Tony Kelshaw 
With the Stanley Cup playoffs in full swing, we’ve got a trio of Monday selections for our NHL picks and are eyeing a 6.68 pay-out. Bwin offers numerous betting markets on every match in ice hockey’s premier competition and here are our best bets for this evening.
Epicenter has been well backed to win the Run for the Roses and gets the nod in our Kentucky Derby predictions. Steven Asmussen’s charge was an impressive scorer at Churchill Downs on his second start as a juvenile and has gone on to shine with three wins from four at Fair Grounds.
Canelo Alvarez is expected to add yet another belt to his bulging trophy cabinet by beating WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol. The undisputed super-middleweight kingpin steps up a division again, yet should not be troubled by an opponent untested at elite level.
West Ham’s first-leg clash with Eintracht Frankfurt was an absolute cracker and they are not without hope despite going down 2-1 in London. Both teams hit the woodwork in an end-to-end thriller and more excitement is expected in Germany in this Europa League semi-final tie.
Rangers showed great defensive resolve when only breached late on in a 1-0 loss at RB Leipzig in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. However, they will now have to come out more at Ibrox and that could leave them open against the German outfit, who do look a class above.
Leicester and Roma played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at King Power Stadium and another close encounter is on the cards in their rematch. However, if the Foxes can cope with a hostile atmosphere at Olimpico, we reckon they have an edge in energy which can see them through.
Marseille trail Feyenoord 3-2 from the first leg in Holland but showed enough to suggest they can turn things around on home turf in France. Les Phoceens have won at Stade Velodrome in each of the past three rounds and look to have the creative flair to come through this tricky test.
Liverpool didn’t quite fully sink the Yellow Submarine at Anfield but it is hard to see Villarreal overcoming a 2-0 deficit in the second leg. In fact, such was the Reds’ dominance on Merseyside, they are expected to oblige again in Spain in this Champions League semi-final.
Winnipeg are backed to close their campaign with a fourth straight victory when hosting Seattle in the final match of the regular season. The Jets have already claimed a couple of head-to-head wins this term and the Kraken have generally struggled on the road.
Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are expected to put on quite a show in what is the biggest-ever women’s boxing match in New York. The WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF lightweight titles will be on the line at Madison Square Garden and this bout is set to go right down to the wire.
Edmonton have had a series of tight tussles with Vancouver this season but found a way to win all three of their previous encounters. The Oilers will be hoping home advantage can help them to complete the clean-sweep tonight and set things up nicely for the playoffs.
Winnipeg would love to finish off their season with a hat-trick of home wins and have everything in their favour when entertaining Calgary. The Flames were involved in tough overtime battles last night and on Tuesday, so could be forgiven for now having one eye on the playoffs.
Ottawa were powerless to prevent Florida from clinching the Presidents’ Trophy but are taken to bounce back by prevailing at Philadelphia. The Senators previously rattled off four straight wins and should find the Flyers more conducive company, even at Wells Fargo Center.
Florida wrapped up the Presidents’ Trophy despite resting some key players and are also expected to take care of Montreal. The Panthers have won three previous head-to-head meetings this term by an aggregate score of 16-9 and the goals should flow again at Centre Bell.