Astros at Rangers prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 15

Its Thursday, May 15 and the Astros (22-20) are in Arlington to take on the Rangers (23-21). Hunter Brown is slated to take the mound for Houston against Jacob deGrom for Texas.

The Rangers completed the sweep over the Colorado Rockies with an 8-3 win yesterday. That sweep was the second series sweep in a row.

Patrick Corbin was excellent on the mound. He struck out nine batters and only gave up one earned run in 6.0 innings.

The Astros picked up a series win over the Royals after back-to-back wins.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Astros at Rangers

  • Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
  • Time: 8:05PM EST
  • Site: Globe Life Field
  • City: Arlington, TX
  • Network/Streaming: Rangers Sports Network, Victory+, Space City Home Network

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Astros at the Rangers

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Astros (+104), Rangers (-124)
  • Spread:  Rangers -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Astros at Rangers

  • Pitching matchup for May 15, 2025: Hunter Brown vs. Jacob deGrom
    • Astros: Hunter Brown, (6-1, 1.48 ERA)
      Last outing (Cincinnati Reds, 5/9): 5.2 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts
    • Rangers: Jacob deGrom, (3-1, 2.72 ERA)
      Last outing (Detriot Tigers, 5/10): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 10 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Astros at Rangers

  • The Astros have won 4 of their last 5 games at the Rangers
  • The Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom has an ERA of 1.91 in his last 5 starts on the mound
  • Betting the Rangers on the Run Line with Jacob deGrom as the opener would have returned a 0.80-unit profit in 2025

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Astros and the Rangers

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection 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 game between the Astros and the Rangers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Houston Astros at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

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Cooper Flagg still is just a kid from Maine, and he’s out to silence all doubters

CHICAGO — The town of Newport, Maine, has a population of about 3,200 people. There’s a bowling alley, a popular local diner that serves breakfast all day, a hunting club and it costs only $6 to license your dog.

It is a quintessential small New England town. It is not known for developing NBA stars.

Cooper Flagg was undeterred.

Flagg played his lone college year at Duke, finished high school in Florida at Montverde Academy and presumably soon will be moving to Dallas to play for the Mavericks, the team that has the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. But he’s still just an 18-year-old from Maine, a small-town kid who says “please” and “thank you” and seems completely unphased by being labeled basketball’s next big thing.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from,” Flagg said at the draft combine. “If you have a goal, if you have a dream and you put your mind to it ... I mean, honestly, for me it wasn’t real until I was in high school, but I always loved the game of basketball. I always put the work in. I always wanted to be the best that I could be.”

The only player who lists Maine as his birthplace and played in the NBA this season is Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson. There are a couple of players — current Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle among them — who went to the NBA after spending at least some of their college career at the University of Maine. But the basketball history, at least at the NBA level, of the Pine Tree State isn’t exactly rich.

Flagg — who should be a high school senior right now in Newport, then decided to reclassify and go to college early — could soon change that.

“I’m so proud of this guy, what he’s done,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said at the Final Four. “I have to remind myself it’s a year early. He should be graduating high school now. To have the season that he’s had, I think the stats speak for itself. I think how hard he plays, the highlights, all those things speaks for itself. But it’s the person he is every day.”

Flagg is starting to settle into his new reality.

He’s been considered the presumptive No. 1 pick in the NBA draft for some time and now knows that pick is held by the Mavericks — winners of the draft lottery. Flagg was at the lottery along with a handful of other draft picks, all of whom met NBA Commissioner Adam Silver briefly before the event started.

It’s a rare Texas two-step of No. 1 picks for Dallas. The Dallas Wings had the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and took UConn’s Paige Bueckers, and now the Mavericks will follow as holders of a No. 1 pick.

This one-city, two-No. 1-picks double has happened only once before — 2003, when the Cleveland Rockers chose LaToya Thomas and the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted LeBron James two months later.

“I’m grateful to get this opportunity, any opportunity to any team, to be able to hear my name called on draft night and shake Adam Silver’s hand,” Flagg said. “I’m just really excited for this whole opportunity. The environment, just go through this process, not everybody gets to do this, so I just feel really blessed.”

In Dallas, Flagg could join a roster with fellow former Duke players Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II — and be part of a new chapter for the Mavericks, who saw their fan base rocked in February by the decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“As far as Dallas goes, they’ve got a lot of really good pieces,” Flagg said. “D-Live, coming from Duke, that’s pretty cool. So I think it would be a really cool opportunity.”

Flagg has gone through the rigors of the draft combine, getting height, weight, vertical leap and various sizes measured, along with hitting the court for some shooting, agility and speed drills.

He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists while leading Duke to the Final Four in his lone college season. He shot 48% from the field, 39% from 3-point range, 84% from the foul line and was The Associated Press’ national player of the year.

He’s done Duke, and Montverde, and Maine proud. He has no plans on stopping now.

“Growing up in Maine, there’s people that told me I would never be able to make it to the next level or play Division I basketball because I’m from Maine and nobody plays up there,” Flagg said. “I think just that message of ‘it doesn’t matter where you’re from,’ as long as you work hard and trust yourself and trust your ability, then you can really accomplish anything.”

10 Best 11th Overall Picks In NHL History

Jarome Iginla - Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The 2025 Draft will take place in June 2025, with the Pittsburgh Penguins selecting 11th overall. This year will be the second time in franchise history that the team will pick 11th, following Bob Smith in the 1967 Draft.

Previously, we looked at the top 10 active 11th overall picks who played in the NHL during the 2024-25 season. 

Today, we will expand that list to include all 11th overall picks in history, which consists of 57 players. There was no 11th pick in 2021, which the Arizona Coyotes forfeited.

So, who are the top 11th overall picks in NHL history? Let's find out.

10. Jeff Friesen (1994 - San Jose Sharks)

893 GP - 218 G - 298 A - 516 PTS -- Stanley Cup 2003

Jeff Friesen was the San Jose Sharks' top pick in the 1994 Draft. He played seven seasons with the club, scoring a career high 31 goals and 63 points in 1997-98. Friesen was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1995 and won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. 

Top 5 Active 11th Overall Picks In The NHLTop 5 Active 11th Overall Picks In The NHLThe Pittsburgh Penguins will select 11th overall at the upcoming 2025 Draft. Although the club fell out of the top ten, it should still be able to draft a top prospect who can eventually make an impact in the league.

9. Mike Sillinger (1989 - Detroit Red Wings)

1049 GP - 240 G - 308 A - 548 PTS

Mike Sillinger is just one of 11 players drafted 11th overall to appear in 1,000 NHL games and is one of ten players to collect over 500 points. A veteran of 17 seasons with 12 teams, his best year came in 2005-06 when he scored 32 goals and 63 points. 

8. John Anderson (1977 - Toronto Maple Leafs)

814 GP - 282 G - 349 A - 631 PTS

John Anderson played 12 seasons in the NHL, including eight with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he was a four-time 30-goal scorer in the 1980s. Moreover, Anderson collected another 30-goal campaign with the Hartford Whalers. He scored at least 15 goals every season except his rookie campaign in 1977-78.

7. Filip Forsberg (2012 - Washington Capitals)

Filip Forsberg - Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

780 GP - 318 G - 363 A - 681 PTS

Filip Forsberg is only the fourth player drafted 11th overall to score at least 40 goals in a season, achieving the feat in 2021-22 and 2023-24. As a 13-year veteran with the Nashville Predators, Forsberg is the franchise leader in goals, ranking second in assists and points. He was named to the 2015 NHL All-Rookie Team.

6. Scott Young (1986 - Hartford Whalers)

1181 GP - 342 G - 415 A - 757 PTS -- Stanley Cup 1991, 1992

Scott Young played 17 seasons in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992. An eight-time 20-goal scorer, he tallied a career-high 40 in 2000-01 at 33. As of 2025, Young is the sixth-highest scoring 11th overall pick in history. 

Revisiting The Last Time Penguins Selected 11th Overall: 1967Revisiting The Last Time Penguins Selected 11th Overall: 1967The Pittsburgh Penguins finished with the ninth-worst record in the NHL and were slated to be drafted 9th overall at the 2025 Draft, but dropped two spots after the New York Islanders and Utah Hockey Club moved up. 

5. Brian Rolston (1991 - New Jersey Devils)

1256 GP - 342 G - 419 A - 761 PTS -- Stanley Cup 1995

Brian Rolston won the Stanley Cup in his rookie season and would skate over 1,200 games over 17 seasons with five clubs. He was a four-time 30-goal scorer, reaching at least 20 in six campaigns. As of 2025, Rolston is the 24th highest-scoring American-born skater, four points ahead of Young. 

4. Ivan Boldirev (1969 - Boston Bruins)

1052 GP - 361 G - 505 A - 866 PTS -- Stanley Cup 1972

Ivan Boldirev was the highest scoring 11th overall pick for decades, amassing 866 points in 1,052 games with six clubs, including three Original Six franchises: Boston, Chicago, and Detroit. He was a five-time 30-goal scorer and tallied at least 20 in ten of his 15 NHL seasons. 

3. Jeff Carter (2003 - Philadelphia Flyers)

Jeff Carter - Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

1321 GP - 442 G - 409 A - 851 PTS -- Stanley Cup 2012, 2014

Jeff Carter was a premier scorer in the late 2000s and early 2010s, tallying a career-high 46 goals in 2008-09. A four-time 30-goal scorer, he also collected 11 campaigns with at least 20 goals and reached double digits in all 17 NHL seasons. As a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Los Angeles Kings, Carter also collected 47 goals and 84 points in 133 career playoff games.

2. Anze Kopitar (2005 - Los Angeles Kings)

1454 GP - 440 G - 838 A - 1278 PTS -- Stanley Cup 2012, 2014

Anze Kopitar will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he retires. Besides winning two Stanley Cups, he's a two-time Selke and Lady Byng Trophy winner, with the Mark Messier Leadership Award on his mantle. The current captain of the Kings is on the verge of becoming the franchise's all-time leading scorer, thanks to 16 seasons with more than 60 points and 14 years with 20 or more goals. 

1. Jarome Iginla (1995 - Dallas Stars)

1554 GP - 625 G - 675 A - 1300 PTS

As of 2025, Jarome Iginla is the only 11th overall pick inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Ultimately, he was one of hockey's greatest snipers, scoring over 40 goals four times while collecting 12 seasons with 30 or more. A multi-time award winner, Iginla ranks 38th in scoring with 1,300 points and 17th all-time. He is one of only 21 players all-time to reach 600 goals. Unfortunately, a Stanley Cup win was the only thing missing from his NHL resume. 

Milwaukee Bucks 2024-25 fantasy basketball season recap: Title window slammed shut in Brew City

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

Today, we’re doing a deep dive on a team whose future is very much in flux after another heartbreaking finish to the season.

Milwaukee Bucks 2024-2025 Season Recap

Record: 48-34 (5th, East)

Offensive Rating: 115.1 (10th)

Defensive Rating: 112.7 (12th)

Net Rating: 2.4 (11th)

Pace: 99.92 (14th)

2025 NBA Draft Picks: 47th pick

Just four short years after winning the title, Milwaukee looks like a team headed to the lottery in the 2026 NBA Draft. Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles in the playoffs, and it’s unlikely he plays at all next season. Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready to play for another team, and the Bucks could lose key contributors in the offseason.

Milwaukee will likely be one of the busiest teams of the summer, and this roster could get a complete overhaul in the coming months. With limited cap space and a dearth of future picks, the Bucks' front office will have to get creative with its roster management, and it’s anyone’s guess what the starting five will be on opening night of the 2025-26 campaign.

Let’s recap last season’s fantasy performances and look ahead to 2025-26 (as best as we can).

Fantasy Standout and Revelation: Damian Lillard

There were no revelations on this team outside of Dame, who was also the team’s best player from a fantasy perspective. The Bucks’ roster exemplifies the term “top heavy,” thanks to many unremarkable performances across the board.

Lillard finished his second season in Milwaukee with averages of 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.4 triples while shooting 44.8% from the floor, 92.1% from the charity stripe and 37.6% from downtown.

The superstar guard’s numbers were similar to those he produced in his first season with the Bucks, though he was limited to just 58 games. Lillard missed the final 14 games of the regular season due to a blood clot in his calf, and he tore his left Achilles in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs on April 27.

Lillard will turn 35 this offseason, and he faces an uphill climb to get back on the court following such a severe injury. He could miss the entire 2025-26 campaign, but Lillard will likely stick around in Milwaukee through the end of his current contract. He has a player option for the 2026-27 campaign for a cool $58 million.

Fantasy managers can leave him undrafted in 2025 and keep a close eye on his recovery process throughout the year.

Fantasy Disappointment: Kyle Kuzma

The 2024-25 campaign was among the worst in Kuzma’s career, as he averaged 14.8 points, 5.7 boards, 2.3 assists, 0.9 “stocks,” and 1.5 triples across 29.8 minutes in 65 games.

He was dealt to Milwaukee midseason and appeared in 33 games for the Bucks. His minutes got a bump from 27.7 to 31.8, but his production wasn’t much better with his new team.

There wasn’t much to write home about for Kuzma as a Buck, and the low point of his season came in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Pacers in which he logged the Tony Snell donut special line of straight zeroes across 22 minutes.

Despite a disappointing performance to close out the season, the future could be bright for Kuzma in Milwaukee. With Giannis Antetokounmpo’s sights set on greener pastures and multiple frontcourt options potentially leaving in the offseason, Kuzma could earn a featured role for Bucks in 2025-26.

Keep an eye on the team’s offseason moves. If Kuzma is the proverbially “last man standing” when the dust clears, he’ll be worth a look as a mid-rounder in 25-26 fantasy drafts.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads

Giannis Antetokounmpo:

Have we seen the last of the Greek Freak in a Bucks uniform? If so, it’s been a crazy, wild and beautiful ride.

Antetokounmpo finished the 2024-25 season with averages of 20.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.2 swats and 0.2 triples. He logged 34.2 minutes per game across 67 appearances and shot 60.1% from the field, 22.2% from three and a career-low 61.7% from the charity stripe.

Giannis finished 53rd in per-game fantasy hoops value due to his abysmal free-throw percentage and his lofty number of attempts. The huge number of misses at the charity stripe sank his fantasy value, but if you drafted him, you were surely using a punt FT% build. For managers punting Giannis’ worst category, he ranked third on a per-game basis.

The efficiency suffered, but Giannis’ counting stats were off the chart once again, as he averaged at least 27/11/5 for the seventh straight season. He finished with a monster 59/14/7/2/3 line against the Pistons on November 13 for the second-highest point total of his career.

Giannis posted 11 triple-doubles to set a new personal best after posting 10 of them a season ago. On April 3, he demolished the Sixers with a 35/17/20 line to set a new career high in the assist department.

Fit certainly matters, but Giannis will be a fantasy stud wherever he lands this offseason.

Brook Lopez:

Bro Lo defended his title as “Fantasy’s Most Boring Player,” extending a run of monotonous dominance unmatched by any of his peers. The veteran ended his 17th season with averages of 13 points, five rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.9 blocks and 1.7 triples with 50.9/82.6/37.3 shooting splits and just 1.1 turnovers. He ranked 65th in per-game fantasy hoops value.

The big man’s highlight of the season came on November 13 against the Pistons when he went for 29/8 with five blocks and five triples.

In seven seasons with Milwaukee, Lopez has been a steady contributor, posting 12.9 points, 5.1 boards, 1.2 dimes, 0.6 steals, 2.0 swats, 1.7 treys and 1.0 turnovers. He’s logged at least 68 games in six of seven seasons with the Bucks. After playing just 13 games in the 2021-22 season, he’s logged 78, 79 and 80 games across the last three.

Despite turning 37 during the season, Lopez logged his most minutes in nine seasons with 31.8 per game during the 2024-25 campaign. A slow and steady producer throughout his career and especially since joining the Bucks, expect more of the same from Lopez in 2025-26.

He’s set for unrestricted free agency, and the veteran shot-blocker and floor-spacer could look to join a contender in the autumn years of his career.

Bobby Portis:

Big Bobby P logged a career-low 49 games in 2024-25 due in large part to a 25-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. When on the court, however, he was productive as usual.

Portis finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 13.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.5 blocks and 1.3 triples across 25.4 minutes per game. He shot a career-best 83.6% from the free throw line to go with a 46.6% mark from the field and a 36.5% mark from beyond the arc. Portis committed just 1.2 turnovers, and his numbers were good for a finish of 106th in per-game fantasy hoops value.

Portis played primarily off the bench this season, but he averaged 22.1 points, 12.9 boards, 4.9 dimes, 1.3 steals, 1.3 swats and 2.3 triples across seven starts.

Portis has proven to be quite durable throughout his career, and the 30-year-old should have plenty of potential suitors if he chooses to decline his $13.4 million player option for 2025-26. He could be a top-100 guy depending on his landing spot.

Gary Trent Jr.:

Trent Jr. signed a one-year deal with Milwaukee last offseason to address spacing and shooting concerns, and he finished the season with 2.4 triples on 41.6% shooting from beyond the arc.

Trent also averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 boards, 1.2 dimes and a steal while committing just 0.6 turnovers. The biggest moments of his season came in Games 3 and 5 of the first-round playoff series with Indiana in which he dropped 37 with nine triples and 33 with eight triples, respectively.

He’ll likely test the waters of free agency this summer. Where he lands will matter, but fantasy managers know what they’re getting from GTJ at this point. He’s a threes and steals specialist whose offense is hot and cold from night to night.

Taurean Prince:

Prince joined the Bucks on a one-year deal, and he played on a third team in as many seasons. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 boards, 1.9 dimes, 1.0 steals and 1.8 triples across 27.1 minutes for Milwaukee in 80 games.

Prince shot a career-high 43.9% from beyond the arc, and he’ll likely be on the hunt for a new team in unrestricted free agency this summer. The elite floor-spacer should have no problem landing a new deal outside of Milwaukee, but he’ll be a better on-court option than fantasy hoops contributor.

Kevin Porter Jr.:

After an arrest in 2023, KPJ missed the entire 2023-24 campaign before landing with the Clippers on a two-year deal last offseason. He was dealt to the Bucks and logged 30 games with Milwaukee to close out the campaign.

In those 30 games, Porter Jr. averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and a triple cross 19.9 minutes. His 49.4/87.1/40.8 shooting splits were the most efficient of his career, and he had some notable moments with Milwaukee.

Porter Jr. logged a 10/11/14 triple-double on March 5 against the Mavericks and a 28/4/5/1 line against the Hawks on March 30. KPJ has a $2.5 million player option for the 2025-26 season, and he could see big minutes if he chooses to stick around in Brew City.

Ryan Rollins:

Rollins was drafted in 2022 by the Warriors, and he’s played for three teams across the last three seasons. He averaged career highs across the board with 6.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 triples while shooting 48.7/80/40.8 splits across 14.6 minutes.

The young guard appeared in 56 games and posted slightly better numbers across 20 starts. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Bucks may choose to bring him back, especially with Lillard set to miss most if not all of next season.

AJ Green:

Green wrapped up his third NBA season with career highs across the board, going for 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.1 triples across 22.7 minutes in 73 games. He shot 42.9/81.5/42.7 splits, marking the most efficient season of his career from beyond the arc.

Green earned seven regular season starts, and his numbers were similar to the rest of his games. The highlight of his 2024-25 campaign was his final game. Green logged 46 minutes in the closeout Game 5 against Indiana and went for 19/4/1 with a block and six triples.

Heading into Year 4, Green may be in line for a big boost in playing time due to Damian Lillard’s severe injury.

Restricted Free Agents: Ryan Rollins

Unrestricted Free Agents: Stanley Umude, Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Jericho Sims, Brook Lopez

Club Option: None

Player Option: Pat Connaughton, Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis

Mets at Yankees: 5 things to watch and Subway Series predictions | May 16-18

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Yankees play a three-game Subway Series starting on Friday at 7:05 p.m. on PIX11.


5 things to watch

Juan Soto

The Subway Series might as well be renamed the Soto Series for this weekend only, given the amount of attention that will be coming the right fielder's way in his first trip back to the Bronx after signing with the Mets this offseason.

Soto will almost certainly be the recipient of vitriol from the Yankees fans in the building every time he steps to the plate (and probably every time he's manning his position in right field). And that is something the normally-unflappable Soto is ready and excited for.

Following his first off day of the season on Wednesday and the Mets' day off on Thursday, Soto should be fresh and ready to go for this clash.

And while Soto's overall numbers are still a bit behind his career norms, he has been performing exceptionally well in May.

In 56 plate appearances over 12 games this month, Soto is slashing .289/.411/.667 with five home runs and two doubles.

Meanwhile, Soto's BABIP of .264 is well below his career BABIP of .303. Pair that with his elite advanced stats, and it's fair to expect Soto to be back around his career OPS of .948 sooner rather than later.

Has Brett Baty found his confidence?

When Baty was struggling earlier this season, he talked about how part of it had to do with his confidence.

Given how good Baty has been in Triple-A and how off he had looked at the plate in the majors (until recently), the above isn't a surprise.

But a different Baty appeared when he was called back up following Jesse Winker's injury.

Baty is attacking more, looks a lot more comfortable, and is getting results.

In 19 plate appearances over five games since returning, Baty has a 1.263 OPS and four home runs. And he's smacked a few of those home runs the other way with authority -- a great sign for Baty in what could be his last, best chance to stick with the Mets.

Can the Mets get to Max Fried?

The pitchers with the two best earned run averages in baseball are both in New York: Fried and his 1.11 ERA, and Kodai Sengaand his 1.22 ERA.

Senga isn't lined up to pitch in this series, but Fried will get the ball on Sunday night.

May 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium
May 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Mets are quite familiar with Fried from his time with the Braves, so they've seen what he can do.

This season, Fried has taken it to another level.

Along with his sparkling ERA, the left-hander has a career-best 0.93 WHIP, is allowing a career-low 6.4 hits per nine, is leading the American League with 56.2 innings pitched, and is leading the majors with an outrageous 359 ERA+.

Edwin Diaz has been lockdown for a month

After Diaz's rough appearance on April 11 ballooned his ERA to 7.94, some started to call for the Mets to make a change at closer.

That was, of course, overly reactionary since Diaz had started the season with five dominant outings and ordinarily has a rough patch or two each season -- that he bounces back from with aplomb.

Here's how Diaz has bounced back this time...

Over his last 11 outings spanning 11.1 innings, Diaz has allowed one earned run. He has held opposing batters to a .132/.214/.237 triple slash, given up just five hits, walked four, and struck out 17. His ERA for the season is down to 3.18, while his WHIP is 1.118.

Along the way, Diaz has started to again flash upper 90s velocity with more regularity.

Aaron Judge is on an all-time heater

The Bombers are getting strong offensive seasons from a handful of players, including Paul Goldschmidt and Trent Grisham, but they're again being led by Judge.

A perennial MVP candidate, Judge has transformed this season into a hitter who is on pace to have one of the best offensive seasons in the history of baseball.

Through 43 games, Judge is hitting .412/.498/.782 -- leading the league in all three categories.

Judge also leads the league in home runs (15), RBI (41), runs (40), hits (68), total bases (129), and OPS+ (257).

The Mets' best strategy might just be to give Judge the Barry Bonds treatment.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Pete Alonso

It's been a relatively quiet week or so for Alonso, who seems primed to do some damage within the small confines of Yankee Stadium.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

David Peterson

Peterson struck out seven over 6.0 innings against the Pirates during his last start, limiting Pittsburgh to two runs.

Which Yankees player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Aaron Judge

Damage is going to be done by Judge. It's just a matter of how much.

Olympic champion Kyle Snyder to focus on ‘Lord Jesus and family’ after prostitution arrest

  • Wrestler was detained during sting operation in Ohio
  • Snyder was Trump appointee to sports council

Olympic wrestling champion Kyle Snyder has made his first public statement since his arrest in an Ohio prostitution sting last week.

In a post on X on Wednesday, the 29-year-old said he would lean on his faith and family, but did not directly address his arrest. “I want to thank everyone who has reached out with kindness and support. My focus is on my relationship with the Lord Jesus and my family. This is not conclusion of my journey. 1 Peter 4:17-18,” he wrote.

Continue reading...

Steph ‘sad' Game 6 return plans were spoiled with Warriors' loss

Steph ‘sad' Game 6 return plans were spoiled with Warriors' loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – All Steph Curry needed was the Warriors to win one of their four final games. They couldn’t. 

The Warriors lost four straight games to be dropped by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the Western Conference semifinals in a five-game series. Curry the day before Game 5 was ruled out because of his strained left hamstring. He also was cleared for light on-court workouts and shooting drills, something Curry had already begun doing. 

There was a light at the end of the tunnel. Curry could see it, so could the rest of his Warriors teammates. 

But so did the Minnesota Timberwolves. They knew the monster who was lurking in the shadows and never let him out of his cage. 

“Everything was kind of aligned for Game 6,” Curry said Thursday at his exit interview. “I had some testing to do, and who knows how that would have went because I haven’t gone live since Game 1. 

“First time dealing with this injury. I was pretty optimistic, but there were a couple more checkpoints to get through. But it’s the great what-if.” 

Curry was working round the clock to make his return, spending eight to nine hours of rehab every day to get his hamstring in good enough shape to play again. The Warriors would have had three days in between Game 5 and Game 6, perhaps the perfect amount of rest and rehab for Curry to play hero once more.

He was lively on the bench, but also couldn’t fully hide his sadness, shaking his head at a Julius Randle 3-pointer in Game 5. He was at shootarounds, rebounding for teammates and remaining engaged. 

As Curry walked off the Target Center court Wednesday after shootaround ahead of Game 5, he got up one last shot. Steph caught a bounce pass from his personal bodyguard, Yusef Wright, and let it fly from the right wing. In mid-air, Curry knew, as he always does, yelling “Yes!” before the ball kissed the bottom of the net. 

The rest of the night was a no for the Warriors. No Curry, no wins. The Warriors played the Timberwolves nine times between the regular season and the NBA playoffs. They went 4-1 with Curry, and 0-4 without him. 

From the moment the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, they were in playoff mode. There wasn’t any time to take their foot off the gas. Curry had two 50-point games in that span and was playing like his MVP seasons at 37 years old. But he also had to go through the play-in tournament and seven games in the first round of the playoffs while battling injuries to his right thumb, his backside and then his unfortunate hamstring strain to open the second round of the playoffs.

Curry just wanted a chance. He was given one, and then his hamstring said otherwise. He’s proud of the fight the Warriors displayed, but isn’t going to hide his other feelings. 

“Definitely disappointed, and frankly just sad that I wasn’t out there able to play,” Curry said. “We have hopefully a bright future in terms of coming back next year and trying again.” 

The phrase “gut punch” has been thrown around to describe Curry’s injury. He knows what it takes to even make it to the playoffs, and then to have that taken away was mentally exhausting. His mind and body need a break. 

This is the man who played hero for Team USA basketball at the Paris Summer Olympics and carried the weight of a franchise at lowly times before Butler came aboard. He’s a father of four of who wears too many hats to count. The what-ifs will persist. 

They also don’t change a thing, and Curry is ready to hit the reset button ahead of doing it all over again. 

“It’s going to be just about rebuilding – one, getting rest, like you said, getting away from the game a little bit, and then rebuilding everything for another great run,” he said.

“I’m going to take full advantage of the offseason knowing I’ve been playing a lot of basketball for the last year, and have a lot left in the tank to prepare for, so I’m excited about it.”

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Women’s Super League is light years behind Australia but kicks off with hope

England’s thrashing in Las Vegas looked bleak but Wigan coach Denis Betts and the RFL see it differently

Rugby league’s return to Las Vegas in 2026 was confirmed this week for the best of Super League and Australia’s National Rugby League but there was one notable omission from the billing.

This year’s four-match card was always likely to be reduced after administrators admitted they would cut one match and, unfortunately, it was always likely the women’s international between England and Australia would miss out. This year’s match, which the Jillaroos won 90-4 against Stuart Barrow’s side, illustrated the gap between the two nations.

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Rays at Blue Jays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for May 15

Its Thursday, May 15 and the Rays (19-23) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (21-21).

Zack Littell is slated to take the mound for Tampa Bay against Kevin Gausman for Toronto.

Last night Chris Bassitt and three relievers combined to limit the Rays to one run and Alejandro Kirk cracked a three-run home run and the Jays knocked off the Rays 3-1. It was Toronto's fifth win in their last six games.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Rays at Blue Jays

  • Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
  • Time: 3:07PM EST
  • Site: Rogers Centre
  • City: Toronto, ON
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNSUN, Sportsnet

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Rays at the Blue Jays

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Rays (+140), Blue Jays (-167)
  • Spread:  Blue Jays -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Rays at Blue Jays

  • Pitching matchup for May 15, 2025: Zack Littell vs. Kevin Gausman
    • Rays: Zack Littell (2-5, 4.40 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/9 vs. Milwaukee - 6IP, 2ER, 6H, 1BB, 5Ks
    • Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (3-3, 3.97 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/9 at Seattle - 5.1IP, 3ER, 7H, 0BB, 3Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rays at Blue Jays

  • Last night's game cashed the UNDER. It snapped a string of 9 straight OVERS in Toronto games
  • The Over has cashed in the Blue Jays' last 3 games with Kevin Gausman on the mound
  • With Kevin Gausman as the starter the Blue Jays have covered in 3 straight home games against AL East teams
  • After hitting just .179 in April, Anthony Santander is 9-37 (.243) in May

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rays and the Blue Jays

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 MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection 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 game between the Rays and the Blue Jays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Toronto Blue Jays on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Toronto Blue Jays at -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

ICYMI in Mets Land: Nolan McLean's rise; the plan for Ronny Mauricio

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Wednesday, in case you missed it...


White Sox at Reds Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for May 15

Its Thursday, May 15 and the White Sox (14-29) are in Cincinnati to take on the Reds (20-24).

Bryse Wilson is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Nick Martinez for Cincinnati.

Last night the White Sox achieved a season-first: they won a third consecutive game with a 4-2 win over the Reds. Davis Martin and four relievers combined to limit the Reds to single runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

Lets dive into this afternoon's matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch White Sox at Reds

  • Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
  • Time: 12:40PM EST
  • Site: Great American Ball Park
  • City: Cincinnati, OH
  • Network/Streaming: CHSN, FDSNOH, MLBN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the White Sox at the Reds

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: White Sox (+182), Reds (-221)
  • Spread:  Reds -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for White Sox at Reds

  • Pitching matchup for May 15, 2025: Bryse Wilson vs. Nick Martinez
    • White Sox: Bryse Wilson (0-1, 4.88 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/9 vs. Miami - 5IP, 1ER, 3H, 2BB, 1K
    • Reds: Nick Martinez (1-4, 4.23 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/9 at Houston - 6IP, 3ER, 10H, 0BB, 5Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of White Sox at Reds

  • The White Sox have lost 9 of 14 games this season following a win
  • The Under is 4-1 in the Reds' last 5 games
  • The White Sox have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 2.21 units
  • Lenyn Sosa has picked up two hits in 4 of the last 5 games (8-18)
  • Elly De La Cruz is 4-25 (.160) over his last 6 games

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the White Sox and the Reds

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 MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection 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 game between the White Sox and the Reds:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Cincinnati Reds on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago White Sox at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

In honor of the Luke Kornet Game, revisiting big man's best Celtics moments

In honor of the Luke Kornet Game, revisiting big man's best Celtics moments originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With their season on the line and Kristaps Porzingis hampered by a lingering illness, the Boston Celtics needed a big man to step up Wednesday night.

Enter Luke Kornet.

The eight-year veteran was a force in Game 5 against the New York Knicks, racking up 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks off the bench while becoming the first player in NBA playoff history to post that stat line on 100 percent shooting (5 for 5).

Kornet’s performance on both ends was critical to Boston’s 127-102 win, and may have felt like an outlier for those who glance at the big man’s relatively modest career stats. But as Celtics fans well know, Kornet has been making an outsized impact all season, both with his play on the court and his, shall we say, “unique” personality off the court.

So on the heels of the “Luke Kornet Game,” we’re bringing back some of Kornet’s best moments from the 2024-25 campaign, including hilarious interviews, wacky celebrations and more.

Roll the tape!

Kornet’s epic interview with Abby Chin before Celtics’ championship parade

Kornet has some interesting takes on the NBA Cup

Kornet offers dental advice after Derrick White loses tooth vs. 76ers

Jaylen Brown shares Kornet’s hilarious reaction to Giannis’ handshake fakeout

Breaking down the best Kornet celebrations with Luke and Sam Hauser

Inside look at Kornet’s pregame ritual: The windmill dunk

Kornet takes aim at PGL crew after not winning ‘Tommy Award’

A message from Kornet regarding the race for the season-long Tommy Award

Exclusive: Derrick White responds to Kornet’s Tommy Award “attack ad”

Hauser wants to hear TD Garden barking with Kornet

NSW Blues wrap up Origin series with 26-6 win over Queensland Maroons

  • Olivis Kernick scores two tries in rain-soaked victory
  • Blues recover from shaky start in Sydney

Olivia Kernick has helped NSW claim the women’s State of Origin series with a game to spare after powering the Blues to a 26-6 victory over Queensland.

Kernick, who was controversially overlooked for the Australian Test team after winning the 2024 NRLW Dally M Medal, scored two tries and set up another on Thursday night as the Blues inflicted more misery on the Maroons to win game two.

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The Warriors got a preview of the post-Stephen Curry era. It wasn’t pretty

Stephen Curry looks on from the sidelines as the Warriors head to the playoff exit in Game 5 of their series against the Timberwolves.Photograph: Abbie Parr/AP

The Golden State Warriors got a taste of life after Stephen Curry, and it was repulsive.

The Warriors’ season ended Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Western Conference semi-finals. The younger, more explosive Minnesota Timberwolves thrashed them 121-110 to cap a series the Warriors were never really in, even when they briefly led it. That is because this series had a singular line of demarcation: the second quarter of Game 1.

Golden State outscored Minnesota 30-20 in the first 14 minutes and 41 seconds of the series. But at exactly that point, Curry grabbed at what turned out to be a strained left hamstring. He did not play another minute, and while the Warriors hung on to win that night by 11, they had nothing left for the rest of the series. With Curry healthy, Golden State won the first 15 minutes of the series by 10 points. Without him, they lost the last 225 minutes by a combined 56.

Related: Mavs win draft lottery and chance to pick Cooper Flagg No 1 after Dončić saga

Curry still chugs along nicely, even at at 37. The Warriors have slowly reinvented themselves around him, hanging on only to Curry, the 35-year-old Draymond Green, and coach Steve Kerr from the days when they were a true title dynasty in the 2010s. When Curry was on the floor this season, the Warriors still had one of the fiercest offenses in basketball, scoring 120.4 points per 100 possessions. Without him? 108.4, making for roughly the difference between the best offense in the NBA over a full season and the worst.

There was reason to hope, however, that the Warriors would be a little less Steph-dependent during this playoff run. The team swung a midseason trade for Jimmy Butler, who has long been a good scorer and one of the great defenders in basketball. Butler had a transformative impact down the stretch, boosting the Warriors’ numbers when he was on the court more than any other player, Curry included. The Dubs seemed to have a potent mix of talented, seasoned veterans (Curry, Green, Butler) and young supporting castmates (hello, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody) to be compelling in the playoffs. A fifth championship for Curry? Probably not, but a substantial run looked possible.

It wasn’t to be. The Warriors without Curry were lifeless, scoring at a clip of 104.6 points per 100 possessions in the series’ final four games. (Minnesota were scoring 116.9.) The Warriors’ assists-to-turnover ratio in those games was 1.2, down from 2.1 during the regular season. The Curry-less Warriors weren’t just missing his all-world shooting ability, but his creativity, too.

The Warriors got some nice performances from their depth players, who tried to patch the gaping hole left by Curry. Forward Jonathan Kuminga was particularly impressive, taking up a more expansive offensive role and scoring 24.3 points per game after Curry’s injury.

But there is only one Curry, and without him, the only Warrior who could plausibly pick up the scoring slack was Butler. It would have been a stretch, though, and Butler floundered on offense as he tried to backfill some of Curry’s points. In Games 2 through 5, Butler shot 45.8% from the field and struggled to find any consistency. The Warriors’ team defense was decent enough, but the offense was so lifeless that the Warriors’ series never got out of neutral once Curry exited.

The Curry-Kerr Warriors have been declared dead several times, only to spring back to life – first to win the title in 2022 after missing the playoffs twice in a row, then to work themselves into “intriguing potential contender status” after the Butler trade this season. (They were 25-26 the day they acquired Butler, then finished the season on a 23-8 run and took a seven-game first-round series from the Houston Rockets.) There is no sense in declaring that Curry will never win anything again, only to have to walk it back later.

The Warriors are playing with fire, though. On the one hand, they have restocked their depth players around Curry nicely. Suffering a steep drop in quality without a player of Curry’s caliber is hardly an indictment of a team-building strategy, either. But on the other hand, even if Curry continues to beat Father Time well into his 40s, the Warriors’ lack of other gamechanging offensive talent was laid bare as he watched from the sidelines. Adding a pricey outside acquisition on top of Butler, who. turns 36 in September, is almost certainly impractical given the Warriors’ heavy salary cap sheet, and even retaining the restricted free agent Kuminga (a bright spot in this series) could push the Warriors quite close to the “first apron” luxury tax threshold that begins to hamper a team’s roster-building options.

No doubt Curry will do all he can to keep lugging the Warriors to within striking distance of contention. The realities of age and the salary cap may well just not apply to a player of his caliber for a while. But the Warriors, for now, are betting not just on Curry’s magic but on a friendlier treatment from the injury gods until the greatest player in their history decides to hang up his sneakers.

It isn’t a great bet, but what else is there to do?