Hello world! There are only two Premier League games tonight, but still it could be a pivotal day in the season. Arsenal have been top of the table since they beat West Ham 2-0 on 4 October*, fully 201 days ago by my count, and tonight they will be knocked off their perch if Manchester City win at Burnley.
How likely is that? Well, in City’s last five visits to Turf Moor in all competitions they have come out on top every time, and by an aggregate scoreline of 14-1. No wonder Pep Guardiola says he is “more relaxed than ever”, declaring that nerves are, like, so last season.
Atlanta evened the score at Madison Square Garden with New York behind a Game 2, 107-106 Hawks win. The Hawks are back at home in Atlanta for a chance to go up 2-1 in the series.
CJ McCollum scored a game-high 32 points for Atlanta after putting up 26 in Game 1. The Hawks shot 49% from the field in Game 2, won the free throw battle, and had fewer turnovers than the Knicks.
New York had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Mikal Bridges' shot came up short. The Knicks' Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 29 points and all five starters recorded at least 10 points. The Knicks went 6-3 in road playoff games last year and won the first five away from New York.
Lets 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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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Hawks vs. Knicks
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026
Time: 7 PM EST
Site: State Farm Arena
City: Atlanta, GA
Network/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
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Game Odds: Hawks vs. Knicks
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Atlanta Hawks (-110), New York Knicks (-110)
Spread: Hawks -1.5
Total: 216.5 points
This game opened Knicks -1.5 with the Total set at 216.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Hawks vs. Knicks
Atlanta Hawks
PG CJ McCollum
SG Nickeil Walker-Alexander
SF Dyson Daniels
PF Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okoungwu
New York Knicks
PG Jalen Brunson
SG Josh Hart
SF Mikal Bridges
PF OG Anunoby
C Karl-Anthony Towns
Injury Report: Hawks vs. Knicks
New York Knicks
None
Atlanta Hawks
None
Important stats, trends and insights: Hawks vs. Knicks
Atlanta is 45-39 ATS this season and 21-20 ATS as the home team
Atlanta is 42-42 to the Over
New York is an NBA-worst 17-26 ATS as the road team
New York is 45-40 ATS this season
New York is 46-39 to the Under and 24-17 to the Under as the road team
The Under is 2-0 in the series
The Knicks and Hawks are both 1-1 ATS in the series
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Hawks and Knicks’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Hawks’ Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Hawks -1.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 216.5
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Cleveland is up 2-0 in the series over the Raptors but head to Toronto for a Game 3 all or nothing after a 115-105 Cavaliers Game 2 win.
Donovan Mitchell (30) and James Harden (28) combined for 58 points in Game 2's, 115-105 win. Both the Raptors and Cavaliers shot over 50% from the field, but below 35% from deep. Cleveland is the only team in the East that has yet to lost a game in the playoffs.
Toronto and everyone knows the chances of coming back from a 0-3 hole, so this is the last chance for the Raptors to make this a series. The Raptors got 48 combined points from Scottie Barnes (26) and Brandon Ingram (22), but the three other starters totaled 12 points.
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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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Raptors vs. Cavaliers
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026
Time: 8:10 PM EST
Site: Scotiabank Arena
City: Toronto, ON
Network/Streaming: NBC / Peacock
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Game Odds: Cavaliers vs. Raptors
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Cleveland Cavaliers (-155), Toronto Raptors (+130)
Spread: Cavaliers -3.5
Total: 219.5 points
This game sits right where it opened with Cleveland favored by 5.5 and the Game Total set at 221.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Cavaliers vs. Raptors
Toronto Raptors
PG Immanuel Quickley (questionable)
SG Brandon Ingram
SF RJ Barrett
PF Scottie Barnes
SF Jakob Poeltl
Cleveland Cavaliers
PG James Harden
SG Donovan Mitchell
SF Dean Wade
PF Evan Mobley
C Jarrett Allen
Injury Report: Raptors vs. Cavaliers
Toronto Raptors
Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) has been declared QUESTIONABLE of tonight’s game
Cleveland Cavaliers
None
Important stats, trends and insights: Raptors vs. Cavaliers
Cleveland is an NBA worst 35-49 ATS
Cleveland is 43-41 to the Under
Cleveland is 17-24 ATS on the road
Toronto is 51-33 to the Under, ranking tied for third-best
Toronto is 42-42 ATS
Toronto is 21-20 ATS as the home team
Toronto is 23-18 to the Under as the home team
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday’s Raptors and Cavaliers’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning toward a play on the Raptors Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Raptors +3.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 219.5
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An unexpected first round in the NBA playoffs has forced oddsmakers to adjust on the fly, with the Los Angeles Lakers being named new series favorites, albeit narrowly, and the San Antonio Spurs’ title dreams dwindling in light of Victor Wembanyama’s head injury.
Key Takeaways
The Lakers were the most-bet team to win their first-round series.
Oddsmakers moved L.A. up from +10,000 to +3,500 to win the NBA Finals.
Top books dropped the Spurs from +550 to +700 to win the championship after Wembanyama’s concussion.
The Lakers were supposed to be an afterthought for the Houston Rockets, who opened as -750 favorites (88.2% implied chance) to win the series. The Rockets have fallen a considerable distance to their current line of +115, although that still gives them a 46.5% implied chance to win four of the next five games.
Conversely, the Lakers are up to to -135 after opening at +550. LeBron James has never lost a series after taking a 2-0 lead, going 32-0.
That’s positive news for the betting public, as Los Angeles was the most-bet team to win a first-round series in the entire playoff bracket.
The purple and gold finished the season 53-29, one game ahead of the Rockets and in fourth in the Western Conference. They also won two of their three regular-season matchups, including both meetings in 2026.
However, the injury absences of leading scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves prompted the oddsmakers to mark the 5-seed Rockets as the team to beat.
The Lakers have also made up substantial ground in the NBA championship odds picture. DraftKings has them eighth at +3,500 after they began the playoffs at +10,000 and were as long as +12,000.
DraftKings still has the Rockets as -9.5 favorites in Game 3. Reaves has a chance to return from an oblique injury before the end of the series, while Doncic is presumed to be unavailable until the second round.
Spurs' odds slide
Heads turned away from screens and hands covered eyes Tuesday night when Wembanyama went clattering to the hardwood while trying to grab a loose ball.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman, who set franchise records for points scored and threes made in a playoff debut the game before, appeared to lose consciousness on the court and was later confirmed to have suffered a concussion. He did not return to the game, finishing with five points, four rebounds, one assist, and one block in 12 minutes.
SCARY SIGHT IN SAN ANTONIO 😳
Victor Wembanyama fell and slammed his face off the court while driving to the basket and had to be taken to the locker room 🤕pic.twitter.com/JIpub8b56z
The Portland Trail Blazers took advantage of Wembanyama’s absence, finishing the game on a 16-4 run to win 106-103 and knot the series at one game apiece. The teams will take the floor for Game 3 in Portland on Friday night.
The Spurs went from +500 to +550 in odds to win the NBA Finals at major online sportsbooks prior to Wemby’s fall and resultant injury. BetMGM has them at the shortest odds of all leading operators at +550, while FanDuel now lists them at +700.
The NBA has a 48-hour minimum before players can return from concussions. Wembanyama could still be back in time for Game 3 if he doesn’t need any extended recovery time.
The earliest that a player has ever returned from a concussion in the playoffs was four days, which would be the rest day between Games 3 and 4. Following a typical recovery timeline would put the Spurs’ star back sometime between Games 5 and 7.
DraftKings still has the Spurs as -550 favorites to win their series matchup with the +400 Blazers.
NBA title odds picture
The Oklahoma City Thunder still lead DraftKings' NBA title odds at -120. The Spurs and Boston Celtics (+650) are the only other teams below +1,000.
The Denver Nuggets (+1,100) and Cleveland Cavaliers (+1,400) lead the second tier of contenders before the odds lengthen to +2,200 for the sixth-place New York Knicks.
It started as an innocent enough play: Victor Wembanyama had guard Jrue Holiday on him and Wemby tried a spin move to get around (or through) his defender to get to the rim. Holiday pulled the chair on him, and in doing so tripped Wembanyama, who went to the ground — but Wemby tried to pass the ball so his hands could not protect his head, and he fell face-first onto the court. Wembanyama left the game not to return and is now in the league's concussion protocol, San Antonio announced before Game 2 ended.
The big question for Spurs fans: When will he return?
NBA Concussion Protocol
The NBA concussion protocol calls for 24 hours of no activity by the player after the injury. Following that, if he is symptom-free, for the next 24 hours, he can slowly, gradually start to do some basketball activity, but the player cannot begin full participation in the return to play protocol until at least 48 hours from the time of the injury.
From the NBA's protocol:
• The return to participation process involves several steps of increasing exertion — from a stationary bike, to jogging, to agility work, to non-contact team drills. • Each exertion stage must be directly monitored by a member of the team's medical staff. With each step, a focused neurological examination is performed, and a player must be symptom free to move to the next step. If a player is not symptom free after a step, he stops until he is symptom free and beings again at the previous step of the process (i.e., the last step he passed without any symptoms).
Once those steps are completed, the team physician must discuss the return-to-participation process and decision with the Director of the NBA Concussion Program, a doctor who specializes in these injuries.
When might Wembanyama return
Game 3 is in Portland on Friday night, and while in theory Wembanyama could be cleared by then, that seems unlikely at best. Especially considering San Antonio as an organization tends to be conservative in bringing players back from any injury.
Game 4 is Sunday, also in Portland, but don't be surprised if Wembanyama is out for that game as well. As noted by Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes, the median time missed for a concussion in the NBA is seven days, although because of the nature of the injury and its healing, some players are out longer (the average time missed is 9.3 days).
Victor Wembanyama Injury Update: There is no mandatory timeframe to complete the league's mandated protocol, primarily due to the variability associated with concussions. This season the average time lost for a concussion was 9.3 days (median = 7.0 days).
Game 5 is back in San Antonio on Tuesday, April 28, one week after the concussion happened.
Spurs without Wembanyama
San Antonio is used to playing without Wembanyama, and it went an impressive 12-6 in the games he missed this season. The Spurs overall had a neutral +.04 net rating when Wembanyama was off the court this season.
At center, Luke Kornet — who has been rock solid this season — moves into the starting lineup, and behind him one of Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk or Bismack Biyombo needs to step up.
However, what San Antonio needs is much better guard play than it saw late against Portland in Game 2 — the Spurs started the fourth quarter on a 13-0 run to go up by 14 with fewer than 10 minutes remaining, then they let Scoot Henderson and the Trail Blazers close the game on a 27-10 run to steal the win. Former Clutch Player of the Year De'Aaron Fox was 1-of-6 in the fourth quarter on Tuesday. Portland's Holiday outworked Devin Vassell for a rebound of an airballed 3 to get an easy bucket inside. The athletic, physical perimeter defenders for the Trail Blazers threw the Spurs' guards off their game.
For San Antonio to win on the road, the team's star guards — Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper — need to step up, get by their defenders and downhill to touch the paint, then either kick out for the open 3-pointer or score themselves. Each of them has an impressive midrange game and can finish at the rim, but all of that disappeared at the end of Game 2 when the Spurs needed it. That can't happen again. The Spurs need that trio to take over, not just tread water until Wembanyama returns.
The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks are locked at 1-1 as their opening round NBA Playoffs series heads south for Game 3 on Thursday.
My same-game parlay for this pivotal matchup is in a “New York state of mind”, banking on the Knicks to overcome a crushing loss in Game 2 and get solid work from two of its grittiest postseason performers in Game 3.
The New York Knicks had a 2-0 series lead in their hands, but poor foul shooting and careless turnovers opened the door for an advantageous Atlanta Hawks squad. New York has looked strong for seven of the first eight quarters in this series and feels the pressure not to let the Hawks get a whiff of hope as they head home.
OG Anunoby’s points total should be higher in Game 3. But the Knicks forward left points on the table with a 4-for-8 night from the charity stripe in Game 2. He dropped 18 in the series opener, doesn’t shrink on the road, and is projected for as many as 17+ points in Game 3.
Josh Hart finds another gear in the postseason and has been extremely active on the glass, averaging 19.0 rebounding chances in the opening two games. That nose for the ball has resulted in 13 and 14 boards in those outings. His Game 3 forecast once again sits around double figures on the glass from Hart.
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The New York Knicks should be taking a 2-0 series lead south when they travel to face the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3.
But it’s the Knicks we’re talking about here.
Blowing a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of Game 2 wasn’t the only bad beat for New Yorkers. Anyone banking on OG Anunoby to top his point prop had salt thrown in the wound.
Our Knicks vs. Hawks predictions peg OG for a bounce-back performance in Game 3 and my NBA picks like Anunoby to keep contributing on both ends of the floor.
Knicks vs Hawks prediction
Knicks vs Hawks best bet: OG Anunoby Over 15.5 points (-112)
Peace and love to anyone who bet on OG Anunoby to top his scoring prop of 16.5 points in Game 2.
The New York Knicks’ forward finished 4-for-8 from the free-throw line Monday and scored only 14 points in the loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Rough stuff.
Anunoby did enter Game 2 with a bum wheel after injuring his ankle in the series opener. He shot 4-for-9 from the floor after connecting on 6-of-9 FGAs along with all four of his free throws for 18 points in Game 1. However, he was still aggressively going after the Hawks defense in Game 2 and made two triples for the second straight outing.
Anunoby is putting in work, with 38 minutes in each of the first two games, but his usage has dropped to open this series. He’s normally shooting around 12 shots per outing but is taking a step back with defensive assignments a priority.
Considering how poorly Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges shot in Game 2 (a collective 13 for 36), OG needs to pull double duty as the series swings to Atlanta Thursday night. And while some of his teammates struggle outside of MSG, Anunoby actually averages almost two points more in the role of visitor.
He’s put up more than 16 points in three of five meetings with Atlanta overall, including 22 points in his most recent trip to State Farm Arena. Player projections sit between 16.4 and 17.1 points in Game 3.
Knicks vs Hawks same-game parlay
New York let Game 2 get away with turnovers and missed free throws sparking Atlanta’s rally from 12 points down entering the fourth quarter. The Knicks can’t give the Hawks hope. They’ve done a good job checking Atlanta’s top scorers and clean up their mess in Game 3.
Josh Hart is built for postseason play. He’s averaged 19.0 rebounding chances through the first two games of this series, hauling in 13 and 14 boards in those outings. His projections call for another double-digit night on the glass in Game 3.
Knicks vs Hawks SGP
Knicks moneyline
OG Anunoby Over 15.5 points
Josh Hart Over 7.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: Original Gangster
Anunoby’s two-way play is vital to the Knicks stealing a win in Atlanta. His projections sit as high as 17+ points and he’s snatched eight boards in each of the first two games. As for defense, the athletic forward swatted a shot in Game 2 and averages around a block per outing on the season.
Knicks vs Hawks SGP
Knicks moneyline
OG Anunoby Over 15.5 points
OG Anunoby Over 5.5 rebounds
OG Anunoby Over 0.5 blocks
Knicks vs Hawks odds for Game 3
Spread: New York +1 | Atlanta -1
Moneyline: New York -110 | Atlanta -110
Over/Under: Over 216 | Under 216
Knicks vs Hawks betting trend to know
The New York Knicks have stayed Under the total in 30 of their last 45 games (+13.50 Units/27% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Hawks.
How to watch Knicks vs Hawks Game 3
Location
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Date
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Knicks vs Hawks latest injuries
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Golden's name was linked to the Warriors on Monday, April 20 by Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, who reported that if Steve Kerr decides to leave the NBA franchise after 13 seasons, the Warriors would pursue Golden. However, based on Golden's response in a media availability on Wednesday, it appears that he has his eyes set on the sidelines in Gainesville and the SEC for the 2026-27 season.
"I’m definitely planning on coaching the Gators," Golden said on Wednesday during a media availability.
Kerr spoke at length about his future with the Warriors following the team's loss in the NBA play-in tournament, including an embrace with Draymond Green and Steph Curry on the court, where he acknowledged it could be his final game as the Warriors' coach.
O’Connor also mentioned that Golden's relationship with the Lacob family — who are the majority owners of the Warriors — was a reason he was being linked to Golden State.
"If Steve Kerr leaves, the Warriors will pursue Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden, according to my league sources," said O’Connor on his podcast on Monday. "Golden is the coach that they’re targeting, that’s in part because the Lacob family has a relationship with him.
"Golden was the head coach of the San Francisco Dons for three years before he went to Florida and won a national title there. They’ve been together, they’ve had lunches together, those guys know each other and Golden is a very, very talented young head coach. And so I think for the Warriors, Golden would be near the top of their list, if not at the top of the list."
Should Golden change his stance and consider a job in the NBA this cycle, his buyout for an NBA job would be $2 million, according to his contract with Florida, which was obtained by the USA TODAY Sports network.
Golden, 40, has quickly risen to being one of the top college basketball coaches in the country after just four seasons at Florida. He's returned the program to its national prominence, highlighted by its national championship run in 2025 that featured the No. 2 adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 6 adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.
Florida is 103-41 combined under Golden, who spent the first three years of his head coaching career in the West Coast Conference at San Francisco.
The Gators, who saw a first-weekend exit from the Men's NCAA Tournament this year after earning a No. 1 seed, are expected to have one of the top rosters in the country next season. Thomas Haugh announced his return to the Gators on Tuesday and picked up Denzel Aberdeen in the transfer portal to go along with returnees Alex Condon and Boogie Fland.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 17: Matt Waldron #61 of the San Diego Padres delivers a pitch to the plate during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 17, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Right-handed starter Matt Waldron began the 2026 season on the injured list, recovering from surgery that was needed in the spring. He had begun throwing again before Spring Training ended but needed to build up from being out of action for a few weeks.
He entered the El Paso Chihuahuas rotation and worked up his innings and pitch count over three starts and 12 innings pitched. He was then called into action when Padres ace Nick Pivetta went on the injured list himself with a flexor tendon strain suffered on April 12.
Waldron would ideally have had more of a buildup if they were trying to copy a normal Spring Training with his time in Triple-A. At least two more starts in El Paso would have been ideal. That was not going to happen after Pivetta’s injury. Neither of the other two pitchers in El Paso were better options. Although both are major league pitchers, Griffin Canning is being built up and is not ready. JP Sears has been largely ineffective in his appearances so far this season.
Waldron gets hit hard
It should not be surprising, nor should everyone panic, that his first outing did not impress. His 12 innings in Triple-A were great, no runs allowed and only one walk with 12 strikeouts. But there remains a big difference between Triple-A hitters and the big-league level.
Waldron’s command was not sharp on top of the fact that he wasn’t getting his usual movement on his fastball. He only lasted 3.2 innings and allowed eight hits and six earned runs, walking one and striking out four. With his velocity, he has to have command and be efficient in order to be successful. He was both of those things in 2024, when he was the most effective pitcher on the San Diego Padres roster for at least half the season. In that season, he used the knuckleball the same amount as he did in his unsuccessful start for the Padres on April 17.
Velocity increased
The biggest difference, other than the result, between this version of Waldron and the one we have seen in the past is that he is slimmer and stronger. Devoting his offseason to getting in better shape, Waldron has added a significant uptick in velocity on all his pitches.
Fastball velocity now averages 92.5 mph (tops at 94-95), up from 90.1 from 2025. His cutter now sits 88.8 average, up from 87. His sinker is averaging 91.9, up from 89.8 last year. His slider is now 81.8, up from 81 last season. His knuckle ball averages 80.9 and was 79.4 last season.
Using a five-pitch mix, Waldron now throws his fastball, slider and knuckleball most frequently. In his one start with the Padres, he still threw the knuckler more than any other pitch, but his fastball usage was about 20% and his knuckler at 37%.
The sinker and cutter are both under 10% of his offerings and the slider was thrown 25% of the time. Unfortunately, the fastball was left over the plate too often and he did not have the best feel for his knuckle ball during his outing.
Stuff is improved
Despite the lack of command and execution last Friday, his stuff is rated higher this season than in years past. According to FanGraphs, his Stuff+ has taken a jump on all of his pitches. With 100 being the average quality of a pitch for a starter in MLB, Waldron has a 98 rating on his pitches, a 111 rating on his Location+ and a 108 on his Pitching+ rating.
Pitching+ is Stuff and Location combined to rate the overall quality of a pitcher’s offerings. There is no other season in his career where his stuff is rated this highly.
Hope for rapid improvement
After rushing Waldron into the rotation in order to not use the bullpen excessively, the Padres were probably not expecting a stellar performance. In his start, Waldron was also up against one of the best pitchers in baseball in Jose Soriano of the Los Angeles Angels. The hitters were shut out in that game so the number of runs allowed wouldn’t have mattered in any way.
At least one to two more starts need to be used to get Waldron tuned up before anyone makes any real assessment of who he will be as a starter this year. It would not be fair to make any decisions on a pitcher while he is still in his Spring Training buildup. He will also be working with Ruben Niebla and his staff to refine his stuff while building up.
The Padres starters have all had at least one rocky start so far this season, it is up to the offense and the bullpen to support Waldron until he is built up to at least the beginning point of the other starters.
The days where Waldron starts will be a challenge for the coaching staff to make a pitching plan that allows the team a chance to win if he is not executing well. Otherwise, bullpen games are the only option until Canning is ready or another pitcher is found.
Everyone should be rooting for Waldron to improve as rapidly as possible and hope his best is good enough to hold down his spot in the rotation.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to go up 2-0 in their first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. The Thunder routed the Suns 119-94 in Game 1. Oklahoma City is heavily favored at -17.5 with an over/under of 215.5.
How to watch Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Game 1:Thunder 119, Suns 94 Game 2: Wed., April 22 at Oklahoma City (9:30 p.m., ESPN) Game 3: Sat., April 25 at Phoenix (3:30 p.m., NBC) Game 4: Mon., April 27 at Phoenix (TBD) *Game 5: Wed., April 29 at Oklahoma City (TBD) *Game 6: Fri., May 1 at Phoenix (TBD) *Game 7: Sun., May 3 at Oklahoma City (TBD)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 17: Kyle Leahy #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Daikin Park on April 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals wrap up their road trip Wednesday against the Miami Marlins. Kyle Leahy (2-2 with a 5.21 ERA) is scheduled to make the start for the Cardinals while Janson Junk (0-2 with a 4.50 ERA) will take the mound for the Marlins. First pitch scheduled for 11:10am.
The Detroit Tigers will be looking to bounce back from a series opener loss to the Milwaukee Brewers as the two teams meet again tonight.
Behind Casey Mize, I’m eyeing Detroit to snatch the second game of this series in my Brewers vs. Tigers predictions.
Read more for my MLB picks for Wednesday, April 22.
Who will win Brewers vs Tigers today: Tigers moneyline (-130)
The Detroit Tigers were blown out 12-4 on Tuesday, dropping a rare home game. When playing at Comerica Park this season, the Tigers have compiled an 8-2 record at home this season. To put that dominance into perspective, they’re 12-12 overall.
AJ Hinch sends Casey Mize to the mound tonight, who has pitched to a 2.78 ERA. He’s only made one start at home, but it was impressive, allowing one earned run across 5.2 innings. The Brew Crew has faced him before, but they’ve only had 24 at-bats throughout the lineup.
On the other side, Chad Patrick takes the hill. Detroit has never faced him, but Patrick’s 0.95 ERA is a bit misleading. Firstly, he hasn’t faced a ton of difficult lineups so far, and Patrick relies heavily on contact, striking out just nine hitters in 19 innings. He also has a 3.93 FIP.
The Tigers are scoring over five runs per game at home as well.
COVERS INTEL:Mize has struck out 25 hitters in 22.2 innings of work, and he owns an impressive 1.19 WHIP. Milwaukee is 14th in the Majors in strikeouts.
Brewers vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 runs (-120)
While I do expect both pitchers to throw the ball well, there’s reason to believe we could see a decent amount of runs, even if they come later in the game. Patrick will come down to earth, and Detroit will respond with a win. However, the trends point to runs.
The Brew Crew has cashed the Over in three of their last four. The Tigers have also hit the Over in runs in three straight. Both of these bullpens also have ERAs over four, so once the starters have departed, there’s lots of opportunity for runs.
Plus, the Milwaukee Brewers are fourth in runs scored, and Detroit is 15th. As previously mentioned, they swing it better at Comerica, too.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets:6-4, -1.71 units
Over/Under bets:7-3, +3.19 units
Brewers vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: Milwaukee +119 | Detroit -131
Run line: Milwaukee +1.5 (-183) | Detroit -1.5 (+158)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-121) | Under 7.5 (+105)
Brewers vs Tigers trend
The Detroit Tigers have hit the Game Total Over in 28 of their last 45 games at home (+13.70 Units / 28% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Tigers.
How to watch Brewers vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
First pitch
6:40 p.m. ET
TV
Brewers.TV, DSN
Brewers starting pitcher
Chad Patrick (1-0, 0.95 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Casey Mize (1-1, 2.78 ERA)
Brewers vs Tigers latest injuries
Brewers vs Tigers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
NEW YORK — The flailing Mets returned home Tuesday to a quieter reception than manager Carlos Mendoza and his players anticipated with the club trying to snap an 11-game losing streak.
The tone changed once it became clear the skid was going to last at least another night.
Embattled closer Devin Williams allowed a tiebreaking RBI single to Luke Keaschall in the ninth inning and New York lost its 12th straight, falling 5-3 to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.
With an opening-day payroll of $352.2 million that tops the majors, the Mets have baseball’s worst record at 7-16. The skid is their longest since they dropped 12 straight from Aug. 10-23, 2002. No team has made the playoffs after a season in which it lost 12 in a row.
New York is hitting .194 during the losing streak while being outscored 67-22. The Mets didn’t have slugger Juan Soto for any of that stretch, but he is expected to come off the injured list Wednesday after missing the last 16 games with a strained right calf.
“I’ve never been a part of something like this,” Williams said. “I think we just need to get the one win out of the way and I think everything else will take care of itself. But it’s obviously proving pretty difficult right now.”
Williams, who failed to record an out, was booed off the mound by what was left of the announced crowd of 32,798. The actual crowd appeared far smaller on a night when the temperature at first pitch was 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 Celsius).
At least a few spectators showed their displeasure with the time-honored tradition of wearing paper bags over their heads.
Fans began chanting “Fire Mendy!” as Williams loaded the bases. Austin Warren relieved Williams and received an ovation when he struck out Royce Lewis. The crowd then chanted his name after he struck out the next two batters, Brooks Lee and Byron Buxton.
The mood was far lighter a few hours earlier.
Patrick Heaney, the only person in section 524 at Citi Field shortly before the start of the game, grinned as he gazed at a sea of empty seats.
“You wouldn’t be here tonight if you weren’t a Met fan,” Heaney said.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor said following Sunday’s 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs that he expected it to “get very loud” Tuesday night. But the fans didn’t make much noise until the third inning, when Lindor hit a three-run homer to open the scoring and give the Mets their biggest lead since a 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on April 5.
“I think if they can get it going today, I think the fans will rally around them,” said Josh Hudson, a Tennessee resident in town for business who was sitting in section 509 with a $15 ticket he bought on the secondary market.
Heaney, a resident of Malverne on Long Island who wore a Mets hat and 2022 playoff sweatshirt, grinned as he recalled how he ended up buying a $12 ticket and heading to the game alone.
“I couldn’t get my wife to come,” Heaney said. “I couldn’t get my kids to come. I couldn’t get my friends to come. I bought one ticket, the cheapest one I could find, and I’m going to see if I can help them turn it around.”
Mendoza, in his third season as manager after six seasons on the Yankees’ coaching staff, said before the game he wouldn’t mind a frosty reception because he knows how fans will react if the team fares better.
“They’re also going to be right behind you when we flip it around,” Mendoza said. “We’ve seen that before, too, so it’s nothing new for us that have been here. We expect those guys to continue to support us, but we’ve got to do better for them, too.
“It’s all part of it. It comes with the territory. Wouldn’t want it any other way.”
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 20, 2026: Charles Davalan #88 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs out a foul ball during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the San Diego Padres at Camelback Ranch on March 20, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
With Tulsa’s game getting postponed in Frisco, the Oklahoma City Comets were left to salvage the day across the Dodgers minor league system, even though certain individuals performed at a very high level elsewhere.
Player of the day
The Great Lakes Loons’ loss against the Beloit Sky Carp didn’t result from a lack of offensive firepower, primarily led by the efforts of Charles Davalan and Jose Meza, both homering twice for the first time this season. In fact, Meza, who was the Loons DH on the evening, had only one home run the whole year prior to this game.
Meza’s performance was more boom or bust, with him striking out the other three times he didn’t homer, going two for five. Meanwhile, Davalan added another hit on top of his two long balls and continues to impress since being selected with the 41st pick of last year’s Draft.
Playing in High-A for the first time in his career, Davalan has a .321 batting average in 56 at-bats with eight extra-base hits, one of the standout performers for the Great Lakes Loons.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
A strong offensive performance in the first inning turned out to be nearly all the Comets needed to beat the Reiniers at home and give Ryder Ryan his second win of the season, moving to a 2-0 record despite having an ERA slightly above 5.00.
James Tibbs III and Jack Suwinski got the scoring started for the Comets, both with RBI doubles in the first, but it was Austin Gathier who headlined this win. The veteran second baseman hit a two-run homer to complete the crooked number in the first and added an RBI single in the third, driving in Tibbs III.
Ryan’s start wasn’t smooth, with nine baserunners in just five innings, but he kept the Comets in control of the game, allowing just three runs, and ultimately that was all that mattered. Sent to OKC after a couple of scoreless outings with the Tower Buzzers, Brock Stewart secured a hold in this game with a pair of strikeouts in a clean inning.
Double-A Tulsa
Tulsa’s game was postponed, which means a doubleheader today against Frisco.
High-A Great Lakes
Twice, both in the fifth and seventh innings, the Loons had a four-run lead thanks to out-homering the Sky Carp five to one. That wasn’t enough to secure the win as their bullpen completely imploded to allow six runs in the seventh, culminating in a 10-8 defeat.
The first reliever out of the bullpen in the sixth, Joseilyn González got through his opening frame without a problem, but he allowed the first three hitters he faced in the seventh to reach safely—it was a mess that not only Justin Chambers was unable to clean, but significantly worsened, leaving the game with three earned runs and without recording a single out.
This blown save squandered a rare game with not one but two different hitters going deep twice for the Loons in Davalan and Meza. The offense had a chance to get back into it late, trailing 9-8 at the top of the eighth, but Nico Pérez got picked off attempting to swipe second base with two outs and Meza at the plate, thus ending the threat.
Class-A Ontario
If the bullpen was to blame for the Loons’ particularly frustrating defeat, the relievers contributed heavily to a blowout loss against the San José Giants, who now moved to a 12-4 record after beating the Towe Buzzers 12-2.
Starter Brady Smith wasn’t really on his game, but the right-hander just allowed one unearned run in three innings of work. Three of the four relievers to come out of Ontario’s bullpen allowed at least three earned runs, and at the end of nine, the Tower Buzzers pitchers had more walks (9) than strikeouts (8).
The offense had no answer against Keyner Martíinez, who struck out seven on his way to five clean innings. Much like it was used to describe the struggles of Ontario’s pitching, the strikeout-to-walk ratio serves to highlight the Giants’ dominance, punching out 15 and walking just two.
Transactions
The Tulsa Drillers placed catcher Yeiner Fernandez and left-hander Luke Fox on the 7-day injured list. The Dodgers optioned outfielder Ryan Ward to the Comets and also sent righty Brock Stewart to a rehab assignment with OKC. Lastly, the Comets activated Chuckie Robinson from the injured list.
Tuesday’s scores
Oklahoma City 5, Tacoma 4
Double-A game postponed
Beloit 10, Great Lakes 8
San José 12, Ontario 2
Wednesday’s schedule
9:10 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jakob Wright) at Beloit (TBD)
2:30 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at Frisco (Josh Trentadue)
Game 2: Tulsa (Roque Gutierrez) at Frisco (Blake Townsend)
4:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Christian Romero) vs. Tacoma (Dane Dunning)
6:00 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at San Jose (Jordan Gottesman)
Since Michigan basketball cut down the nets inside Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, the top priority for men's college basketball programs over the last two weeks has been finding solutions to holes in their roster from last season with the transfer portal.
Programs like Louisville, Indiana, Texas and Tennessee have proven to be big winners with their activity in the transfer portal, which has included additions of Flory Bidunga and Jackson Shelstad to the Cardinals and Isaiah Johnson and David Punch to the Longhorns.
But with the transfer portal entry window officially closed, there's another key entry deadline looming for college basketball players: to declare for the NBA draft, either by forgoing their college eligibility or retaining it by "testing the waters."
There have already been some players who enter the portal, committed to a new program and remain in the NBA draft process, like Bidunga and John Blackwell, who announced his transfer from Wisconsin to Duke on Tuesday. There have been players, like UConn's Braylon Mullins, who were projected to go into the draft but elected to return to college next season instead. But other household names have yet to officially announce their plans for next season with the deadline looming not too far in the distance.
So, with April 24's deadline looming, who has already declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, and more importantly, who hasn't, as teams continue to fill out their rosters for the 2026-2027 college basketball season?
Here's a closer look at the NBA draft prospect pool and key deadlines and dates for the 2026 NBA Draft:
Who hasn't declared for NBA draft yet?
Each of the top three projected picks for the 2026 NBA Draft — Duke's Cameron Boozer, BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Kansas' Darryn Peterson — have yet to announce their decision to declare at the time of this writing. All three players are expected to declare for the NBA draft before Friday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline.
In USA TODAY Sports' latest NBA mock draft, Dybantsa is projected to go No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards, while Boozer is projected to go to the Indiana Pacers and Peterson is projected to land with the Brooklyn Nets with the No. 2 and No. 3 overall picks, respectively.
Here's a list of some notable college basketball players who haven't declared for the NBA draft yet:
* Denotes players who have also entered the transfer portal and/or testing NBA waters
When is the NBA draft entry deadline?
The entry deadline for players for the 2026 NBA Draft is 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24.
Friday's deadline is one of several key deadlines for players who apply for NBA draft entry, however. Should a player enter the draft but decide to "test the waters" and keep their college eligibility, they have until 11:59 p.m ET on May 27 to withdraw and return to their respective college program. The NBA-specific deadline for an early entry player to withdraw from the pool of prospects is 5 p.m. ET on June 13.
When is the 2026 NBA Draft?
The 2026 NBA Draft starts on June 23 at 8 p.m. ET with the first round at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The second round will start at 8 p.m. ET on June 24 at the Barclays Center.
COVERS INTEL: