Contributing Writer

Tigers vs. Dodgers Opening Day prop picks March 27: Tail Snell in first start, fade Ohtani

The reigning World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers host the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day.

The pregame narrative: Blake Snell makes his first start for the Dodgers, and I’m tailing the lefty on his Ks prop. I will also hesitantly fade Shohei Ohtani against last year’s AL Cy Young winner.

Check out my Tigers vs. Dodgers prop picks for Opening Day.

Tigers vs. Dodgers prop picks

MLB Opening Day Boost: Jays to win & Santander to homer. Bet now (+578)

Best bet: Snell over 6.5 Ks (-143)

Embed: #111791

Snell went on a tear after returning from injury last July:

14 starts
12-2 record
1.23 ERA
8.1 Ks per game

In the offseason, he signed with the Dodgers to bolster their already-stacked pitching rotation.

Snell draws the Tigers in his first start in blue and white and has had great success in his limited work against this batting order.

In 34 plate appearances, four Detroit hitters have combined for five hits (.172 BA), five walks and 12 strikeouts.

That’s a 35.3% K-rate, and overall, the Tigers were a below-average hitting team last season:

.234 batting average (7th lowest)
9.02 Ks per game (8th most)

Key stat: In his final 14 starts last season, Snell went 10-4 against this line.

Prop prediction

Ohtani under 0.5 runs (-130): Fading Ohtani on opening day? Don’t worry, I have good reason:

The Dodgers star slugger is hitless against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in six career plate appearances.

Los Angeles’ lineup, in total, has four hits in 30 career plate appearances against Skubal.

Skubal pitched an average of 6+ innings per start and went less than five full innings just once in 31 appearances.

Everything is pointing to Skubal having an electric Opening Day start, and he’s one of the few pitchers I feel comfortable fading Ohtani against.

The Japanese superstar has three runs in two games to start the season, but the Chicago Cubs’ pitching is nowhere near the level of Skubal.

Ohtani batted .288 against lefties last year and .322 against right-handed pitching.

Tigers vs. Dodgers prop picks made at 9:20 a.m. ET on 03/27/2025.

Tigers vs. Dodgers Opening Day prop picks March 27: Tail Snell in first start, fade Ohtani

The reigning World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers host the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day.

The pregame narrative: Blake Snell makes his first start for the Dodgers, and I’m tailing the lefty on his Ks prop. I will also hesitantly fade Shohei Ohtani against last year’s AL Cy Young winner.

Check out my Tigers vs. Dodgers prop picks for Opening Day.

Tigers vs. Dodgers prop picks

Best bet: Snell over 6.5 Ks (-163)

Snell went on a tear after returning from injury last July:

14 starts
12-2 record
1.23 ERA
8.1 Ks per game

In the offseason, he signed with the Dodgers to bolster their already-stacked pitching rotation.

Snell draws the Tigers in his first start in blue and white and has had great success in his limited work against this batting order.

In 34 plate appearances, four Detroit hitters have combined for five hits (.172 BA), five walks and 12 strikeouts.

That’s a 35.3% K-rate, and overall, the Tigers were a below-average hitting team last season:

.234 batting average (7th lowest)
9.02 Ks per game (8th most)

Key stat: In his final 14 starts last season, Snell went 10-4 against this line.

Prop prediction

Ohtani under 0.5 runs (-143): Fading Ohtani on opening day? Don’t worry, I have good reason:

The Dodgers star slugger is hitless against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in six career plate appearances.

Los Angeles’ lineup, in total, has four hits in 30 career plate appearances against Skubal.

Skubal pitched an average of 6+ innings per start and went less than five full innings just once in 31 appearances.

Everything is pointing to Skubal having an electric Opening Day start, and he’s one of the few pitchers I feel comfortable fading Ohtani against.

The Japanese superstar has three runs in two games to start the season, but the Chicago Cubs’ pitching is nowhere near the level of Skubal.

Ohtani batted .288 against lefties last year and .322 against right-handed pitching.

Tigers vs. Dodgers prop picks made at 9:42 a.m. ET on 03/27/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 26: Tail David Pastrnak, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on Wednesday

I’ve got two anytime goalscorer picks from four NHL games on Wednesday.

The pregame narrative: David Pastrnak is in the middle of a goalless drought but I like his matchup and chances of adding to his team-high tally. Elsewhere, tail Ryan Nugent-Hopkins without his star teammates in the lineup.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 26.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Pastrnak to score a goal (+125)

The Boston Bruins have scored only four goals during three games on this Western road trip, but the Anaheim Ducks are a poor defensive team so I’m predicting a better effort.

Anaheim allows the most shots (32.2/game) and the 12th most goals (3.13/game).

Things have been even worse in March. In 12 games this month, the Ducks have allowed 3.67 goals per game, which would be the most in the league over the entire season.

Enter, Pastrnak.

Despite scoring just two goals in his last 11 games, he leads the Bruins with 34 goals in 72 games.

That ranks tied for ninth in the NHL, so we’re getting one of the league’s premium goalscorers in a plus matchup. I have to ignore recent history and back him on Wednesday.

Key stat: Pastrnak has four goals and three assists in his last four games vs. the Ducks.

Quick pick

Nugent-Hopkins to score a goal (+210): There’s no Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl for the Edmonton Oilers tonight.

But that was the case last game, when Nugent-Hopkins stepped up to skate for 23:02 and score his first hat trick of the season.

He’s been on a tear, recording a trio of three-point performances in the past four games.

Nugent-Hopkins had 37 goals and 104 points in 2022-23, so he’s proven that he can handle a larger offensive role.

The Dallas Stars are a great defensive team, allowing the fourth-fewest goals per game (2.57). But that’s partially the reason for this juicy price and it’s worth the risk.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 2:21 p.m. ET on 03/26/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 26: Tail David Pastrnak, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on Wednesday

I’ve got two anytime goalscorer picks from four NHL games on Wednesday.

The pregame narrative: David Pastrnak is in the middle of a goalless drought but I like his matchup and chances of adding to his team-high tally. Elsewhere, tail Ryan Nugent-Hopkins without his star teammates in the lineup.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 26.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Pastrnak to score a goal (-103)

Embed: #111784

The Boston Bruins have scored only four goals during three games on this Western road trip, but the Anaheim Ducks are a poor defensive team so I’m predicting a better effort.

Anaheim allows the most shots (32.2/game) and the 12th most goals (3.13/game).

Things have been even worse in March. In 12 games this month, the Ducks have allowed 3.67 goals per game, which would be the most in the league over the entire season.

Enter, Pastrnak.

Despite scoring just two goals in his last 11 games, he leads the Bruins with 34 goals in 72 games.

That ranks tied for ninth in the NHL, so we’re getting one of the league’s premium goalscorers in a plus matchup. I have to ignore recent history and back him on Wednesday.

Key stat: Pastrnak has four goals and three assists in his last four games vs. the Ducks.

Quick pick

Nugent-Hopkins to score a goal (+230): There’s no Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl for the Edmonton Oilers tonight.

But that was the case last game, when Nugent-Hopkins stepped up to skate for 23:02 and score his first hat trick of the season.

He’s been on a tear, recording a trio of three-point performances in the past four games.

Nugent-Hopkins had 37 goals and 104 points in 2022-23, so he’s proven that he can handle a larger offensive role.

The Dallas Stars are a great defensive team, allowing the fourth-fewest goals per game (2.57). But that’s partially the reason for this juicy price and it’s worth the risk.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 2:21 p.m. ET on 03/26/2025.

Miami Open men’s quarterfinal predictions: Tennis picks on Korda vs. Djokovic, Fritz vs. Berrettini

The Miami Open reaches the quarterfinal stage and I have picks for two of the matches.

The pregame narrative: Novak Djokovic continues to defy time and play elite-level tennis. However, I believe Sebastian Korda can keep their contest close and am taking the over. On Thursday, tail Taylor Fritz at plus money in his match against Matteo Berrettini.

Check out my top Miami Open predictions for the quarterfinal matches on March 26-27.

Miami Open quarterfinal predictions

Go to full Miami Open betting markets.

Best Bet: Korda/Djokovic over 21.5 games (-138)

Korda has a knack for staying in matches. Only one of his four losses this year was in straight sets, against Gael Monfils (7-6, 7-6), and it still went over this low total.

Both of these players are great at holding serve. Korda has won 83% of his service games this year. That is a big reason for his ability to keep matches close.

On the other side, Djokovic has won 88% of his service games, meaning both should have a tough time winning breakpoints and pulling away.

The nice part about this line is that two close sets would still be enough to cash.

Key stat: These two have faced once in their careers, back in 2023. Djokovic won a very close match (6-7, 7-6, 6-4), reaching 36 total games.

Men’s quarterfinal tennis pick

Fritz -1.5 sets (+130): These are nice odds for Fritz, who has dominated this head-to-head matchup.

He’s 4-0 against Berrettini, winning the last three matches in straight sets. That includes their most recent contest at the 2024 US Open, where Fritz won three sets to zero.

The American lost his first-ever set against Berrettini and won the next nine sets leading into this matchup.

Fritz is also the better player, ranking No. 4 on tour with a 13-5 record this year. Berrettini is 9-6 and has played almost an hour more of tennis at the Miami Open so far.

The Italian has never been great on outdoor hardcourts, going 25-21 on the surface since the start of 2023.

Fritz has been much better, holding a record of 70-24 on the surface during that same timeframe.

Miami Open predictions made at 1:11 p.m. on 03/26/25

Miami Open men’s quarterfinal predictions: Tennis picks on Korda vs. Djokovic, Fritz vs. Berrettini

The Miami Open reaches the quarterfinal stage and I have picks for two of the matches.

The pregame narrative: Novak Djokovic continues to defy time and play elite-level tennis. However, I believe Sebastian Korda can keep their contest close and am taking the over. On Thursday, tail Taylor Fritz at plus money in his match against Matteo Berrettini.

Check out my top Miami Open predictions for the quarterfinal matches on March 26-27.

Miami Open quarterfinal predictions

Go to full Miami Open betting markets.

Best Bet: Korda/Djokovic over 21.5 games (-132)

Korda has a knack for staying in matches. Only one of his four losses this year was in straight sets, against Gael Monfils (7-6, 7-6), and it still went over this low total.

Both of these players are great at holding serve. Korda has won 83% of his service games this year. That is a big reason for his ability to keep matches close.

On the other side, Djokovic has won 88% of his service games, meaning both should have a tough time winning breakpoints and pulling away.

The nice part about this line is that two close sets would still be enough to cash.

Key stat: These two have faced once in their careers, back in 2023. Djokovic won a very close match (6-7, 7-6, 6-4), reaching 36 total games.

Men’s quarterfinal tennis pick

Fritz -1.5 sets (+145): These are nice odds for Fritz, who has dominated this head-to-head matchup.

He’s 4-0 against Berrettini, winning the last three matches in straight sets. That includes their most recent contest at the 2024 US Open, where Fritz won three sets to zero.

The American lost his first-ever set against Berrettini and won the next nine sets leading into this matchup.

Fritz is also the better player, ranking No. 4 on tour with a 13-5 record this year. Berrettini is 9-6 and has played almost an hour more of tennis at the Miami Open so far.

The Italian has never been great on outdoor hardcourts, going 25-21 on the surface since the start of 2023.

Fritz has been much better, holding a record of 70-24 on the surface during that same timeframe.

Miami Open predictions made at 11:03 a.m. on 03/26/25

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Raptors vs. Nets SGP predictions March 26: Back Toronto ATS and Scottie Barnes at +320

The Toronto Raptors close out a two-game road trip on Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets.

The pregame narrative: Toronto has been good against lower-seeded opponents, so I’ll back the away team to cover the spread. This +320 SGP also includes picks on Scottie Barnes and Ziaire Williams.

Check out my Raptors vs. Nets SGP predictions for March 26.

Raptors vs. Nets predictions

Parlay: Raptors +2.5 | Barnes over 30.5 points/rebounds/assists | Williams 2+ threes (+320)

Embed: #111721

Raptors +2.5 (-113): These teams certainly fit the tanking category, but the Raptors refuse to roll over.

Toronto is 5-5 over its last 10 games, including a 5-1 record against teams lower in the standings.

That’s the case with the Nets, one of four teams below the Raptors in the Eastern Conference.

They’re doing a better job at tanking, losing seven of their last eight games. Brooklyn will also be without Cameron Johnson, who scores 18.9 points per game.

The Nets are 3-14 without Johnson in the lineup this season.

NBA SGP legs

Barnes over 30.5 points/rebounds/assists (-127): Barnes had one of his best games of the season against the Nets on Jan. 1:

33 points
13 rebounds
5 assists
14-of-18 shooting

He smashed this line, covering the number with points alone. That level of production isn’t needed on Wednesday, but anything close would do.

Barnes has been good against this wager recently, too. He has cleared this mark in three straight games, averaging 36.7 PRA.

The Raptors’ young star is worried more about winning than tanking and this is a great matchup to fill the statsheet.

Brooklyn has the 11th-worst defensive rating (116.9) and grabs the second-fewest rebounds per game (41.2).

Williams 2+ threes (-245): Williams missed a game on March 22 but returned against the Dallas Mavericks a couple of days later and hit two threes in reduced playing time.

With Johnson out, I predict Williams will return to his normal workload. Including his 21 minutes on Monday, he’s averaging 30.4 minutes over his past eight appearances.

During that run, Williams has been lighting it up from 3-point range:

3.1 makes on 7.4 attempts per game (42.4%)
2+ threes in 6 of 8 games

Someone needs to step up and replace Johnson’s 7.2 three-point attempts and Williams seems the most likely candidate.

Raptors vs. Nets predictions made at 9:40 a.m. ET 03/26/2025.

Bulls vs. Lakers SGP predictions March 22: Tail Vucevic and Giddey at +410

The Chicago Bulls continue their Western Conference road trip with a meeting against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

The pregame narrative: The Lakers are one of the best home teams in the NBA, and I feel good about them covering a teased-down spread. Add in prop picks on Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey to make a +410 SGP for the game.

Check out my Bulls vs. Lakers SGP predictions for March 22.

Bulls vs. Lakers predictions

Parlay: Lakers -6.5 | Giddey over 17.5 points | Vucevic 15+ points (+410)

Embed: #111596

Lakers -6.5 (-190): The Lakers are no strangers to winning in Los Angeles.

Home: 28-8
Away: 15-18

They’ve played their best ball at Crypto.com Arena all season. That should continue against a middling Bulls team.

Chicago is 30-40 this year and playing its fifth game in a row away from home.

Additionally, Luka Doncic is probable to return to action and LeBron James is a game-time decision. Austin Reaves is also probable after sitting out on Thursday.

With those three in the lineup, the Lakers are the much better team and would be likely to pull away in this one.

NBA SGP picks

Giddey over 17.5 points (-155): Giddey has expanded his game since the all-star break and has transformed into a good scorer.

Take a look at his per-game stats over the 10-game stretch:

34.6 minutes/game
23.0 points/game
53.6 FG%
52.3 3PT%
10-0 against this line

It’s not just a case of an uptick in volume; his efficiency has been elite.

I don’t expect Giddey to keep this up for his entire career or even the rest of this season, but for now, I’d rather ride with the trend than bet against it, regardless of the matchup.

And it’s not like the Lakers have an elite defence. They sit around the middle of the league with a 114.6 defensive rating.

Vucevic 15+ points (-200): Chicago’s big man has been playing well recently, too.

He had a rough stretch of play in February but has cleared this line in three of the past four games, averaging 19.3 points during that time.

Vucevic is coming off back-to-back 24-point outings in which he shot a combined 19-for-31 from the field and a blistering 8-for-13 from 3-point land.

He still averages 18.7 PPG and has cleared this line in 42 of 62 games this season.

Bulls vs. Lakers predictions made at 3:01 p.m. ET 03/22/2025.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Lorenzo Musetti Miami Open round of 32 best bet and odds: Take the Canadian to advance

Felix Auger-Aliassime looks to advance at the Miami Open in a tough matchup with Lorenzo Musetti.

The pregame narrative: These two have a tightly contested 3-3 head-to-head record, but the Canadian has been dominant on this playing surface. I’ll back Auger-Aliassime to cover the game spread and advance in Miami.

Check out my Auger-Aliassime vs. Musetti Miami Open best bet and the odds for March 23.

Auger-Aliassime vs. Musetti best bet

Go to full Auger-Aliassime vs. Musetti betting markets.

Betting markets	Odds
Auger-Aliassime to win	-175
Musetti to win	+130
Auger-Aliassume -2.5 games	-112
Musetti +2.5 games	-120
Over 22.5 total games	-125
Under 22.5 total games	-106

Tennis odds as of 3:55 p.m. ET on 03/22/2025.

Best Bet: Auger-Aliassime -2.5 games (-112)

Auger-Aliassime went on a run to start the year. Beginning in January, he played 19 matches over a two month span.

That’s what happens when you win, and the Canadian did a lot of that. He won two events and reached the final of another before being eliminated in the round of 64 at Indian Wells earlier in March.

But the rest was exactly what he needed, and he bounced back to handle Australian Tristan Schoolkate in straight sets in Miami on Friday.

His opponent on Sunday, Lorenzo Musetti, is much better, ranking higher than the Canadian at No. 16 in the world (FAA is No. 19 in the ATP).

But there are a couple of reasons to back Auger-Aliassime on a reasonable game spread.

He’s 2-0 vs. Musetti on hardcourt surfaces, winning both matches in straight sets.

He has a better career record on hardcourts (120-88) than Musetti (55-49).

Musetti’s round of 64 match went an hour longer than Auger-Aliassime’s.

Overall, Musetti is 5-3 on hardcourt surfaces this year and hasn’t yet beaten an opponent ranked inside the top 25.

Key stat: Auger-Aliassime has played all of his 23 games on hardcourt surfaces and carries a 17-6 record. He has a 4-1 record against opponents ranked inside the top 25.

Picks made at 3:53 p.m. ET on 03/22/2025.