bomb in the early going.

UFC 314 predictions and best bets: Bet on Volkanovski to reclaim title, Pimblett vs. Chandler to end early

UFC 314 predictions

Alexander Volkanovski looks to reclaim the featherweight title at UFC 314 on Saturday.

The pre-fight narrative: Volkanovski enters this fight as a favourite over Diego Lopes, after Ilia Topuria moved to the lightweight division and vacated the belt. I like the Australian to win and am also expecting the co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Michael Chandler to end in fireworks.

Check out my UFC 314 predictions for the April 12 event in Miami.

UFC 314 predictions overview

Click link to add selection to betslip. Note: Lines have changed/market no longer available if grey.

UFC 314 predictions	Odds	Bet now ⬇️
Volkanovski to win	-129	Add to betslip
Pimblett/Chandler under 2.5 rounds	-143	Add to betslip

UFC 314 predictions made at 2:00 p.m. ET on 04/10/25.

Go to full UFC 314 betting markets.

UFC 314 predictions

Best Bet: Volkanovski to win (-129)

I’m eating the chalk with my UFC 314 picks, but that’s not a bad thing.

Volkanovski was once the best pound-for-pound fighter in the promotion, holding that title in 2022 and 2023.

He’s lost three of his last four bouts, though two came against Islam Makhachev at lightweight, and one against Topuria, who’s no longer competing in the division.

Outside of that, the Aussie boats a 26-1 record with his only other loss coming in 2013.

I expect Volkanovski to return to the winner’s circle against Lopez, who has won five fights in a row. Why? Volkanovski has incredible stamina and is the better technical fighter, and I expect him to wear down his opponent.

Lopes has never fought in the championship rounds in the top promotion, securing his last two wins by decision after 15 minutes.

The Aussie lands more strikes per minute (6.16 to 4.2), has a better striking defence (58% to 50%), lands more takedowns per 15 minutes (1.79 to 0.5) and has a better takedown defence (70.0% to 52.0%).

There are concerns about Volkanovski’s chin, considering Lopes has knockout power. That said, Volk is a seasoned veteran, and I trust him to control the pace on Saturday.

Key stat: Volkanovski is 26-2 as a featherweight.

Quick pick

Pimblett/Chandler under 2.5 rounds (-143): Pimblett has made a name for himself as a showman, picking up 16 of his 22 career wins via finish.

The Englishman is 6-0 since joining the UFC in 2021, with four wins coming in the first two rounds.

And now he’s going up against a man who lives and dies by the finish.

Chandler has fought 32 times, and only nine of those fights have gone to decision.

Seven of his last nine fights have ended before the 2:30 mark of Round 3.

On a per-minute basis, Chandler lands (4.49) and absorbs (4.3) strikes at a high clip.

I like Pimblett to win this bout, and was debating backing him to win via KO at -115. But Chandler still has some lightning in his gloves, and it wouldn’t shock me if he caught Pibmlett with a bomb in the early going.

Best NBA prop bets April 10: Bet on Pascal Siakam, to fill the basket, Zach Edey on the glass

NBA prop bets

I’ve got two prop bets from Thursday’s five-game NBA slate.

The pregame narrative: Pascal Siakam has a good opportunity to fill the basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers’ skeleton crew. I’m also Memphis’ Zach Edey to continue hoovering up rebounds.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for April 10.

NBA prop bets

Best Bet: Siakam over 18.5 points (-120)

The Cavs have locked up the East’s top seed with three games to play. As a result, they’re resting the following players on Thursday:

Darius Garland
Donovan Mitchell
Evan Mobley
Max Strus

There are still some capable defenders taking the court for Cleveland, but I expect Siakam to feast with Mobley, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, sidelined.

The Indiana Pacers’ power forward is averaging 20.4 PPG this season and has cleared this total in back-to-back games.

And in two games against Cleveland this season — with Mobley playing — he scored 23 and 18 points.

Indiana has won five straight games and is still jockeying for playoff positioning. Siakam should get plenty of run in an easy matchup.

Key stat: Siakam is 46-31 against this line this season.

Best NBA picks

Edey over 10.5 rebounds (-134): Last Saturday, I faded Edey’s 9.5 rebound total against the Detroit Pistons — he finished that game with 21 boards.

Now I’m going the other way and am looking to back the Canadian rookie.

Edey is averaging 17.3 rebounds since April 1, and is 4-0 against this line.

He’s played 28-plus minutes in each game, which is well up from his 20.3-minute average in March.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who Edey plays tonight, are a great rebounding team. But so are the Pistons and Golden State Warriors (who he had 16 rebounds against).

NBA prop picks made at 2:00 p.m. ET on 04/10/2025.

Premier League predictions Matchday 32: Back Wolves at home, fade slumping Manchester City

Premier League Predictions

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

The pregame narrative: Manchester City and Crystal Palace kick off the action on Saturday morning, and I’m fading the Citizens. Later, look for Wolverhampton to stay hot when it hosts Tottenham.

Check out the best Premier League predictions for Matchday 32.

Premier League predictions

Go to full Premier League betting markets.

Best Bet: Wolverhampton to win (+128)

Wolverhampton is finding its form under Vito Pereira, who was appointed in late December with the task of avoiding relegation.

And he’s done just that, moving the Wolves up to 17th in the table after going 5-1-2 in the last eight games. They are now 12 points clear of Ipswich Town, who sit in 18th.

This recent run doesn’t appear to be a fluke, with 11 goals and 11.4 xG in the last nine games, per FBRef.

Tottenham has a poor 5-1-9 away record and has just one win in its last five EPL fixtures (1-1-3), and that came against last-place Southampton at home.

I don’t trust Ange Postecoglou’s side to perform at the hostile Molineux Stadium. Especially with it playing a Europa League quarterfinal match on Thursday afternoon.

Key stat: Wolverhampton had just two wins in 16 games before Pereira joined the club. Since then, it has seven wins in 15 games.

Quick pick

Crystal Palace to win or tie (+150): Erling Haaland is out, adding to the laundry list of injuries (John Stones, Rodri, Nathan Ake) that Man City has dealt with this season.

The Citizens are on a slide right now and risk missing out on Champions League qualification.

They have just two wins in their last six games while scoring five goals.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, has been red-hot, securing 13 points in its last six games (4-1-1) while scoring 11 goals.

Any side with Pep Guardiola at the helm will get the tactical edge, but I can see a clear path for Palace to pick up points here.

Premier League predictions made at 3:20 p.m. on 04/03/25.

Best NBA prop bets April 10: Bet on Pascal Siakam, to fill the basket, Zach Edey on the glass

NBA prop bets

I’ve got three prop bets from Thursday’s five-game NBA slate.

The pregame narrative: Pascal Siakam has a good opportunity to fill the basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers’ skeleton crew. I’m also backing Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels and Memphis’ Zach Edey.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for April 10.

NBA prop bets

Best Bet: Siakam over 18.5 points (-117)

The Cavs have locked up the East’s top seed with three games to play. As a result, they’re resting the following players on Thursday:

Darius Garland
Donovan Mitchell
Evan Mobley
Max Strus

There are still some capable defenders taking the court for Cleveland, but I expect Siakam to feast with Mobley, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, sidelined.

The Indiana Pacers’ power forward is averaging 20.4 PPG this season and has cleared this total in back-to-back games.

And in two games against Cleveland this season — with Mobley playing — he scored 23 and 18 points.

Indiana has won five straight games and is still jockeying for playoff positioning. Siakam should get plenty of run in an easy matchup.

Key stat: Siakam is 46-31 against this line this season.

Best NBA picks

Daniels over 26.5 PRA (-108): Daniels is going to get a handful of Most Improved Player votes, and for good reason.

The third-year guard is posting career-highs in points (14.3), rebounds (5.8) and assists (4.3) while shooting 49.5% from the field and playing elite defence.

Daniels posted 27 PRA the last time he played the Nets on March 16 and has been on a tear since, averaging 16.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists (27.7 PRA).

He is 8-4 against this line in his last 12 games.

Edey 12+ rebounds (+106): Last Saturday, I faded Edey’s 9.5 rebound total against the Detroit Pistons — he finished that game with 21 boards.

Now I’m going the other way and am looking to back the Canadian rookie.

Edey is averaging 17.3 rebounds since April 1, and is 4-0 against this line.

He’s played 28-plus minutes in each game, which is well up from his 20.3-minute average in March.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who Edey plays tonight, are a great rebounding team. But so are the Pistons and Golden State Warriors (who he had 16 rebounds against).

NBA prop picks made at 9:54 a.m. ET on 04/10/2025.

Masters prop bets for Round 1: Bet on Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose to start hot

Masters prop bets

The Masters begins on Thursday, and I’ve got three first-round prop bets for the action.

The latest: Scottie Scheffler is looking for a third green jacket and should start his title defence on the right foot. I’m backing him and Justin Rose to finish inside the top 20 after Round 1 and am also taking Harris English to beat Taylor Pendrith in an 18-hole matchup.

Check out my Masters prop bets for Round 1 of the major championship on April 10.

Masters prop bets

Full Masters betting markets

Best bet: English over Pendrith 18-hole matchup (+120)

As a Canadian, I would love to see Pendrith have a week in his Masters debut. But putting my bias aside, I just can’t see that happening.

Augusta is one of golf’s toughest tests, and players need a breadth of course knowledge to succeed.

Pendrith probably got some tips from the likes of Mike Weir and Corey Conners, though that won’t be enough to prepare him for the nuances of Augusta.

Players need an elite short game to navigate the green complexes, and Pendrith has lost strokes around the green in six straight starts. He’s also lost strokes putting in three of his last five starts, finishing outside of the top 30 in four of them (and missing two cuts).

English is flying under the radar, in my opinion, after winning the Farmers Invitational in February.

He’s also gaining a bunch of strokes with the flat stick and is near neutral around the greens.

Key stat: English has a respectable track record at Augusta, making four of five cuts with a T22 in his last start.

Quick picks

Bet on the Masters

Scheffler top 20 after Round (-137): I don’t love these odds, but I do love Scheffler’s chances of starting hot.

The two-time champ has the best average strokes gained at Augusta of anyone in the field with more than one start (+3.25), per DataGolf.

He’s yet to win in 2025 but has finished inside the top 25 in every start. He’s also coming off a T2 at the Houston Open in March.

Why bet against the best player on the planet playing at his favourite course?

Rose top 20 after Round 1 (+250): You might remember Rose shooting a 7-under 65 to take the first round lead at the Masters four years ago.

The Englishman stalled from then on out, finishing at 5-under in a tie for seventh. At the time, it was his sixth top-10 and 10th top-20 at Augusta. He’s since added a T16 in 2023.

Rose knows his way around this place well and is live to post a low score on any day.

He’s been a bit volatile this year, but still posted a T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a T3 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. I expect the veteran to be in the mix by Thursday evening.

Masters prop bets made at 3:00 p.m. on 04/09/2025.

Maple Leafs props vs. Lightning April 9: Back Jake Guentzel, John Tavares in massive clash

Maple Leafs props

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning meet for the final time this season, with the Atlantic Division potentially on the line.

The pregame narrative: The Maple Leafs have a two-point lead on the Lightning for the division’s top spot, but Tampa can leapfrog them with a win. I’m backing one player from both teams — John Tavares and Jake Guentzel — to perform.

Check out my Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Lightning for April 9.

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Lightning

Best Bet: Guentzel over 2.5 shots (-141)

Toronto has been on quite the run, going 8-2-1 in its last 11 games. But elite goaltending has papered over major defensive deficiencies.

Check out how the Maple Leafs’ defence ranks on a 60-minute basis during that span, per Natural Stat Trick:

32nd in chances (68.66)
29th in shots (30.95)
24th in scoring chances (29.32)

Last night, the Florida Panthers out-chanced the Maple Leafs, 63-31, and out-shot them, 37-18.

Joseph Woll kept the Leafs in the game until the end, and Anthony Stolarz, who ranks second in GAA (2.26) and SV% (.922), should do the same tonight.

I’m not sure Guentzel will find the score sheet, but I love his chances of blowing by this shot total. The winger ranks third on the team in shots (209) and has cleared this mark in five of his last six games.

Key stat: Guentzel has cleared this mark in four of his last five games against the Maple Leafs.

Quick pick

Tavares to record a point (-141): Last night, I backed Tavares — Toronto’s lone goalscorer — to go over 2.5 shots at +125.

That didn’t cash, so I’ll simplify things this evening by backing the veteran centre to record a point. Take a look at what Tavares has done since March 1:

18 games
22 points
15 goals

He’s been Toronto’s best player heading down the stretch and doesn’t appear to be slowing down with the playoffs (and free agency) on the horizon.

Tavares is riding shotgun with the dynamic William Nylander and is playing the bumper position on Toronto’s top power play. He’s a good bet to find the stat sheet regardless of the opponent.

Maple Leafs vs. Lightning prop picks made at 12:20 p.m. ET 04/09/2025.

Nuggets vs. Kings SGP predictions April 9: Bet on Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis at +335

Kings vs. Nuggets predictions

The embattled Denver Nuggets look to right the ship on Wednesday when they play the Sacramento Kings.

The pregame narrative: Denver fired head coach Michael Malone on Tuesday amid a four-game losing streak. Rash decision or not, I’m betting the Nuggets to respond with a win tonight. Prop bets on Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis round out this +335 wager.

Check out my Nuggets vs. Kings SGP predictions for April 9.

Nuggets vs. Kings predictions

Parlay: Nuggets -2.5 | Jokic 2+ threes | Sabonis 12+ rebounds (+335)

Nuggets -2.5 (-139): Is firing a head coach two seasons removed from winning the NBA championship a good idea? It’ll take some time to answer that question, but I expect Jokic and Co. to come through in the short term with a win.

Denver is still one of the league’s top teams at 47-32. It owns the fourth-best offensive rating (118.7) and ninth-best net rating (+3.2) in basketball.

Sacramento, by contrast, sits seventh (115.8) and 15th (+0.6) in those categories.

The Kings are a league-worst 1-7 ATS as home underdogs this season, losing those games by an average of 13.8 points, according to Team Rankings.

Denver has won four straight games against Sacramento.

NBA SGP legs

Jokic 2+ threes (-190): I don’t know what’s gotten into Jokic lately, but I like it.

The three-time MVP is averaging 4.3 made 3s on 9.7 attempts in March, going 3-0 against this line.

He’s been a stellar 3-point shooter all season (41.5%), but has rarely shot with that type of volume. The good news is we don’t need Jokic to attempt 10 threes tonight for this to be in play.

Sacramento allows the second-most 3s per game (14.7) on the highest opponent 3PT% (38.2).

Sabonis 12+ rebounds (-167): Jokic is a beast on the glass, but Sabonis is a cut above, and I expect him to have a night.

Sabonis is averaging a league-best 13.9 rebounds per game.

He has 10+ rebounds in 60 of 67 starts and 12+ rebounds in 50 of 67 starts.

The Lithuanian big man had 19 rebounds when he last played Denver on Jan. 23. That was part of a seven-game stretch where he averaged 16.9 boards and cleared this mark in each game.

Sabonis has cleared this mark in five of his last six games against the Nuggets.

Nuggets vs. Kings predictions made at 11:10 a.m. ET 04/09/2025.

Corey Conners Masters odds, props and best bet: Canadian in form ahead of golf major at Augusta

Corey Conners Masters

Corey Conners heads to the Masters hoping to make history.

The pregame narrative: Few Canadians outside of Mike Weir have enjoyed success at Augusta, but Conners is one of them. The Listowell, Ontario, native enters the tournament in form, and holds +4,500 odds to win it all.

Check out these Conners Masters odds, props and a best bet for the golf major, starting April 10.

Corey Conners Masters odds

Full Masters betting markets

Conners betting markets	Conners Masters odds
To win	+5,000
Winner without Scottie Scheffler & Rory McIlroy	+3,300
Top-five finish	+900
Top-10 finish	+350
Top-20 finish	+137
To make the cut	-334
To miss the cut	+225
Top Canadian player	-110

Best Conners prop bet

Best bet: Top-20 finish (+137)

It was between this market and backing Conners to finish as the top Canadian.

But I want to focus on my perceived edge here, which is Conners’ recent form and his history at Augusta National.

Nick Taylor and Taylor Pendrith don’t have the same pedigree, but they can go low, and I don’t want to risk losing out because one of them has a career week.

Regardless, there’s room for more than one Canadian in the top 20, which is where I expect Conners to be.

The 33-year-old has four straight top-20 finishes heading into this event.

Three of those were inside the top eight, including a career-best T6 at the Players Championship.

Conners has three top-10 finishes at Augusta in seven starts and finished T6 in 2022.

Elite ball striking has been the cornerstone of Conners’ game, and this season has been no different. And now he’s rolling the rock, which is dangerous.

Pick as of 3:12 p.m. ET on 04/08/2025.

Corey Conners Masters odds, props and best bet: Canadian in form ahead of golf major at Augusta

Corey Conners Masters

Corey Conners heads to the Masters hoping to make history.

The pregame narrative: Few Canadians outside of Mike Weir have enjoyed success at Augusta, but Conners is one of them. The Listowell, Ontario, native enters the tournament in form, and holds +4,500 odds to win it all.

Check out these Conners Masters odds, props and a best bet for the golf major, starting April 10.

Corey Conners Masters odds

Full Masters betting markets

Conners betting markets	Conners Masters odds
To win	+4,500
Winner without Scottie Scheffler & Rory McIlroy	+3,300
Top-five finish	+800
Top-10 finish	+375
Top-20 finish	+163
Top-30 finish	-110
To make the cut	-345
To miss the cut	+225
Top Canadian player	-106
Conners over Min Woo Lee 72-hole matchup	-120

Best Conners prop bet

Best bet: Top-30 finish (-110)

It was between this market and backing Conners to finish as the top Canadian.

But I want to focus on my perceived edge here, which is Conners’ recent form and his history at Augusta National.

Nick Taylor and Taylor Pendrith don’t have the same pedigree, but they can go low, and I don’t want to risk losing out because one of them has a career week.

Regardless, there’s room for more than one Canadian in the top 30, which is where I expect Conners to be.

The 33-year-old has five straight top-30 finishes heading into this event.

Three of those were inside the top eight, including a career-best T6 at the Players Championship.

Conners has three top-10 finishes at Augusta in seven starts and finished T6 in 2022.

Elite ball striking has been the cornerstone of Conners’ game, and this season has been no different. And now he’s rolling the rock, which is dangerous.

Pick as of 3:12 p.m. ET on 04/08/2025.

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