Worldwide Sports News
Scottish Cup: Naderi nods in first Rangers goal to punish Queen's Park
Sam Curran bowls final over to deny minnows
England were given a major scare at the beginning of their Men’s T20 World Cup campaign, but Sam Curran held his nerve to deliver a four-run win over minnows Nepal at a raucous Wankhede Stadium.
With Nepal needing 10 from the final over to secure a famous victory in the first-ever meeting between the two sides, Curran nailed his lines and lengths to get England out of jail in a breathless contest.
Simon Burnton’s match report will follow
Continue reading...The Chicago Blackhawks conversation took a spin on Friday, thanks to some new information revealed regarding the first-round pick they received from the Florida Panthers in the Seth Jones trade.
It was initially believed that the pick was top-ten protected, but Friday’s news confirmed it to be a pick that would stick with Florida if they earned a selection in the top ten.
If Florida were to keep the pick, the 2026 first would then slide to 2027. The 2027 pick that Florida gave to the Boston Bruins in the Brad Marchand trade would also slide one year later in 2028.
News Circles That Blackhawks' First Round Pick From Panthers Is Top-Ten ProtectedOn Friday, it came out that the Chicago Blackhawks' first-round pick that they received from the Florida Panthers is top-ten protected. When the trade was first made, nobody actually thought the Panthers would be in the mix for a finish that low in the 2025-26 standings, but injuries have derailed their season. Entering the Olympic break, they are sitting with the 10th-worst record in the NHL.
Can the Panthers get healthy during the time away and go on a run once club play resumes? Of course they can. In the last four seasons, they have gone President’s Trophy, been Stanley Cup runners-up, and won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. It’s a super-elite organization right now, dealing with the consequences of lots of deep runs.
The news of the draft pick being top-ten protected does not diminish the trade that the Blackhawks made as a whole. For one, Seth Jones didn’t want to be there anymore. He very publicly asked to be moved out before the 2025 trade deadline.
For a player who was checked out, the Blackhawks got a first-round pick and Spencer Knight. With Knight, the team landed a young goalie who can be a number one in the NHL for a decade. With his talent and being a former first-round pick himself, Knight’s prime may see him as a top-ten goalie in contention for the Vezina Trophy every year.
With Spencer Knight alone for a player who wanted out, the Blackhawks won. A first-round pick, whether it’s in 2026 or 2027, is just a bonus. The pick in 2027 is unprotected, but Florida may be back to full strength by then. As far as that goes, rooting for them to finish 11th in a deep 2026 draft is likely the best-case scenario for Chicago.
If the Blackhawks do eventually return to NHL prominence, turning a disgruntled player into the goalie of the future will always be remembered as a win. Now, it’s on Kyle Davidson and his scouting team to turn whatever the draft pick becomes into a contributor.
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It happened. It stinks, but it happened. The St. Louis Cardinals are in full rebuild (as evidenced by FanDuel’s 69.5 win total), but that reality has sunk in enough that fans seem to embrace the idea of growing pains with the young, but talented roster.
With the trade of Brendan Donovan, who it looked like was going to be heading to Jupiter with the team before the three-team deal with the Mariners, the Cardinals projected starting lineup has a total of three hitters over the age of 27, with one of them being the oft and currently injured Lars Nootbaar. That leaves Alec Burleson and Pedro Pages as the elders of the clubhouse as the team searches for their next leader on and off the field. Burly and Pages both have just over three years of MLB experience, so the team that we see taking the field at Busch next year will likely be learning the big league game together. Now that Donnie is in Seattle and the roster is complete outside of the rumored righty power outfielder, it seems like a fair time to see how that trade impacts the lineup to start the 2026 season. In case you missed it, I had Redbird Farmhands and Aidan Gray from Redbirds on the Arch, as well as Tampa Bay Rays contributor Roman Rodriguez on my podcast to discuss the trade from those sides.
According to FanGraphs, the starting nine for the Cardinals are 28-years-old or under, with Lars Nootbaar being the eldest of the group. The outfielder’s health is a problem of its own, but I guess until we hear any update on his health, we have to trust Bloom and expect that Noot will be healthy and at the top of the order. Interestingly, this FanGraphs projection also points out how the entire lineup consists of homegrown talent, with five of the nine starters being selected in the first and second round. For as much grief as Mozeliak gets, that entire projected lineup was acquired during his reign, and its not like these players are bottom of the barrel major leaguers. The vast majority of them, if not all, would be likely find a major league taker if the Cardinals were to simply cut these players loose like certain Cardinals “fan” social media accounts imply.
So with the departures of lineup fixtures Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras, what does the Cardinals Opening Day lineup look like as of early February? This is probably easier to predict the players involved than it is to guess the starting five in the rotation at this moment, but the order in which these players hit is likely to be up for conversation for much of the season’s first half. The FanGraphs projection has Pedro Pages starting at catcher with Ivan Herrera at DH. While I think this could be a real possibility at some point during the year, I think it is more likely that Oli Marmol will stick to his word and allow Herrera the chance to start 3-4 times per week at the start of the season.
The other defensive question comes at second and third base, with each of Nolan Gorman and Rookie of the Year co-favorite JJ Wetherholt as the likeliest outcomes at those spots. Where they spend most of their time will again be a talking point, but it seems like Wetherholt has been spending most of his time, as well as being most comfortable, at second base. Hopefully, the Cardinals will not want to tweak with position alignment too much in Wetherholt’s rookie season, as we have seen what learning new positions in the bigs as well as adjusting to major league pitching at the same time can do to the beginning of a career. Because of this, Gorman will probably switch back to his natural spot at the hot corner, despite below-average marks there after bouncing back to third base at times last season.
Speaking of positions, I get irked at times when people just suggest that so and so should try the outfield or first base. While it is likely that these high level athletes can handle it, I see too many suggestions in-season for someone like Herrera to “try first base” while having a total of six appearances at any level at the position. I do believe that he is athletic enough to figure out how to play first, or even be a potential fit in the outfield, but again, we need to remain focused on one thing at a time and right now, I see that primary focus as offensive production for basically every person in the order.
The adoption of the designated hitter by the NL on a full-time basis was one I was against for the majority of my baseball life, but as I got older and the game changed, whether we like it or not, getting rid of pitchers (like myself) at the plate made the most sense for the league. What I have found interesting, though, is that the days of the big, beefy, bomber at DH seems to be gone and the NL has been slower to adopt to the DH spot being a position for homers and/or extending careers of those power hitters. According to FanGraphs sortable DH data from 2022 through the 2025 season, nine of the top 15 teams are AL teams when sorted by offensive value, because somehow defensive value is a DH measure available on the site.
Of the six NL teams cracking the top half, all six have been in the playoffs since the adoption of the DH, but the drop off in value from the top five to the next 10 is exponentially greater. For example, the Phillies rank 4th with a 131.2 value, while the Cardinals come in at 13th with a 32.1 value. The other three at the top are Yankees (261.6), Dodgers (171.6), and Astros (143.1). The Cardinals have not settled on one player being the everyday DH, typically using a rotation for players to get half days off. Personally, I think that they could have (the options are limited now), used the DH spot to invest in a Kyle Schwarber-lite and find someone who can hit 30+ homers to actually inject some life into the lineup while not blocking youngsters on the defensive side.
Back to the lineup. With Donnie gone, we can change our pencil to erasable pen that Wetherholt will be ticketed for St. Louis out of Spring Training. I fully expect him to break camp with the team, but I also want to be fair to him, the organization, and make sure to not get too far ahead like we did for Walker, Scott, Carlson, and so on, and so on…
The leadoff spot will be up for grabs if Nootbaar is not ready for the opener, and the in-house options look like Masyn Winn and Victor Scott II as the table setter. VSII has the gamebreaking speed to cause chaos, as long as he can fine tune his approach to get on base more often in 2026. He has spent nearly his entire major league career sitting in the ninth spot, the other, and potentially more likely outcome for Scott. Winn has been the leadoff man in 112 of his 316 games, with 62 games in the second spot, and another 61 hitting ninth. So far, hitting first has been a struggle for Winn due to his aggressiveness at the plate, but his refined approach, maturity, and health could make him an electric player to start the offense for the Cardinals. He has shown more patience in the minors, but asking for a walk rate approaching 10% may be a difficult task for Winn, and I would personally rather have him swing away than be passive at the plate because I believe he has some more power and speed potential that he is still hoping to unlock. I did see Wetherholt mentioned as possible in the comments, but I would be surprised if his debut season was spent at the top of the order until he proves himself at the big league level.
Two through four are going to be the engine of the order, just like most quality teams. In some order, I would expect Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, and then my pick to click for this year, Nolan Gorman. I understand those that have jumped off the Gorm train years ago, as I have been close, but I think this year is truly the season the organization learns who he will be. Yes, Gorman has the second-most career at-bats on the roster, but those 1500+ appearances have been unevenly spread over four strange seasons for the infielder. The pop is there in potential for all three of these middle of the order players, but we have yet to see sustained power numbers that could make the trio push for 90+ homers on the year. If we can approach that (75-80 this year), much of my offseason negativity towards the lack of home runs the Cardinals have had in their lineup for much of the 2020s, where they are 21st in homers and 16th in slug.
The bottom-third of the order is where we will probably have to wait and see Wetherholt, and with Marmol’s desire to go lefty/righty, his spot could be determined by wherever Burleson and Gorman end up. If Burly or Gorm end up hitting fourth over Herrera, we could see Wetherholt pushed down to sixth for whoever fills the DH spot, assuming Herrera is slotting in behind the plate. The lack of answer at DH could be a reason why Marmol would hesitate to start the Panamanian at catcher regularly, especially with Pedro Pages available to handle the pitching staff albeit with a needed progression on offense. That will be a probable outcome when Herrera needs a day or struggles defensively, but until then, we might see a mix of Gorman, Thomas Saggese, and Jose Fermin mixing in as the full-time hitter. Both Saggese and Fermin offer positional versatility, so they could also give Gorm and/or Wetherholt a needed day in the field and swap spots. Neither player, though, possesses the power potential expected from a DH, but both profile strong enough offensively to work their way into regular at-bats in this season of evaluation.
If Noot is healthy, this is also where Masyn Winn can slot in. As a six or seven hitter, Winn could find a way to tap into his offensive potential if the guys in front of him do their job. There will absolutely be extended period of lineup growing pains this season, but from watching the team nearly everyday, I feel like the lineup could be an underrated part of the Cardinals, while understanding that the low expectations is due to the overall lack of experience and production to this point. I believe, that a year of seasoning for the other nine in the lineup around Wetherholt, we have the potential of seeing leaps across the order, including who I see hitting eighth in Jordan Walker.
Had Bloom made good on his wishlist of wanting a power righty in the outfield, that could have spelled more trouble for Walker than Noot or Scott. As things stand, though, everyday right fielder makes the most sense, like it or not, for Walker and the Cardinals. Because of his mismanagement to start his career, Walker has just one minor league option season remaining and I would be shocked if the Cardinals burned that option in a year meant for runway and opportunity. As is the case in most offseasons, we have heard positive reviews on Walker’s work ethic and his positivity that he is going to turn a corner in 2026. If he is able to match the ZiPS projections set for him by Dan Szymborski, Walker would put up a .232 batting average with 14 homers and a much reduced K-rate. According to the site, this would put Walker at an 88 wRC+ for the season, still below-average but a massive jump from his bummer 66 wRC+ he put up last season. That type of production, along with gains in the stolen base and fielding departments, would do well for Walker’s confidence and future in the league.
The rest of the lineup could set up Victor Scott II in the nine hole, unless he gets a shot to prove his value at the top of the order sans Noot. We have heard about the adjustments he has made to his offensive approach, and hopefully those show up in the box score. Scott has set his goal at 70 stolen bases this season, but he needs to find ways to get on base more consistently for that to happen. With him hitting ninth with a walk or single having the potential to turn into a double really quickly, his presence anywhere in the order could do a lot to get the offense moving.
At this point, the starting nine looks mostly set with defensive alignment and slots in the order left to be settled upon. Heading into Spring Training, I admit that I’ll be more focused on the games than I have in the past with a lineup that had veterans entrenched into positions or a roster without much turnover. The pitching may be the ultimate competition in Jupiter, but the lineup construction will be an extensive story that likely won’t be settled upon when the team heads north.
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LOS ANGELES — In his first media availability with reporters since the sale of the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family to Mark Walter, the franchise’s president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka acknowledged there will be an expansion of the organization’s front office personnel.
And he mentioned that he and Jeanie Buss, the franchise’s governor and former majority owner, will lead the process in additions to come.
“When Mark bought the team, Jeanie and I did a deep dive with him on sort of the areas he wants to grow, move into and get aggressive,” Pelinka said to a handful of beat reporters ahead of Saturday’s home game against the Golden State Warriors. “And again, looking at the Dodgers and how they built it out has been a great sort of example and North Star. And so we’re still going through that process of how we’ll look in the offseason and what additions we’ll make. But there will be some positive changes and we will build things out, again, led by myself and Jeanie, and with Mark’s support.”
Walter, who’s also the majority of the Dodgers, agreed to terms to buy a majority stake of the Lakers last summer and officially became the majority owner in late October.
The Dodgers have appeared in five World Series and won three, including being reigning back-to-back champions, since Walter and the Guggenheim Baseball Management group Walter leads purchased the franchise in 2012.
“Mark Walter establishes an incredible standard of excellence and he has been really enjoyable to collaborate with,” Pelinka said. “Jeanie and I have had several amazing conversations with him and keep him informed on all the details. And so the three of us are working really, really strongly and well together. And it’s also been great to have sort of outside allies and advocates.
“Looking at the Dodgers and the success they’ve had and what they’ve built over there, and being able to tap into a person like [Dodgers president of baseball operations] Andrew Friedman for best practices. He’s so incredibly smart and has done such an amazing job bringing championships to the Dodgers. To have like another head of another team that you can – whether it’s a roster move, whether it’s a staff move – just someone that you can talk to has been an incredible resource.”
As part of the sale, Buss will remain the Lakers governor for “at least five years”, according to the NBA.
Pelinka and coach JJ Redick also received contract extensions in 2025 before the sale was official, with Pelinka being promoted from vice president of basketball operations to president. Redick’s extension keeps him under contract with the Lakers through the 2029-30 season.
The Lakers made several front office/scouting terminations earlier in the season, including firing Joey and Jesse Buss, Jeanie’s younger siblings. In addition to having ownership stakes in the franchise, Joey Buss was the organization’s vice president of research and development, while Jesse was an assistant general manager and director of scouting.
Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, with the latter being the Dodgers former general manager and current special advisor, began advisory roles with the Lakers in the fall.
“Just their draft process and sort of how they’ve established their farm system is amazing,” Pelinka said of how the Lakers can learn from the Dodgers’ success. “There’s best practices in that as we evolve and get better going forward in those areas. And then just the way they’ve sort of built out their front office, how deep it is. There is no expense they’ll spare in being the best sort of front office in the world. And you could just see that in the way they operate. And we’ve done a really good job here, Jeanie’s been incredibly supportive, but I think now we’ll have an opportunity just with extra resources that Mark brings to build it out and become even better. So that’s going to be an exciting thing for us in the offseason that Jeanie and I will lead. And we’re excited about that.”
In addition to the new ownership change, Pelinka also addressed the addition of Luke Kennard ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, calling Kennard, “the game’s best shooter.”
With the Lakers having one standard roster spot open, they can sign a free agent or convert one of their two-way players to a standard contract.
“We are in sort of active conversations with some players that are available now, doing our due diligence,” Pelinka said. “Players down the road could come in through the buyout market. So we are evaluating that 15th roster spot and at some point probably will likely fill it.”
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager, had high praise for Luke Kennard, the NBA team’s newest acquisition.
“Clearly, right now, he’s the game’s best shooter,” Pelinka said to a handful of reporters before Kennard made his Lakers debut in Saturday’s matchup against the Warriors. “When you get to add the best shooter in the game to your group at the deadline, it’s a great opportunity. So, we seized it.”
No wonder the Lakers were eager to add Kennard.
Statistically, Pelinka is right. Kennard was shooting 49.7% from beyond the arc this season entering Saturday to lead the NBA.
And for a team that’s struggled with its outside shooting for most of the season, shooting 34.9% from beyond the arc (No. 21 in the league entering Saturday), Kennard will fill a need.
“We just felt like the gravity and space he could create for the group with LeBron (James), or with Luka (Doncic), or Austin (Reaves), just being a reliable guy that could create space, hit big shots in big games and really help us on a playoff run.
“We’ve really been hopeful to see our big three on the court at the same time in terms of Austin Reaves, Luka and LeBron, and we’ve just had limited reps of that,” Pelinka said. “So we’ll be excited when we get that and see what that group could do because we feel like there’s some power in those three players playing together. We felt like adding Luke when those three guys are on the court would actually be really helpful. Just to create some optionality with different lineups, like an all-shooting lineup with Rui (Hachimura) and Luke, and maybe those three guys if you decide to go small in a playoff series.”
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By trading Gabe Vincent and their 2032 second-round pick for Kennard ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, the Lakers maintained their “optionality” for the offseason.
The Lakers can trade three of their first-round draft picks (2026, 2031 and 2033).
They’ll also have five players who’ll become unrestricted free agents in the summer after their contracts expire (James, Hachimura, Kennard, Maxi Kleber and Jaxson Hayes).
The Lakers also have three players with player options for 2026-27 (Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart), potentially creating significant cap flexibility for the franchise.
Rob Pelinka, speaking to a handful of beat reporters, on the Lakers' acquisition of Luke Kennard: "I think clearly, right now, he's the game's best shooter. When you get to add the best shooter in the game to your group at the deadline, it's a great opportunity. So, we seized… pic.twitter.com/U6SLT5Ehq6
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) February 8, 2026
“It’s clear for all the teams in the league that this dual-apron system is harsh and strict,” Pelinka said. “We felt like creating optionality or having optionality now is really a positive thing for us this coming offseason. Because there’s some teams that maybe have gotten too deep into the aprons. And I think players, we see around the league, become available when teams get in that position. So, whether it’s through free agency, whether it’s keeping our own players, whether it’s looking around the league for players that are really good that maybe teams are trying to get off salary, we feel like there’ll be so many different ways to complete our roster in the offseason.”
Pelinka said the team was “aggressive” ahead of the trade deadline.
“And one form of being aggressive is saying no to moves that come your way that might not be best for the short- and long-term future,” he said. “Because it’s hard to say no sometimes to getting a good player that could be a quick short-term fix but could have implications for the long term where it doesn’t fit into the overall vision you have for the team.
“We were very aggressive. We worked incredibly hard. We evaluated numerous things.”
Pelinka reiterated his belief in the current group’s ability to contend for an NBA title. The Lakers entered Saturday with a 31-19 record despite Doncic, James and Reaves playing alongside each other in only 10 games so far this season.
“We believe in the power of this group,” Pelinka said. “We want to see what this team can do with the rest of the season. I wouldn’t underestimate the power of what a group of brothers can do when they come together for a playoff run. We feel like we have a really good roster, and we want to get healthy and make a run, and that will help us evaluate end-of-the-season stuff, too. We haven’t made any decisions about any of that prematurely.”
At some point in our lives, we decided to descend into some kind of loathing. We decided to pledge our undying allegiance to a team that would simultaneously break our hearts and fill them with love at the same time.
We decided to become a Phillies fan.
But when was it? What was the year that changed how you watch the Phillies? There had to have been a time when the team did something that made you fundamentally change how you take in the team. For some of an older age, 1964 is going to leave scars forever. Mention 1993 to a bunch of fans and pain will almost immediately scramble their brains.
At some point, there was a year in which something flipped. What year was it?
After finishing last in the AL East division in 2025, this offseason the Orioles have set to work re-building. They added power to the lineup in the form of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward, a lockdown ninth inning in closer Ryan Helsley, and two starter signings, Shane Baz and Zach Eflin, to steady the rotation, although many feel they’re still missing an ace.
But how do these moves stack up with the rest of the competition? The AL East is always a behemoth, and several competitors have made noteworthy moves.
So where do the O’s slot in in this group? I’d say third feels about right to me—good enough for a wild card push, but trailing the loaded Blue Jays and steady Yankees. Then again, maybe Alonso mashes 45 homers and the rotation exceeds expectations.
What’s your ranking, Camden Chat? Tell us in the comments.
There is some video out there of Ronald Acuña playing second base. There’s also footage of Acuña crushing a pitch while swinging left handed. How bananas would it be to see him play 162 games as a switch-hitting second baseman? Ivan ran the numbers, and he said that he would be worth approximately 3700 WAR doing that in 2026. Honestly, right field and designated hitter is fine, Ronnie. Please take care of that lower body.
Spring Training is the time of year to see players trying out some different things. So which Braves players will play out of position this Spring? I would be curious to see Eli White playing some second base. I don’t think they see him as an infielder, but he might have to play there to make it as the last or second to last guy on the bench. There might be some center field in the future for John Gil. I don’t if we’ll see it this early in his career, though.
The Houston Rockets were facing and Oklahoma City Thunder squad missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as Jalen Williams and Ajay Wilson, but a win is a win, and the Rockets needed one to get back on track. Alperen Sengun finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks to lead the Rockets with his second triple double of the season. He was 6-for-12 from the floor and also really had things going as a facilitator.
Houston was led on scoring, however, by Tari Eason, who finished with 26 points, 8 boards and 3 steals. The Rockets wisely kept Eason out of trade talks, as they look for an extension after the season, when Eason will be a restricted free agent. Eason was 5-for-13 from three, and when he’s playing well, the Rockets are a better team. They need him playing — Eason has only played in 60 percent of his possible games as a Rocket.
Kevin Durant was just 6-for-10 shooting for 20 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, a steal and a block. The Rockets are also a better team when Durant isn’t shooting the ball 20-plus times, and that played itself out here against the Thunder, though there were some clutch Durant moments down the stretch, including a shot that out the Rockets up six with just a minute left in the game. This is how the Rockets need to operate. Team ball the whole way, and then let KD close it out.
Jabari Smith Jr. had another good game, and he seems to be breaking out of his slump a little bit. Jabari finished with 22 points, 10 boards, a steal and a block, as well as played some pretty good defense. The guy is painfully streaky player, which is not out of the ordinary for a 22-year-old. I still see the vision with Jabari, though I’ve admittedly been on the Smith train since the beginning, so I may be biased, but it’s certainly not yet time to give up on his long-term success.
Reed Sheppard finished with 16 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals, rounding out every Rockets starter in double figures, though he continues to struggle from three, going just 1-for-4. The Rockets got very little from their bench, as Houston’s previously vaunted depth has taken a huge hit. The Rockets got 11 total bench points, with 8 coming from JD Davison. Who’s going to provide scoring punch off of the bench for Houston right now?
That’s an issue for another day, however, as the Rockets are back on the winning track in the meantime, moving to 32-19 on the season. The Rockets will be back in action on Tuesday against the L.A. Clippers, as they play back-to-back nights in H-town before the break.
The Toronto Raptors continue their homestand when they welcome the skidding Indiana Pacers to Scotiabank Arena this afternoon.
Scottie Barnes continues to pile up the points and rebounds, and I’ll explain why he’s due for another double-double in my Pacers vs. Raptors predictions and NBA picks below.
Pacers vs Raptors best bet: Scottie Barnes to record a double-double (+130)
Scottie Barnes had a quiet game in Thursday’s win against the Bulls with just 13 points and six rebounds, but that was an outlier in what’s been a strong season for the Toronto Raptors forward.
Barnes has been a jack of all trades for the Raptors with 23 double-doubles this season — 11th most in the NBA and the fifth most among forwards.
The 24-year-old has claimed three double-doubles in his last six contests and should be able to add another to his total this afternoon vs. a struggling Indiana Pacers team.
Not only do the Pacers rank 24th in points allowed per game (118.4), but they’re also 27th in opponent rebounds per contest (46.9).
Barnes, who leads the Raptors with 8.3 rpg this year, will be even more integral on the glass with center Jakob Poeltl listed as questionable with a back issue. Look for him to dominate the Pacers on the scoreboard and on the glass.
Brandon Ingram is fresh off a 33-point outing on Thursday and has gone Over 23.5 points in four of his last five contests. The Raps forward is poised for a big game vs. a weak Pacers defense.
Toronto is a big favorite this afternoon, and for good reason. The Pacers are in the midst of a three-game skid and lost by 14 points to the Raptors three weeks ago.
If the Raps are going to win big today, they’ll need help from all around the lineup. Sandro Mamukelashvili has provided plenty of scoring off the bench, averaging 11.4 ppg this season while dropping Over 10.5 points in three straight and eight of his last 11.
The Raptors are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 head-to-head meetings. Find more NBA betting trends for Pacers vs. Raptors.
| Location | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date | Sunday, February 8, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FDSN Indiana, Sportsnet |
Not intended for use in MA.
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In a far too early matinee, the Knicks (33*-19) face the Celtics (34-18) at TD Garden. This is a matchup of two Eastern Conference heavyweights, although the Knicks more resemble a boxer at the end of a fight—bloodied, swollen-eyed, with at least two sprained ankles.
On December 2, 2025, Boston defeated New York 123-117, with Jaylen Brown scoring 42 points for the Celtics and Mikal Bridges topping the Knicks with 35 points. Q: Was that the smudged jersey game? Answer below!
Boston holds the league’s second-best offensive rating at 121, the seventh-best defensive rating at 113.4, and scores 115.6 points per game. Brown averages 29.5 points per game and shoots 36% from deep. Derrick White averages 17.4 points per game and shoots 32% from downtown, while Payton Pritchard averages 17.3 points per game and shoots 37% from downstairs. Newly acquired veteran center Nikola Vucevic averages 11 points and grabs 12 rebounds per game.
Boston’s likely starting five is Sam Hauser (39% 3P), Luka Garza (46% 3P), Neemias Queta (8.4 RPG), Brown, and White.
The good news for us is that this promises to be Jose Alvarado’s debut for the Knicks. Otherwise, yikes. New York lists Karl-Anthony Towns (eye laceration), Josh Hart (ankle), and OG Anunoby (toe) as questionable. And of course, Deuce McBride is out indefinitely due to hernia surgery. The villains list Sam Hauser as questionable due to a back problem. So they’ll be mostly full strength. Sigh.
ESPN gives New York a 42% chance to win. Fair ’nuff. This beat-up club was clobbered by Detroit on Friday, not even 48 hours ago. The Knicks must neutralize Brown and control the rebounds to pull off the road upset. With KAT and OG uncertain and Hart suffering, this early affair could be a toss-off on the road to a get-well All-Star break. A win would fill our sails with the certainty that even banged up, our boys can defeat one of our toughest conference rivals. A loss? Don’t sweat it too much.
A: Google tells me that the Jaylen SmudgeGame was played on October 24. During the third quarter, when Brown swiped his head across Anunoby’s midsection, a mysterious dark residue from Brown’s dome transferred to Anunoby’s kit. Shoe polish, we believe. Lest we forget a moment of Boston embarrassment!
Date: Sunday, February 8, 2026
Time: 12:30 PM ET
Place: TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: ABC / ESPN
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
The struggling Miami Heat try to shake a recent funk when they visit the capital city on Super Bowl Sunday to take on the Washington Wizards.
The Wiz are clearly happy to tank, but is Miami able to take that win? My Heat vs. Wizards predictions and NBA picks expect what the books expect: a comfortable Heat win.
Heat vs Wizards best bet: Heat -11 (-110)
The Washington Wizards played last night and got ripped 127-113 by the Nets. They're just 3-5 against the spread playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Defense continues to be a problem for the Wizards, who rank second-last in the NBA in points allowed at 122 per contest.
This roster is a little in shambles, too. Most notably, leading scorer Alex Sarr (ankle) and leading set-up man Kyshawn George (knee) missed yesterday's game and are a game-time decision. They are two of nine players who currently occupy the injured list, with seven sitting out against the Nets.
The Miami Heat are a cool 4-2 ATS as a road favorite, but leading scorer Norman Powell (hand) and Bam Adebayo (hip) are on the injured list and listed as game-time decisions.
The Heat are a Top-10 scoring defense, but they haven’t looked it lately. They’ve lost four of their last six, and have surrendered at least 125 points in three of those losses.
Miami has won four of the last five head-to-head matchups, and all of them have been blowouts, winning by 12+ points in each. The Wiz won the last game they played, though, surviving a 1-point win.
Normally, I’d lean on the home team and the points, but this Washington team feels like a compilation of promising talent that can’t be woven together by injured stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young.
The good news is that the books have Powell listed in the props, which means he must be close to returning. He’s coming off a 24-point game against New Orleans, and Powell has gone for 20+ in three straight games.
Alex Sarr will do damage for the Wiz against this struggling Miami defense that could be without Adebayo.
Keyonte George has lost his jumper in February, shooting just 1-for-5 from 3-point range over three games. Miami isn’t the exact get-right team, as they’re sixth in the league in 3-point shooting defense.
Miami guard Davion Mitchell has had 7+ assists just four times in the last 11 games, and while he’s had 8+ assists in back-to-back games against the Wizards, that’s too small a sample size to put some money on.
The Wizards have lost 40 of their last 41 games on the second night of a back-to-back. Find more NBA betting trends for Heat vs. Wizards.
| Location | Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. |
| Date | Sunday, February 8, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 2:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FDSN Sun, Monumental SN |
Not intended for use in MA.
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The White Sox may not have a seat at the adults’ table when it comes to offseason trades or signings, but GM Chris Getz has been active. The coaching staff was revamped and front office bolstered. And the discount shopping and bottom-feeding that have become trademarks of 2020s Jerry Reinsdorf clubs has continued.
To what end, however? Is Getz merely shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic, or building a team not just pointed to the future but possibly able to surprise the AL Central this summer?
Seemingly there are more, and better, major-leaguers on the roster heading into 2026 as opposed to one year ago. But looking at the roster position-by-position, the improvement could be less concrete and more mirage; entire chunks of the roster (outfield, pitching) might be taking a step back in 2026.
Has Getz done enough — or is this just another season of have-not White Sox fans watching the haves feast?