Worldwide Sports News
When Erling Haaland swept the ball home for a first Manchester City hat-trick since August 2024 it sent swathes of Liverpool fans for the exits. Only 57 minutes were gone yet City were cruising at 4-0 and Arne Slot’s men were being schooled.
Haaland’s third, in which Jérémy Doku and Nico O’Reilly walked the ball through Liverpool before the No 9 hooked in off the bar, epitomised the pathetic response to the striker’s 39th-minute penalty opener.
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Konnor Griffin’s debut was one of the most anticipated debuts we have seen in the league in a long time, and it’s safe to say his debut lived up to those high expectations.
Griffin Batted seventh and started at shortstop in front of a sellout crowd of 38,986 at PNC Park. The rookie provided the highlight moment of the Bucs’ 5-4 win against the Baltimore Orioles when he smashed an RBI double in the first at-bat of his Major League career, opening the scoring in the Bucs four-run second inning. Griffin would score in the very next at bat thanks to an RBI single by Jared Triolo.
Pittsburgh had four straight hits in that second inning that all resulted in RBIs. Henry Davis hit an RBI double that scored Triolo, then Oneil Cruz hit an RBI single to score Davis and give the Pirates a four run lead.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Ryan O’Hearn hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Bryan Reynolds and give the Bucs a 5-2 lead.
Griffin slashed .438/.571/.625 in his five games this season with Triple-A Indianapolis before getting called up. In 122 games last year, he hit .333 with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases en route to being named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year. The shortstop was the ninth overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Griffin, who doesn’t turn 20 years old until April 24, is the first teenaged position player in MLB since Juan Soto debuted with Washington in 2018. He’s also the first teenager to debut for Pittsburgh since Aramis Ramirez in 1998. Griffin is also the first teen to hit an extra base hit in his first major league game since Soto did it in 2018.
Griffin reached base for the second time when he led off the fourth inning with a five-pitch walk. He advanced to second base on another single to right by Triolo, but he was later forced out at third after Davis grounded into a double play.
In his last two at bats, the 19 year old would strike out and ground out to finish his day. Even though he only had one hit, it was clear he made an impact in front of the home crowd.
The sellout crowd on hand kept its energy up for the entire game, there were four moments, during Griffin’s at-bats, where the noise came to a halt, with more than 38,000 fans hanging onto every pitch in anticipation for what their city’s newest star was going to do next. It was the kind of energetic environment that Kelly believes his team will have to get used to playing in front of as they hope to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
Griffin was impressive in his debut. He showed confidence and made a couple of nice defensive plays. If he can continue to play like that he will play an important part of this time for the whole season.
With the 5-4 win the Bucs now improve to 4-3 on the season. The Pirates play the Orioles at 4:05 back at home on Saturday afternoon with Carmen Mlodzinski on the mound.
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The San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets tip off this afternoon in a battle of two of the NBA West's best, and the props board has some real value hiding in plain sight.
We dug into the game logs, defensive data, and Covers NBA player prop projections model edges to find the spots where the market got it wrong.
Here are our top Spurs vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks for Saturday, April 4.
 Spurs |  Nuggets |
|---|---|
| Castle Under 8.5 assists +105 | Murray Over 24.5 points -105 |
| Champagnie Over 4.5 rebounds -112 | Braun Over 11.5 points -105 |
| Johnson Over 4.5 rebounds +105 | Johnson Over 12.5 points -105 |
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Projection: 7.5 assists
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle has averaged 8.5 assists over his last six games, though he cooled off with just five on Thursday.
The Denver Nuggets have allowed the 23rd fewest assists over the last 10 games, and we agree with our Covers prop projections on Castle’s assist prop.
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Projection: 5.6 rebounds
Julian Champagnie is averaging 5.1 rebounds over his last nine games and just hauled in eight on Thursday against the Clippers.
Champagnie’s 4.5 rebound prop line is simply set too low. Denver ranks 27th in defensive rebound rate over the last 10, giving the Spurs forward a clear path to grab five.
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Projection: 5.1 rebounds
Keldon Johnson is averaging 4.4 rebounds in March and hauled in seven against Denver just three weeks ago.
Over Covers projection model expects five boards today from the Spurs forward, and Denver ranks 27th in defensive rebound rate over the last 10 games, leaving the glass wide open for active forwards.
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Projection: 25.6 points
Jamal Murray is averaging 30.7 points over his last seven games and just dropped 37 on Wednesday against Utah.
He's shooting over 52% from the floor during that stretch and has scored at least 20 in seven straight. San Antonio's defense is legit, but Murray in this form is a difficult assignment for anyone.
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Projection: 12.2 points
Christian Braun is averaging 13.2 points in March and scored 18 on Wednesday against Utah.
Braun runs the floor well, and his cuts to the cup will benefit from San Antonio's perimeter defense getting stretched thin when Nikola Jokic commands attention in the post, and Braun thrives in exactly those situations.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Braun Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 13 points
Cameron Johnson is averaging 12.4 points in March and just scored 19 against Utah on Wednesday. At +102 on a line his projection already clears, the market is essentially giving you plus money on a coin flip that the numbers say he should win.
With Jokic getting most of the Spurs' attention, Johnson's perimeter shooting gives him a good chance to clear his scoring prop.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Johnson Now at bet365!/span
| Location | Ball Arena, Denver, CO |
| Date | Saturday, April 4, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Prime Video |
Not intended for use in MA.
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This week’s Rockets question asked you whether or not you’d want the franchise to trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported that the franchise is going to make a run at the two-time MVP.
Here’s your answer to the question.
The vast majority of you (79 percent) are against the idea of the Rockets trading for Antetokounmpo, which makes sense.
Such a move would certainly require the Rockets to give up a young star-level player, most likely Alperen Sengun. Such a move would also surely rid the Rockets of their draft capital.
And although a Kevin Durant-Giannis Antetokounmpo pairing would be dynamic, his presence wouldn’t mask Houston’s lack of outside shooting or lack of consistent bench depth. In addition, Antetokounmpo has just one year left on his current contract before being able to decline his player option and hit unrestricted free agency.
In other words, if that one year doesn’t pan out, Houston could very well be in a worse situation than now, before having him, because they’d be without him AND whomever was dealt for him. Then there’s the durability factor, as he played just 36 games this season.
And he just turned 31 years old, meaning the injuries will likely continue to rack up, while the Rockets’ ability to surround he and an aging Durant with roster depth will be severely limited.
Thanks for participating. Make sure you check out our friends over at FanDuel. The Rockets are currently +8000 to win the championship this season. That could score you $8000 on just a $100 placement.
Until next time!
Here's what happened in Mets Land on Friday, in case you missed it...
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Get the popcorn ready as two of the NBA’s biggest superstars, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, go head-to-head for the first time this season this afternoon.
Wemby has crashed the glass with authority this season, and my Spurs vs. Nuggets predictions expect him to hit the Over on a modest rebound line.
Here are my free NBA picks for this powerhouse Western Conference showdown today, April 4.
Victor Wembanyama is pulling down a career-best 11.5 rebounds, so he’ll need just a slightly above-average game to cash the Over here. As an added bonus, we’re getting this prop at even money.
Wemby has grabbed 12+ rebounds in five straight games and six of his last seven. In 21 games since the All-Star break, his rebound numbers have climbed to 12.2 per tilt, and he’s hit the Over 12 times.
The majority of times he didn't grab 12+ boards were against bottom feeders, where the San Antonio Spurs are up so big they don't need his services. That won't be the case in a game where the Spurs are favored by just two points.
Wemby's 11.5 rebound average ranks fifth in the Association, and his 9.4 defensive rebounds are second-most by any player. Over their last 10, the Denver Nuggets have surrendered the 12th-most rebounds (43.2) and 12th-most defensive rebounds (32.4).
In six head-to-head matchups with Nikola Jokic, Wembanyama has averaged a whopping 14.7 boards, and he’s corralled 12+ rebounds four times.
He should be well-rested after getting a maintenance day on Thursday, so I expect a strong afternoon cleaning the glass.
Both teams are nearly at full strength, and both feature an MVP candidate surrounded by a deep cast of solid shooters and scoring options. I’m counting on a high-scoring affair tonight in what I think will turn into a track meet between two Top-3 offenses.
Denver hasn’t been great against the spread at home this season, going 18-19 at Ball Arena and just 14-15 as the home dog. San Antonio is 23-16-1 ATS on the road and 13-11-1 as the road favorite.
The Spurs have covered in four of their last five away from home, and will do so again today in their push for the West's No. 1 seed.
Wemby has averaged 29.1 points across his last 14 games, hitting the Over on this scoring line eight times. He’s scored 27+ in two of his last three against Nikola Jokic (dating back to last season), and he'll have no fear shooting as he chases Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the NBA MVP award.
Jokic has been incredible over his last six games, averaging a monstrous 23.5 points, 16.5 rebounds, and 13.7 assists. In that span, he’s hit the Over on his rebounds line in all six, and the assists line in five of six. Joker has scored 25+ in two of his last three overall.
The San Antonio Spurs have hit the moneyline in 31 of their last 45 away games (+32.45 Units / 24% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Nuggets.
| Location | Ball Arena, Denver, CO |
| Date | Saturday, April 4, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Prime Video |
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.
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Clyde Frazier is known for being a worldly man and he certainly found an interesting way to display that Friday night.
The legendary Knicks announcer and Hall of Famer began Friday’s MSG broadcast of the Knicks’ 136-96 blowout win over the Bulls by comparing Michael Jordan’s former franchise …. to Iran.
“Mike (Breen), I was talking to my friends, man. And I was talking about eradicated, obliterated, devastated. They thought I was talking about Iran, but I was talking about the Bulls,” Frazier said.
“Their last game to the Pacers, though, they gave up 145. Against the Sixers, they gave up 157 points…”
Walt "Clyde" Frazier: "Mike, I was talking to my friends, man. And I was talking about eradicated, obliterated, devastated. They thought I was talking about Iran. But I was talking about the Bulls."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 4, 2026
Mike Breen: "That's how you start a telecast?" #NBApic.twitter.com/8zBSxp0Z0k
Breen, who couldn’t help but chuckle, responded: “That’s how you start a telecast?”
Fans of the “Chapelle Show” surely can remember character Silky Johnson making similar comments about a coat and Afghanistan some 20-something years ago, but that was a comedy show.
This was an actual NBA broadcast, featuring two of the league’s most-historic teams, and it instead became a time to test some jokes involving real-world events with the United States and Iran at war.
But this is what happens in these final weeks of the NBA season when teams have fully embraced tanking and are focused on the upcoming draft.
The Knicks are still jockeying for position, while the only exciting thing about the Bulls right now is whether coach Billy Donovan will bolt — possibly for North Carolina — after the season.
Chicago (29-48) has lost six straight games while allowing an absurd 137.2 points per game, playing defense that only a matador could applaud.
They also recently landed in headlines for all the wrong reasons after cutting ties with Jaden Ivey, who went on an anti-LGBTQ and anti-catholicism rant recently.
The 81-year-old Frazier also made another cheeky remark later in the game when he called Bulls forward Josh Giddey a “sex symbol in OKC,” referencing his time with the Thunder.
Giddey was accused during his time with Oklahoma City of an improper relationship with an underage girl, but police did not pursue charges since they could not “corroborate any criminal activity.”
The NBA also closed an investigation into the matter.
The Knicks (50-28) have four games left on their schedule before the playoffs but all come against teams that are either in the Eastern Conference’s top-six spots or the Play-In Tournament.
So there is much less chance of Frazier comparing any other team to Iran.
Breathe.
It’s a rough day to be a Cub fan. Don’t borrow trouble. You don’t know. First and foremost, you don’t know the extent of Cade Horton’s situation. Yes, they said elbow and forearm. Those are dirty words when a pitcher leaves abruptly. Cade has had Tommy John surgery once before. So we all can certainly understand his concern. We all understand the caution. The injured list stint is obvious, The caution is obvious. But we don’t know.
Don’t borrow that trouble. You have to have it scanned. You have to treat that young man carefully. But don’t give up today. There hasn’t been a bell. No one’s thrown in the towel. The fight isn’t over.
Breathe.
Give this a minute to play out. You’re assuming the worst. Almost exactly a year ago, the Cubs lost Justin Steele to an elbow injury. Steele had to have his UCL repaired just under a year ago. After that injury, the Cubs recovered and went on to be one of the best teams in the National League. They won a playoff series. They pushed the Brewers to the brink in the Division Series.
To be fair, Cade Horton emerging helped get them to that point. It’s not fair to assume that Jaxon Wiggins might emerge that way this year. Each season is unique. Maybe it’s Steele himself who emerges. We can’t know. We know that Colin Rea was generally up to the task when asked in 2025. Or Javier Assad in 2024. There are options. It isn’t over.
Horton left early. The Cubs did eventually lead. But they couldn’t hold it. The bullpen, asked to throw eight innings in this one, came up short. The end result? Four runs in seven innings by the pen. Not good enough. But the bigger story is nine innings and just one run for the offense. Eight total runs across four losses in the seven games. Just two runs per game. Not good enough. Yet 23 runs across three wins. Nearly eight runs per game.
It’s early. 28 runs across seven games. That’s what they’ve allowed. It’s high. You likely aren’t going to reach the playoffs at four runs per game. 31 runs scored over seven games. That’s pretty good. Let’s not draw conclusions yet.
The reasons for nervousness. They are there.
Breathe.
This isn’t great. But it isn’t over yet. It’s far too soon. There are 155 games left to play. This is a deep and talented roster. If Cade is somehow done for 2026, the team is undoubtedly less good than we thought it would be. No sane person can just wave off a loss like that. Also, the season doesn’t hinge on one player. Certainly, he is one of the more valuable pieces on this team. But there are redundancies.
The margin is slimmer. But it isn’t over. And it isn’t even known just how bad the situation is.
Breathe.
It’s going to be okay. Promise.
Three Positives:
Game 7, April 3: Cleveland 4, Chicago 1 (3-4)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
THREE GOATS:
WPA Play of the Game: Gabriel Arias faced Hunter Harvey with one out in the seventh, the game tied at one. He homers, giving Cleveland the lead. (.227)
*Cubs Play of the Game: Alex Bregman batted with a runner on first and no outs in the sixth, the game tied at one. He singled, sending the runner to third. (.135)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 6 Winner: Matthew Boyd received 153 of 189 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Up Next: Game two in Cleveland. Shōta Imanaga (0-1, 7.20) starts for the Cubs. Slade Cecconi (0-1, 12.46) stars for Cleveland. Cecconi is right handed. At least until Seiya Suzuki returns to the Cubs, the Cubs are much better against right handed pitching. Cleveland is yet to face a lefty this season. They were 22-24 against lefty starters a year ago, on their way to an 88-win season overall. Did they adequately address that issue? The Cubs were 73-47 against righty starters on the way to 92 wins. So generally, the Cubs are better against righties.
I think this matchup favors the Cubs. So I’ll lean into the pattern continuing one more day, at least.
Breathe my friend. Breathe. It’s going to be okay.
The San Diego Padres have developed a disturbing trend after the first seven games of the 2026 season. In each of their five losses, the Padres have scored three runs or less. The three runs in a loss happened once. The other four losses were by two runs, which included the series opener against the Boston Red Sox Friday afternoon. It should come as no surprise that the San Diego offense flummoxed by Boston starter Sonny Gray for most of the day. The veteran right-hander, who joined the Red Sox following an offseason trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, allowed two runs on four hits over six innings. As bewildered as the lineup was facing Gray, it was worse against the Boston bullpen. Three relievers combined to pitch three scoreless innings without allowing a hit. There was one walk allowed, in the top of the ninth by closer Aroldis Chapman, and three combined strikeouts to hand the Padres a 5-2 loss to open their road trip.
Gavin Sheets was the lone bright spot in the San Diego lineup, finishing 2-for-3 with two singles, an RBI and a run scored. Miguel Andujar was gifted a triple when centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela misplayed a ball in center and Luis Campusano ended his hitless streak with an RBI-double off the Green Monster, which tied the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning. The top five in the lineup for San Diego (Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado and Ramon Laureano) combined to go 0-for-19 on the day with one walk.
Michael King did his part but got nothing to show for it – in fact, he took the loss. King allowed four runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings. The line reads worse than the outing appeared. After the Padres tied the game in the top of the fifth, King faced just three batters in the bottom half of the inning, thanks in large part to a stellar play by Jake Croenworth at second base.
He took the mound in the bottom of sixth and recorded an out but then surrendered a solo home run to Willson Contreras to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. King then allowed a single and recorded a strikeout before manager Craig Stammen took him out of the game in favor of Wandy Peralta who came in to face left-hander Marcelo Mayer. The move backfired as Mayer hit a two-run home run on the first pitch from Peralta that just squeaked past the glove of Tatis Jr. in right field to put Boston ahead 5-2.
San Diego will try to break out of its offensive funk with Game 2 against the Red Sox at 1:10 p.m.
Padres News:
Baseball News:
This is the game most college basketball fans have circled. The last two No. 1 seeds remaining, Michigan and Arizona meet in Saturday's Final Four nightcap, with some referring to it as the de facto national title game.
Illinois or UConn may have something to say about that Monday night, but this game has all the ingredients to be a March Madness classic.
Here's what you need to know about Saturday's national semifinal between the Wolverines and Wildcats, including predictions and how to watch.
HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
Odds provided by BetMGM.
SCORING
REBOUNDING
ASSISTS
SCORING
REBOUNDING
ASSISTS
This is Arizona's fifth Final Four appearance, and first since 2001. The Wildcats won their only men's basketball national championship in 1997... in Indianapolis.
This is Michigan's ninth Final Four trip and first since 2018. The Wolverines won the 1989 national championship.
Tommy Lloyd is staying put.
The Arizona coach announced on Friday, April 3 he has signed a new deal to stay with the Wildcats, spurning North Carolina after he was reportedly the leading the candidate for the Tar Heels' open coaching job.
"I'm happy to announce I'm staying at Arizona. We've been able to get some things done the past couple days," Lloyd said.
May has fielded questions about the North Carolina job, but has not named the Tar Heels directly in his responses.
"After last year, I decided I'll never respond to any job speculation," May said at media availability April 3. "I had already agreed to terms with Michigan, was 100% done, and I made the comment that I was flattered about a certain job opening because of my background, and that was misconstrued, so I just decided I'm never going to comment on any job that I don't have.
"I think it's well documented how happy I am at Michigan. Obviously, my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important. I love it at Michigan, but you'll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go, and then I'll comment on every job."
Yaxel Lendeborg is 23 years old. Lendeborg played three seasons at Arizona Western Community College before heading to UAB where he played two seasons. This is his first year at Michigan.
The Wolverines’ departure to Indianapolis came with a scare, though.
Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau was evaluated by team medical personnel for a possible allergic reaction to something he ate as the team prepared to leave Ann Arbor for Indianapolis on Wednesday, April 1, a team spokesman told the Detroit Free Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network.
Cadeau was determined to be “fine” by doctors, though out of an abundance of caution, he was continuing to receive medical supervision and would not be leaving for the Final Four until later in the day Wednesday.
Elliot Cadeau is half-deaf in one ear, dealt with blurred vision in one eye. That hasn't stopped Michigan point guard from turning in his best season.
∎ Read more about Cadeau overcoming adversity via USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg.
Dusty May is surrounding by family on the Michigan bench. His son Charlie is a walk-on for the Wolverines, while another son, Eli, is a student manager — a role Dusty served under former Indiana icon Bob Knight.
In Michigan's Elite Eight blowout win over Tennessee, Charlie got into the game and drilled a 3-pointer, much to the delight of his Wolverines teammates.
“It’s obviously tough to give up playing the game and being on a team wearing a jersey,” Dusty May told USA TODAY Sports about Eli's role. “But I just thought as far as his long-term development, all the things our managers learn, problem-solving, they learn people skills. They learn to function. We try to give them a lot of responsibility because we know if they’re ever going to make it in coaching … they have to have the experience of doing meaningful work. Our managers have helped him become much more responsible.”
The 7-3 UCLA transfer is from Zaragoza, Spain. Mara was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Big Ten with 2.6 blocks per game.
Bryce James, LeBron's son, is on the Wildcats roster. The freshman is redshirting this season. Bryce was a three-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon, where brother Bronny James also attended,
In the Year of the Freshmen across college basketball, no other freshman class in America has scored more points this season than the five active freshmen on Arizona, led by Brayden Burries, Koa Peat and Ivan Kharchenkov.
Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd instead took a different approach than many others last year, veering away from the transfer portal, where more experienced players typically seek to earn more money from their names, images and likenesses (NIL).
“We were able to get involved with some freshmen that we felt could be just big-time impact players in college basketball, no matter what year or what class they were,” Lloyd told USA TODAY Sports.
One reason Lloyd built his roster this way was because didn’t think there were going to be many “quality” transfers available in the portal.
“I thought it was going to be overpriced,” Lloyd said.
Tommy Lloyd’s sidequest includes spinning it on the turntables in becoming a DJ.
He may not strike you as one you’d see mixing songs or making the beat drop, but Lloyd is quite the music lover. And this hobby he’s picked up has come with a masterful teacher, “one of the best DJs of all time” in Mix Master Mike.
“My sport is the art of turntables and hip hop. His sport is basketball. We just decided to collide into those two professions, and now we're here,” Mike told USA TODAY Sports. “It's just an amazing thing.”
Lloyd insists his DJ career is “more of a joke” than his next profession, but he may be selling himself short. Mike insists he’s better than he likely thinks he is. You just don’t show your team samples of your mixes for nothing.
“It's been a little bit of a — I guess — I don't know if a childhood fantasy, but probably a manhood fantasy for me that's come true,” Lloyd said. “It's been awesome to have that relationship.”
No. 19 overall to Miami Heat
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
The Miami Heat have drafted several prospects known for their athleticism, which means a player like Arizona forward Koa Peat will probably have some appeal to their organization. Peat is an ideal match for this franchise given his versatility as a playmaking forward. The All-Big 12 forward just needs a jumper to carve out regular minutes as a high-impact pro. Arizona plays at a significantly faster pace (4.6 extra possessions) when Peat is on the floor relative to when he is not, per CBB Analytics, which would fit very well with Miamis fastest-paced offense in the NBA.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft here
(all stats as of March 15)
No. 10 overall to Milwaukee Bucks.
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
Arizona freshman Brayden Burries had two breakout games in January, which helped solidify his draft stock. But the All-Big 12 guard has continued to display his tantalizing talent, scoring 31 points with seven rebounds and five steals against Colorado on March 7 and 20 points with 12 rebounds and five assists during a victory against No. 14 Kansas on Feb. 28. Burries has proven productivity and that he is able to defend, relocate, move the ball and make 3-pointers off the dribble.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft here
(all stats as of March 15)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona vs Michigan predictions, news, updates, channel for Final Four game
The Mets have signed 34-year-old right-handed reliever Luke Jackson to a minor league deal, according to Will Sammon. The veteran hadn’t signed with any organization for the 2026 season and will presumably need a little time to ease back into game action in the minors.
Over the past two seasons, Jackson has spent time with the Giants, Braves, Rangers, Tigers, and Mariners. He’s had a 4.59 ERA and a 4.36 in a total of 104.0 innings across all of those stops.
Walks and home runs have always been a bit of an issue for Jackson over the course of his major league career, but his strikeout rate has varied pretty significantly in any given season. Having posted 30.1 percent and 25.1 percent strikeout rates in in 2023 and 2024, he struck out just 17.4 percent of opposing batters last year.
The Mets’ bullpen currently includes Richard Lovelady, Sean Manaea, and Luis García, all of whom have looked like candidates to either get designated for assignment or placed on the injured list in the early going. Jackson figures to be one of the arms the Mets might churn whenever they start making those sort of roster moves.
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With the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference playoff race still very much undecided, the Montreal Canadiens visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, April 4.
The Canadiens are on a seven-game heater, while the Devils hang onto postseason hopes.
My Canadiens vs. Devils predictions and NHL picks should come as no surprise, as no one has found the back of the net quite like Cole Caufield has in 2026.
Cole Caufield is as inevitable as they come.
He has a staggering 28 goals in his last 27 games, and his next tally will put him in some historic company as one of the very few Montreal Canadiens to hit the half-century mark. He's scored in four straight and fired seven shots on goal on Thursday.
It's only fitting that Mr. Saturday Night will have the opportunity to hit 50 tonight, and he'll face a middling New Jersey Devils defense. There's a great chance we'll witness Habs history at the Prudential Center tonight.
Rookie phenom Ivan Demidov is similarly scorching-hot, but in a more generous way than Caufield. The 20-year-old has logged an assist in four straight games and leads all rookies in helpers (43).
His presence on the Canadiens' top power-play unit has increased his prospects of acquiring apples immensely. There's some serious value here at plus-odds.
While Caufield, Demidov, and company continue to light up the scoresheet, sophomore blue liner Lane Hutson has stepped up in his own zone.
He's blocked two or more shots in six consecutive games, making his defensive presence known in the absence of Alexandre Carrier (who ranks 10th in the NHL in blocked shots).
Furthermore, New Jersey ranks fourth in the league in shots on goal, so expect Hutson to wear some rubber tonight.
New Jersey has won five consecutive games against Montreal, scoring four or more goals in each. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Devils.
| Location | Prudential Center, Newark, NJ |
| Date | Saturday, April 4, 2026 |
| Puck drop | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Sportsnet East |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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The Mets are signing right-handed reliever Luke Jackson to a minor league deal, as first reported by Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Jackson, 34, pitched to a 4.06 ERA (4.49 FIP) and a 1.353 WHIP over 51 innings across 52 appearances last season while appearing for three big league teams: Texas, Detroit, and Seattle.
After pitching well with the Mariners down the stretch – 2.38 ERA over 11.1 innings with 10 strikeouts – he made two appearances during the postseason, allowing one run on three hits over three innings in mop-up duty of two lopsided losses.
The right-hander spent the majority of his career in Atlanta, pitching for the Braves from 2017-21 before a half-year stint there in 2024, after spending a year and a half with San Francisco. In all, he has 390 appearances under his belt with a career 4.22 ERA (4.01 FIP) and 1.439 WHIP over 409.1 innings.
Jackson is mainly a two-pitch reliever, using his slider nearly 50 percent of the time and his four-seamer a third of the time. A curveball is sprinkled in, with 16 percent of his usage. The fastball had a 94.2 mph average velocity last season.
His calling card is getting ground balls, and his 52.7 percent rate was good for the 89th percentile in all of baseball last season.
Warriors provide encouraging injury updates on Al Horford, Quinten Post originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
In addition to Steph Curry, more reinforcements could soon be on the way for the Warriors.
Al Horford, who missed the last 11 games with a strained right soleus, recently was re-evaluated and is making good progress, the team announced Saturday. Horford continues to advance the level of his on-court workouts and was incorporated into parts of team practice on Saturday.
Horford will be re-evaluated again early next week.
Additionally, Quinten Post, who didn’t play in Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to right foot soreness, also re-evaluated Saturday, and the re-evaluation indicated that Post is making good progress.
The Warriors shared that Post will continue with daily rehab and light on-court workouts, and he will be re-evaluated again next week.
Horford, who signed with the Warriors this past offseason, is averaging 8.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 21.7 minutes through 43 games (12 starts).
Post, in his second season with Golden State, is averaging 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 17.3 minutes through 67 games (35 starts).
Scottish Premiership: Build-up to four games as Rangers eye top spot