Per a report from Pierre LeBrun, Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets are in agreement on a contract that cannot be signed until July. 1 when the free agency window opens.
Toews will be joining the second NHL team of his career after spending the first 15 years of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 37-year-old scored 372 goals and 883 points in 1067 games during his Blackhawks tenure, taking home three Stanley Cups, a Selke Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy and the Mark Messier Leadership Award.
Throughout his illustrious hockey career, Toews has proven that no matter the stage, his teams find a way to win. The Winnipeg native is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won gold at the World Juniors, World Championship, and the Olympics.
At this point in his career, the Jets will likely use Toews in a shutdown role. Trusting him to drive a line offensively might be too tall an ask, but asking him to provide leadership, win faceoffs, and be potent defensively is exactly what he is capable of doing.
At the moment, no details about numbers have been shared, but LeBrun confirmed that the length of the contract will be one year.
"The three-time Stanley Cup champion is expected to ink a short-term contract, likely one-year, that may be painted with various goal-oriented bonuses, such as games played and points totals," said David Pagnotta in a report he shared earlier about Toews' situation.
Throughout the process, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning were pushing hard to sign Toews, but several reports indicated that his hometown team were always the favourite. In the end, the future Hall of Famer will receive the opportunity to play where he grew up.
Stay updated with the most interesting Jets stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
In a stunning twist to the NHL offseason, multiple reports confirm that Jonathan Toews is expected to sign with the Winnipeg Jets, signaling a long-anticipated return to the game and to his hometown.
The 36-year-old Toews, who hasn't played since the 2022–23 season due to health-related issues, has reportedly been training and feels ready to make a comeback. Now, the former Chicago Blackhawks captain and three-time Stanley Cup champion is on the verge of joining a Jets team looking to stay in the Western Conference playoff mix.
Toews was quoted as saying "I’m grateful to be making my return to the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets. It’s very special to come home and play in front of my family and friends in Manitoba. The Jets have been on the rise over the last few seasons and I’m eager to join the group and help however I can.”
Toews, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, played his entire 15-year NHL career with the Blackhawks, notching 883 points (372 goals, 511 assists) in 1,067 games, and earning a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2010. His leadership and two-way play were hallmarks of Chicago’s dynasty years, and his presence in Winnipeg could provide a significant locker room and on-ice boost.
While the contract details have yet to be made public, the expected deal is believed to be short-term and incentive-heavy, allowing Toews to ease back into the NHL pace while giving Winnipeg additional veteran depth at center.
Jets' Odds Could Shift with Toews' Return
Sportsbooks have begun to take notice. The Jets, previously listed around +3500 to win the Stanley Cup on most major platforms, could see their odds shorten slightly if Toews officially signs and is cleared to play. While his exact on-ice role remains to be seen, his playoff experience and championship pedigree add intangible value, particularly in a Western Conference wide open behind favorites like Edmonton and Dallas.
For futures bettors, this move may represent a low-risk, high-upside play. If Toews stays healthy and contributes on special teams or in key faceoff situations, Winnipeg's depth could give them a serious edge come spring.
Keep an eye on updated odds as the signing becomes official—sharper markets may react early.
It's Friday, June 20 and the White Sox (23-52) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (40-34). Davis Martin is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Spencer Turnbull for Toronto.
Chicago has lost eight straight games and are 1-9 over the last 10 games after being swept in two straight series. Toronto took the series against Arizona, 2-1, but are 2-4 over the previous six games. This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
Let's 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 how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch White Sox at Blue Jays
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 7:07PM EST
Site: Rogers Centre
City: Toronto, ON
Network/Streaming: CHSN, Sportsnet
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the White Sox at the Blue Jays
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: White Sox (+171), Blue Jays (-207)
Spread: Blue Jays -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for White Sox at Blue Jays
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Davis Martin vs. Spencer Turnbull
White Sox: Davis Martin, (2-7, 3.79 ERA) Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
Blue Jays: Spencer Turnbull, (1-0, 2.08 ERA) Last outing: 2.1 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 0 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the White Sox and the Blue Jays
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the White Sox and the Blue Jays:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Toronto Blue Jays on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago White Sox at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of White Sox at Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are 8-2 in their last 10 home games
The Blue Jays' last 4 games have gone over the Total
The Blue Jays have covered in their last 4 games against the White Sox
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!
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Czech
defenseman Michal Kempný, 34, has signed a
one-year contract with Brynäs IF, the
Gävle-based SHL club announced on Friday.
“It’s
an honor to be part of such a fantastic organization with a proud
tradition and passionate fanbase,” said
Kempný. “I
look forward to meeting everyone in the organization and becoming
part of the Brynäs family. I can’t wait to get started.”
“Michal
is a player who has won at several different levels in his career,”
said Brynäs
sports director Johan Alcén. “He
has incredible experience and is a guy who is driven by competition
and wants to win. We’ve received many
great references for Michal and it feels
really good and exciting
that Michal will
play for us.”
Originally
from Hodonín in southeastern Czechia, Kempný
played junior hockey just across the border in Skalica, Slovakia and
then played in the Czech Extraliga for Kometa Brno and Slavia
Prague and for one season in the KHL for Avangard Omsk.
Never
drafted by an NHL team, Kempný signed as a free agent with the
Chicago Blackhawks in 2016
at age 26. From 2016 to 2022, he played 247 NHL regular-season games
for the Hawks and Washington
Capitals, recording 63 points and 146 penalty minutes. He also
recorded six points in 30 playoff games and was a member of
Washington’s 2018 Stanley Cup championship team.
Kempný
signed as a free agent with the Seattle Kraken in 2022 but was
assigned to the AHL and, after two games, his contract was terminated
by mutual agreement. He then signed with Sparta Prague on Oct. 25,
2022, where he spent the following three seasons.
Internationally,
Kempný has represented Czechia at five
IIHF World Championships, winning a gold
medal on home ice in 2024, and at
the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Kempný
joins a Brynäs team that is coming off a season in which it
shattered all expectations. Just after being
promoted from the HockeyAllsvenskan, Brynäs finished first
overall in the regular season and made it to the SHL finals, where it
lost to Lulea in six games.
It's Friday, June 20 and the Braves (34-39) are in Miami to take on the Marlins (29-44). Didier Fuentes is slated to take the mound for Atlanta in his MLB debut against Janson Junk for Miami.
The Marlins are 1-3 over the last four games and are 4-4 in the previous eight outings, while the Braves enter on a three-game winning streak and 6-1 over the past seven games (4-plus runs scored in all six runs).
These two teams split the first series earlier in the year 1-1 with another contest being postponed.
Let's 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 how to catch first pitch, 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 Braves at Marlins
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: LoanDepot Park
City: Miami, FL
Network/Streaming: FDSNSO, FDSNFL
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 Braves at the Marlins
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Braves (-143), Marlins (+120)
Spread: Braves -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Braves at Marlins
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Didier Fuentes vs. Janson Junk
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!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Braves and the Marlins
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Braves and the Marlins:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Atlanta Braves on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Marlins at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Braves at Marlins
The Braves are 34-39 this season but they've won 7 of their last 9 games
5 of the Marlins' last 6 matchups against NL East teams have gone under the Total
Miami is 2-3 on the ML when Janson Junk pitches this season
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!
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It's Friday, June 20 and the Mets (45-30) are in Philadelphia to take on the Phillies (45-30). Blade Tidwell is slated to take the mound for New York against Zack Wheeler for Philadelphia.
The Phillies are 7-1 in the last eight games and 8-2 over the past 10 to follow up a 0-5 and 1-9 stretch of play. Philadelphia took three out of four against Miami despite outscoring the Marlins 14-13.
The Mets are on a six-game losing streak after being swept by Tampa Bay and Atlanta. New York has scored 14 runs in that span with three games of one or fewer run.
New York swept Philadelphia earlier this season at home, so this appears to be good timing for the Phillies to win the series and attempt to extract revenge in the form of a series sweep.
Let's 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 how to catch first pitch, 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 Mets at Phillies
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 7:15PM EST
Site: Citizens Bank Park
City: Philadelphia, PA
Network/Streaming: Apple TV+
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 Mets at the Phillies
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Mets (+156), Phillies (-187)
Spread: Phillies -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Mets at Phillies
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Blade Tidwell vs. Zack Wheeler
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!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Mets and the Phillies
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Mets and the Phillies:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Mets at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mets at Phillies
The Phillies have won 5 of their last 6 games at home
4 of the Mets' last 5 matchups against NL East teams have gone under the Total
The Mets have failed to cover the Run Line in 7 of their last 9 games
New York is 3-0 on the ML against Philadelphia this season
New York is 0-1 on the ML when Blake Tidwell pitches this season
Philadelphia is 10-4 on the ML when Zack Wheeler pitches this season
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!
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It's Friday, June 20 and the Tigers (48-28) are in Tampa to take on the Rays (41-34). Jack Flaherty is slated to take the mound for Detroit against Shane Baz for Tampa Bay.
Detroit played a double-header at home against Pittsburgh yesterday, winning the first and losing the second to take the series 2-1. The Tigers are on the road after those two games for a new series as they haven't lost a road series since April 30.
Tampa Bay is 5-2 in the past seven games and coming off a 2-2 series split with Baltimore. The Rays scored 19 runs in their two wins and 2 runs in the two losses against the Orioles. This is the first meeting of the season between the Tigers and Rays.
Let's 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 how to catch first pitch, 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 Tigers at Rays
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 7:05PM EST
Site: George M. Steinbrenner Field
City: Tampa, FL
Network/Streaming: FDSNDT, FDSNSUN
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 Tigers at the Rays
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Tigers (-109), Rays (-110)
Spread: Rays 1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Tigers at Rays
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Jack Flaherty vs. Shane Baz
Tigers: Jack Flaherty, (5-7, 4.03 ERA) Last outing: 4.2 Innings Pitched, 7 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 5 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Tigers and the Rays
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Tigers and the Rays:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Tampa Bay Rays on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Detroit Tigers at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Tigers at Rays
The Under has cashed in 5 of the Rays' last 7 games with Shane Baz starting
Tampa Bay is 10-4 on the ML when Shane Baz pitches this season and a profit of +5.46 units
Detroit is 5-9 on the ML when Jack Flaherty pitches this season
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!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
The Boston Celtics need to shed at least $20 million in salary this offseason to get under the second apron of the luxury tax and avoid punitive roster penalties, which means president of basketball operations Brad Stevens may have to trade several core players.
If that’s the case and superstar forward Jayson Tatum misses the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from Achilles surgery, Boston will need players on lower-cost deals to step up if the team wants to remain competitive.
That’s why the 2025 NBA Draft is so crucial for the Celtics: Can they find a legitimate rotation player with either the No. 28 or No. 32 pick in next Thursday’s draft — or package those picks to move up higher in the first round?
The “trade up” path is intriguing if Stevens and Co. believe they can acquire a prospect with the potential to be a legitimate rotation player. And if that scenario comes to pass, Michigan State guard Jase Richardson is a name worth watching.
Let’s continue our “Celtics Draft Fits” series with a full breakdown of Richardson — the son of former NBA player Jason Richardson — and why he’d make sense for Boston:
If Boston trades Jrue Holiday, that could thrust reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard into a starting role. And the Celtics might be very tempted by the possibility of developing Richardson into the next Pritchard.
While Richardson is much greener than Pritchard — who entered the league at age 23 after four years in college — he’s the son of an NBA player who boasts a high basketball IQ and averaged just 0.8 turnovers per game last season.
Richardson also is a deadly shooter (41.2 percent from 3-point range) who makes up for his lack of height with strong body control around the basket. Sound familiar?
“The son of Jason Richardson, he hit 41 percent of his threes as a freshman at Michigan State,” Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg says of Jase Richardson. “Richardson’s fit with the Celtics could be similar to what Payton Pritchard has provided as a scoring spark off the bench.
“Boston could be intrigued by those NBA bloodlines and his two-way potential. For the Celtics to get to Richardson, they might need to move up from No. 28.”
Indeed, Richardson is projected as a top-15 pick in most NBA Mock Drafts. But if Stevens likes him enough, perhaps the C’s would strike a deal to jump up and draft the Spartan sharpshooter.
(Header/feature image courtesy of Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has officially completed his coaching staff, adding two respected names to help guide Philadelphia into its next chapter.
On Friday, the Flyers announced the hiring of Todd Reirden as assistant coach and Dylan Crawford as assistant/video coach, joining Jaroslav Svejkovsky and Jay Varady to form Tocchet’s trusted team.
OFFICIAL: We have hired Todd Reirden as assistant coach and Dylan Crawford as assistant coach, video. https://t.co/AnpHz7ySa8
“I’m happy to have rounded out my coaching staff by bringing Todd and Dylan on board,” Tocchet said in a statement. “Todd’s extensive experience across all levels of coaching, as well as his success throughout his career, will play a pivotal role in all facets of our game. Dylan adds another level to our video team in an area that is rapidly expanding and becoming more critical in the outcome of games and the way teams prepare.”
There’s plenty of reason for Tocchet’s enthusiasm. Reirden, 53, brings 14 years of NHL coaching experience and a proven track record in sharpening defensive groups and special teams. Most recently, he served as associate and assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2020 to 2024, overseeing the Penguins’ defense corps and power play. Before that, Reirden spent six seasons with the Washington Capitals—including a Stanley Cup championship in 2018.
Reirden’s addition could be a crucial piece for the Flyers, whose defense has seen growing pains amid roster transitions and prospect integrations. His experience in managing elite defensemen and steadying back ends will be vital as Philadelphia continues to mold its young talent into NHL regulars.
Crawford, meanwhile, represents the new wave of NHL coaching—where video and analytics play an ever-larger role in game preparation. The 35-year-old spent the last three seasons working alongside Tocchet in Vancouver, where his attention to detail and modern approach to video analysis earned high praise. With seven years of experience in video coaching, Crawford will help ensure the Flyers are prepared for every angle and nuance of the fast-changing NHL game.
Together, Reirden and Crawford give Tocchet a staff with a balance of experience, innovation, and familiarity. As the Flyers aim to turn promise into progress, this staff will be tasked with building a structure that maximizes the potential of an evolving roster.
It's Friday, June 20 and the Orioles (32-42) are in Bronx to take on the Yankees (43-31). Tomoyuki Sugano is slated to take the mound for Baltimore against Max Fried for New York.
Baltimore is coming off a split of a series against Tampa Bay where 39 combined runs were scored. The Orioles are 16-6 over the last 22 games after going 16-36 through the first 52 games.
New York lost six straight, which was a season-long losing streak, before ending a four-game series against the Los Angeles with a 7-3 win. The Yankees were swept by the Red Sox and lost three of four against the Angels mainly because of the offense. New York scored five runs total over their six-game losing streak, but bounced back with seven yesterday in a game that featured two rain delays.
Let's 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 first pitch, 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 Orioles at Yankees
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 7:05PM EST
Site: Yankee Stadium
City: Bronx, NY
Network/Streaming: MASN, YES, MLBN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Orioles at the Yankees
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Orioles (+188), Yankees (-229)
Spread: Yankees -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Orioles at Yankees
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Tomoyuki Sugano vs. Max Fried
Yankees: Max Fried, (9-2, 1.90 ERA) Last outing: 7.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the Yankees
Rotoworld Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) thinks there is still value on Aaron Judge to be the home run leader:
"Aaron Judge has been cold lately with two hits and three walks (two intentional) since that game-tying homer in the 9th against Boston (six game span).
His odds of hitting .400 before the All-Star break are barely worth a sprinkle now as he's at a .366 batting average. However, he is still -110 to +110 to lead the MLB in homers and with 26 on the season, he ranks second.
I don't expect Cal Raleigh (27) to lead the MLB and Shohei Ohtani (25) is pitching now, so the wear and tear could affect the NL MVP favorite, so I think Judge is still a good bet to lead the MLB in homers."
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 Friday’s game between the Orioles and the Yankees:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Yankees on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Baltimore Orioles at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Orioles at Yankees
The Yankees have won 13 of their last 20 home games against teams with losing records
The Under is 41-30-3 in Yankees' games this season
New York is 12-3 on the ML when Max Fried pitches this season
Baltimore is 8-6 on the ML when Yomoyuki Sugano pitches this season
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!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
The 2025 NBA Draft will be held on Wednesday, June 25, and Thursday, June 26, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Live coverage begins at 8 PM ET on both nights. This year marks the 79th edition of the event.
See below for everything you need to know about the 2025 NBA Draft, including the full draft order, how to watch information, and more.
A new NBA champion will be crowned this Sunday, June 22, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder go head-to-head with Tyrese Haliburton andthe Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center. It all comes down to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Tip-off is at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.
The Indiana Pacers forced Game 7 with an aggressive 108-91 win on home court on Thursday night. Obi Toppin led the way for Indiana with 20 points, Andrew Nembhard added 17, and Pascal Siakam scored 16 points with a team-high 13 rebounds.
Haliburton, playing through a strained calf injury, contributed 14 points.
"We did our job to take care of home court and we've got to be ready to compete in Game 7," said Haliburton.
The Pacers' defense forced 21 Thunder turnovers, including 8 from Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
“It was collective. It wasn’t one guy. We were not where we needed to be on either end of the floor for much of the game. We have to be a lot better before Game 7," said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.
“The way I see it is, we sucked [in Game 6]. We can learn our lessons. We have one game for everything — for everything we’ve worked for — and so do they,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “The better team Sunday will win.”
The Thunder vs Pacers series will take place on ABC.
Thunder vs Pacers Series Scores and Schedule:
*All times listed are ET
Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110
Game 2:Thunder 123, Pacers 107
Game 3:Pacers 116, Thunder 107
Game 4: Thunder 111, Pacers 104
Game 5: Thunder 120, Pacers 109
Game 6:Pacers 108, Thunder 91
Game 7: Pacers at Thunder - Sun, June 22, 8 PM on ABC
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Oklahoma City Thunder’s Path to the NBA Finals:
The Thunder are seeking their first NBA title since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. The last time the franchise reached the Finals was in 2012, dropping their series against LeBron James' Miami Heat in 5. Here is how they advanced to the NBA Finals:
Oklahoma City swept the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies in the First Round, eliminated the No. 4 Denver Nuggets in 7 in the Conference Semifinals, and defeated the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in 5 in the Western Conference Finals.
The Indiana Pacers are seeking their first NBA title. The team's last Finals appearance was in 2000, when they lost to the Lakers in 6. Here is the team's path to the Finals:
Indiana eliminated the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games, before knocking out the No. 6 New York Knicks in 6 to advance to the Finals.
BALTIMORE – Nobody in the Baltimore Orioles organization is happy about how the season opened in the second year of David Rubenstein’s ownership.
“We just had an incredibly frustrating and disappointing start,” Mike Elias, the team’s executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations, said in an interview this week. “It was a Murphy’s Law kind of start.”
Everything went wrong as the O’s lost 32 of their first 47 games. Elias cited injuries, underperformance and players pressing for the face-plant that followed last year’s 91-win season.
“You name it,” he said. “It was all a contributing factor.”
The perception by fans as the season began was that the Orioles didn’t spend enough this offseason to improve the team. However their player payroll increased by $57.5 million. The issue? How they spent that money.
Of MLB.com’s top 25 free agents, Baltimore signed just one: outfielder Tyler O’Neill. And in an offseason where several high-profile starting pitchers were on the market—like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell and Jack Flaherty—the O’s filled their rotation holes with 41-year-old journeyman Charlie Morton and Japanese rookie Tomoyuki Sugano. Of their seven MLB signings, only O’Neill’s deal was for more than one year.
“Ownership made a lot of payroll investment this past winter,” said Elias. “Unfortunately, the first few weeks it didn’t bear fruit, but in their first offseason they showed a willingness to spend, and we were among the highest payroll escalations.”
The team so far hasn’t gotten much bang for its buck. Morton, the third-highest paid player on the team this season at $15 million, entered this week with a 6.05 ERA. O’Neill has been limited to two home runs across 24 games because of injury.
Local fans have responded. Average attendance is down 4,908 to 23,606 a game at Camden Yards, which ranks 22nd in Major League Baseball. The still-beautiful ballpark opened in 1992, leading a revolution of similar baseball stadium construction throughout the U.S., but has never hosted a World Series game.
That streak won’t end this year, barring a miracle turnaround story.
Charlie Morton has posted his highest ERA since 2010. Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Baltimore’s dismal start cost incumbent manager Brandon Hyde his job in mid-May. Only two seasons earlier, the O’s won 101 games and the American League East title, and Hyde was named AL Manager of the Year. He was replaced on an interim basis by third base coach Tony Mansolino, who had no MLB managing experience. Mansolino is 42, but looks and sounds much younger.
There was a lot of nervousness when he took over that first day, he said.
“You prepare, deal with the nerves, but then you settle in,” Mansolino said. “You try to do things the best you can … in the end it’s just having confidence in yourself like the players.”
The immediate results were predictable. The Orioles kept losing under Mansolino, hitting their season low of 15-32 on May 20. But what’s happened since then has given Elias hope. They’ve started playing better and winning as key players such as Cedric Mullins and Jordan Westburg have returned from injuries. They are over .500 since that low water mark, including a three-game home sweep last weekend of the Los Angeles Angels.
Still, the same problems they met out of the gates have popped up and hindered momentum. Baltimore’s pitching staff squandered an 8-0 lead to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night to lose, 12-8.
“We’re playing more relaxed,” Elias said. “We’re a healthier team now. We’ve received some stabilization from our pitching staff. And most importantly our young core of hitters has been improving. We haven’t quite dug out of the hole, but the team is very talented. Time is on our side a little bit.”
But time is not really on their side this season, playing in one of the toughest divisions historically in MLB. Making the playoffs is going to be a steep uphill climb, and every multi-run collapse like Wednesday night’s hammers morale.
Everything for the Orioles the rest of the way is going to have to go right, while other AL teams have to fall apart. FanGraphs gives Baltimore a sub-5% chance of making the playoffs. Baseball-Reference has the team at a sub-1% chance.
“I hope there is time,” Westburg said. “I prefer to look at the positives. It’s a long season and there’s a lot of things that can change between now and then.”
That doesn’t seem likely with the Rays, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox above them by a solid distance in the division standings. As far as the three Wild Card berths, there are seven teams between the O’s and the final spot.
The roots of this year’s problems go back to last season. The Orioles were 58-38 at the 2024 All-Star break and boasted what many considered the top farm system in baseball. But the team was widely believed to need to bolster its rotation at the trade deadline, and the club hung onto its top five prospects and dealt for Rays starter Zach Eflin and Marlins starter Trevor Rogers. The latter posted a 7.11 ERA in four starts for the O’s before getting sent down to Triple-A.
“We accomplished our goals,” Elias said on MASN after the deadline. But the O’s faded down the stretch, going .500 in the second half and giving up first place to the Yankees for good on Sept. 6. Their 91-71 record was 10 games worse than 2023, but good enough for second place in the AL East and a Wild-Card berth. They were knocked out by the Kansas City Royals in two games, scoring just one run.
Adding their sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers in a 2023 AL Division Series, the Orioles haven’t won a postseason game or series since 2014.
Following its 2024 exit, Baltimore’s ace, Burnes, departed for the desert, signing a six-year, $210 million deal with his top-choice Arizona Diamondbacks. Without Burnes this year, and with Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Bradish on the shelf, the starting rotation is near the bottom of MLB with an ERA above 5.20.
For his sake, Burnes just underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and is likely out until the end of the 2026 season at best. Thus, the O’s sidestepped that disaster.
Now, with the clock ticking, the Orioles face another trade deadline decision. Of their young hitting core—Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser and Westburg—only Rutschman is earning more than $800K in 2025. Those bills will eventually become due through arbitration and/or potential extensions, so the franchise has more than just the upcoming second half to consider in its roster-building.
Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson has not matched his 2024 production.Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In the meantime, the Orioles’ player payroll ranks 15th in MLB this year at $184.3 million, up from $126.8 million and a No. 26 ranking in 2024. Eight of the 15 AL teams spend less, but of course their AL East brethren in the Yanks, Jays and Red Sox don’t. Only Tampa Bay is way below them with a $101.5 million payroll, but Kevin Cash’s group is well above Baltimore in the standings and prevented the Orioles from gaining ground in this week’s four-game series.
“If you’re a middle-market team in baseball, just throwing money at your payroll over and over is not a particularly sustainable model,” Elias said. “You have to blend that in with good scouting and player development.”
As far as being a mid-market team, the Orioles are valued by Sportico at $1.82 billion with a 2024 revenue of $339 million, 18th in MLB. They must compete with the Yankees, who lead the sport in value at $8.39 billion, and are second in revenue at $799 million.
Rubenstein, who per Forbes has a net worth of $3.8 billion, and his group paid $1.725 million to buy the O’s from the Angelos family in March 2024. But there is a bright side.
The Orioles have a jewel of a ballpark in Camden Yards, which is about to undergo up to $600 million in improvements courtesy of state funds, including this offseason new outfield video boards, a ribbon advertising board circling the stadium and a new press box to replace the old one behind home plate—which to the chagrin of many writers is being converted into a luxury suite.
The club’s office space in the classic warehouse beyond the right field fence is also being renovated. And that’s just a start, as the entire facility is under evaluation. It all needs work, Catie Griggs, the club’s president of business operations, said in a dugout interview.
“The ballpark is iconic. It’s amazing,” she said. “It’s also largely untouched since it was built in 1992, which in some respects is fantastic, but in other places it’s starting to show its age.”
This offseason as well, the owners are spending $27 million of their own funds to upgrade the player facilities at their Sarasota spring training complex in Florida, much like the $30 million of work the Yankees just completed this year at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
Unlike the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays, the Orioles neither own nor operate their own ballpark, nor do they pay rent to the Maryland Stadium Authority to play there. They have recently signed a lease that commits them to the facility for the next 30 years.
They are a mainstay in the Baltimore area with a huge government subsidy from the state. Elias says ownership has indicated there is “payroll flexibility,” moving forward.
The Orioles may not have the revenue of big-market teams, but they don’t have the expenses, either.
To keep up with the Yankees and Red Sox, they must develop a symbiosis between business and baseball operations under the new ownership.
“I mean, that’s the name of the game,” Elias said. “I wish I could answer that simply. There’s an unevenness between franchises and market sizes in MLB that’s unique relative to other major league sports. Each franchise has to figure out the right formula.”
This season’s formula has not been right at all. The Orioles say they’re working on it.
“I mean, it didn’t take long,” Posey told former Giants pitcher Jake Peavy and former MLB general manager Steve Phillips. “That’s another fascinating part about this job, right, is how quickly stuff leaks out.”
Although the former Giants catcher talked about how quickly the news broke, mentioning he threw on ESPN for their “Sunday Night Baseball” coverage of the Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers game, he followed that up by saying it wasn’t until the agreement was in place that the news broke.
“I am pleased with our group and credit to the Red Sox as well,” Posey said. “We were talking about this for going on a month, so the fact that we were able to get it done before something came out is a credit to both sides.”
It seems good things come to those who wait — and keep quiet — as both teams got what they wanted in the end.
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Mets Notes
Juan Soto is hitting .323/.482/.662 with six homers, four doubles, 19 walks, 12 RBI, and 18 runs scored over his last 19 games
Brandon Nimmo is hitting .302/.368/.523 with five homers, four doubles, 12 RBI, and 15 runs scored over his last 22 games
Blade Tidwell, who is being called up from Triple-A Syracuse, will be making his second career big league start
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Jonathan Toews Looking To Make His Decision Prior To The Draft; Jets Considered a FavouriteThree-time Stanley Cup winner, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, and former Chicago Blackhawks centre Jonathan Toews is planning a return to the NHL, and a recent report states that Toews is looking to make his decision prior to the 2025 NHL draft, and the Winnipeg Jets are considered one of his possible landing spots. 
Kurt Helin
