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.

Wild vs. Golden Knights prop picks Game 2: Target Matt Boldy and Alex Pietrangelo

Wild vs. Golden Knights prop picks

The Vegas Golden Knights look to build on their series lead over the Minnesota Wild.

The pregame narrative: Matt Boldy had two goals in Game 1 of this series and I’ll back the winger to stay productive tonight. I’ll also take a shot on Alex Pietrangelo to find the score sheet at a nice plus-money price.

Check out my Wild vs. Golden Knights prop picks for Game 2 of the opening round.

Wild vs. Golden Knights picks

Best bet: Boldy to score 1+ points (-165)

The one-two punch of Kirill Kaprizov and Boldy is back in full force.

Kaprizov missed half the season recovering from an injury but returned two weeks ago. And he’s made an instant impact in this series, tallying two assists in Game 1.

Who scored both goals? It was Boldy, who greatly benefits from his teammate’s presence.

Boldy had 38 points in 41 games with Kaprizov in the lineup. The latter finished sixth in points per game (1.35), providing a clear jolt of offence to the lineup.

Key stat: Boldy has multiple points in four of his last six games.

Game 2 prop prediction

Pietrangelo to score 1+ points (+185): The Canadian blue-liner was in and out of the lineup with an injury for the final stretch of the season, but it appears he’s healthy again at the right time.

Pietrangelo tallied points in six of his final 10 regular-season games. He then grabbed an assist in the opening game of this series in 21:03 of ice time.

When someone plays that much, I’ll always like his chances of getting on the score sheet. Only Noah Hannifin logged more minutes for the Knights.

Pietrangelo also quarterbacks the second power-play unit, which could provide added opportunities.

Minnesota allows the seventh-most shots against (29.6) while killing penalties at the third-worst rate (72.4%).

Wild vs. Golden Knights prop picks made at 3:25 p.m. ET 04/22/2025.

McCartney Kessler vs. Bianca Andreescu Madrid Open best bet and odds: Fade the Canadian in her second match back

Kessler vs. Andreescu best bet

Bianca Andreescu plays her second match of 2025 in the first round of the Madrid Open against McCartney Kessler.

The pregame narrative: The Canadian has dealt with a staggering amount of injury concerns over the last couple of years. That’s the main reason I’m fading Andreescu in her opening match on Wednesday.

Check out my Kessler vs. Andreescu Madrid Open best bet and the odds for April 23.

Kessler vs. Andreescu best bet

Go to full Kessler vs. Andreescu betting markets.

Betting marketsOdds
Kessler to win-103
Andreescu to win-121
Kessler +1.5 games-127
Andreescu -1.5 games+100
Kessler to win in straight sets+220
Andreescu to win in straight sets+195
Over 21.5 total games-112
Under 21.5 total games-114

Tennis odds as of 2:19 p.m. ET on 04/22/2025.

Best Bet: Kessler to win (-103)

Andreescu is the better player when at her best, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen the Canadian at the top of her game.

She missed most of 2024 with a lingering back issue and had her 2025 start delayed due to another procedure earlier in the year.

In her first match back on April 16, Andreescu lost to Suzan Lamens, the No. 73-ranked WTA player, on a clay surface (6-1, 4-6, 7-6).

Now, she plays No. 43-ranked Kessler.

The 25-year-old American is 2-7 in her last nine matches on clay (0-1 in 2025) but is 17-9 overall this season. She also has a positive career record on the playing surface (20-19).

Her activity is what should give her the edge. She’s played 87 matches since the start of 2024. Compare that to Andreescu, who played 22 matches during that same timeframe.

And the results just haven’t been good. The former US Open champ went 11-11 during that time. It’s hard to justify betting on the Canadian right now, so I’ll take a shot on the underdog.

Key stat: Kessler is 16-3 against opponents ranked outside the top 30 in 2025. Andreescu currently ranks as the No. 132 player on tour.

Picks made at 2:10 p.m. ET on 04/22/2025.

Senators vs. Maple Leafs prop picks Game 2: Bet on Matthews, Nylander in Tuesday’s Battle of Ontario

Senators vs. Maple Leafs picks

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the edge heading into Game 2 of the Battle of Ontario.

The pregame narrative: Toronto scored a whopping six goals against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, led by the Core Four. Bank on Auston Matthews and William Nylander to continue producing in the second game of this series.

Check out my Senators vs. Maple Leafs prop picks for Game 2 of the opening round.

BOOST: Leafs to win, Matthews & Nylander to score (+561, was +510). Bet now!

Senators vs. Maple Leafs picks

Best bet: Matthews over 3.5 shots (-124)

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Toronto was outshot 33-24 in Game 1. But a majority of the damage was done by the top dogs, and that, of course, includes Matthews.

The captain recorded six of the Leafs’ 24 shots. They had six power plays, too, which will always help offensive production.

I could see Toronto being on the man advantage plenty again as the Senators are one of the more physical, but undisciplined teams in the NHL.

The Senators allow 28.6 shots per game, which is in the bottom half of the league. It’s also a fair bit more than the Leafs’ 24 shots on Saturday.

Matthews already had a high volume of shots in Game 1, and there could be more chances on the board in Game 2.

Key stat: Matthews ranked third in the NHL this season with 3.9 shots per game.

Game 2 prop prediction

Nylander to score 1+ goals (+143): It was easy to convince myself to bet on Nylander in the playoffs.

And that’s not to say the winger didn’t have a fantastic season. His career-high 45 goals were the second most in the league.

But there’s something special about Willy in the postseason, and it was on display in the first game.

Nylander assisted John Tavares’ second-period goal. He then ripped one of his own past Linus Ullmark on the two-man advantage.

Last year, he missed the first part of the Leafs’ opening series with the Boston Bruins but came back to score two goals in Game 6 and his team’s only goal in the 2-1 Game 7 loss.

The electric winger is on a bit of a scoring streak in the playoffs right now, lighting the lamp in three straight. I’m willing to take a shot on that continuing.

Nylander has 26 goals in 42 home games this season (Sunday included).

Maple Leafs vs. Senators prop picks made at 2:10 p.m. ET 04/21/2025.

Wild vs. Golden Knights prop picks Game 2: Target Matt Boldy and Alex Pietrangelo

Wild vs. Golden Knights prop picks

The Vegas Golden Knights look to build on their series lead over the Minnesota Wild.

The pregame narrative: Matt Boldy had two goals in Game 1 of this series and I’ll back the winger to stay productive tonight. I’ll also take a shot on Alex Pietrangelo to find the score sheet at a nice plus-money price.

Check out my Wild vs. Golden Knights prop picks for Game 2 of the opening round.

Wild vs. Golden Knights picks

Best bet: Boldy to score 1+ points (-139)

Embed: #112772

The one-two punch of Kirill Kaprizov and Boldy is back in full force.

Kaprizov missed half the season recovering from an injury but returned two weeks ago. And he’s made an instant impact in this series, tallying two assists in Game 1.

Who scored both goals? It was Boldy, who greatly benefits from his teammate’s presence.

Boldy had 38 points in 41 games with Kaprizov in the lineup. The latter finished sixth in points per game (1.35), providing a clear jolt of offence to the lineup.

Kaprizov carries -265 odds to record a point. But if he gets on the score sheet, there’s a solid chance that Boldy is involved somehow — and Boldy’s market has has a far more playable price.

Key stat: Boldy has multiple points in four of his last six games.

Game 2 prop prediction

Pietrangelo to score 1+ points (+195): The Canadian blue-liner was in and out of the lineup with an injury for the final stretch of the season, but it appears he’s healthy again at the right time.

Pietrangelo tallied points in six of his final 10 regular-season games. He then grabbed an assist in the opening game of this series in 21:03 of ice time.

When someone plays that much, I’ll always like his chances of getting on the score sheet. Only Noah Hannifin logged more minutes for the Knights.

Pietrangelo also quarterbacks the second power-play unit, which could provide added opportunities.

Minnesota allows the seventh-most shots against (29.6) while killing penalties at the third-worst rate (72.4%).

Wild vs. Golden Knights prop picks made at 11:25 a.m. ET 04/22/2025.

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NHL playoff anytime goalscorer picks April 22: Bet on Guentzel and Tavares to score on Tuesday

NHL anytime goal picks

There are four playoff games on Tuesday and I have two goalscorer picks for the action.

The pregame narrative: The Toronto Maple Leafs look to build on their 6-2 win in Game 1 and I believe John Tavares has value on his goalscorer prop. I’ll also take a shot on Jake Guentzel to score against the Florida Panthers.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for April 22.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Guentzel to score 1+ goal (+185)

Embed: #112765

Guentzel ranked seventh in the NHL in scoring this season, with 41 goals in his first season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

He scored seven goals in the final 10 games, so it feels like he’s coming into this series hot.

Guentzel is also quite a strong playoff performer. He has 38 goals in 69 career postseason games.

His team finished the season with the best offence in hockey. Tampa led the league with 3.56 goals per game.

Florida enters the playoffs as the defending champion, but things are different this year.

The Panthers looked strong for the first half of the season but dealt with absences to key players like Matthew Tkachuk and Aaron Ekblad down the stretch.

They finished the season losing seven of their last 10 games, allowing 2.9 goals per game over that stretch. That included a 5-1 loss to the Lightning in a game in which Guentzel scored.

Key stat: The winger has a point in all four games against Florida this season and went 2-2 against this line.

NHL prop prediction: Back Tavares to score

Tavares to score a goal (+205): Tavares had a great season, scoring 38 goals in 75 games. He finished the year on a tear, recording points in 11 of the final 15 games. That involved 10 goals.

He carried the momentum into the playoffs and grabbed one of Toronto’s six goals in the opening game against the Ottawa Senators.

The centreman also mustered six shots and an assist on William Nylander’s power-play goal.

Ottawa is ranked around the middle of the pack in terms of goals against per game (2.83) and got punished on Sunday for six goals.

Toronto went 3-for-6 on the power play, where Tavares plays in front of the net. If the Sens are undisciplined again, he could bang another in with the man advantage.

Either way, I love the value here for the former captain.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 9:27 a.m. ET on 04/22/2025.

Grizzlies vs. Thunder SGP predictions Game 2: Take OKC to cover, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to shine at +370

Grizzlies vs. Thunder predictions

The Oklahoma City Thunder head into Game 2 of their NBA playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies riding high.

The pregame narrative: Oklahoma City demolished the Grizzlies by 51 points and I’ll take OKC to cover the spread once again on Tuesday. Picks on Ja Morant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander round out this +370 same-game parlay recommendation.

Check out my Grizzlies vs. Thunder first-round SGP predictions for Game 2 on April 22.

Grizzlies vs. Thunder predictions

Parlay: Thunder -11.5 | Morant 6+ assists | Gilgeous-Alexander 30+points (+370)

Embed: #112756

Thunder -11.5 (-162): Things couldn’t have gone better for the Thunder in the opening game. OKC walked away with a 131-80 win that was never close.

Although not to the same degree, this has been the story between these two teams this season:

  • Dec. 29: Thunder win 130-106
  • Feb. 8: Thunder win 125-112
  • March 5: Thunder win 120-103
  • March 27: Thunder win 125-104

In fact, Memphis has lost 10 straight games in this matchup dating back to 2022. Eight of those losses came by double-digit points.

I don’t expect the Grizzlies to lose by 50 again, but they’ve shown nothing to suggest they can compete with the Thunder.

NBA SGP legs

Morant 6+ assists (-152): In his very limited 23 minutes of action in Game 1, Morant still managed to record four assists on 12 potential assists.

The Grizzlies shot a putrid 32-for-93 from the floor (6-for-34 from three).

If Memphis makes a few more shots, Morant clears this mark even in the blowout.

I fully expect Morant to play 30-plus minutes in Game 2 and continue being the lead facilitator for his squad.

He cleared this total in 12 of the final 14 games before the postseason and both outings against Oklahoma City during the regular season.

Gilgeous-Alexander 30+ points (-159): The leading MVP candidate fell well short of this line on Sunday, scoring 15 points on 4-of-13 shooting (1-for-7 from deep).

He played just 23 minutes in the dominating win, but that’ll surely be an outlier when this series is over.

In the regular season, SGA dominated the Grizzlies:

  • Dec. 29: 35 points
  • Feb. 8: 32 points
  • March 5: 41 points
  • March 27: 37 points

That averaged out to 36.3 points per game across the four meetings on 53.4% shooting. I’m predicting a bounce-back performance.

Grizzlies vs. Thunder predictions made at 3:24 p.m. ET 04/21/2025.

Senators vs. Maple Leafs prop picks Game 2: Bet on Matthews, Nylander in Tuesday’s Battle of Ontario

Senators vs. Maple Leafs picks

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the edge heading into Game 2 of the Battle of Ontario.

The pregame narrative: Toronto scored a whopping six goals against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, led by the Core Four. Bank on Auston Matthews and William Nylander to continue producing in the second game of this series.

Check out my Senators vs. Maple Leafs prop picks for Game 2 of the opening round.

Senators vs. Maple Leafs picks

Best bet: Matthews over 3.5 shots (-120)

Toronto was outshot 33-24 in Game 1. But a majority of the damage was done by the top dogs, and that, of course, includes Matthews.

The captain recorded six of the Leafs’ 24 shots. They had six power plays, too, which will always help offensive production.

I could see Toronto being on the man advantage plenty again as the Senators are one of the more physical, but undisciplined teams in the NHL.

The Senators allow 28.6 shots per game, which is in the bottom half of the league. It’s also a fair bit more than the Leafs’ 24 shots on Saturday.

Matthews already had a high volume of shots in Game 1, and there could be more chances on the board in Game 2.

Key stat: Matthews ranked third in the NHL this season with 3.9 shots per game.

Game 2 prop prediction

Nylander to score 1+ goals (+155): It was easy to convince myself to bet on Nylander in the playoffs.

And that’s not to say the winger didn’t have a fantastic season. His career-high 45 goals were the second most in the league.

But there’s something special about Willy in the postseason, and it was on display in the first game.

Nylander assisted John Tavares’ second-period goal. He then ripped one of his own past Linus Ullmark on the two-man advantage.

Last year, he missed the first part of the Leafs’ opening series with the Boston Bruins but came back to score two goals in Game 6 and his team’s only goal in the 2-1 Game 7 loss.

The electric winger is on a bit of a scoring streak in the playoffs right now, lighting the lamp in three straight. I’m willing to take a shot on that continuing.

Nylander has 26 goals in 42 home games this season (Sunday included).

Maple Leafs vs. Senators prop picks made at 4:24 p.m. ET 04/21/2025.

NHL playoff anytime goalscorer picks April 21: Bet on Alex Ovechkin, Nathan MacKinnon

NHL anytime goal picks

I have picks on two star players during Monday’s NHL playoff action.

The pregame narrative: Alex Ovechkin set the NHL’s all-time goal record this season, and I like the value on his anytime goal prop in Game 1. Later on, bet on Nathan MacKinnon to have another big performance against the Dallas Stars.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for April 21.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Ovechkin to score a goal (+115)

Ovechkin had an incredible season, there’s no other way to put it.

The 39-year-old was limited to 65 games this season and still scored 44 goals, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goal record in the process.

His 0.68 goals per game ranked second in the NHL behind only Leon Draisaitl (0.73).

In the opening round, the Washington Capitals play the Montreal Canadiens, who aren’t in the playoffs because of their defence.

  • 11th-most goals against per game (3.18)
  • 10th-most shots against per game (29.1)

Those are dangerous weaknesses to possess against Ovechkin.

Key stat: The ‘Great 8’ scored in seven of his final nine regular-season games.

NHL prop prediction: Back MacKinnon to score

MacKinnon to score a goal (+115): It’s hard to pass on MacKinnon in the first round of the playoffs.

Dating back to 2022, MacKinnon has scored 12 goals in 15 opening-round games.

That concluded with his two-goal performance over the Stars on Saturday.

Let’s also not forget about the centre’s extremely productive regular season. He finished second in the league with 116 points.

He closed things out by recording a point in eight straight games and scoring in two of the final three contests.

Colorado scored five times on Saturday and looked dominant on offence. Look for MacKinnon to be in the mix again with plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 2:07 p.m. ET on 04/21/2025.

Pistons vs. Knicks SGP predictions Game 2: Back Detroit on alt spread, Cunningham in +310 wager

The Detroit Pistons look to even the series against the New York Knicks on Monday.

The pregame narrative: Detroit let Game 1 slip away in the fourth quarter, but I’m happy to back the away side to cover an alternate spread again. This SGP also includes picks on Cade Cunningham and Josh Hart.

Check out my Pistons vs. Knicks play-in SGP predictions for Game 2 on April 21.

Pistons vs. Knicks predictions

Parlay: Pistons +11.5 | Cunningham over 8.5 assists | Hart over 15.5 rebounds/assists (+310)

Embed: #112728

Pistons +11.5 (-275): The Pistons had the Knicks right where they wanted them, up eight going into the final frame.

New York went on to score 21 unanswered fourth-quarter points and won 123-112 in the end. Detroit covered this spread, but it wasn’t pretty.

I expect a young Pistons squad to use the experience and be more poised in Game 2 if a lead presents itself.

And Detroit may just have the edge in this matchup when exploring the regular-season meetings.

  • The Pistons went 3-1 against the Knicks, winning the final three matchups.
  • Detroit won those three games by an average of 7.7 points.
  • Two of those three wins were in New York.

The Knicks aren’t world-beaters. They had a 0-10 record against the three best teams in the league in the regular season.

This series should be close, and barring another collapse, the Pistons should be in this game until the end.

NBA SGP legs

Cunningham over 8.5 assists (-136): The playmaking guard easily cleared this line in Game 1, recording 12 assists.

He had the best season of his career, which included 9.1 assists and 15.4 potential assists per game.

His floor as a passer is very high, and I assume the Knicks will want to continue to force the ball out of Cunningham’s hands.

That’ll force other Pistons to be the deciding factor, but Cunningham should continue putting his teammates in prime positions to score.

Cunningham had 20.0 potential assists in Game 1. “Potential assists” are passes that lead directly to a shot by any teammate.

Hart over 15.5 assists/rebounds (-117): I feel pretty good predicting Hart to play more minutes in Game 2.

The stat-stuffing guard played just 29 minutes in Game 1 after missing the final regular-season contest with a knee injury.

Hart led the league in minutes per game (37.6) this year, so I’m sure Tom Thibodeau is itching to have his workhorse out there more.

When he is fully available, take a look at what Hart can do:

  • 15.5 rebounds/assists per game this season.
  • Averaged 16.1 rebounds/assists in 36.8 minutes over his final 10 games.
  • Went 4-0 against this line to close out the regular season.

This will come down to availability, but Hart is off the injury report prior to Game 2, so I feel a full workload is coming.

Pistons vs. Knicks predictions made at 1:30 p.m. ET 04/21/2025.

NHL playoff anytime goalscorer picks April 21: Bet on Alex Ovechkin, Nathan MacKinnon

NHL anytime goal picks

I have picks on two star players during Monday’s NHL playoff action.

The pregame narrative: Alex Ovechkin set the NHL’s all-time goal record this season, and I like the value on his anytime goal prop in Game 1. Later on, bet on Nathan MacKinnon to have another big performance against the Dallas Stars.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for April 21.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Ovechkin to score a goal (+116)

Embed: #112720

Ovechkin had an incredible season, there’s no other way to put it.

The 39-year-old was limited to 65 games this season and still scored 44 goals, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goal record in the process.

His 0.68 goals per game ranked second in the NHL behind only Leon Draisaitl (0.73).

In the opening round, the Washington Capitals play the Montreal Canadiens, who aren’t in the playoffs because of their defence.

  • 11th-most goals against per game (3.18)
  • 10th-most shots against per game (29.1)

Those are dangerous weaknesses to possess against Ovechkin.

Key stat: The ‘Great 8’ scored in seven of his final nine regular-season games.

NHL prop prediction: Back MacKinnon to score

MacKinnon to score a goal (+128): It’s hard to pass on MacKinnon in the first round of the playoffs.

Dating back to 2022, MacKinnon has scored 12 goals in 15 opening-round games.

That concluded with his two-goal performance over the Stars on Saturday.

Let’s also not forget about the centre’s extremely productive regular season. He finished second in the league with 116 points.

He closed things out by recording a point in eight straight games and scoring in two of the final three contests.

Colorado scored five times on Saturday and looked dominant on offence. Look for MacKinnon to be in the mix again with plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 9:27 a.m. ET on 04/21/2025.