Contributing Writer

Jets vs. Blues Game 6 prop picks: Back Kyle Connor and Cam Fowler on Friday night

The Winnipeg Jets have a chance on Friday to end their opening series with the St. Louis Blues.

The pregame narrative: This first-round matchup has had its fair share of high-scoring games, with the home team winning all five contests. Can the Jets break the trend and clinch things on the road?

Check out my Jets vs. Blues prop picks on Cam Fowler and Kyle Connor for Game 6 of this first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Blues vs. Jets prop picks

Best Bet: Fowler to register a point (-118)

The veteran defenceman played the most productive hockey of his 12-year career after being traded to the Blues earlier this season.

He had 0.71 points per game (36 in 51 games), which is a 58-point pace over the entire 82 games.

For context, Fowler’s career high is 48 points when he took part in every game for the Anaheim Ducks in 2022-23.

He has every opportunity to be successful with St. Louis, skating as part of the top defensive line while quarterbacking the top power play that includes four forwards alongside him.

Fowler followed his first campaign as a member of the Blues with an impactful first-round performance.

Key stat: He is 5-0 against this wager in this series, headlined by a five-point Game 3 effort at home.

Quick picks

Connor anytime goal (+130): I’ve gone to this pick two times in these playoffs, and it’s cashed on both occasions, making this an easy choice to come back to.

Overall, Connor is 4-1 against this line and is coming off a one-goal, two-assist performance in Game 5.

The 28-year-old has his best season as a pro, scoring 41 goals and a career-high 97 points.

He was Winnipeg’s best offensive player, and that hasn’t changed in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

When the games get more important, so do top players. I expect Connor to stand out again on Friday.

Connor leads the Jets in goals (four), points (eight) and shots (12) in this series.

Blues vs. Jets prop picks made at 1:33 p.m. ET 05/02/2025.

Champions League semifinal schedule and odds: Inter Milan and Barcelona even heading into second leg

Two games will determine which pair of clubs meet in the Champions League final later this month.

The pregame narrative: Inter Milan and Barcelona took part in an electric first leg that ended in a 3-3 draw. The Italian side will look to fend off the Spanish Giants at home on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Arsenal looks to make a valiant comeback in Paris to advance.

Check out the latest Champions League schedule for May 6-7

Champions League schedule: Semifinal

Inter Milan vs. Barcelona

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PSG vs. Arsenal

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Go to full Champions League betting markets

Betting insights

Inter Milan and Barcelona wasted no time, scoring four goals combined before the half in a game that ended 3-3. Barca leads the UCL with 3.1 goals per match while Inter ranks tied for fewest goals allowed per match (0.6).

Luckily for the Italian side, the second leg in is Milan. Inter is undefeated at home in six Champions League fixtures (5-1-0) with a +10 goal differential.

Paris Saint-Germain looks to eliminate its third English squad in a row after going up 1-0 on aggregate over Arsenal. While the London side has what it takes to get a result in the second leg, things wont be any easier playing at Parc Des Princes.

PSG is unsurprisingly the favourite (+120) to win this competition as the only team holding a lead after the first leg of the semifinal.

Jets vs. Blues Game 6 prop picks: Back Kyle Connor and Cam Fowler on Friday night

The Winnipeg Jets have a chance on Friday to end their opening series with the St. Louis Blues.

The pregame narrative: This first-round matchup has had its fair share of high-scoring games, with the home team winning all five contests. Can the Jets break the trend and clinch things on the road?

Check out my Jets vs. Blues prop picks on Cam Fowler and Kyle Connor for Game 6 of this first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Blues vs. Jets prop picks

Best Bet: Fowler to register a point (-121)

The veteran defenceman played the most productive hockey of his 12-year career after being traded to the Blues earlier this season.

He had 0.71 points per game (36 in 51 games), which is a 58-point pace over the entire 82 games.

For context, Fowler’s career high is 48 points when he took part in every game for the Anaheim Ducks in 2022-23.

He has every opportunity to be successful with St. Louis, skating as part of the top defensive line while quarterbacking the top power play that includes four forwards alongside him.

Fowler followed his first campaign as a member of the Blues with an impactful first-round performance.

Key stat: He is 5-0 against this wager in this series, headlined by a five-point Game 3 effort at home.

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Quick picks

Connor anytime goal (+150): I’ve gone to this pick two times in these playoffs, and it’s cashed on both occasions, making this an easy choice to come back to.

Overall, Connor is 4-1 against this line and is coming off a one-goal, two-assist performance in Game 5.

The 28-year-old has his best season as a pro, scoring 41 goals and a career-high 97 points.

He was Winnipeg’s best offensive player, and that hasn’t changed in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

When the games get more important, so do top players. I expect Connor to stand out again on Friday.

Connor leads the Jets in goals (four), points (eight) and shots (12) in this series.

Blues vs. Jets prop picks made at 11:47 a.m. ET 05/02/2025.

Jets vs. Blues Game 6 prop picks: Take overs for Cam Fowler and Kyle Connor

The Winnipeg Jets have a chance on Friday to end their opening series with the St. Louis Blues.

The pregame narrative: This first-round matchup has had its fair share of high-scoring games, with the home team winning all five contests. Can the Jets break the trend and clinch things on the road?

Check out my Jets vs. Blues prop picks on Cam Fowler and Kyle Connor for Game 6 of this first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Blues vs. Jets prop picks

Best Bet: Fowler to register a point (-121)

The veteran defenceman played the most productive hockey of his 12-year career after being traded to the Blues earlier this season.

He had 0.71 points per game (36 in 51 games), which is a 58-point pace over the entire 82 games.

For context, Fowler’s career high is 48 points when he took part in every game for the Anaheim Ducks in 2022-23.

He has every opportunity to be successful with St. Louis, skating as part of the top defensive line while quarterbacking the top power play that includes four forwards alongside him.

Fowler followed his first campaign as a member of the Blues with an impactful first-round performance.

Key stat: He is 5-0 against this wager in this series, headlined by a five-point Game 3 effort at home.

Embed: #113333

Quick picks

Connor anytime goal (+150): I’ve gone to this pick two times in these playoffs, and it’s cashed on both occasions, making this an easy choice to come back to.

Overall, Connor is 4-1 against this line and is coming off a one-goal, two-assist performance in Game 5.

The 28-year-old has his best season as a pro, scoring 41 goals and a career-high 97 points.

He was Winnipeg’s best offensive player, and that hasn’t changed in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

When the games get more important, so do top players. I expect Connor to stand out again on Friday.

Connor leads the Jets in goals (four), points (eight) and shots (12) in this series.

Blues vs. Jets prop picks made at 11:47 a.m. ET 05/02/2025.

Rockets vs. Warriors SGP predictions Game 6: Target Steph Curry and Fred VanVleet

The Golden State Warriors will look for a bounce-back performance over the Houston Rockets in Game 6.

The pregame narrative: The Dubs got blown out on Wednesday but return to the Chase Center, where they are 3-0 this postseason. The home team has a prime opportunity to wrap up this series.

Check out my +310 Rockets vs. Warriors SGP predictions for Game 6 on May 2, featuring plays on Steph Curry and Fred VanVleet.

Rockets vs. Warriors predictions

Parlay: Warriors ML | Curry over 24.5 points | VanVleet over 14.5 points (+310)

Warriors ML (-205): Golden State was a no-show on Wednesday, going down 76-49 at half and never recovering in Houston.

Luckily, the Warriors have taken home-court advantage in this series and get one final chance at home to close things out.

They were 23-7 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup since his midseason acquisition.

In those 30 games, the Warriors only lost back-to-back games once. Both were played on the road.

In other words, they have been extremely consistent, especially at the Chase Center.

The Warriors are 17-3 at home in the playoffs since 2022.

NBA SGP legs

Curry over 24.5 points (-139): Curry, much like his team, put up a dud in Game 5, scoring 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

He only played 23 minutes in the contest because of the score, so that undoubtedly hindered his production.

The good news is, Golden State returns home with another chance to clinch the series. Curry’s taken part in three home games this postseason:

April 15 vs. Memphis: 37 points (22 FG attempts)
April 26 vs. Houston: 36 points (23 FG attempts)
April 28 vs. Houston: 17 points (13 FG attempts)

There’s a clear outlier in terms of volume, which also led to a much lower point total.

Considering Curry averaged 18.0 field-goal attempts per game this season, I feel comfortable saying that he’ll take more than 13 shots on Friday with how important the game is.

If Golden State loses, I don’t think it’ll feel good going into Houston on the brink of elimination after Wednesday’s performance.

Curry has scored 28.6 points per game over his last two playoff runs (18 games).

VanVleet over 14.5 points (-132): The former NBA Champion is starting to show his value as a playoff performer.

After falling short of this mark in the first two games, look how VanVleet has responded in Games 3-5:

22.7 PPG
52.5 FG% (55.6 3PT%)
3-0 against this wager

The point guard struggled with his efficiency this season, shooting a woeful 37.8% from the field (34.5% from 3).

But VanVleet is heating up when it matters most. He is averaging 9.4 attempted threes per game in this series and has topped 20 points in consecutive outings.

Although a similar performance wouldn’t be surprising, we only need 15 for this leg to cash, and that should be attainable with another efficient high-volume shooting night.

Rockets vs. Warriors predictions made at 9:35 a.m. ET 05/02/2025.

Maple Leafs vs. Senators prop picks Game 6: Target John Tavares and Jake Sanderson

Things are starting to get messy as the Battle of Ontario moves back to Ottawa for Game 6 on Thursday.

The pregame narrative: The Toronto Maple Leafs had a 3-0 series lead but have let things slip away. I predict another big performance from Ottawa Senators’ Jake Sanderson in his team’s pursuit to even things up. My best bet, however, is on John Tavares.

Check out my Maple Leafs vs. Senators picks for Game 6 of the opening round.

Maple Leafs vs. Senators picks

Best Bet: Tavares over 2.5 shots (+130)

Tavares was able to clear this total in his third straight game, even though the Leafs were shut out in Game 5.

That makes the former captain 4-1 against this wager in the playoffs.

The Leafs have lost the last two games, but the good news for this pick is that they outshot Ottawa in the losses.

After totalling 65 shots in the first three games, Toronto combined for 63 shots in Games 4 and 5.

Tavares skated for 19:13 on Tuesday, which was his highest minutes load of the series. That uptick should continue with Craig Berube looking to roll his top guys more as the games get more important.

Key stat: Tavares ranks second on the Leafs with 16 shots in this series.

Game 5 prop prediction

Sanderson over 0.5 points (-118): The 22-year-old defenceman has been Ottawa’s best player in this series.

He’s averaging north of 27 minutes on ice, and he played a major role in the Senators’ shutout win in Game 5.

Sanderson’s best performance, though, was in Game 4, when he played over 30 minutes and scored the game-winning goal in overtime to go along with an earlier assist.

That makes Sanderson 2-3 against this line, but I can’t help but side with his growing momentum as Ottawa continues to play with its back against the wall.

Sanderson had a career-high 57 points this season, which ranked 10th among NHL defencemen.

He’ll be on the ice for around half the game and is an elite playmaker from the back end.

If the Leafs have another poor performance, look for Sanderson and Co. to take advantage at home.

The Senators scored more goals per game at home this season (3.37) than on the road (2.54).

Maple Leafs vs. Senators picks made at 4:27 p.m. ET 04/30/2025.

Maple Leafs vs. Senators prop picks Game 6: Target John Tavares and Jake Sanderson

Things are starting to get messy as the Battle of Ontario moves back to Ottawa for Game 6 on Thursday.

The pregame narrative: The Toronto Maple Leafs had a 3-0 series lead but have let things slip away. I predict another big performance from Ottawa Senators’ Jake Sanderson in his team’s pursuit to even things up. My best bet, however, is on John Tavares.

Check out my Maple Leafs vs. Senators picks for Game 6 of the opening round.

Maple Leafs vs. Senators picks

Best Bet: Tavares over 2.5 shots (+115)

Tavares was able to clear this total in his third straight game, even though the Leafs were shut out in Game 5.

That makes the former captain 4-1 against this wager in the playoffs.

The Leafs have lost the last two games, but the good news for this pick is that they outshot Ottawa in the losses.

After totalling 65 shots in the first three games, Toronto combined for 63 shots in Games 4 and 5.

Tavares skated for 19:13 on Tuesday, which was his highest minutes load of the series. That uptick should continue with Craig Berube looking to roll his top guys more as the games get more important.

Key stat: Tavares ranks second on the Leafs with 16 shots in this series.

Game 5 prop prediction

Sanderson over 0.5 points (-113): The 22-year-old defenceman has been Ottawa’s best player in this series.

He’s averaging north of 27 minutes on ice, and he played a major role in the Senators’ shutout win in Game 5.

Sanderson’s best performance, though, was in Game 4, when he played over 30 minutes and scored the game-winning goal in overtime to go along with an earlier assist.

That makes Sanderson 2-3 against this line, but I can’t help but side with his growing momentum as Ottawa continues to play with its back against the wall.

Sanderson had a career-high 57 points this season, which ranked 10th among NHL defencemen.

He’ll be on the ice for around half the game and is an elite playmaker from the back end.

If the Leafs have another poor performance, look for Sanderson and Co. to take advantage at home.

The Senators scored more goals per game at home this season (3.37) than on the road (2.54).

Maple Leafs vs. Senators picks made at 2:44 p.m. ET 04/30/2025.

Canadiens vs. Capitals prop picks Game 5: Look for Lane Hutson to generate offence

The Montreal Canadiens look to fend off elimination against the Washington Capitals in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The pregame narrative: Montreal has been competitive in this series despite being down 3-1. Lane Hutson is a huge reason why, so I’ll back the rookie defenceman to find the score sheet. For Washington, I have a plus-money pick on Jakob Chychrun.

Check out my Canadiens vs. Capitals prop picks for Game 5 of the opening round.

Canadiens vs. Capitals picks

Best bet: Hutson over 0.5 points (-143)

It doesn’t happen often where a newcomer is arguably the most important blue-liner on a playoff team.

But that’s certainly the case for Hutson. He’s averaging over 24 minutes of ice time and has five points in four games (3-1 against this wager).

The Habs aren’t overstepping, either. This is a truly special talent. He recorded the fourth-most points ever by a rookie defenceman this season (66) — and the most in 35-plus years.

Montreal’s power play is firing at a 38.5% rate through four games and Hutson is the quarterback of the top unit.

He plays almost half the game and is a special passer. Assist opportunities should continue to come early and often in Game 5.

Key stat: Hutson ranks third among defencemen in the playoffs for on-ice expected goals per 60 minutes (5.31), according to Money Puck.

Game 5 prop prediction

Chychrun over 0.5 points (+110): Chychrun hasn’t been as effective as his counterpart, but he’s starting to come alive.

He has points in back-to-back games and is coming off his biggest workload (26:15) in Game 4.

The extra playing time didn’t hinder the blue-liner as he had an assist and a +3 rating. If he’s on the ice a bunch, and for a lot of the Capitals’ team success, I love the value on his points prop at plus money.

Chyrchun leads all skaters in this series with a plus/minus rating of +5.

Canadiens vs. Capitals prop picks made at 11:43 p.m. ET 04/30/2025.

Canadiens vs. Capitals prop picks Game 5: Look for Lane Hutson to generate offence

The Montreal Canadiens look to fend off elimination against the Washington Capitals in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The pregame narrative: Montreal has been competitive in this series despite being down 3-1. Lane Hutson is a huge reason why, so I’ll back the rookie defenceman to find the score sheet. For Washington, I have a plus-money pick on Jakob Chychrun.

Check out my Canadiens vs. Capitals prop picks for Game 5 of the opening round.

Canadiens vs. Capitals picks

Best bet: Hutson over 0.5 points (-132)

It doesn’t happen often where a newcomer is arguably the most important blue-liner on a playoff team.

But that’s certainly the case for Hutson. He’s averaging over 24 minutes of ice time and has five points in four games (3-1 against this wager).

The Habs aren’t overstepping, either. This is a truly special talent. He recorded the fourth-most points ever by a rookie defenceman this season (66) — and the most in 35-plus years.

Montreal’s power play is firing at a 38.5% rate through four games and Hutson is the quarterback of the top unit.

He plays almost half the game and is a special passer. Assist opportunities should continue to come early and often in Game 5.

Key stat: Hutson ranks third among defencemen in the playoffs for on-ice expected goals per 60 minutes (5.31), according to Money Puck.

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Game 5 prop prediction

Chychrun over 0.5 points (+108): Chychrun hasn’t been as effective as his counterpart, but he’s starting to come alive.

He has points in back-to-back games and is coming off his biggest workload (26:15) in Game 4.

The extra playing time didn’t hinder the blue-liner as he had an assist and a +3 rating. If he’s on the ice a bunch, and for a lot of the Capitals’ team success, I love the value on his points prop at plus money.

Chyrchun leads all skaters in this series with a plus/minus rating of +5.

Canadiens vs. Capitals prop picks made at 11:43 p.m. ET 04/30/2025.

Barcelona vs. Inter Milan Champions League semifinal SGP predictions April 30: Bet on Ferran Torres at +340

Barcelona and Inter Milan take part in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.

The pregame narrative: The Spanish club is coming off a big win at the Copa Del Rey final this past weekend and is the favourite to win this competition. I’ll take the Italian side to at least score a goal, though, mixed with the under and a prop pick on Ferran Torres in this +340 SGP.

Check out my Barcelona vs. Inter Milan SGP predictions for April 30.

Barcelona vs. Inter Milan predictions

Parlay: Under 3.5 goals | Inter Milan over 0.5 goals | Torres over 2.5 shots (+340)

Under 3.5 goals (-177): Inter is one of Europe’s top defensive clubs.

I Nerazzurri allows the fewest goals per game of any club in the Champions League (0.4).

That includes eight clean sheets as well as going under this total in 9 of their 11 matches.

For even more context, the club has given up just five goals across this entire competition.

Barcelona leads all UCL competitors with a whopping 3.1 goals per match, but I expect its opponent to take a risk-free approach for the first leg on the road.

Barca will be without top-scoring striker, Robert Lewandowski, for this leg. His absence should hinder the offence.

In six away matches for Inter, eight goals have been scored in total. Only two of those came from its opponents.

Go to full Champions League betting markets

Champions League SGP legs

Inter Milan over 0.5 goals (-235): A lot of that final statement can be applied to this leg as well. But let’s dive a little deeper.

As good as Barcelona is on offence, its defence can be a weakness. The club has allowed 17 goals, which is more than triple Inter’s five.

That includes conceding in eight of 12 UCL matches.

Barca has had a fairly easy route to this point, beating Portuguese side Benfica in the Round of 16 and then an underachieving Borussia Dortmund team in the quarterfinal.

This feels like a huge test for the Spanish Giants.

Torres over 2.5 shots (-148): I want to close out this SGP by taking advantage of Torres’ shots prop in his teammate’s absence.

As previously mentioned, Lewandowski will be sidelined for this match. Those are big shoes to fill for any replacement.

And Torres has played reserve minutes all season long, but he’s been effective when playing more than 70 minutes in a match.

In that scenario, across all competitions, he’s averaging 3.6 shots and is 6-2 against this line.

In his most recent performance against Real Madrid, the striker played 114 minutes in Lewandowski’s first game out. He cleared this line with four total shots.

Barcelona vs. Inter Milan predictions made at 11:26 a.m. on 04/29/25.