Spencer Closs

Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.

French Open first-round Canadian men’s predictions: Best bets on Shapovalov, Auger-Aliassime and Diallo

French Open predictions

The round of 64 at Roland-Garros begins on Sunday with three Canadians in action.

The pregame narrative: Felix Auger-Aliassime is the highest ranked of the bunch, but he’s been struggling lately despite a semifinal appearance at the Hamburg Open. Denis Shapovalov looks to get his season on track, and Gabriel Diallo will participate in his second Grand Slam major.

Check out my top French Open predictions for the men’s tennis matches on May 26.

French Open predictions

Best bet: Matteo Arnaldi to beat Auger-Aliassime (+102)

Both players took part in events earlier this week. As mentioned, the Canadian had a deep run at the Hamburg Open, while Arnaldi lost in the quarterfinal of the Geneva Open.

Auger-Aliassime had a good year on clay in 2024, posting a 17-8 record. But his 3-5 start to this season shows regression over improvement.

His Italian counterpart made a run at the Madrid Open, beating Novak Djokovic and Frances Tiafoe in straight sets before being eliminated by a red-hot Jack Draper.

Arnaldi looked primed for another run in Geneva before running into Djokovic once again and losing this time around.

Those are acceptable losses to two top-10 players and don’t take away from his successful month.

The 24-year-old went 115-45 on clay between 2021-23. He had a tough 2024 due to injury and a slow start to this season, but he appears to be finding his form again.

On the other side, Auger-Aliassime has never been amazing on clay. Plus, he hasn’t been playing well over the past couple of months.

Key stat: Auger-Aliassime has a 4-8 record since March 1, with six of those losses coming against opponents ranked outside of the top 20.

Full French Open betting markets.

Fade the Canadians

Pedro Martinez +1.5 sets vs. Shapovalov (-108): Neither of these players has been impressive to start 2025.

Shapovalov is 13-10 overall but 1-4 on clay, which is what’s important heading into Sunday.

His opponent hasn’t been any better, as Martinez has a 6-10 record on the red dirt.

If we scope out, though, and look at their careers overall, Martinez is an experienced player on clay. He has a 360-198 career record on the surface.

Since the start of 2022, Shapovalov is 13-17 on clay. During that time, the Argentine is 100-74.

He doesn’t have to win, but I like Martinez’s chances of keeping this match close enough for this wager to cash.

Francisco Cerundolo -2.5 sets vs. Diallo (+100): There’s little room for error with this pick, but I also see value in this line.

Diallo won their first career matchup back in October, but it was on a hardcourt surface, and Cerundolo is nothing short of a clay specialist.

The 26-year-old’s 274-118 (69.9% win rate) rivals the best in the world. It also dwarfs his 41-37 record on hard surfaces.

He has a 19-8 record on clay in 2025, including two wins over No. 3-ranked Alexander Zverev.

Diallo has a 7-6 record on clay this season (16-14 overall). I’ll happily find a way to back the experience of Cerundolo at plus money.

French Open predictions made at 1:54 p.m. on 05/23/2025.

Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks Game 2: Bet on Haliburton and Bridges on Friday night at MSG

Pacers vs. Knicks picks

The Indiana Pacers look to bank another upset win in Game 2 against the New York Knicks on Friday night.

The pregame narrative: Tyrese Haliburton came up clutch and stunned the crowd at Madison Square Garden during the Pacers’ improbable fourth quarter comeback in Game 1. The Knicks need a win on home court to avoid going down 2-0 in the Eastern Conference final.

I’m targeting Haliburton and Mikal Bridges in my Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks on May 23.

Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks

Best bet: Haliburton over 29.5 points/assists (-125)

Certain players elevate in the playoffs, and it’s obvious Haliburton is one of those guys.

His lengthy list of clutch moments was topped off by this last-second shot that sent the opening game to overtime.

Haliburton finished that matchup with 31 points and 11 assists. Mind you, the game ended with 273 total points, and while I don’t expect that again, something similar should be in the works.

That’s based on the fact that the average total in Pacers/Knicks games this year is 247.5 points.

Indiana plays at a fast pace. It ranked seventh in the NBA during the regular season and is third in the playoffs.

When a team like New York is willing to match, it often leads to a high-scoring contest.

And Haliburton is playing his best ball right now, so he’s worth targeting.

Key stat: Indiana’s point guard averaged 31 points and 9.5 assists over his last two games. He is 6-5 against this line overall in the playoffs.

Game 2 prop prediction

Bridges over 8.5 rebounds/assists (-106): With the uptick in scoring comes more rebounding and assist opportunities, too.

Bridges was a beneficiary of that in Game 1, hauling in six rebounds and dishing out five assists.

Since the start of the series with the Boston Celtics, he has had at least five rebounds/assists in every game while going 4-3 against this line.

Boston provided a much tougher defensive matchup, however. The Knicks scored an average of 105.6 points during seven games in that series.

On Wednesday, we saw that the potential for offence is much higher in the East final, and I expect Bridges to keep contributing in multiple areas.

He’s 3-1 against this line vs. Indiana this year, averaging 9.5 rebounds/assists.

Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks made at 1:00 p.m. ET 05/23/2025.

Blue Jays vs. Rays prop picks May 23: Look for Vladimir Guerrero, Addison Barger to provide offence

Blue Jays picks

The Toronto Blue Jays start a weekend series on the road against the division rival Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

The pregame narrative: Toronto put together a gutsy effort to win on Thursday against the San Diego Padres. The extra-innings victory sealed a three-game sweep and put the club over the .500 mark for the first time in over a month.

Check out my Blue Jays vs. Rays prop picks on May 23, featuring Addison Barger and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Blue Jays picks vs. Rays

Best Bet: Barger over 1.5 total bases (+155)

The Blue Jays may have found a gem in Barger.

In his second MLB season, the third baseman is batting .267 with two home runs and 10 RBI. While that isn’t too impressive, his advanced metrics are the real eyecatcher:

  • .291 xBA
  • 95.2 average exit velocity
  • 58.2 hard-hit %

According to Baseball Savant, he ranks in the 85th percentile or better for all of those stats.

Drew Rasmussen (2.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Rays. He’s a good pitcher, but his last five starts have signalled reason to worry moving forward.

He has a 4.62 ERA and 5.56 FIP across those outings. The righty gives up an average exit velocity of 90.4 (27th percentile) while having below-average whiff and K rates.

Rasmussen should allow a lot of contact to this red-hot Jays lineup, and Barger should continue to provide power hitting in the middle of the order.

Key stat: Barger has a .356 BA and is slugging .622 in 12 games since May 9.

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Quick pick

Guerrero over 0.5 runs (+102): This pick feels like a steal at plus money.

To start, Guerrero has pretty good numbers in his career vs. Rasmussen. He is 6-for-21 (.286) with two doubles and a home run.

Additionally, the slugging first baseman is elite at getting into scoring position. Over his last 25 games, take a look at his stats:

  • 21 runs
  • .387 OBP
  • 43 total bases
  • 1+ run in 19 of 25 games

The problem is usually the other Blue Jays’ ability to drive Vladdy in, but that hasn’t been an issue lately.

Over that same 25-game sample, Toronto is averaging 4.64 runs per game.

That would rank 10th in MLB over the entire season.

Blue Jays vs. Rays picks made at 11:13 a.m. ET on 05/23/2025.

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Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks Game 2: Bet on Haliburton and Bridges on Friday night at MSG

Pacers vs. Knicks picks

The Indiana Pacers look to bank another upset win in Game 2 against the New York Knicks on Friday night.

The pregame narrative: Tyrese Haliburton came up clutch and stunned the crowd at Madison Square Garden during the Pacers’ improbable fourth quarter comeback in Game 1. The Knicks need a win on home court to avoid going down 2-0 in the Eastern Conference final.

I’m targeting Haliburton and Mikal Bridges in my Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks on May 23.

Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks

Best bet: Haliburton over 29.5 points/assists (-113)

Certain players elevate in the playoffs, and it’s obvious Haliburton is one of those guys.

His lengthy list of clutch moments was topped off by this last-second shot that sent the opening game to overtime.

Haliburton finished that matchup with 31 points and 11 assists. Mind you, the game ended with 273 total points, and while I don’t expect that again, something similar should be in the works.

That’s based on the fact that the average total in Pacers/Knicks games this year is 247.5 points.

Indiana plays at a fast pace. It ranked seventh in the NBA during the regular season and is third in the playoffs.

When a team like New York is willing to match, it often leads to a high-scoring contest.

And Haliburton is playing his best ball right now, so he’s worth targeting.

Key stat: Indiana’s point guard averaged 31 points and 9.5 assists over his last two games. He is 6-5 against this line overall in the playoffs.

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Game 2 prop prediction

Bridges over 7.5 rebounds/assists (-134): With the uptick in scoring comes more rebounding and assist opportunities, too.

Bridges was a beneficiary of that in Game 1, hauling in six rebounds and dishing out five assists.

Since the start of the series with the Boston Celtics, he has had at least five rebounds/assists in every game while going 4-3 against this line.

Boston provided a much tougher defensive matchup, however. The Knicks scored an average of 105.6 points during seven games in that series.

On Wednesday, we saw that the potential for offence is much higher in the East final, and I expect Bridges to keep contributing in multiple areas.

He’s 3-1 against this line vs. Indiana this year, averaging 9.5 rebounds/assists.

Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks made at 9:32 a.m. ET 05/23/2025.

Oilers vs. Stars prop picks Game 2: Back Nugent-Hopkins and Heiskanen on Friday night

Oilers vs. Stars picks

The Edmonton Oilers have one more chance to steal home-ice advantage against the Dallas Stars.

The pregame narrative: Dallas flipped the script on last year’s Western Conference final by winning Game 1, 6-3. Can the Oilers bounce back? Or will the Stars jump out to a two-game lead, taking them a step closer to the Stanley Cup Final?

Check out my Oilers vs. Stars Game 2 prop picks on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Miro Heiskanen.

Oilers vs. Stars picks

Best Bet: Heiskanen to record a point (-108)

Dallas’ defenceman missed much of the second half of the regular season recovering from an injury. He returned in Game 4 of the series against the Winnipeg Jets and made an instant impact.

Heiskanen has four points in four playoff games while going 3-1 against this wager.

His ice time has gradually increased from 14 minutes in his return to over 24 minutes against the Oilers on Wednesday.

This pick may not be available at plus money anymore, but the value remains for the perennial Norris candidate.

Heiskanen had just 25 points in 50 games this season, but is capable of being one of the most productive offensive defencemen in the NHL when healthy.

He had 54 points in 71 games in 2023-24 and 73 points in 79 games in 2022-23.

Plus, Edmonton is dealing with some shaky goaltending from Stuart Skinner. That means another six-goal outburst is within the range of possibilities.

Key stat: Skinner has a 3.39 GAA and .872 SV% in these playoffs — the worst stats of any remaining starting goaltender.

Game 2 prop prediction

Nugent-Hopkins to record a point (-130): It’s hard to get attention playing with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

But I want to shine a light on Nugent-Hopkins’ playoff career.

  • The former first-overall pick has 72 points in 86 postseason games.
  • He ranks fourth on the Oilers with 11 points in 12 games during these playoffs (8-4 against this line).

Nugent-Hopkins usually skates as the third-line centre, but his recent play has elevated him to the first line to play wing alongside McDavid.

He also slots onto the first power-play unit that includes Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. I’m not sure there is a better situation for a forward to be productive in.

I love the value on this pick at this price.

Oilers vs. Stars prop picks made at 1:49 p.m. ET 05/22/2025.

Oilers vs. Stars prop picks Game 2: Back Nugent-Hopkins and Heiskanen on Friday night

Oilers vs. Stars picks

The Edmonton Oilers have one more chance to steal home-ice advantage against the Dallas Stars.

The pregame narrative: Dallas flipped the script on last year’s Western Conference final by winning Game 1, 6-3. Can the Oilers bounce back? Or will the Stars jump out to a two-game lead, taking them a step closer to the Stanley Cup Final?

Check out my Oilers vs. Stars Game 2 prop picks on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Miro Heiskanen.

Oilers vs. Stars picks

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

Dallas’ defenceman missed much of the second half of the regular season recovering from an injury. He returned in Game 4 of the series against the Winnipeg Jets and made an instant impact.

Heiskanen has four points in four playoff games while going 3-1 against this wager.

His ice time has gradually increased from 14 minutes in his return to over 24 minutes against the Oilers on Wednesday.

This pick may not be available at plus money anymore, but the value remains for the perennial Norris candidate.

Heiskanen had just 25 points in 50 games this season, but is capable of being one of the most productive offensive defencemen in the NHL when healthy.

He had 54 points in 71 games in 2023-24 and 73 points in 79 games in 2022-23.

Plus, Edmonton is dealing with some shaky goaltending from Stuart Skinner. That means another six-goal outburst is within the range of possibilities.

Key stat: Skinner has a 3.39 GAA and .872 SV% in these playoffs — the worst stats of any remaining starting goaltender.

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Game 2 prop prediction

Nugent-Hopkins to record a point (-121): It’s hard to get attention playing with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

But I want to shine a light on Nugent-Hopkins’ playoff career.

  • The former first-overall pick has 72 points in 86 postseason games.
  • He ranks fourth on the Oilers with 11 points in 12 games during these playoffs (8-4 against this line).

Nugent-Hopkins usually skates as the third-line centre, but his recent play has elevated him to the first line to play wing alongside McDavid.

He also slots onto the first power-play unit that includes Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. I’m not sure there is a better situation for a forward to be productive in.

I love the value on this pick at this price.

Oilers vs. Stars prop picks made at 1:49 p.m. ET 05/22/2025.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks Game 2: Target Julius Randle during hot streak

Thunder vs. Timberwolves picks

The Minnesota Timberwolves look to even the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.

The pregame narrative: Julius Randle is a big reason why the Timberwolves have been so successful en route to the Western Conference finals. The Thunder, on the other hand, have an arsenal of options, and Jalen Williams has cemented himself as one of OKC’s most reliable ball handlers.

Check out my Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks on Randle and Williams for Game 2 on May 22.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks

Best Bet: Randle over 19.5 points (-130)

Anthony Edwards has been the topic of conversation for the T-wolves, while Randle has gone under the radar as a very efficient scorer in these playoffs:

  • 24.3 points per game
  • 52.2 FG% (39.3 3PT%)
  • 9-2 against this line

Despite losing Game 1 by 26 points, Randle was still able to get his. He scored 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting in 35 minutes of action.

OKC’s defence is the best in the league, but since Randle was one of two Timberwolves who shot above 50.0% in Game 1, Chris Finch should continue drawing up offence for the power forward.

Additionally, he shot above 50% in seven of 11 playoff games and should continue to roll as Minnesota’s second option behind Edwards.

Key stat: Randle has scored at least 16 points in all 11 playoff games. That gives him an incredibly reliable floor to work with against this modest total.

Game 2 prop predictions

Williams over 10.5 rebounds/assists (-106): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the clear No. 1 ball-handler for the Thunder, but Williams has proven himself to be a solid secondary creator.

So far this postseason, the 6-foot-6 wing is averaging:

  • 5.7 assists/game
  • 5.6 rebounds/game

That equates to an average of 11.3 RA. Williams is 9-3 against this wager in the postseason.

Williams was on the court for 33 minutes in Game 1, which is below average for him and was a result of the Thunder’s massive lead.

He still managed to grab eight rebounds while dishing out five assists, clearing this line easily in the process.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks made at 12:34 p.m. ET 05/22/2025.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks Game 2: Target Julius Randle during hot streak

Thunder vs. Timberwolves picks

The Minnesota Timberwolves look to even the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.

The pregame narrative: Julius Randle is a big reason why the Timberwolves have been so successful en route to the Western Conference finals. The Thunder, on the other hand, have an arsenal of options, and Jalen Williams has cemented himself as one of OKC’s most reliable ball handlers.

Check out my Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks on Randle and Williams for Game 2 on May 22.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks

Best Bet: Randle over 18.5 points (-125)

Anthony Edwards has been the topic of conversation for the T-wolves, while Randle has gone under the radar as a very efficient scorer in these playoffs:

  • 24.3 points per game
  • 52.2 FG% (39.3 3PT%)
  • 9-2 against this line

Despite losing Game 1 by 26 points, Randle was still able to get his. He scored 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting in 35 minutes of action.

OKC’s defence is the best in the league, but since Randle was one of two Timberwolves who shot above 50.0% in Game 1, Chris Finch should continue drawing up offence for the power forward.

Additionally, he shot above 50% in seven of 11 playoff games and should continue to roll as Minnesota’s second option behind Edwards.

Key stat: Randle has scored at least 16 points in all 11 playoff games. That gives him an incredibly reliable floor to work with against this modest total.

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Game 2 prop predictions

Williams over 10.5 rebounds/assists (-104): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the clear No. 1 ball-handler for the Thunder, but Williams has proven himself to be a solid secondary creator.

So far this postseason, the 6-foot-6 wing is averaging:

  • 5.7 assists/game
  • 5.6 rebounds/game

That equates to an average of 11.3 RA. Williams is 9-3 against this wager in the postseason.

Williams was on the court for 33 minutes in Game 1, which is below average for him and was a result of the Thunder’s massive lead.

He still managed to grab eight rebounds while dishing out five assists, clearing this line easily in the process.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks made at 9:18 a.m. ET 05/22/2025.

Panthers vs. Hurricanes prop picks Game 2: Bet on Aaron Ekblad and Jackson Blake on Thursday night

Panthers vs. Hurricanes picks

The Florida Panthers look to take a two-game lead in the Eastern Conference final.

The pregame narrative: Florida dominated the score in Game 1, winning 5-2, despite being outshot in the matchup. The Carolina Hurricanes will have another chance to win at home on Thursday before the series flips to the Sunshine State.

Check out my Panthers vs. Hurricanes prop picks on Jackson Blake and Aaron Ekblad for Game 2.

Panthers vs. Hurricanes picks

Best bet: Blake over 1.5 shots (-124)

Carolina’s rookie is performing above expectations during this postseason run.

  • He has six points in 11 games.
  • He is averaging 1.9 shots per contest (8-3 against this wager).

Blake plays on the Hurricanes’ fourth line but slots on the team’s top power-play unit with offensive studs like Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.

Carolina desperately needs a win, which in theory should lead to an uptick in shot attempts.

Not that it’s needed, though. The Hurricanes recorded 33 shots in the opening game of this series and should be just as dangerous this time around.

Sergei Bobrovsky is on top of his game right now, but luckily, this wager doesn’t require beating the netminder.

Key stat: In Game 1, Blake scored with the man advantage and cleared this line with two shots on net.

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Game 1 prop prediction

Ekblad to record a point (+132): When available, Ekblad has been a menace on the Panthers’ blue line.

He missed the latter part of the season with a suspension and was suspended again in the opening round against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

When he returned against the Toronto Maple Leafs, however, Ekblad made his presence felt. He scored five points in the seven-game series.

Ekblad followed that up with a great start to the conference final. He scored a goal in over 23 minutes of ice time in Game 1.

Overall, he has seven points in nine games this postseason while being 6-3 against this wager.

Florida funnels plenty of its offence through the defence corps, which has contributed a lot of offence this postseason.

Ekblad leads the way with 0.77 points per game. That ranks fifth among all Panthers skaters.

Panthers vs. Hurricanes prop picks made at 9:48 a.m. ET 05/22/2025.

Caitlin Clark props for 2025 WNBA season debut: Betting markets and predictions on Fever star vs. Sky

Caitlin Clark props

Caitlin Clark begins her second WNBA season with lofty expectations.

The pregame narrative: Clark was one vote off being the unanimous rookie of the year last season while finishing fourth in MVP voting. She led the league in assists and has a real chance to raise her production during the 2025 season.

Check out these Caitlin Clark props for the season opener on May 17 against the Chicago Sky.

Caitlin Clark props vs. Sky

Check out the latest WNBA odds. Click linked odds to add selection to your betslip.

Clark marketsBetting odds
To score 25+ points+155
To record 10+ assists -104
To record 6+ rebounds -120
To record 40+ pts/reb/ast+123
To hit 4+ threes-132
To record a double-double-118
To record a triple-double+1,200

Caitlin Clark props as of 3:12 p.m. ET on 05/16/2025.

Best Clark prop bet

Best bet: Clark to record a double-double (-118)

Clark’s rookie season was very successful and ultimately a tale of two parts:

  • First 15 games: 16.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds (One double-double)
  • Last 25 games: 21.1 points, 9.8 assists, 6.0 rebounds (13 double-doubles)

It’s understandable why a rookie would have an adjustment period at the next level, so I expect to see a lot more of those second-half numbers in 2025.

Plus, the Sky were one of the worst teams in the WNBA last season. They had a 13-27 record and gave up the fifth-most points per game (82.5).

See our Caitlin Clark futures markets

Clark will have every opportunity to stuff the stat sheet in an advantageous matchup on Saturday.

She averaged a double-double against three teams last season, and the Sky was one of them.

Indiana went on an 11-6 run to close out last season and has the right opponent to start this year with a win. The offence, of course, should be led by Clark.

Key stat: Clark averaged 20.5 points, 10.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds in four games against Chicago last season.