Fans watch from the stands as the Arizona Diamondbacks play against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on Sunday, March 2, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Good morning. It’s “it’s baseball season!” season.
It is the beginning of the Skip Schumaker era that highlights the upcoming season for the Texas Rangers, so says MLB dot com folks.
Assuming he’s not manning third base in Arlington by like June, R.J. Anderson writes that Sebastian Walcott is among the best bets to be the best prospect in baseball come 2027.
And, former longtime Rangers beat writer T.R. Sullivan has a retrospective on the infamous Harold Baines/Sammy Sosa trade via MLB Trade Rumors.
Should Mickey Lolich, and many others like him, be in or out of baseball’s Hall? | (Photo by SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Yeah, so the timing is weird (no Hall vote for another 10 months, and no induction ceremony for five), but sometimes inspiration overrides practicality. A brief discussion among staff regarding the size of the Hall of Fame — in fact emanating from a comment about it being laughable that Bulls coach Billy Donovan is in the Basketball Hall of Fame — led to this point-counterpoint from Brian O’Neill and David James. It’s not our “Discussion” topic today, but feel free to weigh in on whether you are big-Hall or small-Hall, down in the comments.
A Big Hall, for a Weird Sport in a Dumb and Beautiful World
by Brian O’Neil
A co-worker, one who delightfully brings in the newspaper every day, came up to last week and, obit page open, said, “This guy who just died pitched three complete games in the 1968 World Series.” Before he even finished, my synapses fired and I said, confidently, “Yeah, Denny McClain.”
No! Shit! It was Mickey Lolich, I realized before the words were even out of my mouth. McClain is the other Tigers pitcher from 1968, the guy who somehow won 30 games that year. The same year Bob Gibson had a 1.12 ERA, the lowest in the live-ball era. The same Gibson who Lolich outdueled in that unmatched Fall Classic in that most terrible of American years. But of course, only Gibson is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
If you’re reading this, you might say, “Of course, that makes sense. Gibson is one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, the other two are journeymen who had a bafflingly great year, or just a legendary series. Gibson is immortal; Lolich left baseball and ran a donut shop.”
But that gets to the heart of the “Big Hall” argument, where it’s OK that players who aren’t obvious Olympians make the Hall of Fame. There are many who understandably think that degrades the Hall, cheapens the accomplishments of the best of the best, and perhaps that it makes it seem like being great is somehow easy. Or at least achievable, even for a guy like Harold Baines.
That’s understandable. But it also misunderstands what the Hall is, and maybe is even slightly off-kilter with the madness of baseball (I say this knowing full well that David James, below, understands the game at a level I do not and never will).
Let’s start with the Hall of Fame. We tend to use that phrase as synecdoche for an incredible career. “Is X a Hall-of-Famer?” is, when we ask it, about greatness. It’s tangible and stat-based, but not concrete. We ask if this player is mythical. The actual Hall, however, isn’t mythical. It is essentially a private club where a small clique of self-selected misanthropes bring their biases and blind spots to decide something that pretends to be a public good. The veteran and old-timer committees expand that, but it also falls more often than not into cliquish or piqued cronyism.
It isn’t pure. It isn’t an objective signifier of greatness, as you know when thinking about your favorite player who isn’t in the Hall. And there is no real way to make it so. Expanding voting to, say, the public would be just as dumb, as you’d have idiots like me thinking, “Hell yeah, Ron Karkovice should be a Hall-of-Famer, I loved that guy!” And going the other direction — a set of numbers that someone has to achieve, be it dingers or wins or WAR or or whatever — is a bit of autonomic drudgery.
And baseball, which gives us the great gift of numbers, so many wonderful numbers, is still anything but drudgery. It’s weird and unpredictable and maddeningly difficult and anyone who excels at it is doing something that is nearly impossible.
Let’s look at Lolich again.
He was a very good pitcher. Career WAR of 47, comps to Jim Bunning and Billy Pierce and Vida Blue, with peaks in the Bert Blyleven zone. Longevity and still that begat 2,800 strikeouts. By most accounts, not a Hall-of-Famer. Good career, cool story, but not immortal.
Says who, though? Some mustard-stained sportswriter? Deciding one man’s legacy?
But think of a slightly bigger Hall. Think about a Hall that recognizes where good verges into great, where a guy who had a solid career doing something nearly impossible, who in one improbable fall where the country was falling apart gave people a positive reason to disbelieve reality, in the same way that Shohei Ohtani did for us last year.
That’s not nothing. Feeling the improbable is why we love sports even if we know it makes no sense in a world run by depraved maniacs. If there was a bigger Hall, there’d be more to celebrate. There’d be more people to marvel at, even if you marvel at them less than god’s chosen destroyer, Bob Gibson.
Having Lolich as a Hall-of-Famer wouldn’t take anything away from Gibson. It would show him to be a great among greats. Remind us that most people can barely throw a baseball and Lolich could do it better than 99% of anyone else and that 1% is Bob Gibson, and isn’t that cool? Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t that baseball?
Raising Hall standards doesn’t mean raising the standard for greatness: The 1968 World Series hero should be memorialized by the Tigers, not the Hall
by David James
I think of the Big Hall-Small Hall debate as a spectrum. One end says “Great Career” and the other says “Great Stretch.” At the Career end are the Babe Ruths, Tom Seavers and Jackie Robinsons who put up MVP-caliber numbers for 10-plus years. The other extreme is for the flash-in-the-pan types like Yermín Mercedes or Joe Hall (ifyky.) In the middle of that spectrum is everyone else.
Having an opinion on the Baseball Hall of Fame means drawing your line, your personal threshold along that spectrum where you believe longevity and greatness combine to create a Hall-of-Famer. I have commissioned the artist rendition below for $750:
I’ll be the first to admit that the Hall has contradictions. Freddie Lindstrom is in the Hall of Fame with a career 28.5 bWAR and one really good lobbyist in former Hall of Fame Veteran’s Committee member Frankie Frisch. Mickey Lolich, by any measure, is better than Freddie Lindstrom. There’s an injustice somewhere.
But adding Lolich doesn’t rectify it. The real answer is to retract Lindstrom, alongside a handful of other clear nepotism cases from over the years.
I don’t want to throw mud, though. I want to celebrate Lolich, who passed away on February 4. Mainly, I want to celebrate his 1968 World Series because this is fucking insane: Lolich went 3-0, throwing three complete games and a Series ERA of 1.67. Here they are, in all their splendor:
Game 2: After Bob Gibson outdueled 31-game winner Denny McLain in Game 1, Lolich dog-walked the Cardinals lineup for nine dominant innings. Final line: CG, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO. He also hit a home run, just ’cuz.
Game 5: The Cards won Games 3 and 4, putting them ahead, 3-1, in the series. Lolich gave up three runs in the top of the first because he was searching for ways to challenge himself. His interest now sufficiently piqued, Lolich locked down the Cardinals lineup the rest of the way. Just want to stress, by the way, that these Cardinals boasted Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda, Roger Maris and Curt Flood. Final line: CG, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO. He also went 1-for-4 and scored a run! (Lolich was a career .110 hitter, FYI. Like Gucci Mane after him, Lolich was shining for no apparent reason.)
Game 7: The Tigers matched up Lolich against Gibson for the winner-take-all game. We’re in the year 1968, mind you. When I say “Bob Gibson was pitching,” that means Bob Gibson was pitching. That’s 1.12 ERA Bob Gibson, the guy who strained so hard while he threw, he pissed blood after his starts as a matter of routine. That Bob Gibson.
Gibson and Lolich gave up four combined baserunners in the first five innings. Gibson blinked in the seventh, giving up three runs. Lolich never stumbled until the 27th out, when he gave up a solo home run to Mike Shannon. He got the final out via Tim McCarver, who then became a broadcaster and sought his revenge on baseball.
I’m going to give Lolich credit for a gentlemen’s shutout because this is my half of the article. Here’s the “official” line: CG, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO, and a Game 7 victory over Bob Gibson!
—
Here’s one thing about the Baseball Hall of Fame we never discuss: It’s a pain in the ass to get to. The closest city you can fly into is Albany, 90 minutes west of Cooperstown via I-88. If I’m going to go through the effort I want to learn about the undisputed greats: Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Josh Gibson. Mickey Lolich is 148th in bWAR all-time among starting pitchers; he shouldn’t make the cut on anyone’s first visit.
I want to end by stressing this, however: When I say somebody doesn’t meet my threshold for the Hall of Fame, I don’t do it with my nose in the air. In fact, do you know who should celebrate Lolich? The Detroit Tigers! He’s the franchise leader in both strikeouts (306 ahead of Verlander) and shutouts (39, five more than deadball-era great George Mullen.)
I had assumed Lolich was enshrined in the Comerica Park Walk of Fame, but he’s not! And that is the real miscarriage. Lolich’s greatness may not transcend the Tigers, but he is a pillar of the team’s history, just as much as fellow ’68 Tigers Al Kaline, Norm Cash and baseball’s final 30-game winner, Denny McClain.
If Mark Buehrle never makes the Hall of Fame, in contrast, he’ll always have a statue in center field of Sox Park. He’ll have dozens of fans every game day posing with his statue, celebrating the impact he had on generations of Sox fans. And he didn’t even get screwed around, like the Hall infamously did with the posthumous honors for Dick Allen and Ron Santo. In fact, Buerhle got to pose for the damn statue himself! Buehrle doesn’t need the Hall of Fame to validate any of that.
And while a Sox fan may understandably never fly to Albany, or a Tigers fan may never drive I-80 east of Niagara, they’re both far more likely to make the journey to catch their favorite team play a ball game at home, where their core baseball memories are made.
The Cleveland Cavaliers hope to extend a three-game winning streak when they visit Ball Arena and the Denver Nuggets.
With both groups missing their best defenders, my Cavaliers vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks expect a high-scoring affair in the Mile High City tonight.
Cavaliers vs Nuggets prediction
Cavaliers vs Nuggets best bet: Over 237.5 (-110)
The Denver Nuggets have been a reliable Over machine this season, cashing at a 64% rate. That trend gets stronger at Ball Arena, especially with Aaron Gordon sidelined.
His absence removes Denver’s best defensive stopper and often turns games into faster, offense-first matchups. Denver is 15-9 to the Over at home, mostly without him.
On the other side, the Cleveland Cavaliers are missing Evan Mobley, the backbone of their defense. Since adding James Harden, their offense has leaned more aggressively.
The Cavs pushed the pace in Harden’s debut and scored 130 points. With Mobley out, expect more scoring responsibility for Donovan Mitchell and Harden, which makes the Over the preferred side.
Cavaliers vs Nuggets same-game parlay
Jarrett Allen has scored 17+ points in three of his last five games and meets a Nuggets defense allowing over 42 ppg in the paint.
Allen’s big scoring night should lead to a Cavs victory. Harden’s versatility will hurt the Nuggets, and I’ll back Cleveland to win straight up.
Cavaliers vs Nuggets SGP
Over 237.5
Jarrett Allen Over 15.5 points
Cavaliers moneyline
Our "from downtown" SGP: Jarrett, Jaylon, and Jamal!
Jaylon Tyson has scored 13+ points in four of his last five games, while Jamal Murray has scored at least 26 points in three straight contests.
Cavaliers vs Nuggets SGP
Over 237.5
Jarrett Allen Over 15.5 points
Jaylon Tyson Over 12.5 points
Jamal Murray Over 25.5 points
Cavaliers moneyline
Cavaliers vs Nuggets odds
Spread: Cavaliers -1 | Nuggets +1
Moneyline: Cavaliers -115 | Nuggets -105
Over/Under: Over 237.5 | Under 237.5
Cavaliers vs Nuggets betting trend to know
The Nuggets have only cashed the Under in 13 of their last 40 games for -16.70 units and a -38% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Nuggets.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Nuggets
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Monday, February 9, 2026
Tip-off
9:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN-Ohio, ALT
Cavaliers vs Nuggets latest injuries
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
MILAN (AP) — Host nation Italy secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Olympic women's hockey tournament for the first time by beating Japan 3-2 on Monday.
Italy improved to 2-1, with one game left against Germany, and is guaranteed one of the three quarterfinal spots in Group B, where the five lower-ranked teams play.
“I think this is everybody’s dream coming true,” Italy's Canada-born goalie Gabriella Durante said. “Hopefully this just grows hockey in Italia that much more for little girls all over the country.”
Matilde Fantin scored the first two goals, giving Italy a 2-0 lead after the first period.
After Rui Ukita scored for Japan in the second period, Italy responded with Kristin Della Rovere scoring in the third. Akane Shiga's goal in the third period, confirmed after a lengthy video review to check the puck had crossed the line, kept the pressure on Italy.
Italy’s players poured off the bench at the buzzer to hug Durante, who made 27 saves.
“We had so many people blocking shots and dumping pucks in, just hard work that hurts the body,” she said. “Everybody’s willing to sacrifice for the family and it’s really an amazing feeling to win like that.”
Italy is making just its second Olympic appearance — both as the host team — and lost all four outings at the 2006 Turin Games, finishing last among the eight-team field.
Later Monday, the United States seeks its third win against Switzerland and Canada aims to improve to 2-0 against Czechia. Germany plays France.
There is a lot to like about the Red Sox this season. A full year of Roman Anthony. What could be the best starting rotation in baseball. And swag as you scan your ticket.
Boston hasn’t always had the strongest lineup of giveaways, and “first 7500 fans” is rather stingy for an organization that nearly sells out most games, but there are still some highlights.
Some of the “giveaways” are just days that kids can run the bases which is something and very cool if you are a kid (I don’t think they even did this when I was a kid?) But that’s not really a giveaway in the same sense. Those games are Sunday May 3rd against the Astros (this is also Star Wars Night which is a special ticket event, so if your kids are Star Wars fans this may be the game for you), May 24 against the Twins, July 1 against the Nationals, July 26th against the Blue Jays, and August 23rd against the Giants.
Outside of those dates, here are the highlights.
Roman Anthony Rookie Card Bobblehead
April 6 vs the Brewers: The Roman Empire himself leads off the giveaways. Coming off a tremendous rookie year he’s looking to to take it to the next level. And you can join in that effort with this bobblehead. It looks like a diorama with the “bobblehead”figure integrated into the “card” in three dimensions. If you’re thinking “April is too cold for me” well the average high has been 53.5 and the low 38.1. But it’s also hit both 82 (1928) and 21 (1943). So weigh the odds but get there early (this advice applies for all the giveaways).
April 20 vs the Tigers: It’s Patriots’ Day and if you like morning baseball you can be part of the 1/4 in attendance to receive this jacket. You’ll get to see the Red Sox in their home Boston jerseys. And the normal crossover with the Marathon.
May 7 vs the Rays: There are five jerseys and five bobbleheads so it’s probably luck of the draw and maybe you need to find someone to trade with if you don’t get the color of your dreams. Red, City Connect yellow, home white, City Connect Fenway green, and the road grays will all be available.
Don’t those first two just pop? Also, imagine a five-man rotation of all Garrett Crochets? Fire up the duck boats!
May 22 vs the Twins: Clemens struck out 20 batters two times so there are two poses of #21 on the bobble base. We all remember when the Rocket pitched from his little seat on the mound.
June 12 vs Rangers: Get ready for the World Cup with this giveaway. A Fenway green City Connect scarf with all the details of the Green Monster is waiting for you to wear in Foxboro against, well, whatever team you want to cheer for.
I almost wonder why Fenway Sports Group didn’t try to fit a World Cup game at Fenway Park? Probably limited capacity, timing, etc. But still…would anyone have been surprised if they tried?
July 1 vs Nationals: The soccer crossover continues with a team USA soccer jersey emblazoned with the Red Sox B. It’s covered in stars and is a pullover reminiscent of the 1975 jersey style.
July 19 vs Rays: Ok, son this isn’t a giveaway as much as an experience, like kids running the bases. But it’s available to everyone and there is only one. I went a couple years ago and you really can’t appreciate how tall Chris Martin is until he bends way down for a picture and still looks really tall.
September 7 vs Angels: this is the American football jersey. At least I think it is. The design feels like it could have used a bit more something. A number? Maybe a number.
The Minnesota Timberwolves enter tonight’s NBA matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on a miserable stretch, and they haven’t looked like a title contender at all.
As a result, my Hawks vs. Timberwolves predictions and NBA picks back Jalen Johnson and the Hawks to cover the spread tonight at Target Center.
Hawks vs Timberwolves prediction
Hawks vs Timberwolves best bet: Hawks +6.5 (-110)
The Minnesota Timberwolves looked terrible after getting blown out by the Clippers, and their defense is currently a sieve, allowing over 124 points per game during the last four games.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks are playing inspired basketball, winning six of their last 10. Jalen Johnson is a mismatch nightmare, he's fresh off a 31-point performance and has already dropped 34 on Minnesota earlier this season..
With Minnesota on no rest and playing its third game in four nights, I’ll back the Hawks to cover the spread.
Hawks vs Timberwolves same-game parlay
Anthony Edwards is coming off a 1-for-8 stinker from long range against the Clippers. He’s a 40% shooter and is bouncing back tonight.
Minnesota typically plays good defense, and I expect that end of the floor to be where its focus lies. Four of their last five meetings have gone Under, and so should tonight’s contest.
Hawks vs Timberwolves SGP
Hawks +6.5
Anthony Edwards Over 3.5 threes
Under 238.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Johnson leads the Hawks
Jalen Johnson is on a tear. He’s cleared his scoring prop total in three of his previous four. The Timberwolves will struggle to contain him, which should give us a solid payday if the entire card hits.
Hawks vs Timberwolves SGP
Hawks +6.5
Anthony Edwards Over 3.5 threes
Jalen Johnson Over 23.5 points
Under 238.5
Hawks vs Timberwolves odds
Spread: Hawks +6.5 | Timberwolves -6.5
Moneyline: Hawks +200 | Timberwolves -250
Over/Under: Over 238.5 | Under 238.5
Hawks vs Timberwolves betting trend to know
The Timberwolves are just 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Hawks vs. Timberwolves.
How to watch Hawks vs Timberwolves
Location
Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Date
Monday, February 9, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Southeast-Atlanta, FDSN North
Hawks vs Timberwolves latest injuries
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Despite a series of seasons in which the New York Islanders were very much in salary cap hell, that narrative is no more.
Not only that, but the Islanders have a new general manager in town in Mathieu Darche, who not only specializes in handling the salary cap but also comes from a team in the Tampa Bay Lightning that used every trick in the CBA book to make the money books work.
Yes, that is a reference to weaponizing Long-Term Injured Reserve cap space.
When someone is injured and placed on LTIR, their full salary-cap hit comes off the books, which allows a team to use that space. However, there is a caveat: before the injured player can be activated, there must be sufficient room on the books.
There's a new rule that took effect this season requiring playoff on-ice rosters to be cap-compliant, but we'll touch on that later this week.
Unfortunately for the Islanders, they have a tremendous amount of LTIR cap relief because of how many players they have out long-term.
Forward Kyle Palmieri is out for the season with a torn ACL, meaning his $4.75 million cap hit comes off the books. Forward Pierre Engvall is out for the season due to an ankle injury, along with a hip injury, both of which required surgery, giving the Islanders an additional $3 million. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov and his $2.75 million are off the books due to a lower-body injury that required surgery.
And lastly is defenseman Alexander Romanov, who is out for the regular season after undergoing right shoulder surgery, clearing an additional $6.25 million.
That totals $16.75 million in cap relief. After the acquisitions of forward Ondrej Palat and his $6 million — Maxim Tsyplakov and his $2.25 million went to New Jersey — and defenseman Carson Soucy, who carries a cap hit of $3.25 million.
After those two deals, the Islanders have $6.021 million in available space ahead of March 6th’s NHL Trade Deadline.
Whether the Islanders look to add players to bolster their club or take on cap, whether that’s in a two-team or three-team trade, they have the ability to do so.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - May 28: Mookie Wilson #1 amongst the players introduced to the crowd during the anniversary celebration of the 1986 World Championship team before the Los Angeles Dodgers Vs New York Mets regular season MLB game at Citi Field on May 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Meet the Mets
The Super Bowl is over, the chips and wings have been consumed, the Seahawks have been crowned champions, and, more important than anything else, baseball is up next! Pitchers and Catchers report to spring training this Wednesday.
Mike Lupica wrote about Bo Bichette’s move to third base, the same move made by Alex Rodriguez with equally high stakes.
Christian Scott feels great and is excited to be back.
Griffin Canning, who pitched admirably for the Mets in 2025 but saw his season end prematurely due to a ruptured left Achilles, threw for teams at UCLA last Friday.
Around the National League East
Ronald Acuña Jr. was among the VIPs present at Bad Bunny’s stellar Super Bowl halftime show, joining the likes of Pedro Pascal, Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, Cardi B, and Karol G.
Despite the recent lull, the Orioles have had a busy offseason. The Birds made national headlines by inking Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million dollar deal. They acquired Taylor Ward fresh off of a 36-homer season and brought in Ryan Helsley to occupy the closer spot with Félix Bautista sidelined. Baltimore traded for Shane Baz, resigned Zach Eflin, and brought in Blaze Alexander to provide some infield depth.
There are plenty of things to like about these moves, but there’s cause for concern too. The front office threw in the towel on the talented but oft-injured Grayson Rodriguez. What if Rodriguez remains healthy, and the Orioles miss out on several years of ace-level performance?
Speaking of aces, the Orioles failed to bring in a guy like Framber Valdez or Dylan Cease. The bullpen appears to be lacking on well-established relievers, and Leody Taveras looks like the only backup option for an injury-prone Colton Cowser.
It’s tempting to focus on the rotation after Valdez recently signed with Detroit. Rodriguez shining in LA would definitely sting too. Which Orioles offseason decision makes YOU nervous? Let us know in the comments below.
The Charlotte Hornets will be looking to extend their win streak to 10 games tonight as they welcome the Detroit Pistons to the Spectrum Center.
LaMelo Ball is scoring the basketball at an impressive level lately. I’m eyeing him to keep it up in my Pistons vs. Hornetspredictions and NBA picks below.
Pistons vs Hornets prediction
Pistons vs Hornets best bet: LaMelo Ball Over 18.5 points (-120)
LaMelo Ball’s numbers are definitely down from last season, averaging just 19.1 points per game compared to 25.2, but he’s still making his presence felt, and LaMelo has done his part during this win streak.
The guard has cleared his scoring total in three straight contests and also in four of his previous five. He poured in 19 points over the weekend, and he also scored 20 and 24, respectively, in the two games before that.
He's averaging 18.8 ppg at home this season. While the Detroit Pistons are a very solid team, I’ll take him to find a scoring rhythm again this evening.
Pistons vs Hornets same-game parlay
Duncan Robinson has been a great piece for Detroit this season, averaging 12.1 ppg in the starting lineup. The guard has hit the Over in three of his last five appearances, scoring 20+ points in two of those games.
We shift over to Miles Bridges, who's averaging 18.4 ppg this season for the Charlotte Hornets. The 27-year-old is coming off a 26-point performance against the Hawks, and he’s cashed the Over in points in back-to-back outings.
Bridges has scored 17+ points in four of his previous six appearances, and he’s averaging 18.9 ppg at home. Bridges dropped 19 points against Detroit earlier this season, too.
Pistons vs Hornets SGP
LaMelo Ball Over 18.5 points
Duncan Robinson Over 10.5 points
Miles Bridges Over 16.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Cade in spades
Cade Cunningham has gone Over his assist line in two of his last four, and he dished out 10 dimes against the Hornets already this season.
Pistons vs Hornets SGP
LaMelo Ball Over 18.5 points
Duncan Robinson Over 10.5 points
Miles Bridges Over 16.5 points
Cade Cunningham Over 9.5 assists
Pistons vs Hornets odds
Spread: Pistons -3 | Hornets +3
Moneyline: Pistons -155 | Hornets +130
Over/Under: Over 223 | Under 223
Pistons vs Hornets betting trend to know
The Hornets have cashed the moneyline in 21 of their last 35 games for +21 units and a 45% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Hornets.
How to watch Pistons vs Hornets
Location
Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Date
Monday, February 9, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Detroit, FDSN Southeast-Charlotte
Pistons vs Hornets latest injuries
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 07: Terrance Gore #27 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout during Game 2 of the NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Globe Life Field on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I do love a specialized role, as it can highlight the many ways to impact a baseball game. The Dodgers have had a few examples over the years.
Andre Jackson pitched in 14 games over three seasons with Los Angeles, and in four of them recorded a save of three innings or longer. “I didn’t even know a three-inning save was a thing until I got the first one,” he said in 2023, after the third of his saves. “I didn’t know the rules behind that.”
Justin Dean never batted in the 2025 postseason, but played 13 of the Dodgers’ 17 games as the security blanket on defense in center field late in games.
“The game is still the game. So I go through my defense work. That’s always gonna be a part of my game, part of my routine, my defense. I look at pitches and try to see what I can pick up on, as far as base stealing, if I’m going to be running or whatnot,” Dean said last October. “So that might be a little bit more hyper focused, yeah, as far as my routine, but I’m still getting my hitting in and my working in the cage and stuff like that. So it’s still going through a normal day.”
No baseball player in recent memory had a more specialized role than Terrance Gore, the speedy outfielder who died at age 34 this weekend.
Gore between the regular season and postseason played 123 total games over eight major league seasons for five teams — the Royals, Cubs, Dodgers, Braves, and Mets. He reached the playoffs with all five teams, and won championship rings with the Royals, Dodgers, and Braves. In those 123 career games, Gore batted a total of 87 times, but stole 48 bases in 58 tries, a stellar 82.8-percent success rate.
With the Dodgers in the shortened 2020 season, Gore played in two games and totaled on defensive inning in center field in the regular season, but after getting designated for assignment spent two months at the club’s alternate training site getting ready for the postseason. Gore was active for the wild card round and National League Division Series, but did not play in any of those five games. He did not steal a base for Los Angeles.
That’s the thing with players with specific skills. You don’t always know if or when you might need them, but it feels nice to have the luxury of having them around, just in case.
From the day he arrived in professional baseball, Gore understood his utility as a player might be limited. He decided to make the most of it. He embraced his role as a part-time performer, a player called into action for postseason teams solely so he could pinch run. He crackled with life, first as the kid brother of those Royals teams, and later as a journeyman bouncing from contender to contender in search of a base to steal.
Players like Gore are why I enjoy writing season reviews for every single player who spent at least part of the year on the 40-man roster, no matter the scope of their performance. It’s fun to remember that they were around, and in some small way keeps their memory alive.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 08: Gabriel Landeskog #92 of Team Sweden takes part during training on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
Colorado Avalanche own the Winter Olympics with eight proud players set to represent their countries. [Denver Gazette]
Landeskog healthy enough to play at Olympics, named Sweden captain. [NHL]
Crosby named Canadian captain for Olympics with McDavid, Makar tabbed as one of the as alternates. [The Score]
MacKinnon still leading NHL scoring and Hart Trophy voting race for now. [Hockey Buzz]
MacKinnon reaches 700 assists as Avalanche sink Sharks before the break. [TSN]
For Brock Nelson, the Olympics are a family affair. [The Hockey News]
News Around the League
Huberdeau set to have season-ending hip surgery for Flames. [NHL]
Ten important questions about NHL teams and players as we head to the Olympic break. [Sportsnet]
Kings acquire Panarin from Rangers just before NHL’s Olympic trade freeze. [CBC]
Craig Fitzpatrick an Air Force veteran champions blind hockey and authors a new book. [Navy Federal]
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 31: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks to pass the ball as Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks plays defense during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on December 31, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Atlanta Hawks Date: February 8th, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM CST Location: Target Center Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio
February was supposed to be the month where the Timberwolves looked at the Western Conference standings, rubbed their hands together, and said, “Okay, let’s do this.” The schedule softened. The door cracked open just enough to imagine a world where Minnesota grabbed home court in the first round and avoided the most miserable playoff paths.
Instead, the Wolves took that door, doused it in gasoline, and lit a match.
The path to the three seed was sitting there like an unattended briefcase in a spy movie, and rather than quietly picking it up and walking away, the Timberwolves opted to blow it up in public. Four games against Memphis, Toronto, New Orleans, and a depleted Clippers team, four games where Minnesota had the clear talent edge, and they somehow managed to turn it into a case study in apathy. If not for a frantic fourth-quarter comeback in Toronto, we’d be talking about an 0–4 stretch.
What made it worse wasn’t just the losses, it was how they happened. Long stretches of lifeless basketball. Porous defense that felt optional. An offense that oscillated between stagnant isolation and desperate late-clock heaves. And then, right on cue, a brief surge of effort when the deficit became uncomfortable, like someone finally remembering they left the stove on. The Wolves would claw back, tease you into believing, and then promptly step on a rake.
Sunday’s matinee against the Clippers felt like the breaking point. Los Angeles came in stripped down after the trade deadline, no Harden, no Zubac, figuring things out on the fly, and Minnesota responded with one of its flattest efforts of the season. Low energy. Soft defense. No rhythm. No urgency. It was the kind of performance that makes you wonder whether this team believes the regular season is just something to be endured until April.
And now, because the NBA enjoys irony, the Wolves get to run it back on the second night of a back-to-back against the Atlanta Hawks, a team that, like the Clippers, has been actively selling pieces and repositioning itself for the future. On paper, this should be straightforward. Atlanta doesn’t have the personnel to hang with Minnesota if the Wolves play with any sense of purpose. But that’s the catch, isn’t it? If.
The truly maddening part is that this team already knows what winning basketball looks like. We saw it against Oklahoma City. We’ve seen it in flashes all season. The Wolves don’t lack talent. They don’t lack continuity. What they lack, far too often, is consistent effort and focus. And in the Western Conference, that’s how you end up teetering on the play-in line instead of jockeying for position near the top.
If Minnesota had simply handled business against Memphis, New Orleans, and the Clippers, we’d be talking about them sitting comfortably in the three seed, peeking up at San Antonio, and mapping out potential playoff paths. Instead, they’re staring into the mirror and realizing they might be their own worst matchup.
So with that, here are the keys, not because the Wolves need a complicated game plan, but because they need to remember who they’re supposed to be.
#1: Show up and act like you care. Against the Clippers, the Wolves played like a team assuming it could flip a switch whenever it felt like it. That’s a dangerous habit born from last season’s playoff run, where Minnesota survived without home court and convinced itself that seeding doesn’t matter. It does. It matters a lot. The Wolves were fortunate to draw the undersized and roster-thin Lakers as the six seed last season. As things currently stand, a six seed would place them in the uneviable position of climbing Mt. Jokic. If the Wolves sleepwalk through games like this, they’re not just risking a loss, they’re volunteering for the hardest possible playoff road.
#2: Defense, defense, defense. Everything good about this team starts on that end of the floor. When Minnesota defends with aggression, when the perimeter guys stay attached, when rotations are sharp, when Rudy Gobert is allowed to be a deterrent instead of an emergency responder, the Wolves look like a contender. When they come out flat, late on closeouts, and hoping Rudy can clean everything up, the entire structure collapses. Atlanta doesn’t have the firepower to keep up if Minnesota is locked in defensively. But if the Wolves let guards turn corners at will and allow easy kick-out threes, they’ll make another bad team look competent.
#3: Offensive discipline and shot quality. Against the Clippers, the offense devolved into isolation basketball far too often, with Anthony Edwards trying to manufacture something out of thin air. That’s not a criticism of Ant, it’s a sign the system broke down. This roster has shooters. It has capable bigs. It has enough skill to generate good looks without resorting to hero ball. But that only happens when the ball moves, when spacing is respected, and when players trust that the extra pass will be rewarded. High-efficiency offense isn’t complicated, it’s unselfish.
And honestly, that’s it. We don’t need five keys. We don’t need a chalkboard full of Xs and Os. This comes down to pride, effort, and professionalism.
Minnesota has a talent advantage over Atlanta. Even on the second night of a back-to-back, this should be an open-and-shut case if the Wolves take it seriously. If they don’t. if they coast, defend lazily, and assume they can flip the switch late, then we’re staring at a February that turns into a five-alarm fire instead of a course correction.
The opportunity is still there. The February schedule isn’t brutal. The standings are still fluid. Nothing has been lost yet, except time. The question isn’t whether the Wolves can stack wins. It’s whether they actually want to. Because at some point, the league stops giving you chances to figure it out.
The fire is smoldering. Either Minnesota puts it out now, or they let it spread and deal with the consequences in April.
Feb 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) celebrates during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks are currently in the throes of a season-long seven game losing streak after their 138-125 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. Although that game was certainly an ugly one, Dallas has otherwise been competitive during the skid, giving fans something to enjoy while the wins remain elusive.
Cooper Flagg is surpassing the hype
In the four losses prior to Saturday night, Cooper Flagg put on an offensive show to etch his name in the record books yet again. From January 29th through February 5th, across four losses to the Hornets, Rockets, Celtics and Spurs, Flagg was unstoppable. He dropped a career-high 49 points, followed by 34, 36 and 32-point outings, respectively. The 151 combined points over a four-game span is the first time a rookie has had such a spurt in almost 30 years (Allen Iverson; 1997)!
Flagg’s rebounding totals of 10, 12, 9 and 6, respectively across those four games also put him in the company of Michael Jordan. Flagg is now the first rookie since 1985 to have four-straight games of 30 points and five rebounds.
For the trifecta, Flagg’s four-game stretch gives him a record all his own as well. He is now the youngest player in NBA history to score 30 or more in four-straight games.
With his 32-point performance tonight, Cooper Flagg is now:
▪️ The youngest player in NBA history to record 4 straight 30-pt games.
▪️ The first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1985 to record 4 straight games with 30+ PTS and 5+ REB.
There isn’t much argument at this point that Flagg has exceeded the lofty expectations he entered the league with. His growth is happening in real time before our eyes and any talk about his offensive game being under-developed feels like a very distant memory at this point.
Marvin Bagley enters the Mavs’ record books in his first game
Marvin Bagley joined his fellow Duke University alum in the record-setting action. In his first game as a Maverick following his arrival as part of the Anthony Davis trade, Bagley put on a show. He poured in 16 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal and four blocks off the bench. The box score alone would have been impressive had he been with the team all season, but is more impressive still just days after joining the Mavs roster.
Within his performance Saturday night is a Mavericks franchise record. Eight of Bagley’s 12 rebounds came on the offensive end, breaking Chris Gattling’s nearly 30-year old franchise record of six.
Marvin Bagley III set the Mavericks record for most offensive rebounds in a Dallas debut after garnering 8 offensive boards tonight, per @EliasSports (prev. 6 o-reb, Chris Gatling vs. DEN, 11/1/96)
He finished the game against the Spurs with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. pic.twitter.com/oqO1d6ve0g
Much of Dallas’ trade deadline attention centered around cap relief and avoiding the second apron, and rightfully so. However, the players coming to Dallas still hold plenty of intrigue of their own when it comes to how they may fit going forward. Bagley, a former number 2 pick in the 2018 draft gives the Mavs another capable big. Depending on Daniel Gafford’s status with the team after this season, as well as Dereck Lively’s health going into next year, Bagley may yet have a future in Dallas. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and likely relatively cheap should the Mavs want to keep him around. Somewhat undersized as a center, he can at least play small there and is a capable power forward as demonstrated Saturday. Dallas has the remainder of the season to try out the fit, and perhaps he will want to stick around on a roster that currently features four other former Dukies (Kyrie Irving, Tyus Jones, Flagg and Lively).
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Anthony Banda #43 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning in game three of the 2025 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Difficult decisions are the cost of doing business for a high-level contender, and once in a while, you may be forced to move on from a player you don’t necessarily wish to; such is the case with Anthony Banda and the Dodgers. After agreeing to a deal to avoid arbitration with the left-hander, the reigning back-to-back champs found themselves in need of a roster space, to which the solution was designating Banda for assignment, allowing for any of the other 29 MLB clubs to pick him up — the Yankees should contemplate doing so.
Before assessing the merits of Banda’s addition, his availability is, if unexpected, somewhat natural given the other lefty options the Dodgers bullpen has available: particularly Jack Dreyer, who represents a higher-upside alternative and still carries minor league options. Amidst the flurry of injuries, shortcomings, and unique circumstances surrounding the Dodgers’ bullpen last postseason, Banda found himself being one of the more utilized relievers by Los Angeles, acquiring a type of experience in key spots that’s difficult to find. Before imploding in the World Series, Banda secured some important outs for the Dodgers on their path to win the NL pennant.
The concerns for Banda ahead of 2026 are rather obvious, for as much as the Dodgers were able to extract the best out of him after bouncing around in the bigs, it didn’t come without its warning signs. Although the zone rate remained the same, Banda saw batters drastically decrease their chase rate against him, ultimately leading to an unsustainably poor 12.7 percent walk rate.
What allowed Banda to be reasonably effective was the combination of an uncanny ability to strand runners and limit batting average on balls in play, two skills that under regular circumstances are likely to regress in 2026. The flip side of it is that we’re looking at a left-hander who has pitched over 100 innings with a 3.14 ERA since joining the Dodgers, clearly able to produce consistently at a solid enough level.
The Yankees currently have two lefties in the bullpen in Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough, and while Banda’s acquisition wouldn’t fix the lack of a strikeout specialist, his splits make him an outstanding left-on-left option: left-handed hitters had a .255 SLG against Banda in 2025 and a .496 OPS. Noting Ryan Yarbrough is going to serve a long-relief role, to which his handedness isn’t a primary factor, it’d hardly be considered overkill to add one more established southpaw, particularly to a bullpen that has a nice core but could always use a bit more depth.
Arbitration eligible for the second time, this offseason, Banda, a journeyman reliever, will receive a little over one and a half million, far from a prohibitive figure to the Yankees. His availability on waivers is strictly due to a roster crunch, and if not the Yankees, someone most definitely will pick him up.
