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Phillies at Nationals Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for Mar. 27

Phillies at Nationals Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for March 27

Thursday, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals open the 2025 regular season in our nation's capital.

Zack Wheeler is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against MacKenzie Gore for Washington

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

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

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

Game details & how to watch Phillies at Nationals

  • Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
  • Time: 4:05PM EST
  • Site: Nationals Park
  • City: Washington, DC
  • Network/Streaming: NBC Sports Philadelphia, MASN

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

Odds for the Phillies at the Nationals

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies (-175), Washington Nationals (+145)
  • Spread: Phillies -1.5 (-102), Nationals +1.5 (-118)
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Listen to the Rotoworld Baseball Show for the latest player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Nationals

  • Thursday’s pitching matchup (DATE): Zack Wheeler vs. MacKenzie Gore
    • Phillies: Zack Wheeler
      Spring Training - 4GP, 14 IP, 0-1, 3.86 ERA, 13 Ks
    • Nationals: MacKenzie Gore
      Spring Training - 4GP, 16.1 IP, 2-1, 2.76 ERA, 18 Ks

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Nationals

  • Alec Bohm who was rumored to be on the trading block this offseason led the Phillies this Spring with a .370 average
  • Kyle Schwarber collected 9 hits in 49 ABs (.184) this Spring
  • Dylan Crews was 15-55 (.273) this Spring for the Nationals
  • Josh Bell struck out 19 times in just 46 ABs this Spring for Washington

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

Expert picks & predictions for Thursday’s game between the Phillies and the Nationals

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

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

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Phillies and the Nationals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Phillies on Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Phillies -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 7.0.

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

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Doc Rivers on blowing 3-1 playoff leads: 'I don't get enough credit for getting the three wins'

Orlando Magic head coach Doc Rivers, right, listens to guard Darrell Armstrong explains during game 7 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Detroit Pistons on May 4, 2003. Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers reacts during Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Los Angeles on May 8, 2015. Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers complains about a call during an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game on Sept. 9, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson; AP Photo/Jae C. Hong; AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Doc Rivers had three teams — Orlando Magic in 2003 and Clippers in 2015 and 2020 — blow 3-1 playoff leads, but the current Milwaukee Bucks coach says the series collapses are "unfair in some ways." (Los Angeles Times illustration, Photos by Associated Press)

Doc Rivers is one of the winningest coaches in NBA history.

The current Milwaukee Bucks coach has 1,154 career regular-season wins and can tie former Lakers and Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson for seventh on the all-time list with a victory Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets.

He also led the Boston Celtics to an NBA title in 2008 and back to the finals in 2010 during a 26-year coaching career that also included seven seasons with the Clippers and stints with the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.

But Rivers also might forever be known as the coach who has trouble holding onto 3-1 series leads in the playoffs.

Some fans don't seem willing to forget that Rivers blew such advantages three times — with the Magic in 2003 (to the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs) and with the Clippers in 2015 (to the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals) and also with the Clippers in 2020 (to the Nuggets in the conference semifinals).

Read more:Straight Outta L.A.: Ice Cube's new BIG3 team is the Riot and 'here to shake things up'

Rivers thinks the criticism he receives for those collapses is "unfair in some ways."

"I don’t get enough credit for getting the three wins," Rivers recently told Andscape. "I get credit for losing. I always say, ‘What if we had lost to Houston in six?’ No one cares. One of the things that I’m proud of is we’ve never been swept. All the coaches have been swept in the playoffs. My teams achieve. A lot of them overachieve and I’m very proud of that."

The 2002-03 Magic team was an eighth seed that pushed the top-seeded Pistons to the brink of elimination. The 2014-15 Clippers finished the regular season at 56-26 and earned the third seed in the West. After defeating the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round, the Clippers went on to face the second-seeded Rockets, who also finished the regular season at 56-26.

Rivers calls that postseason series "the only one that got away."

"But people don’t realize that Chris Paul was running on one leg and we were also the underdog in that series," Rivers said. "When you think about it, Houston had home court, not us."

Read more:Lakers' JJ Redick says he and Doc Rivers have no bad feelings for one another

The 2019-20 season was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic and finished in an isolated Orlando "bubble" during the late summer and early fall. The Clippers ended the regular season at 49-23 and earned the No. 2 seed in the West. Rivers said the team's playoff letdown that year doesn't bother him because he knows the players' hearts weren't in it.

"In the bubble, I had a group of guys that didn’t want to be there," said Rivers, referring to comments made by former Clipper Lou Williams about the players' mindset at the time. "I felt that. I knew that."

Rivers added: "What bugs me about the bubble is I couldn’t get them to understand that we had a chance to win [a title]. That’s what bugs me. They wanted to go home more than they wanted to win. And I still don’t understand that. I’m too competitive. And I really thought that team had enough."

Rivers acknowledged that all those playoff disappointments are "part of my legacy."

"There’s nothing I can do about it," he said.

Read more:Clippers' five-game winning streak ends in loss to NBA-leading Thunder

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Game #71: Ducks vs. Bruins Gameday Preview

Feb 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) makes a save on Boston Bruins center Matthew Poitras (51) during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Anaheim Ducks look to rebound from a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. They'll face the Boston Bruins, who have lost six consecutive games. The Bruins are coming off a 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Mar. 23.

"We gotta play our game," Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said when asked to combat a Bruins team that is desperate to get back in the win column. "We have moments when we're very consistent and predictable in the way we play, we kind of flirt with that. I thought the first period and a half against Carolina, we were on our heels a bit, trying to change the mentality, so we're on our toes the whole game. There are moments where we can dominate games, like in the last half of the Dallas game––I thought we were terrific. Third period against Carolina, I thought we dominated. As a staff, we're trying to find a way to get our guys to play at that level for 60 minutes."

Sam Colangelo is expected to return to the lineup after missing the last five games with an upper-body injury, slotting in for Brett Leason on the fourth line. Colangelo said that the injury was something that he's been dealing with the entire season.

"It's something that I've dealt with all year," he said. "Kind of happened before training camp, battled through it all of training camp. Kind of went away for a few months and came back every now and then. (It) came back during the Utah game a little bit––I was alright to play during the game, not an excuse for my play during the game. A day or two later, it really sparked up and I had to get off the ice for a bit.

"I feel good, ready to be back. Been chomping at the bit the last few days here. Back on the ice for about five or six days now. It's tough to be out, especially when I'm trying to continue the momentum that I had there for a bit. I didn't love my game in Utah, but I was playing through a little something there. I feel good now and I'm ready to be back."

The Ducks' Power Play ConundrumThe Ducks' Power Play ConundrumA Taylor Hall hat trick and a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes were the least of the Ducks’ worries on Sunday night. They went 0-for-6 on the power play and mustered just six shots on goal on the man advantage, with the Hurricanes also creating several breakaway attempts while shorthanded.

This will be the first time that Colangelo plays against the Bruins, the team he grew up rooting for. Colangelo is from Stoneham, just 10 miles away from TD Garden. "It's the team I've rooted for my whole life. I think it's kind of full circle once you go back and play in your hometown, but even the first one at home against your hometown team is a cool feeling and something that I talked a little bit about with my parents. I'm really excited and it's a dream come true.

"They're gonna come out hard. I think we just gotta play our game from the drop of the puck. Wins or losses in the past don't really matter, it's about the game tonight. They've been on a little bit of a skid, so I'm sure they're gonna come out ready to go. We just gotta match that and play better than them."

Isac Lundeström and Pavel Mintyukov were both absent from Tuesday's practice due to illness, but both are expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Bruins. John Gibson starts for Anaheim and is just three wins away from tying Jean-Sébastien Giguère for the most wins by a goaltender in franchise history.

Ducks Projected Lines

Cutter Gauthier - Leo Carlsson - Alex Killorn
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Troy Terry
Nikita Nesterenko - Mason McTavish - Trevor Zegras
Jansen Harkins - Isac Lundeström - Sam Colangelo

Jackson LaCombe - Radko Gudas
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov - Drew Helleson

John Gibson (confirmed)

Bruins Projected Lines

Marat Khusnutdinov - Casey Mittelstadt - David Pastrňák
Morgan Geekie - Pavel Zacha - Fabian Lysell
Cole Koepke - Elias Lindholm - Fabian Lysell
Jakub Lauko - John Beecher - Patrick Brown

Parker Wotherspoon - Henri Jokiharju
Mason Lohrei - Andrew Peeke
Michael Callahan - Ian Mitchell

Joonas Korpisalo (confirmed)

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Red Sox at Rangers prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for March 27

The Boston Red Sox open the 2025 MLB season against the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Thursday.

Garrett Crochet is slated to take the mound for Boston against Nathan Eovaldi for Texas.

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

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

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

Game details & how to watch Red Sox at Rangers

  • Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
  • Time: 4:05PM EST
  • Site: Globe Life Field
  • City: Arlington, TX
  • Network/Streaming: NESN, Rangers Sports Network

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

Odds for the Red Sox at the Rangers

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Boston Red Sox (-115), Texas Rangers (-105)
  • Spread: Red Sox -1.5 (+150), Rangers +1.5 (-185)
  • Total: 7.5 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at Rangers

  • Thursday’s pitching matchup (DATE): Garrett Crochet vs. Nathan Eovaldi
    • Red Sox: Garrett Crochet
      Spring Training - 5GP, 15.2 IP, 1-0, 0.57 ERA, 30 Ks
    • Rangers: Nathan Eovaldi
      Spring Training - 4GP, 13.1 IP, 0-1, 5.54 ERA, 9 Ks

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Red Sox at Rangers

  • A notorious slow starter, Alex Bregman led the Sox in Spring Training with a .279 batting average
  • Trayce Thompson led the Red Sox with 6 HRs and 13 RBIs in Spring Training
  • Wyatt Langford was 14-33 (.424) this Spring for Texas
  • Joc Pederson led the Rangers with 5 HRs this Spring

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

Expert picks & predictions for Thursday’s game between the Red Sox and the Rangers

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

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

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Red Sox and the Rangers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on Boston -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 7.5.

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

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Sean Manaea's rehab going at 'really good clip,' Frankie Montas progressing toward throwing

The Mets were dealt a handful of injuries to starting pitchers during spring training, with Paul Blackburn the latest to land on the injured list at Opening Day, but president of baseball operations David Stearns said on Wednesday that the club isn’t overly concerned about any of the injuries to the starters.

Stearns said that he’s experienced some spring trainings where you come out unscathed on the injury front and others where you "take it on the chin a little bit." 

“We’re fortunate that we believe that these dings to our starting rotation are pretty temporary and really not concerned with any of them,” he said from the Mets’ dugout in Houston ahead of Thursday's game against the Astros.

The Mets’ top baseball man said that Blackburn has already responded "really well" to the injection he got to deal with inflammation in his right knee, and Sean Manaea is “throwing and in good shape and really going through his rehab process at a really good clip and we’re excited about that.”

The Mets got the good news on Manaea two weeks ago when a follow-up MRI on his right oblique came back clear, and he was cleared to resume throwing as he was "symptom-free."

"We gotta pretty much build him back up as a starter," manager Carlos Mendozasaid at the time. "The good thing is he's feeling good, there's nothing going on there -- that oblique. And now it's just 75, 90, 120 [feet] before he gets on the mound."

Frankie Montas, who had had a “repeat MRI” on his lat injury in the last few days that showed “really good healing,” Stearns said.

In terms of throwing progression, the right-hander is still a “week or two away,” but Stearns was upbeat about Montas’ progress: “Clearly good healing is better than not healing and so we’ll certainly take that update.”

Montas landed on the shelf right at the start of spring training, which he believes he sustained during his first bullpen session of camp.

But on the whole, Stearns indicated a level of positivity on the rotation's injury issues on the eve of the season's start.

“At this point, we’re pretty optimistic on all these guys,” Stearns continued before dropping a grain of salt, “Of course, until they’re back throwing well in major league competition, we won’t know for sure. But we seem to be trending in the right direction and we’re really looking forward to getting them back.

“In the meantime, we have guys that we think can step up and do the job.”

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Francisco Alvarez recently got stiches out, is nearing baseball activities

Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is making progress toward a return from a broken bone in his left hand.

The 23-year-old, who underwent surgery just over two weeks ago, got his stitches out on Monday and is set to begin strength work, manager Carlos Mendozasaid on Wednesday, adding that Alvarez is expected to resume baseball activities shortly after he starts his strength work.

Speaking on March 12, Alvarez discussed his expected return date.

"Maybe six weeks," he said. "My goal is to make that as quick as possible."

Alvarez added: "They said after the third week, maybe I can start hitting. It's on me. If my body takes more time than normal, maybe take eight weeks. But it's very on me. If I feel comfortable, if I feel good, I can move quicker."

Alvarez's return from injury seems to be on track with his aim for the shorter end of the six-to-eight week timeline, which would mean the catcher being back at some point near the end of April.

The 23-year-old went through something similar last year.

He injured his thumb on April 19 against the Dodgers while taking an aggressive turn at first base and awkwardly landing on his hand. That injury required surgery to repair a torn ligament and kept him out of the lineup until June 11.

When Alvarez returned, he took a while to get going offensively. But he finished the regular season on a high note, posting a 1.000 OPS and smacking five home runs over his last 48 plate appearances from Sept. 11 to Sept. 30.

Alvarez said he didn't think the thumb injury last year hampered his hitting upon his return.

Regarding how this injury might impact him?

"Maybe yes, maybe no," Alvarez said on March 12. "It's a quick recovery, so I don't think I'm going to lose strength in my hand. I'm very strong."

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Can Kentucky beat Tennessee for the 3rd time?

Yahoo Sports’ Caroline Fenton, Jason Fitz and basketball analyst Isis ‘Ice’ Young look ahead to the SEC showdown in the Sweet Sixteen and discuss if the Wildcats can top the Volunteers for a third time this season. Hear the full conversation on the “College Basketball Enquirer” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

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Blackhawks Need to Make Maple Leafs Their Primary Target

Matthew Knies & Mitch Marner (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks need to make more big moves in the offseason and swing for the fences. This is an Original Six team with Connor Bedard and a lot of other talented young players and top picks. The turnaround hasn't happened yet, and adding a big piece to the mix will really help in advancing that goal of winning.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team the Blackhawks have to target for a couple of reasons. Reason one is Mitch Marner. Reason two is Matthew Knies. These are two impact players that need contracts and Chicago has more than enough cap space to bring one of them in. It isn't going to be both.

Marner is a UFA and even though he's having a great season and finishing out the year as a Maple Leaf, the risk of losing him becomes higher with every passing day, especially after the team reportedly approached him about a trade to Carolina. This indicates Toronto has thought about life without Marner moving forward as a possibility.

As for Knies, he is a RFA, but without a contract for next season, is at risk of being offer sheeted. There is a lot of money on the books in Toronto and it will be extremely difficult for the Maple Leafs to pay Marner what he likely wants and give Knies a contract he is worthy of now and down the line. If it reaches the point where teams can offer sheet Knies, it will most definitely happen and force Toronto's hand. Expect the Blackhawks to be one of those teams and potentially offer the most.

Marner will likely get around $13.5-$14 million AAV on his next contract, becoming the highest paid winger in the NHL. He has proven he's worth that money in the regular season at least. Recently on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Jason Bukula said that "It could go to $9 million...Sign Knies first and see what's left over...because he's going to get offer sheeted."

Blackhawks Give A Tough Jason Dickinson Update After PracticeBlackhawks Give A Tough Jason Dickinson Update After PracticeThe Chicago Blackhawks held practice on Tuesday. They are preparing for Wednesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils at United Center. 

Marner is more proven and can consistently put up over a point-per-game, but he has been questionable at times in the playoffs or big games. The 4 Nations Face-Off definitely helped his case for more money, not hurt it. Knies is five years younger, bigger and more physical, and can score goals. They are very different players and will require different sums of money to get.

The problem with sending an offer sheet and having it accepted and not matched is the Blackhawks would be sending some good draft picks back to Toronto while Chicago is still at the bottom of the league. If this move pulls them from the depths of the NHL immediately, then that matters much less.

There aren't a ton of options out there for the Blackhawks to make a splash in an offseason they must do so, but Toronto is a team that Chicago has to have their sights set on.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features, and more.