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Leeds make three changes from their FA Cup semi-final defeat. Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon and Anton Stach replace Lucas Berri, the injured Gabriel Gudmundsson and Brenden Aaronson.
Burnley’s caretaker manager Mike Jackson names an unchanged side.
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Oh boy. There’s nothing better than a Game 7 showdown in the NBA Playoffs, and that’s exactly what we’ve got on our hands.
The Philadelphia 76ers have clawed their way back against the Boston Celtics, and I’m not about to stand in the way of the Sixers on Saturday night.
My same-game parlay calls for Philly to cover the spread, with Joel Embiid and Kelly Oubre packing the stat sheet on the offensive end.
Here are my best 76ers vs. Celtics predictions and NBA picks for May 2.
The Philadelphia 76ers have clamped down on the Boston Celtics the past two games, keeping Boston from the offensive glass while getting in the shorts of the C’s star players.
No matter what, the Celtics have a bad habit of sticking to their 3-point plan, and they’re dying on the perimeter. With Joel Embiid beating up Boston inside, Game 7 is going to be a lot closer than oddsmakers expect.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is doing it all on both ends for the Sixers in this series. Not only is he guarding Boston’s best, but the versatile forward has shown flashes of offense as well.
Oubre has dropped 10+ points on the Celtics in four of the first six games and is coming off a 14-point performance, with projections calling for at least 13 points in Game 7.
Embiid’s return has flipped this series on its ear. The 76ers center is exposing Boston’s lack of depth inside, and when the Celtics do send double teams, the seven-time All-Star is finding cutters and open shooters.
He’s dished out 22 total assists on 30 potential dimes through three games and will continue to serve as a conduit for the Sixers on Saturday.
Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his 76ers vs Celtics predictions for Game 7.
Stay up-to-date with the latest NBA Championship odds for each remaining team, as well as NBA title splits, betting trends, and the previous list of teams that have won the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
See what the current line movement and updates are in the NBA Finals MVP odds race, along with Finals MVP betting trends, favorite analysis, and recent superstars to receive this award.
Never lose track of where each series sits with our live NBA Playoff bracket, as well as the updated prices for each team to win their respective series — round by round.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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The NBA Playoffs are in full swing with a mountain of compelling story lines — 76ers vs. Celtics Game 7, can the Rockets become the first team to come from 0-3 down to win a series — but if you think that slows the NBA rumor mill, well, welcome back from living in a cave the last decade.
Here are some of the latest rumors flying around the league.
At last February's trade deadline, the Washington Wizards made a couple of bold moves to put former All-Stars around their young core, trading for Trae Young and Anthony Davis. With them (and another high draft pick), one could see a path to respectability for the Wizards, who have not made the playoffs the past five years (and only once in the last eight).
However, Davis may not be around for the long haul, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
"I do think there's a good chance that he may end up somewhere else by the time next season starts"@ChrisBHaynes gives the latest on the future of Anthony Davis with the Wizards
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) April 30, 2026
Hear Deals and Dunks weekdays from 1-2 PM ET https://t.co/uGOfTU9PUjpic.twitter.com/mzT78c8f0y
Haynes is saying that Davis likely wants to compete at a higher level than the Wizards are expected to next season. Maybe. However, trading him is something else entirely. Davis is a Wizard because the Dallas Mavericks didn't want to pay him — Davis is owed $58.5 million next season with a player option for the following year, and he's looking for an extension. That's a lot of money for a player with a lengthy injury history, with that, the trade market for AD is not exactly going to be robust. Despite the fact that when he has been on the court in recent years, he's looked like the All-NBA version of himself.
Luke Kennard is a free agent this summer. After coming to the Lakers via a trade with Atlanta, he averaged 9 points a game and shot 44.8% from 3-point range — he is the second-best shooter in the league right now. In the playoffs, forced into an expanded role due to the injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, he has averaged 14.4 points and 3 assists a game (although his numbers dropped way off in that series as the Rockets started to focus on him, then Reaves returned, he had just one point in Game 5).
Around the league, it's expected that the Lakers will keep Kennard, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
"It is increasingly anticipated leaguewide that the Lakers will want to retain the recently acquired Luke Kennard after his strong first-round series against Houston."
I'm less sure about that. It's certainly possible, but the buzz around the Lakers is that they will only be able to keep one of Kennard or Rui Hachimura, who are both free agents. While there are variables around how this plays out — Does LeBron James return and at what price tag? Is new owner Mark Walter more open to paying the tax? — if the choice is Kennard or Hachimura, look for the Lakers to lean Hachimura, who is a better defender and more versatile because of his size.
Devin Brooks helped change the culture in Phoenix. He had a career year and was one of the key reasons the Suns made the playoffs instead of landing in the lottery, where most of us projected them to be before the season.
Brooks has one more year on his contract at $21 million, but expect the sides to reach an extension this offseason, something Fischer talked about at The Stein Line.
"The Suns, I'm told, indeed want to secure a long-term stay for Brooks after his role in establishing them as the West's foremost regular season surprise team, but sources say that Phoenix is also mindful of the fact that an extension would kick in for Brooks' age-32 season since there is currently only one season left on his contract in 2026-27 at $21 million. The max extension that Brooks can command is a four-year deal in the $125 million range but the expectation is that a new deal will not reach that upper threshold."
Expect it to get done.
While we're talking Suns, you can end the Devin Booker trade rumors now.
Suns team owner Mat Ishbia said Devin Booker "is not getting traded" when asked about Booker's status.
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 30, 2026
"Devin Booker is going to be here. Devin Booker is going to lead us to a championship." #Sunspic.twitter.com/HYb20hWrZH
Peyton Watson emerged as a key part of the Denver Nuggets' rotation this season. Part of the reason the Nuggets are off to Cancun (or Serbia to watch horse races) is because Watson could not play in the postseason due to a hamstring injury. Watson averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, shot 41.1% from 3-point range and played quality defense on the wing this season.
Watson is a restricted free agent this summer and Denver is expected to retain him, but the Lakers, Bulls and Nets are looking at him and considering trying to poach him, Fischer reports at the Stein Line.
Why Watson might be available is that bringing him back — re-signed or matching an offer — sends the Nuggets well above the second tax apron, and this is a team where ownership is allergic to the tax. A team with cap space — the Lakers, Nets and Bulls all have that — could come in with a big offer and dare the Nuggets to match.
CJ McCollum boosted his stock in Atlanta, averaging 18.7 points per game and shooting 35.7% from beyond the arc in the regular season, then in the playoffs became the tough shot-maker the Hawks needed, averaging 22.2 points per game, including some clutch buckets.
McCollum also is a free agent. It's unclear whether the Hawks will bring him back, despite how good he was for them. If they end up with the No. 7 or No. 8 pick in the draft (there is a 55.4% chance they do, this is the Pelican's pick that they traded to move up and get Derik Queen), then do they want to pay the veteran guard, too? Here is what John Hollinger wrote at The Athletic.
I canvassed a few execs on his likely value during my recent travels, and most seemed to think one or two years at slightly above the midlevel exception was a fair ballpark (i.e., two years and $35 million to $40 million). However, with tanking now verboten [pending the NBA's new rules], a one-year balloon deal from a struggling cap-room team like the Chicago Bulls or Brooklyn Nets can't be ruled out.
McCollum showed this season he still has value in the league, and the veteran is going to help some team out next season. The question is, which one?
It's sounding more and more like Minnesota's No. 2 man, general manager Matt Lloyd, will get the job, listening to league buzz out of Chicago. However, Michael Scotto at Hoopshype writes that "Atlanta Hawks Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham, and Detroit Pistons Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Dennis Lindsey have garnered palpable buzz within league circles."
Scotto also adds this interesting note: "If the Bulls hire Lloyd as an executive, Timberwolves lead assistant coach Micah Nori would be a strong candidate for Chicago's head coaching vacancy, league sources told HoopsHype."
One other thing about the Minnesota front office: While Dallas might like to chase the Timberwolves' head of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, Minnesota is not expected to give Dallas permission to talk to him, Marc Stein reports at The Stein Line.
The league announced the 73 prospects who received invitations to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, which should provide plenty of helpful data.
Scouts and executives learn official measurements and athletic testing as as how players perform during interviews and scrimmages. But additionally, the invitation list alone lends helpful context to how evaluators around the league view this draft class.
Invitations are sent based on votes from each team in the NBA, who select which players they want to get a closer look at before the draft.
Players who did not receive an invite to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine may still earn their way to participation via the NBA G League Draft Combine, which begins two days before.
This list is sorted based on consensus rankings from trusted mock drafts and big boards.
Collegiate prospects who declared as as early entry candidates or have remaining eligibility have until May 27 to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft if they wish to play in the NCAA next season. Players who did not receive NBA Draft Combine invitations are more likely to return to college.
SENIORS:
EARLY ENTRY CANDIDATES:
The 2026 NBA Draft Combine is held in Chicago at Wintrust Arena and Marriott Marquis.
The NBA G League Combine is from May 8 until May 10. The NBA Draft Combine is May 10 until May 17.
Five-on-five scrimmages typically broadcast on ESPN on Wednesday and Thursday.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Combine invites offer first real clues to 2026 draft board
The Jack Adams Award for the NHL's coach of the year has an Eastern Conference flair in 2025-26.
The three finalists are the Tampa Bay Lightning's Jon Cooper, Pittsburgh Penguins' Dan Muse and Buffalo Sabres' Lindy Ruff. The award is voted on by NHL broadcasters and the winner will be announced at a later date.
Cooper and Ruff are veteran coaches and Muse is a first-year NHL head coach. Cooper extended the Lightning's playoff streak amid trying circumstances and Muse and Ruff ended their teams' playoff droughts, 14 seasons in Ruff's case.
Here's what to know about the Jack Adams Award finalists and the rollout for announcements for the NHL's major awards.
Cooper has never won before, so that might have worked in his favor, especially since the Lightning's Victor Hedman, Brayden Point and Ryan McDonagh missed significant time.
No quibbling with the three finalists, but Marco Sturm could also make the list. He helped the Bruins quickly get back to the playoffs in his first season in Boston. The team finished with 100 points.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jack Adams Awards finalists announced. Who will be NHL coach of year?
A look back at the first baseball month of the season, with all of April plus five days of March.
20-11 record
167 runs scored (5.39 per game, 4th in MLB)
101 runs allowed (3.26 per game 1st in MLB)
.715 pythagorean win percentage (22-9)
For most of baseball history, the season ran from April to September, but over time the schedule has expanded on both ends, now regularly starting in March and ending in October. This year’s opening day — regular opening day, not counting any special international trips — of March 25 was the earliest start to a season in major league history.
Those loose ends at both ends of the schedule leads to oddities in splits, such that April numbers will also include March. Same for September, which will also include the few games in October as well. So while we might say “April” here at times, just know it also includes March.
The Dodgers’ first-ever game in March came way back in 1998, and in their history have now played 33 regular season March games. They won four of five March games to open this season, and are 24-9 (.727).
Even without Blake Snell — who started the season on the injured list with shoulder fatigue and is two minor league starts into a rehab assignment — the Dodgers rotation carried the staff in the first month of the season, and provided a stable base, much like the final two months of 2025 plus the postseason.
Dodgers starters in April averaged 5.85 innings per start, tops in the majors, the the rotation was second in ERA (2.83) and xERA (3.51), and fifth in strikeout-minus-walk rate (15.8 percent). The Dodgers got 20 starts lasting at least six innings, .. 4 (Tigers, Royals, Mariners 16) more than any other team.
Shohei Ohtani, who has lasted six innings in all five of his starts, has a 0.60 ERA and 2.23 xERA, both of which are best in the National League among pitchers with at least 30 innings. He finished the month one inning shy of qualifying for the leaderboard. Same for Justin Wrobleski, who has a 1.50 ERA in his 30 innings, including two runs allowed in 26 innings in his four starts.
Tyler Glasnow is off to an excellent start with a 2.56 ERA and 2.40 xERA in a team-leading 38 2/3 innings, with 47 strikeouts.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a 2.87 ERA and 4.02 xERA in his six starts and 37 2/3 innings, but also only has two wins as the Dodgers have scored 11 total runs with him still in the game.
Max Muncy was the Dodgers’ best hitter in the first month of the season, hitting .287/.374/.594 and ranking third in the National League in both OPS (.968) and wRC+ (166). Muncy led the team with 23 runs scored, matching May 2019 and May 2021 for his most runs in a month in his career.
In 2025, Muncy famously did not hit a home run until the final day of April, but this year got off to a much hotter start, leading the team with nine home runs so far. The first eight of those home runs were solo shots, and Muncy’s 11 runs batted in are tied for the fewest in any month in baseball history with at least nine home runs, along with Spencer Torkelson in August 2023 with the Detroit Tigers.
Dalton Rushing was off to a blazing start, hitting .348/.423/.848 and second on the team in both home runs (seven) and RBI (17) despite playing in only 15 games. Rushing’s 52 plate appearances are the fewest in any month in Dodgers history with at least seven home runs.
Andy Pages was the only Dodger to play all 31 games in April, including 30 starts. He led the team in hits (36) and runs batted in (25), all while hitting .321/.366/.518 with a 145 wRC+ and holding down the fort in center field.
That guy with the 0.60 ERA in 30 innings on the mound, Shohei Ohtani, had a down month at the plate for him, but relative to the rest of baseball he’s still quite productive on offense, hitting .273/.406/.491 with a 144 wRC+ and six home runs.
He batted 139 times in March/April and faced 119 batters as a pitcher. His 258 combined plate appearances made this the second-busiest month of Ohtani’s career, trailing only the 268 PA in September/October 2022. As a way to get some semblance of rest, in two of Ohtani’s pitching starts so far he did not hit.
While the Dodgers are at or near the top of most offensive statistics — their 126 wRC+ is tops in the majors — their end to April left a lot to be desired, following a 15-4 start with a 5-7 finish. In the final nine games of the month, the Dodgers scored three or fewer runs five times. They lost two one-run games to the Marlins to finish off the month, a series in which the Dodgers trailed entering the ninth inning in all three games.
“I don’t think we’re collectively swinging the bats the way we were early,” manager Dave Roberts said after the final game of the month. “The last 10 days it hasn’t been synced up.”
“We’ve kinda been going through it as a group,” said first baseman Freddie Freeman, who hit .259/.328/.414 with a 107 wRC+ in the first month. “As an offense, the last few games haven’t been where we wanted to be.”
Kyle Tucker had a walk-off single to win Monday’s game, but was otherwise underwhelming in his first month with the Dodgers, hitting just .241/.331/.371 with a 100 wRC+.
The Dodgers play 28 games in May, with three Thursdays off, and have a stretch of 13 game days in a row from May 8-20. Thirteen of those games are at Dodger Stadium, with 15 road games. After playing nine interleague games in March/April, the Dodgers in May play six games against American League teams — at Astros from May 4-6 and at Angels from May 15-17.
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What is it about guys from Philadelphia going the distance?
The Philadelphia 76ers have taken their cue from Philly’s favorite fictional son, “Rocky Balboa”, and dragged the Boston Celtics into a Game 7 showdown.
The Sixers, who trailed 3-1 in this Round 1 series, have rallied behind their improved defensive play. And setting the tone on that end of the floor is Kelly Oubre Jr.
But while Oubre is doing a great job limiting Boston’s biggest weapons, he’s shown that he can also be an offensive threat.
Our 76ers vs. Celtics predictions like Philly’s forward to produce, and my NBA picks are taking Oubre to go Over a short points prop Saturday.
Defense is Kelly Oubre's calling card, but after a solid offensive start to the series, he disappeared in Games 4 and 5.
His usage is modest to begin with, yet dropped from 16.4% in the opening three games — scoring 10, 12, and 17 points respectively — to just 8.6% in Games 4 and 5. That resulted in a total of only six points on 2-for-11 combined shooting.
Oubre did find his way back into the offense in Game 6. His usage surged back to 17% and led to a 6-for-11 performance for 14 points.
Oubre was active off the ball and benefited from extra attention being thrown at Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. Boston sent double teams at the 7-footer, opening up space in the dunker's spot for Oubre to cut to the rim. He was also able to get inside as a ball handler on high-screen action.
With Embiid serving as the biggest problem for the Boston Celtics defense, we could see Boston adjust its matchups and use Jayson Tatum on the Sixers center. That would leave bigger bodies like Neemias Queta or Nikola Vucevic to mind the 6-foot-8 Oubre.
From there, Oubre can face up and take those plodding players off the dribble or make them pay from outside, should those centers stay home.
His projections for Game 7 sit between 12.5 and 13 points. Oubre has scored 10 or more points in eight of his last 10 games and 11 of his last 16 outings since returning from an elbow injury at the end of March.
The Sixers have found another gear on defense and have done an excellent job of keeping the Celtics away from the offensive glass, limiting Boston to one bad shot per possession. The Celtics refuse to adjust their offensive approach and that will keep this closer than oddsmakers expect.
Joel Embiid has been a game-changer against a soft Boston interior. The Celtics are having to throw extra bodies at the 76ers' big man, and he’s done a great job hitting cutters and finding shooters on kickouts. He's dished out 22 total assists on 30 potential assists the past three games.
Kelly Oubre is one of the best two-way players in this series. He’s projected for as many as 13 points and seven rebounds in Game 7. He's swatted at least one shot in three of the past four games, including two blocks in Game 6. If Philly is going to cover this spread, Oubre will have a big part in it.
The Philadelphia 76ers have produced a 16-27 Over/Under record (63% Unders) as underdogs this season, including an 8-15 O/U mark when getting six points or more. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Celtics.
| Location | TD Garden, Boston, MA |
| Date | Saturday, May 2, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC |
Not intended for use in MA.
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Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the season’s final month upon us, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.
Top Position Player: Daniel Schneemann (1.3 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Parker Messick (1.3 fWAR)
The Guardians sit atop what has to date been the weakest division in baseball with a .500 record and without having strung together more than two consecutive wins throughout the entirety of the month of April. That has been less a testament to the Guardians’ performance, though, and more to the fact that the entire division has, well, grossly underperformed expectations in the early going.
Over the past few years, Cleveland has not exactly been known for their offensive prowess, and this year is no exception. Their 3.84 runs/game sits last in the American League, and their 92 OPS+ ranks better than only the Blue Jays and Red Sox. Steven Kwan (73 wRC+) and Bo Naylor (-1) have been absolutely dreadful, José Ramírez has been stealing bases but hitting for less power (12 SB without being caught, but just a 115 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR). Should these veterans begin hitting like the back of their baseball cards, though, the emergence of utilityman Daniel Schneemann (167 wRC+), the strong start of rookie Chase DeLauter (130), and the high potential of recently-promoted top prospect Travis Bazzana mean that the Guardians could find their offense in a different place when the summer comes.
What has allowed Cleveland to fight their way to the top of the division so far has been the top of their rotation, as the trio of Gavin Williams, Joey Cantillo, and Parker Messick (who flirted with a no-hitter) have each posted sub-3.00 ERAs, while Tanner Bibee has been a veritable innings eater alongside them. While their pitching staff has been let down by a shaky bullpen, their underlying metrics suggest that they’ve been let down by some bad luck, and will ultimately face some positive regression.
Top Position Player: Kevin McGonigle (1.6 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Tarik Skubal (1.6 fWAR)
The only team in the AL Central with a positive run differential (+9), the Tigers begin the month of May in a bit of a precarious position. Rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle (164 wRC+) leads an offense that is tied with the Angels for third in the AL in OPS+ (106) and in the Junior Circuit’s top half in runs/game (4.44), but which has seen injuries to Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry, and Parker Meadows. On the flip side, though, their defense has been absolutely terrible. Their -15 Outs Above Average is even with the Mariners for the worst in the majors, and while Defensive Runs Saved isn’t quite as low on them, their -2 DRS is tied for the AL’s third-worst. To put it bluntly, there’s a real case to be made that Gleyber Torres is their best defender.
Fortunately, Detroit has one of the deepest rotations in baseball. Tarik Skubal is an early contender for his third-straight AL Cy Young, although strong starts by Yankees starters Cam Schlittler and Max Fried and by Angels starter José Soriano, combined with his 1.104 OPS the third time through the order, puts him in a bit of a hole early on. Behind him, Framber Valdez gives the team one of the league’s best 1-2 punches. Injuries to Casey Mize and Justin Verlander, however, have sapped some of the depth, and it’s debatable whether the Tigers have the bullpen arms to engage in the “pitching chaos” that they did back in 2024.
Top Position Player: Colson Montgomery (1.2 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Davis Martin (1.2 fWAR)
It’s rare for a 14-17 team to be one of the season’s darlings, but here we are. Just two years after losing 121 games, Chicago looks like a fun team again. Much of this has to do with the performance of first baseman Munetaka Murakami, who has exceeded all expectations in his first month in the United States. His dozen homers thus far are tied with Aaron Judge and Yordan Alvarez for the MLB lead.
Between Murakami, shortstop Colson Montgomery, and third baseman Miguel Vargas, Chicago has its most dangerous middle of the order since their 2021 AL Central division winners — i.e., before everything all came crashing down. Atop the rotation, meanwhile, Davis Martin has been dominant, Sean Burke has been effective, and Erick Fedde has been capable. Thanks to the top of their lineup and rotation, Chicago has been able to put together two three-game winning streaks this season (including a sweep over the Blue Jays) and win 8 of their past 12 games.
So why does The Athletic still rank Chicago as the 30th team in this week’s power rankings? Like most bad teams trying to emerge from rock bottom, the White Sox have some solid players, but lack depth. Edgar Quero (35 wRC+) and Luisangel Acuña (28 wRC+) have combined for 164 plate appearances, and Andrew Benintendi has shown that last year’s above-average performance may have been a dead cat bounce, as he now sits at a 72 wRC+. Anthony Kay and his 6.12 ERA is fourth on the team in innings pitched with 25.0.
Chicago is trending in the right direction, but barring divine intervention — hello, Leo — they’re likely to find themselves back in the cellar of the division soon enough.
Top Position Player: Byron Buxton/Trevor Larnach/Ryan Jeffers (0.9 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Joe Ryan (1.1 fWAR)
After their fire sale last season, the Minnesota Twins came into 2026 with absolutely no expectations, even if they themselves refuse to admit it. And so, naturally, they began the season on a tear: after shutting out the Red Sox 6-0 on April 14th, they were 11-7, sitting in first place in the AL Central. Since then, though, they’ve fallen down to Earth, losing 11 out of their last 14 games — including sweeps at the hands of the Reds and Rays — to plummet all the way down to fourth place.
The calling card of this Minnesota team has been their starting rotation. Joe Ryan (3.76 ERA, 3.10 FIP) and Taj Bradley (2.85 ERA, 4.03 FIP) have allowed them to withstand the loss of Pablo López, who underwent Tommy John surgery in February and will miss the season. If Bailey Ober (3.55 ERA, 3.82 FIP) continues to bounce back from a subpar 2025, then the Twins might have just enough rotation depth to compete in what is clearly a lackluster division.
That’s assuming they can patch the holes in their lineup and bullpen, of course. Offensively, Ryan Jeffers (155 wRC+), Austin Martin (163 wRC+), and Trevor Larnach (138 wRC+) have been able to make up for Byron Buxton’s comparatively slow start (106 wRC+ until yesterday’s three-hit day). But if Minnesota truly wants to compete, they need Buxton to both stay healthy and be the five-tool player that has made baseball fans frustrated by his inability to stay healthy for 12 years now, and they need to find some more offense at the hot corner (Royce Lewis currently has an 88 wRC+) and the cold corner (Kody Clemens, the team’s most common first baseman, has an 87 wRC+ and is more known for his defensive versatility than his bat, anyway). In the bullpen, Anthony Banda and Taylor Rogers either need to lock in and play more akin to their career norms, or else drop down in the bullpen pecking order considerably.
Top Position Player: Bobby Witt Jr. (1.7 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Seth Lugo (1.2 fWAR)
Just two years ago, the Kansas City Royals won 86 games, gave the eventual AL champion Yankees a run for their money in the ALDS, and looked to all the world a team on the rise. Now, though, they seem to be a team stuck in neutral, clearly scuffling but without any obvious path to improvement beyond hoping that players begin to turn their seasons around.
Offensively, pretty much everyone has been struggling, from first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and his 63 wRC+ to superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., whose 117 wRC+ is far from bad, but ever further from the 169 he put up in 2024 and a step down from his 130 last season. Captain Salvador Perez is technically on pace for the 10th 20-homer season of his excellent career, but beyond the five dingers, he’s been abysmal as he appraches his 36th birthday with a 54 wRC+. Rookie catcher Carter Jensen (124 wRC+) and second-year outfielder Jac Caglianone (103 wRC+, up from a 46 in his rookie campaign) have been the two big positives so far, as the team struggles to figure itself out. Furthermore, the season-ending injury to Jonathan India opens up a massive hole at second, for while he had been struggling, his replacement Michael Massey isn’t exactly an improvement.
On the mound, Seth Lugo looks much like the pitcher who was the runner-up for the AL Cy Young back in 2024, with a 2.63 ERA across his first six starts, and Michael Wacha has continued to pitch better in his 30s than he did in his 20s (3.13 ERA, 3.96 FIP). Behind them, though, question marks abound. Opening Day starter Cole Ragans is an absolute mess (5.00 ERA, 5.42 FIP), 2025 rookie standout Noah Cameron has been bad (5.40 ERA, 6.32 FIP), and the entire bullpen aside from Daniel Lynch IV (0.79 ERA in 11.1 innings) and Nick Mears (2.45 ERA in 11.0 innings) has been a veritable hit parade.
For all the consternation about the Mariners’ slow start in April, they wound up finishing the month with a .500 record thanks to two straight series wins on the road. Despite sitting a game and a half behind the A’s in the division, FanGraphs gives Seattle coin flip odds to win the AL West (54.4%) and a 78.0% chance of returning to the postseason, the second highest playoff odds in the AL. All that bad luck that was skewing their early season results has started to correct itself. Surely nothing could go wrong during a big weekend series celebrating a franchise legend against a historically pesky team, right?
| Game | Time | Mariners Starter | Royals Starter | Mariners Win% | Royals Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Friday, May 1 | 6:45 pm | RHP Bryan Woo | LHP Cole Ragans | 57.7% | 42.3% |
| Game 2 | Saturday, May 2 | 6:40 pm | RHP Emerson Hancock | RHP Seth Lugo | 55.7% | 44.3% |
| Game 3 | Sunday, May 3 | 1:10 pm | RHP Luis Castillo | LHP Kris Bubic | 54.4% | 45.6% |
| Overview | Royals | Mariners | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batting (wRC+) | 97 (9th in AL) | 106 (4th in AL) | Mariners |
| Fielding (FRV) | 8 (3rd) | -7 (12th) | Royals |
| Starting Pitching (FIP-) | 98 (11th) | 97 (8th) | Mariners |
| Bullpen (FIP-) | 119 (13th) | 86 (2nd) | Mariners |
Note: now that the calendar has flipped to May, I’ll be using 2026 stats where appropriate in these previews.
The Royals came into this season with an eye towards building off their two successful seasons in 2024 and ‘25. They had their one surprise postseason appearance a few years ago but it seemed like they were on the verge of breaking out of their rebuilding cycle if they could get one or two of their youngsters to take the next step forward. Unfortunately, the team has really stumbled out of the gate. A sweep of the Angels was their first series win since the first week of the season and an eight-game losing streak a few weeks ago really hurt their April record. They’re tied with the Red Sox for the second worst record in the AL, but because no one has run away with the AL Central, just 3 ½ games back in their division.
| Player | Position | Bats | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maikel Garcia | 3B | R | 126 | 17.5% | 9.5% | 0.168 | 115 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | SS | R | 139 | 16.5% | 11.5% | 0.140 | 117 |
| Vinnie Pasquantino | 1B | L | 124 | 19.4% | 12.9% | 0.155 | 63 |
| Salvador Perez | DH | R | 127 | 19.7% | 3.1% | 0.150 | 54 |
| Jac Caglianone | RF | L | 99 | 33.3% | 9.1% | 0.148 | 104 |
| Carter Jensen | C | L | 103 | 29.1% | 10.7% | 0.222 | 124 |
| Michael Massey | 2B | L | 55 | 23.6% | 5.5% | 0.160 | 67 |
| Isaac Collins | LF | R | 93 | 30.1% | 12.9% | 0.089 | 85 |
| Kyle Isbel | CF | L | 83 | 22.9% | 4.8% | 0.167 | 126 |
The biggest reason why the Royals have struggled to really break through these past few years is because they haven’t been able to build a complete lineup around Bobby Witt Jr. Maikel Garcia took a huge step forward last year, but Vinnie Pasquantino hasn’t been able to recreate the magic of his rookie campaign. Those two are solid sidekicks to Witt; the bigger problem is the bottom of the lineup has been an absolute black hole. There was some hope that a breakout from Jac Caglianone and average production from Isaac Collins in the outfield would help lengthen the lineup, but neither has impressed this year. I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the heart of the team, Salvador Perez. He’s still chugging along, though it seems like age has really caught up to him this year. His eventual replacement, Carter Jensen, has shown flashes of top-end talent and has been the team’s best hitter so far.
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | HR/FB% | GB% | ERA | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Ragans | 27 | 28.7% | 15.7% | 21.2% | 36.5% | 5.00 | 6.04 |
| Bryan Woo | 35 | 19.1% | 4.3% | 7.3% | 31.1% | 3.86 | 3.75 |
| Pitch | Usage vRHB | Usage vLHB | Velocity | Stuff+ | Whiff+ | BIP+ | xwOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-seam | 50.0% | 60.9% | 94.7 | 104 | 140 | 67 | 0.354 |
| Cutter | 3.7% | 6.8% | 89.5 | ||||
| Changeup | 26.9% | 2.5% | 84.2 | 113 | 128 | 126 | 0.281 |
| Curveball | 11.4% | 3.7% | 79.0 | 100 | |||
| Slider | 8.0% | 26.1% | 84.8 | 113 |
Cole Ragans had a really weird season last year. His peripherals were better than they’ve ever been in his career — his strikeout rate was all the way up at 38.1% — but his ability to actually prevent runs was pretty terrible; his ERA was more than two runs higher than his FIP, xERA, and xFIP. Then, in June, he was sidelined with a shoulder injury, though he was able to make it back onto the mound by late September. The start to this season has been a big mixed bag for Ragans. He’s had three solid starts interspersed with three absolute clunkers, and those blowouts are really weighing heavily on his season statline. Ragans’s best pitch is his four-seam fastball and he has a trio of excellent secondary pitches — a changeup and a pair of devastating breaking balls — to help him earn tons of swings and misses.
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | HR/FB% | GB% | ERA | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seth Lugo | 37.2 | 20.8% | 7.4% | 2.4% | 37.1% | 2.63 | 2.69 |
| Emerson Hancock | 34.2 | 24.2% | 4.5% | 19.4% | 46.7% | 2.86 | 4.59 |
| Pitch | Usage vRHB | Usage vLHB | Velocity | Stuff+ | Whiff+ | BIP+ | xwOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-seam | 15.2% | 19.6% | 91.7 | 92 | 80 | 98 | 0.398 |
| Sinker | 25.8% | 19.0% | 91.5 | 82 | 119 | 121 | 0.339 |
| Cutter | 14.1% | 14.9% | 90.1 | 85 | |||
| Changeup | 2.0% | 11.0% | 85.6 | 75 | |||
| Curveball | 16.2% | 18.8% | 75.6 | 100 | 60 | 126 | 0.170 |
| Slider | 15.7% | 9.2% | 84.3 | 86 | |||
| Sweeper | 11.1% | 7.4% | 78.2 | 86 | |||
| Slurve | 7.1% | 1.8% | 77.9 | 86 |
Seth Lugo throws the kitchen sink — and the bathtub too, for good measure. I have eight pitches listed in the table above, but I combined what Statcast calls his curveball and a “slow curve” into one line. And really, his sweeper-slurve is actually one pitch that he varies the speed and shape of based on the situation. That deep repertoire has served him well since making the transition to the starting rotation in 2023. He struggled with his normally excellent command last year, leading to a bunch of additional walks and home runs, but has seemed to have gotten over those issues to start this year. Despite mediocre raw stuff and advancing age, he’s been able to keep batters off balance because they often have no idea what pitch is coming next.
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | HR/FB% | GB% | ERA | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kris Bubic | 33.2 | 25.5% | 12.4% | 7.9% | 39.3% | 3.74 | 3.80 |
| Luis Castillo | 28.1 | 19.4% | 8.2% | 11.4% | 37.2% | 6.35 | 4.49 |
| Pitch | Usage vRHB | Usage vLHB | Velocity | Stuff+ | Whiff+ | BIP+ | xwOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-seam | 53.9% | 34.3% | 91.6 | 96 | 140 | 61 | 0.408 |
| Sinker | 7.8% | 34.3% | 91.1 | 87 | |||
| Changeup | 32.8% | 1.0% | 85.9 | 91 | 115 | 124 | 0.197 |
| Slider | 5.6% | 30.3% | 85.2 | 89 | |||
| Sweeper | 16.7% | 18.2% | 82.3 | 89 |
Kris Bubic changed the trajectory of his career back in 2023 by adding a much needed third secondary pitch to his repertoire, a slider in this case. He only lasted three starts that season before succumbing to an elbow injury that wiped out most of that year and the next. After a brief stint as a high-leverage reliever in ‘24, he returned to the starting rotation last year with a brand-new arsenal; gone was his curveball and in its place was a fantastic sweeper alongside the slider that fueled his breakout. His changeup looked a lot different too, and that offspeed pitch has been critical in his efforts to keep right-handed batters at bay. A shoulder injury cut his season short last year but he’s been healthy to start this year.
| Team | W-L | W% | Games Behind | Run Diff | Recent Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | 16-14 | 0.548 | — | -5 | L-W-L-W-W |
| Mariners | 16-16 | 0.500 | 1.5 | +7 | W-W-L-W-W |
| Rangers | 15-16 | 0.484 | 2.0 | +8 | W-L-L-L-W |
| Angels | 12-20 | 0.375 | 5.5 | -11 | L-L-L-L-L |
| Astros | 12-20 | 0.375 | 5.5 | -26 | L-W-L-L-W |
The Athletics just finished a series win over the Royals earlier this week and will host the Guardians over the weekend. The Rangers have only won one series since sweeping the M’s back in early April, but they’ve managed to hover around .500 for the last few weeks. Texas lost its series against the Yankees this week and will travel to Detroit this weekend. The Astros split a double-header with the Orioles yesterday, avoiding a sweep in that series; they travel to Boston next. All the fun of the Angels start to the season has quickly disappeared; they were just swept by the White Sox and have now lost 10 of their last 11 games. Los Angeles will host the miserable Mets this weekend.
The trade between the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays in November 2022 didn’t make a lot of headlines. Part of that is because people – including those who live in Florida – don’t pay all that much attention to the two Florida teams. More importantly, the trade didn’t involve any headline talent. In exchange for two low-minors players, the Rays sent pitcher JT Chargois to the Marlins along with another minor leaguer in infielder Xavier Edwards.
Chargois has already come and gone, but Edwards is emerging as a star player. In 2025, he spent time at both second base and shortstop, mostly playing well at the former but was lacking at the latter. He didn’t show much power but got on base at a .343 clip and stole 27 bases.
This season, he’s been the team’s full-time second baseman and his defense has solidified. He has also stepped up his offensive game. His on-base percentage of .432 leads the National League, and while he’ll likely never be a huge power threat, his slugging percentage is up almost 100 points from 2025.
You know how we’ve talked about the concept of a “cleanup hitter” changing over the years? Despite not hitting a lot of home runs, Edwards has been batting fourth in the Marlins’ lineup, and it’s worked out well so far.
He’s also shown excellent taste in role models:
This being the Marlins, there’s a strong chance that Edwards gets traded in a couple of seasons as he approaches free agency. But for now, the Marlins can enjoy their young star!
A few comparisons have been made between this year’s Flyers and the 2022 Phillies: After several years missing the playoffs, the team finally qualified for the postseason thanks to a late surge, and in the first round, took down a favored team with multiple older stars on the roster.
Much like the 2022 Phillies, the Flyers will be underdogs in their next series. However, unlike those Phillies who took on the Atlanta Braves, they don’t have the additional motivation of playing a traditional rival. And there’s also the definite possibility that the team is happy just to have gotten this far. But sometimes, the “playing with house money” team can be the most dangerous.
Saturday is setting up to be a massive sports day in Philadelphia with the Phillies in action along with Sixers (game seven!), and Flyers playoff games. And there’s also the Kentucky Derby. While I’m sure this year’s race won’t compare to the 2004 edition, it’s still fun to watch.
I will have to set up multiple TVs to catch all the action, although my last multiple TV night was on October 9th, and that went…poorly.
Last week’s answer: The Phillies’ first game at Truist Park was June 5, 2017. In the first inning of that game, a home run was hit by Tommy Joseph. (Nobody answered that one correctly)
This week’s question: In the first series the Phillies played at LoanDepot Park (nee Marlins Park) in June 2012, they lost all three games. Name two of the three losing pitchers from that series.
Under Rob Thomson: Phillies play poorly for eight of nine innings in a game and lose.
Under Don Mattingly: Phillies play poorly for seven of nine innings in a game, but one of those good innings is the ninth and they win.
After how poorly most of the season has gone, we needed a day like Thursday where the team pulled off two ninth inning comebacks. (With Chase Shugart earning both wins, exactly like they drew it up.)
However, LoanDepot Park has often been a place where good Phillies vibes go to die. The Phillies’ worst years at the Marlins’ stadium seem to happen when they’re expected to be good and the Marlins are expected to be bad. The Marlins weren’t expected to be playoff contenders this season, but they are in second place (albeit with a losing record) and are coming off a series win over the Dodgers.
Perhaps the three game lead in the standings will cause the script to flip, and the Phillies will be the underdog team that hurts the Marlins’ chances?
Sinner is youngest man to reach all nine Masters finals
Raducanu reunites with coach who helped her win slam
Jannik Sinner has become the youngest man to reach the final of all nine Masters 1000 tournaments after swatting aside Arthur Fils at the Madrid Open.
The world No 1 follows Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in completing the set and, at 24, has done so at a younger age than his illustrious predecessors – taking a year off Djokovic’s record.
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Philadelphia has turned a corner of late, winning three straight games and four of the last five.
With Zack Wheeler set to take the mound, my Phillies vs. Marlins predictions expect the road team to extend its winning streak in Miami.
Let’s take a closer look at my MLB picks for May 1.
Zack Wheeler showed little rust in his season debut, holding a top-tier Atlanta Braves offense to two runs over five innings while striking out six. The velocity was high, indicating he’s already close to 100%.
If Wheeler is on his game, he doesn’t need much support to grind out wins – and he should get it against the Miami Marlins.
Eury Perez has allowed at least three runs in four of six starts and ranks Bottom-5 on the slate at limiting fly balls and hard contact. That’s cause for concern against a powerful Philadelphia Phillies offense that sits sixth in hard hit rate.
COVERS INTEL: Eury Perez has allowed an alarming 14.9% barrel rate, putting him in the seventh percentile league-wide.The Phillies are heating up at the dish. They have scored 36 runs over their past seven, good for an average of 5.14 per game.
Their hard hit numbers against righties are strong and Perez is giving up a lot of quality contact. This is a good setup for them to build on strong recent production.
Miami should struggle early against Wheeler, but they’re unlikely to run him into the ground in just his second start. With a taxed Phillies bullpen behind him after Thursday’s double-header, there’s a clear path to late offense.
The Philadelphia Phillies have hit the Game Total Over in 4 of their last 6 away games (+2.90 Units / 44% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Yankees.
| Location | LoanDepot Park, Miami, FL |
| Date | Friday, May 1, 2026 |
| First pitch | 7:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBCSP, Marlins.TV |
| Phillies starting pitcher | Zach Wheeler (0-0, 3.60 ERA) |
| Marlins starting pitcher | Eury Perez (2-2, 4.60 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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David Stearns has removed any cloud that might have been hanging over Mets manager Carlos Mendoza amid the team's 10-21 start.
"We know our record is not what we want, and we know we are capable of more," Stearns told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. "We don’t view this as a manager problem, and we don’t intend to make a change."
Regarding Stearns, DiComo notes that owner Seve Cohen has given "at least some assurances" that his job as president of baseball operations is safe.
Mendoza is in the third and final guaranteed year of his contract, with the Mets holding a team option for the 2027 season.
Stearns' above comments on Mendoza echo ones he gave on April 17, when he expressed confidence in the third-year manager while disagreeing with the notion that there should be more scrutiny on Mendoza.
"No. I think Mendy is doing a really good job," Stearns said. "I think he's putting our players in position to succeed. He's enormously consistent. So, no, I don't agree with that."
Asked how Mendoza was putting players in position to succeed, Stearns elaborated.
"I think both in terms of how he's managing in the clubhouse, how he's getting guys to the right pockets -- whether it's matchups out of the bullpen, the right matchups in games," Stearns explained. "I think he's doing a good job."
Mendoza has a 182-173 career record at the helm of the Mets.
In his first season in 2024, Mendoza oversaw a team that finished 89-73 and made a run to Game 6 of the NLCS.
In 2025, with the Mets' pitching staff largely ineffective in the second half of the season, New York tumbled all the way out of a playoff spot while finishing 83-79.
Stearns hired Mendoza in November of 2023, shortly after his stint leading the front office began.
The home team continued its dominance in the series as Cleveland won Game 5, 125-120. The Cavaliers were led by James Harden who lead the team in points (23), rebounds (9), and assists (5).
Cleveland holds a 3-2 series lead as they enter Game 6 in Toronto. The Cavaliers have the second-best offensive net rating at home this postseason and the third-worst on the road. Cleveland is shooting 28.2% from three in Toronto in the playoffs and are third-worst in turnovers per game (20.0) away from home. The Raptors are shooting 68.4% from the free throw line at home, which ranks worst of the entire playoff field.
Toronto won by 22 and 4 points during its home contests in Games 3 and 4. Toronto has been led in scoring every game by either Scottie Barnes or RJ Barrett — and both double doubled in Game 5's loss. The Raptors can force a Game 7 in Cleveland on Sunday with a home win tonight.
Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
This game spread opened with Cleveland favored by 3.5 points and the Game Total set at 219.5.
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The finalists for the Jack Adams Award were announced on Friday afternoon.
The award is given annually to the NHL coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success."
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, and Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Muse were named finalists for the award.
Jon Cooper, Dan Muse, and Lindy Ruff are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award! 👏 #NHLAwards
— NHL (@NHL) May 1, 2026
The Jack Adams Award is presented annually to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success. pic.twitter.com/cBmlUO184C
Cooper led the Lightning back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and is one of the best coaches in the NHL. He's also never won the award before.
Ruff guided the Sabres to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The Sabres had a dreadful start to this season, but caught fire in December and kept it going into the playoffs. They're one of the best teams in the league.
Muse took over a Penguins' team that had very low expectations for this season and guided them to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season. Several players also had career seasons under Muse, including Anthony Mantha, who finished the season with 33 goals and 64 points.
Erik Karlsson also had his best season as a Penguin under Muse, compiling 15 goals and 66 points in 75 games.
It's a well-deserved honor for Muse and time will tell if he wins it.
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