Contributing Writer

PSG vs. Arsenal Champions League semifinal SGP predictions May 7: Back Declan Rice in +350 wager

Arsenal will need a comeback effort in Paris to advance to the Champions League final.

The pregame narrative: PSG holds a 1-0 lead after a hard-fought victory in London. Arsenal was arguably the better side but is rightfully an underdog on the road in this second leg.

Check out my PSG vs. Arsenal SGP predictions for May 7, featuring Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice.

PSG vs. Arsenal predictions

Parlay: Arsenal to win or tie | Martinelli over 0.5 SOT | Rice over 0.5 shots (+290)

Arsenal to win or tie (-127): The English side out-chanced its opponent in the first leg, registering 1.46 xG while PSG mustered up 1.25.

That doesn’t matter much when the final result is a loss, but it’s worth noting when looking ahead to Wednesday.

It’s also telling that the Gunners are tied with Inter Milan for fewest goals conceded per match in this tournament (0.6).

While the Parisians have Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, who’s among the best in the world at his position, it’s Arsenal that has proven to be the tougher defensive side.

The Gunners played a second leg on the road in the quarterfinal, beating Real Madrid 2-1.

While those were different circumstances with Arsenal up 3-0 heading into that leg, Los Blancos were the favourites to raise the Champions League trophy before that matchup.

Arsenal is 4-1-1 on the road in the Champions League this season. Thomas Partey also returns from a suspension that forced him to miss the match in London.

He is an integral part of the midfield as the defensive anchor, and his return gives me heightened confidence in his squad to get a result.

Go to full Champions League betting markets

Champions League SGP legs

Martinelli over 0.5 SOT (-104): I’m interested in this as a solo play, but it’s also a great addition to this SGP.

The Brazilian attacker has been consistent against this line, recording a shot on goal in 7 of his last 8 appearances.

He’s played at least 89 minutes in Arsenal’s last three Champions League matches, cashing this wager each time.

The Gunners will be desperate for offence, and Martinelli is the focal point. An uptick in opportunities should be available for the striker, who often clears this line anyway.

Rice over 0.5 shots (-286): Here’s another pick with solid backing, and the price reflects that.

Rice has attempted a shot in 16 of the past 17 games.

He’s cashed this wager in eight of his last 10 UCL appearances.

The English midfielder is Arsenal’s free-kick taker, which could lead to an easy shot attempt that wouldn’t even need to be on target.

Rice can play further up the field in the second leg with the return of Partey as the defensive midfielder.

PSG vs. Arsenal predictions made at 11:36 a.m. on 05/06/25.

NHL playoff anytime goalscorer picks May 6: Back Connor McDavid to make his in series opener

The Stanley Cup playoffs continue on Tuesday, and I have multiple picks from the action.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 1 of the second round. Later on, the Edmonton Oilers ride their momentum into their series opener against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Check out the best NHL anytime goal picks for May 6, which include picks on Andrei Svechnikov and Connor McDavid.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: McDavid to score (+155)

The Vegas Golden Knights handled business in their opening series with the Minnesota Wild, but not without resistance.

Minnesota won two games, led largely by Kirill Kaprizov, who scored five goals in the series. The team’s other top player, Matthew Boldy, also scored five times.

The point is that Vegas was vulnerable to the skill and speed of the Wild’s best players.

That brings me to Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. The electric duo combined for 21 points in six games against the Los Angeles Kings last round.

Both are good choices to do damage tonight, but I’ll back the captain at a better price.

His 8.7% shooting percentage against the Kings was much lower than his season average (13.3%). An uptick in goals should be imminent.

Key stat: McDavid led the Oilers with 23 shots in that series.

NHL prop predictions

Svechnikov to score (+200): Sebastian Aho paces the Carolina Hurricanes with eight points in these playoffs.

Five of those eight points were assists — three of which came on goals scored by Svechnikov.

The left winger accompanies Aho on the first line and the top power-play unit.

That’s led to a bunch of scoring opportunities. Svechnikov had eight more shots (22) than anyone else on the Hurricanes.

Washington allowed five power-play goals on 15 tries against the Montreal Canadiens (66.7% penalty kill). Carolina went 6-for-19 with the man advantage (31.6%) against the Devils.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 9:27 a.m. ET on 05/06/2025.

NHL playoff anytime goalscorer picks May 6: Back Connor McDavid to make his in series opener

The Stanley Cup playoffs continue on Tuesday, and I have multiple picks from the action.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 1 of the second round. Later on, the Edmonton Oilers ride their momentum into their series opener against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Check out the best NHL anytime goal picks for May 6, which include picks on Andrei Svechnikov and Connor McDavid.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: McDavid to score (+155)

The Vegas Golden Knights handled business in their opening series with the Minnesota Wild, but not without resistance.

Minnesota won two games, led largely by Kirill Kaprizov, who scored five goals in the series. The team’s other top player, Matthew Boldy, also scored five times.

The point is that Vegas was vulnerable to the skill and speed of the Wild’s best players.

That brings me to Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. The electric duo combined for 21 points in six games against the Los Angeles Kings last round.

Both are good choices to do damage tonight, but I’ll back the captain at a better price.

His 8.7% shooting percentage against the Kings was much lower than his season average (13.3%). An uptick in goals should be imminent.

Key stat: McDavid led the Oilers with 23 shots in that series.

Embed: #113457

NHL prop predictions

Svechnikov to score (+190): Sebastian Aho paces the Carolina Hurricanes with eight points in these playoffs.

Five of those eight points were assists — three of which came on goals scored by Svechnikov.

The left winger accompanies Aho on the first line and the top power-play unit.

That’s led to a bunch of scoring opportunities. Svechnikov had eight more shots (22) than anyone else on the Hurricanes.

Washington allowed five power-play goals on 15 tries against the Montreal Canadiens (66.7% penalty kill). Carolina went 6-for-19 with the man advantage (31.6%) against the Devils.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 9:27 a.m. ET on 05/06/2025.

Warriors vs. Rockets prop picks Game 7: Back Steph Curry to shoot the lights out

The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets conclude an exciting opening series with a Game 7.

The pregame narrative: Golden State was up 3-1 and looked in control of this matchup before Houston stormed back with consecutive wins to even things up. Now, it all comes down to one final meeting.

Check out my Warriors vs. Rockets prop picks featuring Fred VanVleet and Steph Curry for Game 7 of the opening round.

Warriors vs. Rockets prop picks

Best Bet: VanVleet over 17.5 points (-130)

The undersized guard had a rough season, shooting below 40% from the field and 35% from 3 while scoring his lowest PPG (14.1) since 2018-19.

But VanVleet is showing why he was so valuable to the Toronto Raptors in their championship run in 2019.

After falling short of this total in the first two meetings, VanVleet is 3-1 against this line since. That includes three straight 25-point efforts for the point guard.

During that time, he is shooting 52.8% from the field (58.3% from three).

VanVleet is letting it fly from three, attempting 9.0 per game over the last four games. It certainly caught the notice of reporters, but Golden State’s Draymond Green wasn’t surprised.

"Fred VanVleet is the reason we lost to Toronto in the Finals. So we know what he's capable of."

—Draymond Green on FVV's huge Game 6 for the Rockets. pic.twitter.com/Sf60a58cht
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 3, 2025

Key stat: VanVleet is averaging the second-most points (19.0) of any Rockets player in this series.

Game 7 prop prediction

Curry over 4.5 threes (-125): In an elimination game, I always assume the star players will play a larger role than normal.

There’s no bigger star in this game than four-time champion Curry.

While he has been inconsistent, Curry has shown flashes of brilliance in this series.

Game 1: 31 points, five 3s made
Game 3: 36 points, five 3s made
Game 6: 29 points, six 3s made

He made less than five triples in the other three games, but Curry is a proven playoff performer, especially when it’s do-or-die.

The superstar has played in five career Game 7s and averaged 32.6 points on 42.4% shooting from 3-point range.

Warriors vs. Rockets prop picks made at 1:28 p.m. ET 05/03/2025.

Warriors vs. Rockets prop picks Game 7: Back Steph Curry to shoot the lights out

The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets conclude an exciting opening series with a Game 7.

The pregame narrative: Golden State was up 3-1 and looked in control of this matchup before Houston stormed back with consecutive wins to even things up. Now, it all comes down to one final meeting.

Check out my Warriors vs. Rockets prop picks featuring Fred VanVleet and Steph Curry for Game 7 of the opening round.

Warriors vs. Rockets prop picks

Best Bet: VanVleet over 16.5 points (-121)

The undersized guard had a rough season, shooting below 40% from the field and 35% from 3 while scoring his lowest PPG (14.1) since 2018-19.

But VanVleet is showing why he was so valuable to the Toronto Raptors in their championship run in 2019.

After falling short of this total in the first two meetings, VanVleet is 4-0 against this line since. That includes three straight 25-point efforts for the point guard.

During that time, he is shooting 52.8% from the field (58.3% from three).

VanVleet is letting it fly from three, attempting 9.0 per game over the last four games. It certainly caught the notice of reporters, but Golden State’s Draymond Green wasn’t surprised.

"Fred VanVleet is the reason we lost to Toronto in the Finals. So we know what he's capable of."

—Draymond Green on FVV's huge Game 6 for the Rockets. pic.twitter.com/Sf60a58cht
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 3, 2025

Key stat: VanVleet is averaging the second-most points (19.0) of any Rockets player in this series.

Embed: #113368

Game 7 prop prediction

Curry over 4.5 threes (-108): In an elimination game, I always assume the star players will play a larger role than normal.

There’s no bigger star in this game than four-time champion Curry.

While he has been inconsistent, Curry has shown flashes of brilliance in this series.

Game 1: 31 points, five 3s made
Game 3: 36 points, five 3s made
Game 6: 29 points, six 3s made

He made less than five triples in the other three games, but Curry is a proven playoff performer, especially when it’s do-or-die.

The superstar has played in five career Game 7s and averaged 32.6 points on 42.4% shooting from 3-point range.

Warriors vs. Rockets prop picks made at 1:28 p.m. ET 05/03/2025.

Best MLB prop bets May 3: Picks on Riley Greene and Brandon Pfaadt

All 30 MLB teams are in action on Saturday and I’ve got three prop bets to share.

The pregame narrative: Riley Greene has been tearing the cover off the baseball and has an advantageous matchup. I also have a pick starting pitcher, Brandon Pfaadt, earlier in the evening.

Check out the best MLB prop bets for May 3.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Greene over 1.5 total bases (+120)

The Detroit Tigers slugger is on a tear right now, slashing .400/.455/.733 over the past eight games.

He’s 5-3 against this line over that time. But that’s not the only reason to back Greene.

Kyle Hendricks makes his sixth start of the season for the Los Angeles Angels, and things have been ugly.

0-3
6.65 ERA (1.39 WHIP)
.265 opponent xBA

Hendricks is not a strikeout arm, either. He’s in the 7th percentile for K rate (13.3%) and the 3rd percentile for whiff rate (16.0%), per Baseball Savant.

That can work in favour of Greene, who loves to hack. The outfielder has a 31.3% chase rate.

Most importantly, he’s a righty, and Greene is a player who can take advantage of the platoon advantage.

The lefty has a .298 average and .920 OPS against right-handed pitching this season (89 plate appearances).

Key stat: Greene leads the Tigers with 64 total bases.

Best MLB pick

Pfaadt over 5.5 strikeouts (+115): On the other side of the narrative, there’s Pfaadt, who has the best head-to-head stats of any starter on Saturday.

In 35 plate appearances against the current Philadelphia Phillies lineup, Pfaadt has a 42.9% K rate and allows a measly .152 average.

He hasn’t been very effective as a strikeout thrower this season, going under this total in four of six games. But this is a matchup I cannot ignore.

Plus, he’s had six or more Ks in two of his past three starts, which is an indication that he is ramping up as the year progresses.

Pfaadt had a 9.17 K/9 last in 2024.

MLB prop picks made at 12:12 p.m. ET on 05/03/2025.

Best MLB prop bets May 3: Picks on Riley Greene and Brandon Pfaadt

All 30 MLB teams are in action on Saturday and I’ve got three prop bets to share.

The pregame narrative: Riley Greene has been tearing the cover off the baseball and has an advantageous matchup. I also have picks starting pitchers Brandon Pfaadt and Patrick Corbin earlier in the evening.

Check out the best MLB prop bets for May 3.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Greene over 1.5 total bases (+117)

The Detroit Tigers slugger is on a tear right now, slashing .400/.455/.733 over the past eight games.

He’s 5-3 against this line over that time. But that’s not the only reason to back Greene.

Kyle Hendricks makes his sixth start of the season for the Los Angeles Angels, and things have been ugly.

0-3
6.65 ERA (1.39 WHIP)
.265 opponent xBA

Hendricks is not a strikeout arm, either. He’s in the 7th percentile for K rate (13.3%) and the 3rd percentile for whiff rate (16.0%), per Baseball Savant.

That can work in favour of Greene, who loves to hack. The outfielder has a 31.3% chase rate.

Most importantly, he’s a righty, and Greene is a player who can take advantage of the platoon advantage.

The lefty has a .298 average and .920 OPS against right-handed pitching this season (89 plate appearances).

Key stat: Greene leads the Tigers with 64 total bases.

Embed: #113361

Best MLB picks

Corbin under 15.5 outs (-130): Corbin got off to a fairly good start to the year, allowing three or fewer runs in each of his first four starts.

He hasn’t worked deep into ball games, though. Corbin’s cleared this line just once, mostly because his 1.58 WHIP has resulted in a high pitch count per inning.

I can’t completely ignore his 3.79 ERA, so I dug deeper, and I believe there is regression to come.

His 4.66 xERA is much higher than his actual number and ranks in the 28th percentile.

His opponent xBA of .296 is even worse, ranking in the 12th percentile.

Additionally, the Seattle Mariners have an xBA of .332 in 59 plate appearances against Corbin, who hasn’t had an ERA lower than 5.00 for an entire season since 2020.

Even if the righty continues to get lucky, it’ll take a lot of pitches to do so.

Pfaadt over 5.5 strikeouts (+112): On the other side of the narrative, there’s Pfaadt, who has the best head-to-head stats of any starter on Saturday.

In 35 plate appearances against the current Philadelphia Phillies lineup, Pfaadt has a 42.9% K rate and allows a measly .152 average.

He hasn’t been very effective as a strikeout thrower this season, going under this total in four of six games. But this is a matchup I cannot ignore.

Plus, he’s had six or more Ks in two of his past three starts, which is an indication that he is ramping up as the year progresses.

Pfaadt had a 9.17 K/9 last in 2024.

MLB prop picks made at 12:12 p.m. ET on 05/03/2025.

Clippers vs. Nuggets SGP predictions Game 7: Back Kawhi Leonard and Nikola Jokic on Saturday night

It’s a winner-take-all Game 7 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.

The pregame narrative: This has been an exciting matchup. The Clippers fought off elimination in Game 6 but will need to do so again on the road to reach the next round.

It’s hard for me to pick a side here, so I am instead backing three players — Kawhi Leonard, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon — to produce in Game 7 of the NBA first-round playoff series.

Clippers vs. Nuggets predictions

Parlay: Leonard 8+ rebounds | Jokic 8+ assists | Gordon over 13.5 points (+360)

Leonard 8+ rebounds (-120): The board man gets paid, and that’s been on full display in this series.

Leonard fell under this mark in the first couple of games, then turned the intensity up on the glass as the games got more important.

The Klaw snatched nine-plus rebounds in each of the last four contests.

According to NBA.com, he’s hauling in 69.6% of his rebound chances over that span. That shows his hustle and potential as a vacuum for boards.

Leonard averages 9.3 rebounds in six career Game 7s.

NBA SGP legs

Jokic 8+ assists (-265): This is the most juiced leg of the parlay, but for good reason.

Jokic is already the best passing big man of all time, and he continues to showcase his incredible basketball IQ in the playoffs.

In this series, he is averaging 10.5 assists on 18.3 potential assists. He sits at the top of these categories with the likes of Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Haliburton, who are point guards.

Jokic is unsurprisingly 6-0 against this line. He should continue to find teammates as the Clippers will be forcing the ball out of his hands.

He’s not just an elite passer, but he’s a great scorer, too (29.6 PPG this season), so Los Angeles will need to pick its poison.

And it’s fair to assume the Clippers will want anyone else to beat them besides the three-time MVP.

Gordon over 13.5 points (-141): The high-flying forward has had a very solid floor as a scorer in this series.

18.3 points per game
50.6 field goal %
6-0 against this line

Gordon should continue to get easy looks as a cutter in this pass-first offence.

It was a strong second half of the season for the 29-year-old. He averaged 18.9 points since the all-star break and went 13-6 on this wager.

Clippers vs. Nuggets predictions made at 9:00 a.m. ET 05/03/2025.

Avalanche vs. Stars prop picks Game 7: Tail Nathan Mackinnon on Saturday night

The playoff series between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars comes down to a Game 7.

The pregame narrative: This has been an explosive series between two of the NHL’s best teams in the opening round. What’s left is one game with the winner advancing to the division final and the loser being eliminated from contention for another year.

Check out my Avalanche vs. Stars prop picks on Nathan MacKinnon and Roope Hintz for Game 7 of this first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Avalanche vs. Stars picks

Best Bet: MacKinnon over 1.5 points (+115)

There are a few select players I like to tail in this market when the price is right, and MacKinnon fits the bill.

He leads the Avalanche in points this series (10), doubling the total of Martin Necas, who ranks second with five.

He’s firing on all cylinders with 33 shots in six games.

Additionally, MacKinnon seems to have an extra gear on the road. He’s cleared this line in two of three games in Dallas.

There’s been no shortage of scoring in this series. An average of 6.8 goals are being scored per contest.

That should give MacKinnon ample opportunity to continue producing at a high level. I love the value on this prop for the Avs’ best player in the postseason.

Key stat: He has recorded multiple points in nine of his last 20 playoff games.

Game 7 prop prediction

Hintz over 2.5 shots (+110): On the other side, Hintz is leading the Stars with 23 shots this series.

That includes recording five-plus shots three times and going 5-1 against this line.

Hintz has been heavily involved in the past two games, recording six points and 10 shots.

The Finnish forward is playing with supreme confidence right now, so I don’t see any reason to stop letting it rip in a do-or-die Game 7.

I’ll happily back this pick at plus-money odds.

Avalanche vs. Stars prop picks made at 4:35 p.m. ET on 05/02/2025.

Avalanche vs. Stars prop picks Game 7: Tail Nathan Mackinnon on Saturday night

The playoff series between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars comes down to a Game 7.

The pregame narrative: This has been an explosive series between two of the NHL’s best teams in the opening round. What’s left is one game with the winner advancing to the division final and the loser being eliminated from contention for another year.

Check out my Avalanche vs. Stars prop picks on Nathan MacKinnon and Roope Hintz for Game 7 of this first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Avalanche vs. Stars picks

Best Bet: MacKinnon over 1.5 points (+133)

There are a few select players I like to tail in this market when the price is right, and MacKinnon fits the bill.

He leads the Avalanche in points this series (10), doubling the total of Martin Necas, who ranks second with five.

He’s firing on all cylinders with 33 shots in six games.

Additionally, MacKinnon seems to have an extra gear on the road. He’s cleared this line in two of three games in Dallas.

There’s been no shortage of scoring in this series. An average of 6.8 goals are being scored per contest.

That should give MacKinnon ample opportunity to continue producing at a high level. I love the value on this prop for the Avs’ best player in the postseason.

Key stat: He has recorded multiple points in nine of his last 20 playoff games.

Embed: #113351

Game 7 prop prediction

Hintz over 2.5 shots (+130): On the other side, Hintz is leading the Stars with 23 shots this series.

That includes recording five-plus shots three times and going 5-1 against this line.

Hintz has been heavily involved in the past two games, recording six points and 10 shots.

The Finnish forward is playing with supreme confidence right now, so I don’t see any reason to stop letting it rip in a do-or-die Game 7.

I’ll happily back this pick at plus-money odds.

Avalanche vs. Stars prop picks made at 3:35 p.m. ET on 05/02/2025.