Contributing Writer

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Marin Cilic Dubai Open quarterfinal best bet and odds: Back the Canadian against the spread

Felix Auger-Aliassime is making waves at another ATP 500 event. He plays in the quarterfinal of the Dubai Open against Marin Cilic.

The pregame narrative: The Canadian is having an incredible year and that should continue against the Croatian veteran. Auger-Aliassime -1.5 sets is my best bet for this quarterfinal match.

Check out my Auger-Aliassime vs. Cilic Dubai Open best bet and the odds for the semifinal match on Feb. 27.

Auger-Aliassime vs. Cilic best bet

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

Betting markets	Odds
Auger-Aliassime to win	-245
Cilic to win	+190
Over 22.5 total games	-124
Under 22.5 total games	-104

Tennis odds as of 1:57 p.m. ET on 02/26/2025.

Best Bet: Auger-Aliassime -1.5 sets (+117)

If we look at this match at a base level, Auger-Aliassime is the better player. He’s ranked No. 21 in the world, while Cilic is No. 186.

The Canadian is cooking, too, winning multiple titles in 2025 and posting a 14-4 record. That includes a 3-1 record against ATP top-10 players.

Cilic is 2-1 this year, and the 36-year-old has now logged over four-and-a-half hours of court time in this tournament. He’s 3-7 in his last 10 matches.

Auger-Aliassime has played a lot of tennis, but he’s in top form and has the tools to beat the less active veteran.

These two haven’t played each other since 2022. The Canadian was 21 years old at the time and won that matchup in five sets.

Auger-Aliassime continues to be a menace with his serve, recording 19 aces and holding 91% of his service points (30-of-33) at this tournament.

Cilic is good at breaking serves, doing so six times through the first two matches, but that’ll be a lot more difficult in this matchup.

Key stat: Both ATP events won by Auger-Aliassime were played on hard courts, where he has a 10-3 record in 2025.

Picks made at 2:15 p.m. ET on 02/26/2025.

Kings vs. Jazz same-game parlay predictions Feb. 26: Back LaVine to stay hot in +295 play

The Sacramento Kings visit a banged-up Utah Jazz team on Wednesday.

The pregame narrative: Because of the extensive list of injuries on Utah’s side, I’ll buy a few points and take Sacramento to cover a teased-down spread. Prop picks on Zach LaVine and Isaiah Collier round out this +295 SGP.

Check out my Kings vs. Jazz same-game parlay predictions for Feb. 26.

Kings vs. Jazz predictions

Parlay: Kings -6.5 | LaVine over 22.5 points | Collier 8+ assists (+295)

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Kings -6.5 (-205): Utah’s injury report is crowded:

Lauri Markkanen (out)
John Collins (out)
Collin Sexton (out)
Walker Kessler (questionable)

That’s not a good look for the Western Conference’s worst team unless you’re cheering for a solid tank job.

The Jazz have been riding high at home, covering this spread in their last eight games at Delta Center. But a majority of that time was with a healthy lineup.

Sacramento just trounced the Charlotte Hornets, 130-88, and I believe it can build off that performance and easily handle another one of the NBA’s bottom feeders.

SGP legs

LaVine over 22.5 points (-165): The dynamic guard is coming off his best game as a King. On Feb. 24, he scored 42 points on 16-of-19 shooting.

Two games before that, he lit up the New Orleans Pelicans for 32 points. There’s obvious blowout potential here, but LaVine has been efficient enough to clear this modest mark in fewer minutes.

He went under this total in his first four games with Sacramento but has scored 23-plus in three of four since.

On top of that, the Jazz are a disaster on defence. They have the worst defensive rating in the NBA and allow the second-most points to shooting guards (23.9), per Fantasy Pros.

Collier 8+ assists (-200): This is a steep line for a rookie, but take a look at this:

Collier is averaging 8.5 assists in 24 games as a starter.

He leads all rookies by a wide margin in assists per game (6.0). Only one other rookie is even above 4.0 APG.

In February, Collier is 9-1 against this line, averaging 9.3 assists.

Additionally, the Kings allow the sixth-most APG to point guards (9.2).

With all the injuries for Utah, Collier should continue to play heavy minutes and have a high usage rate.

Picks made at 11:15 a.m. ET 02/26/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks Feb. 26: Back MacKinnon, Scheifele on Wednesday

There are only three NHL games on Wednesday but I still found a trio of goalscorer props worth sharing.

The pregame narrative: Nathan MacKinnon headlines the bunch as his Colorado Avalanche host the New Jersey Devils. The other two players featured in these picks are Mark Scheifele and Nico Hischier.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for Feb. 26.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: MacKinnon anytime goalscorer (+115)

MacKinnon leads the NHL in assists (66) and is tied for first in points (87).

If you do the quick math, you’ll realize he has just 21 goals, which is well below last year’s pace. In 2023-24, he had 51 goals (after 41 the season before).

He’s still an elite goalscorer, though, leading Team Canada and the entire 4 Nations Face-Off with four goals.

The Avalanche play at home tonight, where MacKinnon has the higher scoring rate this season.

Home: 13 goals in 28 games (46.4%)
Away: 8 goals in 31 games (25.8%)

He hasn’t scored since the break but has 11 shots total in the two games back. Both contests were on the road, and I expect better results in the Mile High City.

Key stat: MacKinnon has scored three times in his last four games against New Jersey.

Top picks to score

Scheifele anytime goalscorer (+155): What a year it’s been for Scheifele, who has 32 goals in 58 games. That ranks third in the NHL.

After questionably being left off Team Canada, he’s playing with some extra ferocity right now.

Scheifele found the back of the net against the San Jose Sharks on Monday and played over 24 minutes for just the second time this season.

Oh, and the Jets have won 10 games in a row heading into Wednesday, while the Ottawa Senators have lost four straight.

Linus Ullmark, who’s expected to start for the Sens, has been very streaky.

After going on an incredible run in December, he fell victim to another injury. Since his return, Ullmark has allowed 12 goals over three games.

That includes getting lit up for five goals on 15 shots against the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 22.

Hischier anytime goalscorer (+190): Going back to the Avalanche vs. Devils game, I’m backing one of New Jersey’s top goalscorers.

I’m hoping the Devils can capitalize on the power play led by Hischier. He has 24 goals this season and nine of them came with the man advantage.

Colorado has a below-average defence (3.03 goals/game) and its penalty kill is far from elite (79.9%).

There are some strong defensive teams in action Wednesday, so this is one of the few edges to go off of.

Picks made at 11:33 a.m. ET on 02/26/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks Feb. 26: Back MacKinnon, Scheifele on Wednesday

There are only three NHL games on Wednesday but I still found a trio of goalscorer props worth sharing.

The pregame narrative: Nathan MacKinnon headlines the bunch as his Colorado Avalanche host the New Jersey Devils. The other two players featured in these picks are Mark Scheifele and Nico Hischier.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for Feb. 26.

NHL anytime goal picks

Embed: #110283

Best Bet: MacKinnon anytime goalscorer (+123)

MacKinnon leads the NHL in assists (66) and is tied for first in points (87).

If you do the quick math, you’ll realize he has just 21 goals, which is well below last year’s pace. In 2023-24, he had 51 goals (after 41 the season before).

He’s still an elite goalscorer, though, leading Team Canada and the entire 4 Nations Face-Off with four goals.

The Avalanche play at home tonight, where MacKinnon has the higher scoring rate this season.

Home: 13 goals in 28 games (46.4%)
Away: 8 goals in 31 games (25.8%)

He hasn’t scored since the break but has 11 shots total in the two games back. Both contests were on the road, and I expect better results in the Mile High City.

Key stat: MacKinnon has scored three times in his last four games against New Jersey.

Top picks to score

Scheifele anytime goalscorer (+145): What a year it’s been for Scheifele, who has 32 goals in 58 games. That ranks third in the NHL.

After questionably being left off Team Canada, he’s playing with some extra ferocity right now.

Scheifele found the back of the net against the San Jose Sharks on Monday and played over 24 minutes for just the second time this season.

Oh, and the Jets have won 10 games in a row heading into Wednesday, while the Ottawa Senators have lost four straight.

Linus Ullmark, who’s expected to start for the Sens, has been very streaky.

After going on an incredible run in December, he fell victim to another injury. Since his return, Ullmark has allowed 12 goals over three games.

That includes getting lit up for five goals on 15 shots against the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 22.

Hischier anytime goalscorer (+215): Going back to the Avalanche vs. Devils game, I’m backing one of New Jersey’s top goalscorers.

I’m hoping the Devils can capitalize on the power play led by Hischier. He has 24 goals this season and nine of them came with the man advantage.

Colorado has a below-average defence (3.03 goals/game) and its penalty kill is far from elite (79.9%).

There are some strong defensive teams in action Wednesday, so this is one of the few edges to go off of. I like the value at better than 2-to-1 odds.

Picks made at 9:33 a.m. ET on 02/26/2025.

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Hornets vs. Kings same-game parlay predictions Feb. 24: Take overs for Murray and Bridges at +440

The final game of the night features the lowly Charlotte Hornets visiting the Sacramento Kings.

The pregame narrative: The Hornets are playing like they’re ready for the draft lottery and I’ll happily fade them tonight. I also have picks on a pair of power forwards — Keegan Murray and Miles Bridges — in this +440 SGP.

Check out my Hornets vs. Kings same-game parlay predictions for Feb. 24.

Hornets vs. Kings predictions

Parlay: Kings -8 | Murray 2+ threes | Bridges over 23.5 points (+440)

Embed: #110145

Kings -8 (-215): Sacramento laid an egg in its first game back from the break, losing 132-108 to the Golden State Warriors.

But three days rest and a game against the Hornets should have the Kings feeling motivated to get back into the win column.

Dating back to the start of February, Charlotte is 2-8 and is coming off a 141-88 beatdown by the Portland Trail Blazers.

This will be the Hornets’ fourth game since the all-star game so fatigue is sure to be a factor.

Charlotte is 1-6-1 against this spread since Feb. 1.

SGP legs

Murray 2+ threes (-167): The Hornets allow the seventh-most points and fourth-most 3s to opposing power forwards, per Fantasy Pros.

That sounds like a dream matchup for Murray, who takes a good chunk of his attempts from the perimeter.

He is having a down-shooting season, but this is still very much an achievable line.

Murray hits 1.8 threes on 5.6 attempts per game (32.7%).

Those are career lows. Last season, he hit 2.4 threes per game at a 35.8% clip.

He’s tapping into that shooting form lately, hitting two-plus 3s in six of the last nine games at a 39.6% rate.

Birdges over 23.5 points (-106): Bridges has quietly been a good scorer on a bad team.

Since Jan. 15, the athletic forward is averaging 22.8 points and 33.8 minutes per game. And now he draws a great matchup for his position.

The Kings concede the most points to PFs (24.7) per game.

Charlotte has been at the receiving end of many blowouts this season, often capping Bridges scoring ceiling.

But even last time out, when the Hornets lost by 53 to the Blazers, Bridges had a team-high 17 points and 16 shot attempts in a measly 23 minutes of action.

Those types of huge losses don’t come often so chances are this game is at least close enough for Bridges to crack 30 minutes.

If that’s the case, he’s in the position to have a high-scoring night.

Picks made at 2:14 p.m. ET on 02/24/2025.

NHL prop picks Feb. 24: Bet on Celebrini and Doughty on Monday

There are only two games on the NHL schedule but no worries, I’ve got one prop pick from each to share.

The pregame narrative: The San Jose Sharks have seemingly handed the keys on offence to Macklin Celebrini and I can’t blame them. I’ll back the rookie to score a point while taking Drew Doughty to do the same in the late-night game.

Check out my NHL prop picks for Feb. 24.

NHL prop picks

Embed: #110107

Best Bet: Celebrini to score 1+ points (-127)

Since the departure of Mikael Granlund, Celebrini is far and away the best player on this offence and the coaching staff is treating him as such.

Let’s take a look at his stats over the past six games:

three goals, three assists
3.4 shots per game
20:53 average time on ice

He played 20-plus minutes in five of those games and logged at least 22 shifts in each contest, per Hockey Reference.

This is arguably the worst matchup in the NHL for an opposing forward as the Winnipeg Jets allow the fewest goals (2.4) per game. But Celebrini has been successful in this spot before.

Key stat: In the Sharks’ first meeting with the Jets, Celebrini had a goal and an assist in just over 18 minutes on ice.

Quick picks

Doughty to score 1+ points (+108): On Saturday, I backed Doughty to score a point at similar odds and he had his best game of the season so far.

The veteran defenceman took the momentum gained from being a part of Team Canada and turned out a three-point performance against the Utah Hockey Club.

Monday’s matchup is more difficult because the Vegas Golden Knights allow the sixth-fewest goals against (2.7).

But the Los Angeles Kings are the NHL’s best home team (18-3-2) and their offence is elite at Crypto.com Arena.

They score 3.3 goals per game at home compared to 2.5 per game on the road.

If L.A. can tally a few goals, I’d be surprised if Doughty wasn’t heavily involved. He has four points in seven games this season and finished with 52 in 80 in 2023-24.

Picks made at 11:13 a.m. ET on 02/24/2025.

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Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks Feb. 24: Back Gilgeous-Alexander, Reid in Western Conference showdown

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder run it back on Monday.

The pregame narrative: The Thunder won, 130-123, on Sunday in an exciting game from start to finish. Fans are treated to an immediate rematch tonight and I have prop picks on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Naz Reid.

Check out my Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks for Feb. 24.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks

Best bet: Gilgeous-Alexander over 6.5 assists (+110)

The MVP favourite is tapping into his playmaking ability recently and it was on full display last night.

SGA finished with eight assists on Sunday.

He has seven-plus assists in five of the past six games.

Two of the Thunders’ past three contests were against the T-Wolves so there’s plenty of recent data to study.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 8.5 assists in those games.

Part of the uptick in recent assist numbers must be because of Chet Holmgren’s return. The seven-foot sophomore is shaping back into form, scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting on Sunday.

That adds another option for the Thunder and a formidable pick-and-pop option for SGA.

Key stat: Gilgeous-Alexander’s cleared this line in four of the past six games vs. Minnesota.

Quick pick

Reid over 27.5 points and rebounds (-110): There is no injury report for either the Thunder or Wolves at the time of writing.

It’s unlikely either Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert return for Minnesota meaning Reid should start again tonight, but that is worth monitoring.

If Reid is in the starting lineup, this line becomes all the more appetizing. Why? Well, take a look at his last nine games as a starter:

21.4 points, 9.6 rebounds per game (32.0 PRA).

He’s 8-1 against this line during that time.

In the two recent meetings with OKC, he averaged 37.0 points/rebounds.

Reid’s been on the court often as an important part of the T-Wolves rotation. He played north of 32 minutes in nine straight.

Even if Randle and/or Gobert are in, I can’t see either logging big minutes after missing significant time.

Picks made at 10:30 a.m. ET on 02/24/2025.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks Feb. 24: Back Gilgeous-Alexander, Reid in Western Conference showdown

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder run it back on Monday.

The pregame narrative: The Thunder won, 130-123, on Sunday in an exciting game from start to finish. Fans are treated to an immediate rematch tonight and I have prop picks on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Naz Reid.

Check out my Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks for Feb. 24.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder prop picks

Best bet: Gilgeous-Alexander over 6.5 assists (+114)

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The MVP favourite is tapping into his playmaking ability recently and it was on full display last night.

SGA finished with eight assists on Sunday.

He has seven-plus assists in five of the past six games.

Two of the Thunders’ past three contests were against the T-Wolves so there’s plenty of recent data to study.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 8.5 assists in those games.

Part of the uptick in recent assist numbers must be because of Chet Holmgren’s return. The seven-foot sophomore is shaping back into form, scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting on Sunday.

That adds another option for the Thunder and a formidable pick-and-pop option for SGA.

Key stat: Gilgeous-Alexander’s cleared this line in four of the past six games vs. Minnesota.

Quick pick

Reid over 29.5 points, rebounds and assists (-110): There is no injury report for either the Thunder or Wolves at the time of writing.

It’s unlikely either Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert return for Minnesota meaning Reid should start again tonight, but that is worth monitoring.

If Reid is in the starting lineup, this line becomes all the more appetizing. Why? Well, take a look at his last nine games as a starter:

21.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game (34.7 PRA).

He’s 8-1 against this line during that time.

In the two recent meetings with OKC, he averaged 41.5 points/rebounds/assists.

Reid’s been on the court often as an important part of the T-Wolves rotation. He played north of 32 minutes in nine straight.

Even if Randle and/or Gobert are in, I can’t see either logging big minutes after missing significant time.

Picks made at 9:30 a.m. ET on 02/24/2025.

Rockets vs. Jazz same-game parlay predictions Feb. 22: Expect Green to shoot the lights out

The Utah Jazz host the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back.

The pregame narrative: Both teams played on Friday, so I’ll side with the Jazz at home against a lofty double-digit spread. Despite that, I have picks on two Rockets — Amen Thompson and Jalen Green — in this +320 SGP.

Check out my Rockets vs. Jazz same-game parlay predictions for Feb. 22.

Rockets vs. Jazz predictions

Parlay: Jazz +12.5 | Thompson over 8.5 rebounds | Green 3+ threes (+320)

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Jazz +12.5 (-225): Betting on the Utah side is not ideal on most nights, but there’s some solid supporting data here.

Houston is 3-7 in its last 10.

Since the beginning of February, the Jazz covered this spread in 5/6 home games, winning three straight up.

The lone game where Utah failed to cover was last night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But since the Thunder had a big lead late, Utah’s starting five played fewer minutes than normal.

On the other hand, four Houston players logged 35-plus minutes in Friday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This is shaping up to be a massive let-down spot for the Rockets.

SGP legs

Thompson over 8.5 rebounds (-139): The uber-athletic guard is starting in place of the injured Fred Van Vleet.

Thompson has cleared this total in each of the last four games and is averaging 9.7 rebounds in 26 starts this season.

He’s played 36-plus minutes in seven of the eight games that Van Vleet has missed. His youth should be heavily relied on again in the second half of a back-to-back.

In the 11 games Thompson has played over 40 minutes, he averages 11.4 rebounds.

Green 3+ threes (-162): Green torched Minnesota’s defence on Friday, finishing with 35 points while draining 5-of-11 3s.

In fact, he’s made three or more triples in seven of the past 10 games.

Green is making 3.1 threes on 8.9 attempts over that time, and he gets a soft matchup on Saturday.

The Jazz allow the second-most points (23.7) and fifth-most threes (3.6) to opposing shooting guards, per Fantasy Pros.

I’m expecting a second strong performance from Green in as many nights.

Picks made at 3:03 p.m. ET on 02/22/2025.

Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks Feb. 22: Back Jokic, Hachimura in marquee matchup

The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Denver Nuggets in a compelling Saturday night showdown.

The pregame narrative: The Nuggets are red hot, going 9-1 over their last 10 games. I expect Nikola Jokic to fill the stat sheet in his typical fashion against the Lakers, and I’ll take Rui Hachimura to clear a modest point total for Los Angeles.

Check out my Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks for Feb. 22.

Lakers vs. Nuggets prop picks

Best bet: Jokic over 40.5 points/rebounds (-108)

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During Denver’s ascension up the Western Conference standings, the three-time MVP has been making the case for a fourth.

Jokic has cleared this line in 6/8 games in February.

He’s averaging 42.2 points/rebounds over that time.

There’s a glaring weakness in the Lakers’ starting five, and it’s the centre position. Jaxon Hayes has filled in as the starter since the departure of Anthony Davis.

While Hayes is serviceable, he averages 18.0 minutes per night and is no match for Jokic down low.

If I’m coach Mike Malone, I’m running everything through Jokic on Saturday night.

In his one game against L.A. this season, Jokic had 34 points and 13 rebounds — and that was with AD on the roster.

Key stat: Jokic has cleared this line in three of the past four regular season meetings with the Lakers, averaging 42.8 PR in those games.

Quick pick

Hachimura over 14.5 points (-106): On the Los Angeles side, I’ll ride with Hachimura.

The forward had only six points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday but surpassed this total in seven of eight games before that.

In those eight games, he averaged 19.4 points.

He shot 56.2% from the field and 45.7% from 3 during that run.

With how he’s been shooting the lights out while Luka Doncic works his way back into form, Hachimura should once again see enough volume to score 15-plus points.

Picks made at 1:19 p.m. ET 02/22/2025.