Contributing Writer

Nuggets vs. Lakers prop picks March 19: Tail Reaves and Braun in Western Conference showdown

The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers meet for the second time in less than a week, and I’ve got two prop picks for the game.

The pregame narrative: Austin Reaves is shaping into an elite scorer and I expect another big performance in the absence of LeBron James. My other pick is on Denver’s Christian Braun.

Check out my Nuggets vs. Lakers prop picks for March 19.

Nuggets vs. Lakers prop picks

Best Bet: Reaves over 25.5 points (-115)

Embed: #111415

James is ruled out for the Lakers and that means Reaves will have the green light on offence.

In eight games without LeBron this season, take a look at what Reaves has done:

28.6 points per game
49.0 FG%
43.9 3PT%
6-2 against this line

On March 14, he had 37 points against the Nuggets in Denver on a 13-of-26 shooting performance.

The Lakers have had their most success when rotating Luka Doncic and James, but when the King is out it’s Reaves who steps into the role.

And the same should be expected on Wednesday. The Nuggets have the 12th-worst defensive rating in the NBA (116.5).

That is reflected in the high game total currently set at 233.5. That’s a lot of points, and if it gets near this number, Reaves should be heavily involved.

At that point, it becomes about efficiency. Luckily, the 26-year-old guard has proven to score at a high level while maintaining elite shooting splits.

Key stat: LeBron has missed the last five games, and Reaves scored 26 or more in four of those contests.

Quick pick

Braun over 13.5 points (-121): The Nuggets may not have the best defence but their offence more than makes up for it. The team ranks tied for second in offensive rating (120.9).

Since Feb. 1, Denver is 15-6 and Braun has stepped up his production.

Over that time, Braun has averaged 17.3 points per game.

He’s been hyper-efficient, knocking down 56.7% of his shots and 39.4% of his 3s.

He is 14-6 against this line during that span.

The 23-year-old missed Denver’s last game with an injury after being probable on the injury report. If he goes tonight, I expect him to take on a normal workload.

If he can’t suit up, no harm done as this prop pick would be voided.

Nuggets vs. Lakers prop picks made at 10:51 a.m. ET 03/14/2025.

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Avalanche March 19: Bet on William Nylander to score

The Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

The pregame narrative: I’m rolling with Toronto’s top goalscorer and taking William Nylander to find the back of the net. For the Avalanche, I’m siding with the over on Artturi Lehkonen’s shots prop.

Check out my Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Avalanche for March 19.

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Avalanche

Best Bet: Nylander to score (+155)

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While the Leafs continue to shuffle line combinations, one thing stays consistent — Nylander’s ability to pot goals.

He leads Toronto with 38 goals in 67 games.

He has four goals in eight games since March 1.

Auston Matthews missed 15 games with an injury, but his 0.50 goals per game still falls short of Nylander’s 0.57.

Considering Matthews is +102 to score, I’d rather side with Nylander at a much juicier price.

Colorado is a tough matchup, no doubt, but it has a worse record on the road (18-14-1) than at home (23-10-2).

The Avs rely more on offence than defence and allow 2.87 goals per game. That ranks closer to the middle of the pack than the top.

When these two teams met on March 8, Nylander had two points in a 7-4 win for Colorado. Another explosion of offence is very possible tonight and the Swedish winger is bound to be in the mix.

Key stat: Nylander has five points in his last two games vs. the Avs.

Quick pick

Lehkonen over 1.5 shots (-143): First of all, this bet has an implied probability of 58.85%, even though Lehkonen has cashed this wager in 67.86% of games this season (38 of 56).

It would be concerning if Toronto was good at limiting chances, but the opposite can be said.

The Leafs allow the eighth most shots per game (29.1) and are slowly losing their newly formed identity as a good defence.

Lehkonen plays on the first line and second power play and averages 20:55 of ice time.

He’ll be out there plenty and only needs a couple of shots on goal for this prop to cash.

Maple Leafs vs. Avalanche prop picks made at 9:18 a.m. ET 03/19/2025.

Indian Wells Open predictions for men’s semifinal matches: Tennis picks on Draper vs. Alcaraz, Rune vs. Medvedev

The Indian Wells Open semifinals are here and I have predictions for both men’s matches.

The pregame narrative: Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper are both in top form but I like the latter to keep the match close in a potential upset. Elsewhere, I have a pick on Daniil Medvedev over Holger Rune.

Check out my top Indian Wells predictions for the semifinal matches on Saturday, March 15.

Indian Wells predictions

Go to full Indian Wells Open betting markets.

Best Bet: Draper +1.5 sets (-121)

Draper has lost just one game all year by straight sets and it was to Alcaraz at the Australian Open back in January.

But that was after the British tennis star came into 2025 unprepared after recovering from a hip injury for the entirety of the offseason.

He sensibly retired from that contest after being down two sets but this bet would’ve lost regardless. He took the next month to prepare properly and it is paying off.

Since that match, Draper is 11-1, all on outdoor hard courts. The loss was a three-set contest with Andrey Rublev in Doha.

The 23-year-old has matched Alcaraz’s performance at this event, winning every set to this point.

This playing surface was a weakness for Draper earlier in his career but he’s turned a corner and I’m officially calling an upset alert for this match.

Key stat: Draper already has straight-set wins over No. 4 Taylor Fritz and No. 12 Ben Shelton. Alcaraz’s best win is over No. 15 Grigor Dimitrov.

Men’s semifinal tennis pick

Medvedev -2.5 games (-115): I really like Medvedev in this matchup and here’s why:

While these two have played three times, only one match was contested on a hardcourt surface and Medvedev won that match in straight sets (covering this game’s spread).

Rune has his worst career record on this surface (59-45). That equals a 56.7% win rate.

Medvedev has played more games and has his best record on outdoor hardcourts (256-82). That 75.7% win rate blows Rune’s out of the water.

The Russian has been to back-to-back Indian Wells Open finals but ultimately fell short in both appearances against Alcaraz.

He wasn’t in the best form coming into the event but covered this spread in two of three victories, including his win over No. 11 Tommy Paul (6-4, 6-0).

I’m backing Medvedev to comfortably reach a third straight final.

Indian Wells predictions made at 1:34 p.m. on 03/14/25

Raptors vs. Jazz SGP predictions March 14: Target Markkanen, Kessler at +360

The Toronto Raptors head West to face a fellow bottom-feeder on Friday night, the Utah Jazz.

The pregame narrative: Neither of these teams play particularly good defence so I’m banking the over on the game total in this +360 same-game parlay. The SGP includes picks on Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler.

Check out my Raptors vs. Jazz SGP predictions for March 14.

Raptors vs. Jazz predictions

Parlay: Over 234 points | Markkanen 18+ points | Kessler to record a double-double (+360)

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Over 234 points (-113): This goes against the recent trend of the Raptors, who have gone under this total in five of their past six games.

The opposite can be said for Utah, though. The club has surpassed this total in five of its last seven.

If I look at this game from a broader view, it’s between two bottom-10 defences with a load of injuries, especially on the Toronto side.

While the organizations are looking to tank, the young guys and players on two-way contracts will be looking to play well and secure a permanent spot on an NBA roster.

It’s difficult picking a side here with all the chaos among the lineups, but I feel good predicting a lot of points in this matchup.

NBA SGP legs

Markkanen 18+ points (-159): The Finnish forward didn’t play in Utah’s previous meeting with the Raptors due to injury, but he’s been good when available.

Markkanen has scored 17-plus points in five of his past seven games and at least 20 four times during that span.

He’s also scored 22-plus points in all four games vs. the Raptors as a member of the Jazz.

Since the injury bug has hit the Raptors hard, opposing power forwards have taken advantage.

Over the past 30 days, Toronto has allowed the eighth-most points to the position (23.96), per Fantasy Pros.

The Raptors could also be without Scottie Barnes (questionable) and Jakob Poeltl (out), two key pieces on defence.

Kessler to record a double-double (-143): Kessler is a beast on the glass, which was evident in a March 7 contest against the Raptors. He had 25 rebounds.

The big man has tallied double-digit rebounds in 12 of 14 games since Feb. 1, averaging a league-high 14.9 over that time.

He’s also averaging 12.9 points in that span. He has just seven double-doubles in that month and a half but fell short by one basket or rebound four different times.

Kessler has a high floor as both a scorer and rebounder right now and I’m looking to jump in while Poeltl is absent for Toronto.

Raptors vs. Jazz predictions made at 12:53 p.m. ET on 03/14/2025.

Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks March 14: Tail Nikola Jokic, fade Jamal Murray on Friday night

I’m tailing Nikola Jokic in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

The pregame narrative: The MVP candidate is making a push for his fourth award in five years and I’m backing him to have a showcase performance. Meanwhile, I’ll fade a banged-up Jamal Murray in a tough matchup.

Check out my Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks for March 14.

Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks

Best Bet: Jokic over 27.5 points (-120)

Last time Jokic played the Lakers, it wasn’t pretty:

12 points
2-of-7 from the field

That was tied for his season low in shot attempts so I’m comfortable saying that was an outlier. If we go back to Nov. 23, Jokic had 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting in his first meeting with L.A.

The Serbian big man has 30-plus points in three of his past four games. He’s averaging 29.0 points per game overall so this mark is below his nightly standard.

One thing worth noting is that Jokic is dealing with an elbow injury but is listed as probable for Friday.

There’s also blowout potential here with LeBron James out again and the Lakers playing the second half of a road back-to-back.

For that reason, Los Angeles is a hefty 14-point underdog but Denver’s injury report is littered with game-time decisions so one or two starters sitting out would greatly benefit the Lakers and Jokic’s usage.

Quick pick

Murray under 20.5 points (-108): The point guard is one of the Denver starters listed as questionable for tonight’s contest.

Even if he does play, this is a tough matchup.

The Lakers allow the third-fewest points per game to point guards (23.19).

Murray has scored 20 or fewer points in two games vs. Los Angeles this season.

On top of that, he’s currently playing through a knee injury and went 3-1 on this wager over the past four games.

This is a great spot to fade the Canadian.

Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks made at 2:11 p.m. ET 03/14/2025.

Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks March 14: Tail Nikola Jokic, fade Jamal Murray on Friday night

I’m tailing Nikola Jokic in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

The pregame narrative: The MVP candidate is making a push for his fourth award in five years and I’m backing him to have a showcase performance. Meanwhile, I’ll fade a banged-up Jamal Murray in a tough matchup.

Check out my Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks for March 14.

Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks

Best Bet: Jokic over 26.5 points (-121)

Embed: #111239

Last time Jokic played the Lakers, it wasn’t pretty:

12 points
2-of-7 from the field

That was tied for his season low in shot attempts so I’m comfortable saying that was an outlier. If we go back to Nov. 23, Jokic had 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting in his first meeting with L.A.

The Serbian big man has 30-plus points in three of his past four games. He’s averaging 29.0 points per game overall so this mark is well below his nightly standard.

One thing worth noting is that Jokic is dealing with an elbow injury but is listed as probable for Friday.

There’s also blowout potential here with LeBron James out again and the Lakers playing the second half of a road back-to-back.

For that reason, Los Angeles is a hefty 14-point underdog but Denver’s injury report is littered with game-time decisions so one or two starters sitting out would greatly benefit the Lakers and Jokic’s usage.

Key stat: Jokic is 38-22 against this wager in 2024-25 (63.3%).

Quick pick

Murray under 20.5 points (-110): The point guard is one of the Denver starters listed as questionable for tonight’s contest.

Even if he does play, this is a tough matchup.

The Lakers allow the third-fewest points per game to point guards (23.19).

Murray has scored 20 or fewer points in two games vs. Los Angeles this season.

On top of that, he’s currently playing through a knee injury and went 3-1 on this wager over the past four games.

This is a great spot to fade the Canadian.

Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks made at 10:51 a.m. ET 03/14/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 14: Bet on Sebastian Aho, Steven Stamkos to score

Two red-hot forwards headline Friday’s anytime goalscorer picks.

The pregame narrative: Sebastian Aho has taken the reins in Carolina and is playing his best hockey ahead of the playoffs. I have a pick on the Finn, and later on, I’ll be backing Steven Stamkos to score for the Nashville Predators.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 14.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Aho to score a goal (+140)

When the Carolina Hurricanes traded away Mikko Rantanen at the deadline for a haul of future assets, some fans assumed the team would get worse.

But the opposite has occurred so far. The Canes have consecutive wins over two strong teams, the Winnipeg Jets and Tampa Bay Lightning.

That’s because with or without Rantanen, Aho’s been able to produce.

Over the last 18 games, here’s how he’s fared as a goalscorer:

11 goals
10-8 against this line

Aho has two assists in two games since the departure of Rantanen and I feel it’s time he gets back in the scoring column.

This is a good matchup to do so, too. The Detroit Red Wings allow the 10th-most goals per game and are expected to start Petr Mrazek, who’s been terrible this season.

Key stat: According to Money Puck, Mrazek’s -14.8 goals saved above expected ranks 92nd out of 94 goalies.

Quick pick

Stamkos to score a goal (+180): The first-year Pred is finding his stride and is fresh off being named the NHL’s second star of the week.

Stamkos had a blistering four goals and four assists in three games and followed it up by potting another goal against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

The Anaheim Ducks should provide plenty of opportunities. They allow the most shots per game (32.3) and surrender just north of three goals on average.

They’ve also lost back-to-back games, allowing 10 goals total in those contests.

Stamkos is primed to continue his renaissance run as the Predators look to win their sixth straight.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 10:01 a.m. ET on 03/14/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 14: Bet on Sebastian Aho, Steven Stamkos to score

Two red-hot forwards headline Friday’s anytime goalscorer picks.

The pregame narrative: Sebastian Aho has taken the reins in Carolina and is playing his best hockey ahead of the playoffs. I have a pick on the Finn, and later on, I’ll be backing Steven Stamkos to score for the Nashville Predators.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 14.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Aho to score a goal (+133)

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When the Carolina Hurricanes traded away Mikko Rantanen at the deadline for a haul of future assets, some fans assumed the team would get worse.

But the opposite has occurred so far. The Canes have consecutive wins over two strong teams, the Winnipeg Jets and Tampa Bay Lightning.

That’s because with or without Rantanen, Aho’s been able to produce.

Over the last 18 games, here’s how he’s fared as a goalscorer:

11 goals
10-8 against this line

Aho has two assists in two games since the departure of Rantanen and I feel it’s time he gets back in the scoring column.

This is a good matchup to do so, too. The Detroit Red Wings allow the 10th-most goals per game and are expected to start Petr Mrazek, who’s been terrible this season.

Key stat: According to Money Puck, Mrazek’s -14.8 goals saved above expected ranks 92nd out of 94 goalies.

Quick pick

Stamkos to score a goal (+175): The first-year Pred is finding his stride and is fresh off being named the NHL’s second star of the week.

Stamkos had a blistering four goals and four assists in three games and followed it up by potting another goal against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

The Anaheim Ducks should provide plenty of opportunities. They allow the most shots per game (32.3) and surrender just north of three goals on average.

They’ve also lost back-to-back games, allowing 10 goals total in those contests.

Stamkos is primed to continue his renaissance run as the Predators look to win their sixth straight.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 8:45 a.m. ET on 03/14/2025.

Indian Wells 2025 tennis schedule, odds and betting favourites: Alcaraz headlines event, four Canadians in tournament

The tennis season rolls into March with the Indian Wells Open.

The latest: Both the men’s and women’s brackets have a dominant player from years past. Carlos Alcaraz is looking for his third straight Indian Wells Open title while Iga Swiatek has her sights on a second victory in three years. Two Canadians also come into this tournament in top form.

Check out the 2025 Indian Wells schedule, odds and betting favourites for the March ATP 1000 tennis tournament in California.

Indians Wells 2025 betting notes

Go here to see all Indian Wells 2025 odds, matchups and betting markets.

Men’s players	Odds
Carlos Alcaraz	+190
Novak Djokovic	+650
Alexander Zverev	+650
Taylor Fritz	+1,400
Daniil Medvedev	+1,600

Alcaraz comes in playing some strong tennis. He’s won 10 of his last 12 matches with all of the games played on hard court surfaces. He’s won the last two Indian Wells Open tournaments. In the absence of Jannik Sinner because of a suspension, Alcaraz is a terrific choice to pull off a three-peat.

At age 37, Novak Djokovic is not the player he once was, but he’s still competitive. He’s coming off a first-round loss to Matteo Berrettini at Doha, which could be seen as a cause for concern. But the extra rest could be a good thing for the veteran moving forward. Djokovic is still a strong 7-3 on hard courts in 2025.

Daniil Medvedev has been to back-to-back Indian Wells finals against Alcaraz but ultimately came up short. He isn’t in the best form, going 8-5 this year with all five losses coming to opponents outside the top 15. This could be a chance for Medvedev to get back on track in a place he’s seen success before.

Women’s betting notes

Women’s players	Odds
Iga Swiatek	+335
Aryna Sabalenka	+335
Elena Rybakina	+800
Coco Gauff	+900
Madison Keys	+1,100

Swiatek has won two of the past three Indian Wells tournaments and is looking for another victory in a familiar place. She’s 14-4 in 2025 but has fallen short in a lot of the big matches. In 2024, she won five titles, so it’s not a matter of if but when with the Polish star.

Aryna Sabalenka always poses a threat to win. She won two of the four Grand Slams last year and claimed her first WTA title of 2025 in Brisbane. Sabalenka is the No. 1-ranked player in the world and is 85-19 on outdoor hard courts since the start of 2023.

Elena Rybakina is the other winner of the past three years. In 2023, she defeated Sabalenka in straight sets to claim the title. She’s 13-5 this year with two losses to Swiatek. Rybakina should have no problems with the early rounds but it’ll be interesting to see if she can get over the hump against top competition.

Canadians at Indian Wells

Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Leylah Fernandez and Gabriel Diallo are the four Canadians in the tournament. We’ll take a look at each player’s outlook going into the event.

Auger-Aliassime enters in top form but fatigue could be an issue. The Canadian has two title wins in 2025 and has reached the final in another tournament. The potential problem? His 21-match workload across the last two months. Auger-Aliassime will need some strong performances and good luck to win, but it’s within the realm of possibility.

Shapovalov hasn’t been as strong as Auger-Aliassime but he’s having a great year and an even better month. He won the ATP 500 tournament in Dallas and reached the semifinal at another event in Mexico. During that time, he beat three players ranked in the top 10 (No. 9 Tommy Paul, No. 5 Casper Ruud, No. 4 Taylor Fritz).

Unlike her fellow Canadians, Fernandez hasn’t had much success in 2025. She’s 9-6 and has never advanced to the quarterfinal at the Indian Wells Open. She’ll need a turnaround in form and a career-best performance at this event to have a shot at winning it all.

Diallo lost his qualifying match but got a second chance as a ‘lucky loser’ after Kami Majchrzak withdrew. He won as a replacement in the Round of 128 against Z.Z. Zhang (2-6, 6-2, 7-6) and his tournament starts March 7 against Arthur Fils.

Tournament schedule and key dates

March 5-6: Round of 128
March 7: Round of 64 begins
March 9: Round of 32
March 11: Round of 16
March 12: Indian Wells quarters
March 14: Indians Wells semis
March 16: Indian Wells finals

UFC 313 predictions, fight card and betting odds: Pereira defends light heavyweight title vs. Ankalaev

Alex Pereira battles first-time title challenger Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight strap in the main event at UFC 313 on Saturday.

The pre-fight narrative: Pereira is carving out his legacy with another title defence against the well-rounded Akalaev. I’m picking the champ to retain his belt and also have a play on Jalin Turner.

Check out my UFC 313 predictions and the fight card for the March 8 event in Las Vegas.

UFC 313 predictions

Best bet: Pereira to win (-125)

This is drawn up to be a stylistic clash between striker and wrestler, and I like the striker here.

Ankalaev has a 20-1-1 MMA record but he hasn’t been dominant against the little top competition he’s faced.

The Russian has fought two fighters currently ranked inside the top five and won one bout by decision and drew the other.

He was down big in his bout with Jan Blachowicz before securing a dominant 10-8 fifth round and draw against the gassed Polish veteran.

Go to full UFC 313 betting markets

The worry here is Ankalaev taking down and controlling Pereira but I don’t have the same belief in his grappling as some might.

According to UFCstats.com, Ankalaev lands fewer than one takedown per 15 minutes at a 31% rate. He isn’t a dominant grappler by any means and a lot of this bout will be contested on the feet.

If he does get it to the mat, Ankalaev hasn’t proven himself as a finisher. He’s yet to record a submission victory in 13 UFC appearances.

Every round starts on the feet and Pereira stuffs takedowns at a 70% rate.

Key stat: Pereira lands 5.46 significant strikes per minute with 63% accuracy. He’s ended seven of his nine UFC wins by knockout.

UFC picks

Turner to win (+105): Turner has been at the wrong end of some bad luck over recent years but this is a good spot to back him as the underdog.

He is 1-3 over his last four fights but could easily be 4-0. Two of the losses were razor-thin split decisions.

The other was a bout against Renato Moicano where Turner scored a knockdown in the first round before allowing Moicano to come back in the second.

Before the skid, he was on a five-fight win streak and now takes a step down in competition.

This isn’t a shot at Bahamondes but he hasn’t fought anyone in the top 15 or even close to it.

Turner is a staple in the lightweight rankings and his last three losses came against top 10 opponents.

This is exactly the matchup Turner needs to get back on track.

UFC 313 main card

Fighter	Odds	Weight class	Odds	Fighter
Alex Pereira (C)	-125	Light heavyweight	-106	Magomed Anaklaev (1)
Justin Gaethje (3)	+125	Lightweight	-163	Rafael Fiziev (11)
Jalin Turner (13)	+105	Lightweight	-138	Ignacio Bahamondes
Amanda Lemos (5)	+110	Strawweight	-143	Iasmine Lucindo (7)
King Green	+333	Lightweight	-500	Mauricio Ruffy

UFC picks made at 4:00 p.m. ET on 03/08/25.