The Cleveland Cavaliers were messy in the series opener versus the Detroit Pistons.
Think “James Harden’s beard after eating ribs” kind of messy.
Game 2 of this Eastern Conference semifinal tips off tonight, and my Cavaliers vs. Pistons props expect a cleaner effort from Cleveland and more halfcourt action because of it.
That boils down to my best NBA picks for Game 2 on Thursday, May 7.
Best Cavaliers vs Pistons props for Game 2
Player
Pick
James Harden
Over 6.5 assists
-112
Jalen Duren
Over 15.5 points
+100
Donovan Mitchell
Over 2.5 threes
-115
Game 2 Prop #1: James Harden Over 6.5 assists
-112 at bet365
James Harden pointed the finger at himself following the Cleveland Cavaliers’ loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 1. The Cavs guard had seven turnovers to seven assists in the opener. Yuck.
Those miscues combined with cold shooting from Cleveland left Harden’s 14 potential assists to shrivel up and die. And losing Jarrett Allen to foul trouble early also threw a wrench in the Cavaliers’ schemes.
Game 2 could see a shake up in the starting lineup, with Max Strus replacing Dean Wade and giving Cleveland more spot-up threats for Harden to find in drive-and-kick sets. If Allen can stay on the floor, he also benefits from the point guard’s playmaking.
Projections for Harden aren’t bullish on his assist output but do lean toward seven or more dimes in Game 2, with forecasts ranging from 6.1 to 7.3 assists. With fewer wasted possessions and improved fluidity on offense, Harden tops his passing prop.
Game 2 Prop #2: Jalen Duren Over 15.5 points
+100 at bet365
Jalen Duren’s box score from Game 1 doesn’t exactly tell you how troublesome the Pistons’ beefy forward is for the Cavaliers.
Duren got Allen into early foul trouble and dominated the glass with 12 rebounds. Offensively, he finished just 4-for-11 from the field for 11 points, staying below his closing point total of 16.5 O/U. He's gone Under in that prop market in seven of his first eight postseason outings.
While Duren has underperformed in the playoffs, Tuesday’s output was a byproduct of Detroit scoring a ton of points off turnovers and transition. Game 2 will be cleaner with more halfcourt action, which is where Duren throws his weight around.
Tonight’s game projections are positive, as most models sit around 17 points with a ceiling flirting with 20 points from Duren. My number comes out just north of 17 points in Game 2. His scoring total is bouncing between 14.5 and 15.5 O/U, depending on the book.
Game 2 Prop #3: Donovan Mitchell Over 2.5 threes
-115 at bet365
Detroit didn’t have to worry about protecting the perimeter against Orlando’s lack of outside threats in Round 1. Cleveland, on the other hand, has Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell hit 4 of 10 shots from beyond the arc in Game 1 and has hit three or more triples in five of his eight playoff outings so far. All 10 of those 3PAs in Tuesday’s loss were graded as either “open” or “wide open,” meaning there were no defenders within at least four feet of Mitchell.
Game 1’s offense flowed like a backed-up crapper and Mitchell found it tough cracking the Piston’s stingy interior defense, even complaining about the physicality when attempting to drive to the basket.
With Detroit pushing him out the perimeter and game script calling for Cleveland to claw from behind, Mitchell will continue to take and make shots from downtown. His Game 2 forecasts all sit beyond three 3-pointers tonight.
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Devin Vassell isn’t the first name you think about when it comes to NBA sharpshooters, nor is he the guy you’d expect to hit circus shot in the playoffs — but here we are.
Everything has been going right for the Spurs this season with the Victor Wembanyama-led team quickly becoming a force in the Western Conference. It’s not just Wemby who is coming through for San Antonio, but role players who has ascended above their potentials to turn into assassins when the moment calls.
It’s difficult to know if Vassell’s three was more based on pure instinct or awareness. The shot clock was about to expire, he was the target of a desperation pass — and without thinking he jumped, took the pass in the air, and drained the corner three in one fluid motion. It was simply sensational.
A lot of players would have tried to set their feet and watch as time expired, but I love Vassell just going for it here. It’s a small moment in the scheme of things, but one that definitely highlights how the Spurs have zero quit — even when they’re up by a huge margin, they’re looking to make shots like this and keep the scoreboard ticking.
Double Tour de France winner makes his debut when race begins on Friday and is the outstanding favourite for victory in Rome
Jonas Vingegaard’s bid to complete a rare Grand Tour grand slam by winning the 2026 Giro d’Italia begins in Bulgaria on Friday when the double Tour de France winner makes his debut in the Italian race.
Vingegaard, the winner of the 2022 and 2023 Tours de France, has been eclipsed by the achievements of Tadej Pogacar – winner this season of nine races in 11 days of racing – but is the outstanding favourite for victory in Rome on 31 May.
Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens are both denying any rift between the two.
In fact, Brown says that if it were up to him, he'd be happy playing in Boston "for the next 10 years."
The status of the team's relationship with its leading scorer this season was called into question after Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady recently said on his podcast that Brown has a frustration that "lies deeply within the organization."
Brown hasn't been shy about expressing his frustrations publicly. He was fined $50,000 by the NBA earlier this week for comments he made about the officiating after the Celtics' season ended with a Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Stevens on Wednesday, May 6, refuted McGrady's allegations, saying the last conversation he had with Brown two days earlier was "nothing but positive."
Later that day, Brown echoed Stevens' remarks on his Twitch stream.
"I hate that our president of basketball operations even had to respond to this," he said. "Me and Brad have a great relationship. I love Boston. And if it was up to me I could play in Boston for the next 10 years."
The Celtics posted the second-best record in the East during the regular season, despite playing for an extended period without star guard Jayson Tatum, who was recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Brown led the team in scoring with a career-high 28.7 points per game.
"Obviously, we're not satisfied with the result," the five-time All-Star said. "If it sounds like an excuse, it's not. But to fight and maneuver through adversity and grow, and galvanize with a bunch of guys and to have that mindset and approach, this was my favorite year."
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 06: Jonathan Aranda #8 of the Tampa Bay Rays rounds third base to score on an RBI double hit by Jonny DeLuca (not pictured) in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field on May 06, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees broke their five-game winning streak on Wednesday, their offense finally getting stopped as Yankee Killer Nathan Eovaldi dominated them once again. Their last two losses both came at his hands, as he tossed seven shutout innings in their series in Texas before going eight strong with just an Aaron Judge solo shot blemishing his line in the Bronx.
The loss opens the door for the team’s rivals to have a rare chance to catch up with them, as they’ve lost just 3 of their last 18 games. Only one team taking the field was really within eyesight, and unfortunately they moved closer in that rear view mirror after taking advantage of the chance.
Tampa Bay Rays (24-12) 3, Toronto Blue Jays (16-21) 0
The Rays have also been red-hot, especially at home, and their home cooking kept going as they shut down the defending AL champs. Shane McClanahan pitched into the sixth inning, allowing just two hits and a walk against four strikeouts, and the rest of the Rays’ bullpen allowed just two hits the rest of the way to suffocate Toronto’s chances of ever starting a rally.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay struck in the fourth inning against Patrick Corbin. After Junior Caminero led off with a lineout, Jonathan Aranda walked to put a runner on ahead of Jonny DeLuca’s RBI double. Corbin got the second out to nearly keep it a minor scratch, but Chandler Simpson singled to right to score DeLuca and put up a crooked number in the inning. As it wound up, that would be all the damage that Tampa needed, but they got an insurance run in the eighth as Cedric Mullins singled and got moved around on a pair of grounders, eventually scoring on a throwing error from Ernie Clement.
Boston Red Sox (16-21) 4, Detroit Tigers (18-20) 0: Jack Flaherty had a rollercoaster of a day, striking out 10 batters in just five innings but allowing four runs (two earned) in the process. The two earned came in the third inning on an RBI double from Caleb Durbin and a sacrifice fly from Willson Contreras, while the two unearned came in the fourth after a grounder bounced off of Colt Keith into the corner in left field. Sonny Gray made his first start since April 20th and delivered five shutout on the other side, and the Sox bullpen prevented any hits from the Tigers bats to finish the sweep. Bad times in the Motor City, while Boston might feel a tad refreshed.
Cleveland Guardians (19-19) 3, Kansas City Royals (17-20) 1: Kansas City struck first, getting a sacrifice fly from Salvador Perez in the third inning, but it was all Cleveland the rest of the way. A leadoff walk and a single in the top of the fifth set up a double steal to put runners in scoring position with one out for Chase DeLauter, who drove them both home with a single to left field. The eighth saw them get some insurance, José Ramírez leading off with a walk and stealing second before eventually scoring on a groundout to third that bounced off of Maikel Garcia forcing Bobby Witt Jr. to field the ball.
Seattle Mariners (18-20) 3, Atlanta Braves (26-12) 1: Facing off against the team with the best record in baseball, the M’s managed a series victory in the rubber match thanks to six strong from Bryan Woo. It was the first time all year that Atlanta lost a series. Woo struck out nine batters and allowed just a single hit, walking two and giving up no runs. Martín Pérez did his best to match him, going 5.2 innings, but a double play ball in the third inning still brought home a run and Julio Rodríguez launched a solo shot in the fifth to give Seattle a 2-0 lead. Atlanta cut the deficit in half with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, but Seattle got it right back thanks to an RBI double from Cole Young.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 06: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres runs to first base after hitting a two-run home run go over the wallagainst the San Francisco Giants in the eighth inning at Oracle Park on May 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ty France came in to pinch-hit in the top of the seventh inning and hit a two-out, two-run triple to score Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ramon Laureano to give the San Diego Padres a 3-1 lead over the San Francisco Giants. Xander Bogaerts, who entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning as a defensive substitution, added a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to make the score 5-1 and the Padres went on to beat the Giants and win the series before returning home to Petco Park. San Diego only outhit San Francisco 6-3 and the Padres were 2-for-10 with RISP, while the Giants were held without an opportunity to hit with runners in scoring position.
Matt Waldron did not start the game, instead he followed Bradgley Rodriguez, who pitch one inning without allowing a run to open the game. Waldron came into the game in the bottom of the second inning and pitched five innings without allowing a walk. He finished his five innings with one run allowed on two hits with seven strikeouts. Adrian Morejon covered the seventh and eighth innings and allowed one hit with four strikeouts. Mason Miller was called on to get the final three outs in the ninth inning and he did just that while recording two strikeouts.
The Padres return to home today to host the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park at 7:10 p.m.
After four consecutive easy playoff wins, the Knicks needed some extra work to put away the Philadelphia 76ers in a 108-102 victory Game 2 victory on Wednesday night.
Playing without star center Joel Embiid, the 76ers gave the Knicks a battle.
New York withstood the absence of big man Mitchell Robinson, a weak three-point shooting night and foul trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns to pick up the win. A combined 70 points from Towns, Jalen Brunson, and OG Anunoby was a deciding factor in the victory, which gives the Knicks a 2-0 series lead.
Now, the series scene shifts to Philadelphia.
Let’s navigate through some keys ahead of the game on Friday night's Game 3.
Paint production
Through two games, the Knicks have dominated in close, outscoring Philadelphia 114-62 in the paint.
Interior points were a huge factor on Wednesday night.
New York won the paint scoring battle by a massive 56-30 margin, which helped make up for a cold shooting night. The Knicks shot 7-for-26 (26.9 percent) as a team from the three-point line. On nights when the three-ball isn't falling, dominating the paint can make up for it.
It was remarkable this happened even with Robinson out due to illness, and the Knicks only having nine offensive rebounds against the 76ers.
One main reason for finding easy scores around the basket is Towns. Having him operate as a playmaker out on the perimeter has opened up the paint for cutters. Towns had seven assists in Game 2, and has recorded at least six assists in each of the last five games.
If the Knicks can keep a healthy edge in interior scoring, it gives them a chance to win every game.
Pivotal injuries
While the Xs and Os are important, it’s the Jims and Joes on the floor who matter. Injuries will loom large in deciding how this series goes for both teams. Late in the fourth quarter of Game 2, Anunoby came up hobbling, and he was not available for the last two minutes and 30 seconds due to what seemed like a leg injury.
Postgame, Knicks head coach Mike Browndid not have an update on Anunoby’s status. It’s a gloomy ending to what was another marvelous night from Anunoby, who recorded 24 points, five rebounds and four steals.
Anunoby has been New York’s most consistent player during these eight playoff games and has made a great impact on both ends of the floor. He’s averaging 21.4 points and 7.5 rebounds during the postseason. It’s safe to say if he misses any time, that will have a significant effect on New York’s hopes to make a deep playoff run.
As mentioned before, Robinson missed the game with an illness. With Towns and Ariel Hukporti both picking up several fouls, the Knicks missed their rebounding center.
For Philadelphia, Embiid’s injury seems to be day-to-day, as he was ruled out earlier in the day before Game 2 with both hip and ankle injuries. Though he had trouble defending in Game 1, Embiid’s offense is valuable. The 76ers missed the big man’s ability to score and create offense in the half-court, especially during the fourth quarter, when they scored just 12 points on 4-for-19 from the floor.
Back in rhythm
If Anunoby is unavailable for the next game, the Knicks will need a group effort to replace his production. One player who could fill some of the void is Mikal Bridges. He’s averaged 19.7 points on 74 percent from the field over the last three games, including an effective 19 points and five rebounds in Game 2.
Bridges has also had the unenviable task of checking 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey. He and the Knicks as a team did a solid job on Maxey in Game 2, holding him to just 9-for-23 shooting.
Bridges had been maligned for uneven play throughout his two seasons with the Knicks, and his disappointing first few games of this year’s postseason run, but it seems like he has pulled himself of the rut he was in.
Now, the Knicks will likely need Bridges to contribute even more on both ends.
It’s a headline that’s grammatically difficult to write. It’s a concept that’s rationally hard to stomach.
The Cincinnati Reds have lost back, to back, to back games to the Chicago Cubs to begin this four-game series, and they’ve been walked-off in all three of them. The last two of them have even come in extra-innings.
Wednesday’s will be the one that ends up the most difficult to stomach, at least for now. That’s assuming the depths to which this 6-game losing streak overall continues. After trailing early and often, the Reds got a standout performance from reliever Tejay Antone when they needed it most, the former fireballer back in the big leagues over two years after the most recent of his three Tommy John surgeries.
To say his inning had an ‘uplifting’ effect would be putting it mildly. There was pep in the step of the defense behind him, and it carried right over to their bats in the Top of the 9th inning. Spencer Steer socked a homer to lead the charge, JJ Bleday chipped in with a vital RBI single to tie the game, and Elly De La Cruz plated a pair with a sacrifice fly so deep into RF that it caused Seiya Suzuki to fall at the wall.
The Reds had roared back to claim a 6-4 lead, and they turned things over to their closer to close it out. Except, of course, closer Emilio Pagan had hurt his hamstring the previous night and been put on the shelf for at least a month, and instead Graham Ashcraft was summoned to do a job he’s got almost no experience doing before. He left a meaty pitch over the plate, Pete Crow-Armstrong lifted it to left-center, and it landed in the first row of the Wrigley Field stands for a game-tying homer…
A game-tying homer that would have literally only been a homer in Wrigley. Only Wrigley.
The Reds then failed to plate the Manfred Man in the Top of the 10th. Then, they walked the bases loaded intentionally in the Bottom of the 10th to set up more appealing matchups for pitcher Brock Burke only for Burke to then walk in the game’s winning run unintentionally and wrap things up.
Even after sleeping on the result, it’s hard to think this series of events won’t end up haunting the Reds over the course of the season. The NL Central is simply too good for it not to, and the Reds have already seen their electrifying (and razor’s edge) start to 2026 see them fall to 4th place within their own division thanks to this brutal run of form.
Something is going to need to change to bust them out of it. The sentiment surely seemed to suggest that would be Antone’s return, but not even that changed the tides. Getting Eugenio Suarez back soon may help, though it will also once again return the flaws and overlaps in the team’s roster construction.
The Reds are 20-17 on the season with over 3/4ths of the season left to play, yet the ship couldn’t possibly seem more leaky than it does right now.
Draymond Green, who typically jumps on “Inside the NBA” as a guest analyst when his Warriors season is over, took a low blow at NBA legend Charles Barkley on Wednesday night.
“Sports are for young people. You hope to have a great, long career, but nobody wins when they’re 37, 38,” Barkley said on the ESPN show.
Aside from the fact that this is awful, awkward television, it’s also just ahistorical.
In his 4 years in Houston, Chuck averaged 16-12-4, including averaging 18 & 12 during a run to the Western Conference Finals.
“I think the goal is just to not look like you in the Houston Rockets uniform,” Green replied.
Barkley spent the final four seasons his Hall of Fame career with the Rockets from 1996-2000, battling injuries while not scoring like had in the past.
When co-analyst Kenny Smith asked what that meant, Green doubled down on the statement.
“Did you see it? I saw it,” Green said.
Fox Sports television host Nick Wright detested the segment.
“Aside from the fact that this is awful, awkward television, it’s also just ahistorical,” Wright said before crushing Green’s argument.
Draymond Green took a serious low blow at Charles Barkley. ESPN Inside the NBA
The Rockets went 57-25 in Barkley’s first season, grabbed the second seed in the Western Conference and were eliminated by the Jazz in six games in the conference finals, though many think they would have advanced to the NBA Finals had Barkley not been injured at the end of that series.
Injuries began to pile up on Barkley from there, as he played just 62 of a possible 164 games in his final two years in the league in his age-36 and age-37 seasons, respectively.
He still averaged a double-double in each season, averaging 16.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, although his points average marked Barkley’ lowest output with any of his three teams.
Even in Barkley’s toughest season in Houston, though, he averaged 14.5 points and 10.5 points per game, which clears Green’s career-highs for any season.
Charles Barkley’s career fizzled out with the Rockets from 1996 to 2000. Sporting News via Getty Images
“Draymond continues to recreate history,” Wright said.
Green, 36, was between the ages of six-year-old and 10-year-old when Barkley played the backend of his career with a Rockets team that included aging Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.
The Warriors forward, a second-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft out of Michigan State, where he also played some college football, has previously said that Steve Kerr didn’t make his career, as many think.
“As much as he’s done for me in basketball, a part of me thinks he’s hindered me in my career and what I could have become,” Green said.
Rivers clapped back at him, saying that he was “disrespectful” to Kerr and his situation.
“You were the luckiest basketball player, I think I’ve ever seen,” Rivers said. “You were drafted to a franchise with a Hall of Fame front office, Hall of Fame coach, the greatest shooter of all time and perhaps a top-five player of all time. Not to mention one of the most lethal scorers of all time and arguably a top-10 player of all time, Kevin Durant — the same guy you chased off because you talk too much. Steve Kerr made your career. How dare you?”
When looking forward to next season, Green added that Jimmy Butler was going to miss a big chunk of the campaign, as will Moses Moody, which represents $75 million of their payroll.
“The goal is always to compete at a championship standard … as you get older, you have to redefine what success is,” Green concluded. “Still the most sellouts in the NBA. Still, the most nationally televised games in the NBA. And you just want to give yourself a chance.
“Success might not be, at this point, a championship. That’s the way it goes.”
It’s even tougher when you have to do it on a cold, windy night.
Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta knew exactly what he’d be facing going in, though, and he tired to stay as prepared and loose as possible throughout Wednesday’s outing.
“It was crazy weather,” he said postgame. “I knew what I was facing, though. I knew it was going to be a little crazy so between innings I was riding a bike to keep myself warm and ready to go.”
That resulted in Peralta gutting his way through five scoreless innings of work.
The Rockies did do a good job of making him battle, as he threw a total of 91 pitches on the night, but he held their offense in check and left with a big-advantage still in place.
Peralta only struck out one, but limited Colorado to four hits and a pair of walks.
“I think it was good,” he said. “I was hoping to get into the sixth inning, but it was crazy -- my pitch count was a little high, but other than that I thought it was pretty good.”
“He found a way,” Carlos Mendoza added. “On a day where they put fouled off tough pitches and put together good at-bats, he gave us five and kept us in the game -- he attacked even when he got behind, so it was a good outing.”
Peralta pitched well enough to earn his second Mets win, and his first since Opening Day against the Pirates.
“It feels really good,” he said. “It’s funny because [Luis] Torrens was just asking me like ‘how long have you been pitching without a win?’ And I told him it was Opening Day and he was surprised -- me too.”
New York has suddenly found its footing a bit following the brutal stretch of play, going home victorious in three straight games and locking up back-to-back series to open the road trip.
“This is what I expected,” Peralta said. “This is who we are, we have to keep it that way.”
During Tuesday's installment of the "Show Me Something" podcast, Cunningham reacted to Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese's "NBA Playoffs love triangle"
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has entered the chat.
During Tuesday’s installment of the “Show Me Something” podcast, Cunningham reacted to Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese’s “NBA playoffs love triangle,” as Reese’s boyfriend, the Magic’s Wendell Carter Jr., and her ex, the Pistons’ Jalen Duren, clashed and guarded each other in the first-round playoff series.
Reese previously reshared videos of Carter dunking on Duren to her Instagram Story, which sent NBA Twitter into a frenzy.
Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream poses for a portrait during WNBA Media Day at Gateway Center Arena on May 4, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
“Something had to have happened for [Reese] to keep, I don’t know, wanting to embarrass him in some way,” Cunningham said.
“Or nothing happened,” said West Wilson, who is Cunningham’s co-host and “Summer House” star in the middle of a public cheating scandal.
Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., right, beats Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) to a rebound during the first half in Game 7 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Sunday, May 3, 2026, in Detroit. APDetroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) dribbles the ball against Orlando Magic center-forward Wendell Carter Jr. (34) in the second quarter during Game 6 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center on May 1. Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
“Then move on, worry about current boyfriend,” Cunningham replied.
Wilson added that Duren, whose production dipped in the series, is “in his head.”
The Pistons center averaged 19.5 points in the regular season but that has dipped to 10.6 points over eight postseason games.
Detroit advanced after coming back from a 3-1 series deficit.
Reese and Carter tend to keep their relationship private.
Duren and Reese were a rumored couple in the summer of 2024, when the pair shared videos on social media from what seemed to be a similar vacation setting.
They never confirmed the relationship publIcly.
“A messy NBA storyline involving Angel Reese and her ex, the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren vs. current boyfriend, the Orlando Magic’s Wendell Carter Jr., … while they’re literally guarding each other in a playoff series,” the description of the “Show Me Something” video read.
Let’s run the table on a short slate with action throughout the day, starting in the afternoon. There are a few clear pitcher fades and favorable winds blowing out, making MLB player props ripe for the taking.
After initially targeting Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Bobby Witt Jr. on the matinee slate, I'm capping things off with Miami Marlins infielder Otto Lopez in a favorable matchup against a flailing Orioles pitching staff.
Here are my favorite MLB home run predictions for Thursday, May 7.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
+760
Bobby Witt Jr.
+452
Otto Lopez
+670
💲Today's HR parlay
+29283
Home run pick: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (+760)
I want a left-handed New York Yankees bat this afternoon with 9-mph winds blowing out to right field at Yankee Stadium. MacKenzie Gore is a lefty, but left-handed hitters are actually taking him deep at a higher rate than righties. He also carries the third-highest HR/FB rate among all starters on today’s slate.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. has already taken Gore deep in a small nine-at-bat sample. He homered Tuesday, and three of his 11 hits over the last 12 games have left the yard. His bat-tracking metrics are checking every box as well, ranking among the top Yankee hitters in BlastContact% while posting strong marks in swing speed, SqUpContact%, and Ideal Attack Angle.
There’s also a useful stat that measures attack direction — the horizontal angle the ball comes off the bat, essentially tracking pull vs. late contact — and Chisholm’s +8-degree mark points to heavy pull-side barrel contact that plays perfectly with the short porch and the wind.
The fair price for this +EV homer is around +580.
Time: 12:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Rangers Sports Network
Home run pick: Bobby Witt Jr. (+452)
The wind is howling out to center at Kauffman Stadium at 15 mph, and Slade Cecconi is a great pitcher fade. The Cleveland Guardians starter has allowed five HRs over the last three starts and a whopping 26 hits over those 16 innings. His Ks are down, and the walks are up, leading to an increase in HR/9.
Bobby Witt Jr's fair price to go yard this afternoon is around +390. It's tough to go wrong with any of the big Kansas City bats today with this setting and matchup.
This is also a great spot to stack some HRRBI for the Royals, and there could be runs as KC starter Seth Lugo is coming off a season-high 103 pitches, and there might be three arms unavailable in the Royals' bullpen.
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Royals.TV, Guardians.TV
Home run pick: Otto Lopez (+670)
The Miami Marlins have a circled matchup today against lefty Cade Povich and an overworked Baltimore Orioles bullpen. I have Povich rated as a Bottom-5 starter on the slate, and his spot with the Orioles could disappear once Trevor Rogers returns.
Povich lasted just 12 outs in his last start while allowing two home runs, and if he can’t cover innings again, Baltimore will have to lean on a bullpen that may be without three arms, including closer Rico Garcia. That entire relief group owns a 7.84 ERA over the last two weeks, and 47 innings is more than enough sample size to take seriously.
This Baltimore bullpen is bad.
I’m going back to Otto Lopez, who sat yesterday but will likely lead off against the southpaw. He’s been crushing lefties this year with a 1.004 OPS.
Lopez has a hit in nine straight games with five extra-base hits during that stretch and is playing some of his best baseball of the season with 20-HR potential. He could get five plate appearances today and multiple cracks at that Baltimore bullpen.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, Marlins.TV
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 10-61, -9.41 units
Today’s HR parlay
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Bet Now +29283
Bobby Witt Jr.
Otto Lopez
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Apr 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) steals second base against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Despite their recent winning ways, the Phillies offense is still struggling to produce runs on a consistent basis. There hasn’t been much power to be found outside of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, and Brandon Marsh is still the only other hitter who has been anything close to consistent.
Perhaps the Phillies should look to alternative methods to help boost their offense. In Rob Thomson’s time as manager, the Phillies stole the ninth most bases in baseball with 503. Bryson Stott had the most on the team over that span with 103. Trea Turner is second despite joining the team in 2023 with 88 steals. The team was mostly efficient at stealing too, only being caught 102 times, good for a success rate of around 80%.
However, the Phillies entering Wednesday were 19th in stolen bases this year with 21. Stott and Turner haven’t run often so far, combining for just nine steal attempts, but neither have been caught yet either. In addition to those two major threats from previous years, the Phillies also now employ another major stolen base threat in Justin Crawford. Crawford stole 46 bases last year while only being caught 11 times at Lehigh Valley, but so far in the majors he’s only swiped three bags and has already been caught twice. He has not quite found his footing yet as a base stealer in the majors.
Outside of those three, Brandon Marsh would be the next logical candidate. He’s swiped all three bags he’s attempted this season after swiping seven on eight attempts in 2025. J.T. Realmuto has been an underrated base stealing threat in years past and he totaled eight on ten attempts last year, but it’s likely the Phillies will not ask him to steal as often in order to preserve the 35-year-old catcher’s legs. Bryce Harper stole 12 bags last year while being thrown out twice but has already been thrown out once on three attempts this season.
So, should the Phillies attempt to steal mores bases? Is it a good way to try and find some offense? Or are they better off not running into outs with the few baserunners they actually have?
Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez (3) pours gatorade onto Miami Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2) after sweeping the Atlanta Braves in the series on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, at loanDepot Park in Miami. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Well, they got the series loss out of the way. Not surprisingly, it came in a series where the games weren’t really managed with urgency on the pitching side. Now, the season standings are what they are, so I can get soft-pedaling things, though it’s not actually any more enjoyable to watch in the moment than if the standings were more dire. But, it’s not like the team’s first series loss was some kind of devastating blow.
Right now, getting swept also wouldn’t be a devastating blow. But, we also don’t know that the Braves will get swept any time soon. Do you think they will? If so, when? Who’s gonna achieve it?
The 2024 Braves didn’t get swept until early May… by the Dodgers… on a road trip to Seattle and Los Angeles… after losing a series to the Mariners.
The 2023 Braves actually got swept in late April by the Astros.
The 2022 Braves were never swept.
The 2021 Braves were swept in their first series of the year… as were the 2019 Braves. Both happened in Philadelphia.
The 2020 Braves were only swept in a two-game set in Games 19 and 20 of that shortened season. A funny thing there was that they were swept at Yankee Stadium, and then later that month, swept the Yankees in two games at home. The team only participated in one other sweep the rest of the way.
The 2018 team also lasted until early May, where they were swept at home by the Giants.
I keep telling you that there’s something special about this Cubs team.
Maybe if they keep pulling out wins like the one Wednesday night against the Reds, you’ll believe me. I almost have no words… oh, wait, I’ve got about 1,700 words to describe Wednesday’s amazing comeback win.
After the team had one of their worst innings of the entire season, blowing a two-run ninth-inning lead and … well, I’ll get to the rest of that… the Cubs tied the game up, got a solid scoreless inning from a pitcher who had just arrived and was only there because of yet another injury, then won the game on a walk-off walk issued to Michael Busch. The Cubs’ 7-6, 10-inning win was their eighth in a row and their 14th straight at Wrigley Field.
Caught your breath yet? Let’s rewind to the beginning of this bonkers game.
Colin Rea walked the first batter of the game, TJ Friedl. That almost never winds up being a good thing, and it wasn’t in this case, as Friedl moved to second when Rea threw a pickoff attempt away and scored on a single by JJ Bleday.
The Cubs wasted no time in taking the lead back. The first two Cubs in the first grounded out, then Alex Bregman singled.
Perspective: This was the Cubs’ 37th game of the year. Last year — when Happ hit 23 home runs — he hit his ninth in the team’s 75th game. The homer was the 182nd of his career, moving Happ ahead of Alfonso Soriano into 12th place on the franchise home run list. Next up: Hack Wilson, 190.
The Reds threatened in the third. Two singles put runners on first and third with nobody out. Rea struck out Bleday, then with the infield in, Busch made this good play [VIDEO].
Rea served up a home run ball to Matt McLain in the fifth to make the score 4-2. Rea was finally lifted with one out in the sixth after putting runners on by a walk and a single. He got one out on a ground ball, then Jacob Webb was summoned. Webb’s been pretty good lately and he got out of the inning with a pair of ground outs — the second, though, required this slick grab from Bregman [VIDEO].
The Cubs had a chance to extend the lead in the seventh. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Swanson began the inning with singles, but Nico Hoerner hit into a double play. Craig Counsell sent Matt Shaw up to bat against left-hander Sam Moll, but Terry Francona countered with Pierce Johnson, so Counsell sent Michael Conforto up to bat for Shaw. That’s something you used to see a lot, but not now with three-batter minimums and four-man benches.
Anyway, Conforto could not replicate his heroics of Monday; he grounded out to end the inning.
Phil Maton threw a 1-2-3 eighth. That’s good because, well, the Cubs need good relievers they can trust right now, what with all the injuries.
Tip o’ the cap there — that could have been a double or triple, instead it was a 402-foot out.
Then, the ninth. If I can be permitted to second-guess Counsell a bit, Webb had thrown only 14 pitches to record five outs. Perhaps he could have thrown the eighth and Maton the ninth. I agree with Counsell on not using Daniel Palencia on back-to-back days, yet, coming off his injury.
So it was Corbin Martin to try to save this game. Friends, you know he did not do that. He served up a leadoff homer to Spencer Steer, then allowed singles to Will Benson and pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson. That was it for Martin, and Hoby Milner came on to protect what was now a one-run lead.
McLain attempted a bunt. Milner thought he had a play at third, and he might have, only he hesitated just for the tiniest moment and Benson was safe. Milner then struck out pinch-hitter Dane Myers, only to see Bleday hit a single, tying the game.
Suzuki made a nice grab, then fell down. What you can’t see on the clip is that he flipped the ball to PCA, whose throw was too late to prevent two runs from scoring on Elly De La Cruz’s sacrifice fly.
The four-run ninth was a disaster, one of the Cubs’ worst innings of 2026, as noted above.
Did that matter? No, it did not!
Busch led off and was called out on strikes on a pitch overturned on a challenge. Then Kelly singled.
With one out, the Cubs had a chance to walk it off in regulation, but Swanson popped up and Hoerner grounded out.
On to the 10th and Milner walked the first Reds hitter he faced. Now there are runners on first and second with nobody out. Trent Thornton was summoned. Raise your hand if you knew, when this day started, that Thornton would be pitching for the Cubs in this very high-leverage situation. (No, no you did not, he’s only there due to the injury to Matthew Boyd.)
Thornton did his job exceptionally well. He got Steer to hit into a double play. Pinch-runner Blake Dunn wound up on third, where he was stranded when Thornton got Benson to ground out. Thornton is 32 and signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs in January. He’s had some decent years in the past in Toronto and Seattle, and this outing, well, the Cubs need that “next man up” theory to hold and it did in this inning.
In the bottom of the 10th, Miguel Amaya was sent up to bat in the DH spot, for Conforto. Remember that Shaw had already been used, the only other bench bat was Nicky Lopez. Amaya was being sent up to sacrifice the placed runner (Nico), and he did so successfully. So now Hoerner’s on third with one out. The Reds chose to intentionally pass Bregman. Happ, though, struck out for the second out in the inning. The Reds then decided to intentionally pass Suzuki. You don’t see this sort of thing often in walk-off situations anymore; teams think it’s too big of a risk when, as was the case here, a walk ends the game.
Busch, who was the wak-off hero Tuesday, was the hitter. He ran a 3-0 count. One more ball and the Cubs win. The fourth pitch was close, and it appeared Busch had challenged — but the umpires didn’t allow it. Counsell came out for a discussion, but the game continued. As it turned out, the pitch was a strike, so the challenge wouldn’t have done anything. A very close pitch, but a strike:
Just can’t say enough about this team. Even with that awful ninth, you had the feeling that somehow, this Cubs team would come back and win, and so they did. From BCB’s JohnW53:
Last night’s win made Monday-Wednesday just the fourth time since 1901 that Cubs have had three straight walk-offs vs. the same team:
Aug. 16-18, 1932, vs Braves Aug. 28, 30 and 31, 1932 vs Giants Sept. 27-28, 1943 vs Giants (doubleheader on 28th).
They have had three straight walk-offs vs. different teams since then, most recently in 2009.
The injury to Boyd, noted above, will have some ripple effects, obviously. Javier Assad likely slots back into the rotation, and for now, Thornton takes his bullpen place. We’ll discuss over the next days and weeks where Jed Hoyer might go for starting pitching help. As for the pen, I’d think this game might be the end of Corbin Martin’s Cubs career — after starting out this year reasonably well (including a save against the Dodgers!), Martin’s last three outings have resulted in one total inning pitched, six hits, four walks, two home runs and six runs allowed for a 54.00 ERA. I’m not sure who the Cubs could add today to replace Martin — Ethan Roberts, currently on rehab assignment, threw an inning for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday.
There will be more on WPA in Heroes and Goats at 10 a.m. CT, but check out this game’s chart (Bluesky link):
17 total wins 10 comeback wins 9 wins after allowing the first run 6 one-run wins 4 walkoff wins 4 wins after trailing in 8th or later 3 extra-inning wins
No other MLB team in the modern era has done all of that over any 20-game span. pic.twitter.com/65oRrdidb5
The Cubs now lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over the second-place Cardinals and five games over the Brewers, Reds and Pirates.
The Cubs will go for nine in a row, 15 straight at Wrigley, and a four-game sweep Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs and Rhett Lowder goes for the Reds. Game time is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and MLB Network outside the Cubs and Reds market territories).
James Harden
Jalen Duren
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Bobby Witt Jr.
Otto Lopez
