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LA Kings' Kuemper Named NHL 1st Star of the Week

© Jessica Alcheh

Goalie Darcy Kuemper has been named NHL 1st Star of the Week for his outstanding play during the week of March 10-16.

The 34 year-old native of Saskatoon went 3-0, including back-to-back shutouts against the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators.  Kuemper stopped 78 of 79 shots during the week, good for an almost invisible to the naked eye GAA of 0.33.

In addition to helping the Kings gain ground on Pacific Division rivals Edmonton and Vegas, Kuemper also etched a place in LA Kings' history. 

Kuemper now has a home point streak of 13 games dating back to December 7th, which is the longest such streak since Kelly Hrudey's 12 game run in 1991.

A Stanley Cup winner in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche, Kuemper's consistent excellent play for Los Angeles has the Kings within striking distance of Vegas for a Pacific Division banner. 

Although not really mentioned as a serious Vezina Trophy candidate, one wonders if he should be. Kuemper currently ranks second in goals-against average at 2.16 and is third in save percentage at .919.

Given backup goalie Dave Rittich's lackluster play in his last dozen starts, LA is counting on Kuemper to maintain this stellar level of goaltending well into the playoffs. 

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Griffin Canning dominant, Francisco Lindor notches two hits as Mets fall to Rays

The Mets lost to the Rays, 2-0, on Monday afternoon as their spring training slate continued.

Here are the takeaways...

- Griffin Canning looked sharp while striking out three batters in the first inning, but also made one costly mistake -- leaving a pitch up to Josh Lowe, who cracked a solo homer to right-center field.

That was the only big mistake Canning made all day, as he mostly toyed with the Rays' hitters.

Over 4.2 innings, Canning allowed three hits and one run while walking one and striking out nine, lowering his spring training ERA to 0.90.

Canning is battling with Paul Blackburn and Tylor Megill for the final two spots in the starting rotation, but the expectation is that all three pitchers will make the 26-man Opening Day roster -- with two on the starting staff and one in the bullpen.

- Designated hitter Jesse Winkerleft the game early due to cramping in his calf.

- Brandon Nimmo started in left field -- his first time playing the outfield since Feb. 28, as he's been dealing with a knee issue.

At the plate, Nimmo went 0-for-2 with a walk.

- Brett Baty got the start at second base as he continues to get the bulk of his action there.

He made a really nice play with one out in the eighth inning, ranging far to his left on a chopper before fielding it and throwing on the run to first base for the out.

Including the above play, Baty cleanly fielded every ball that came his way on Monday.

Baty went 0-for-4 at the dish.

With Jeff McNeil out for Opening Day due to an oblique injury, Baty could have the inside track to the regular second base job to start the season.

- Francisco Lindor smoked a single to right field in his second at-bat and added a pop fly double his third time up. He finished 2-for-4.

- Dedniel Núñez made his spring training debut and was sharp, retiring the side in order in the seventh inning. He hit 98 mph with his fastball, and finished his outing by getting a swinging strikeout on an 89 mph slider.

- Jose Butto, who had been out of game action for just over a week due to a groin issue, pitched the eighth inning. Butto, whose fastball was up to 95 mph, worked around a soft one-out single to toss a scoreless frame.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

The Mets are off on Tuesday.

They travel to face the Astros on Wednesday at 6:05 p.m.

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What Kansas coach Bill Self said about Arkansas, Calipari

Arkansas basketball continues its 2024-25 season Thursday against Kansas in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament, and Jayhawks head coach Bill Self spoke to the media Sunday to preview the matchup. Kansas (21-12, 11-9 Big 12) had a relatively underwhelming year in league play, but still managed to pick up wins over North Carolina, Michigan State, Duke, Iowa State, Arizona and others. Under Self's leadership, Kansas has accumulated a 609-147 (283-83 Big 12) overall record in 22 seasons.

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Lionel Messi to miss Argentina World Cup qualifiers with adductor injury

  • Inter Miami confirm injury in MLS game against Atlanta
  • Messi will miss matches against Uruguay and Brazil

Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to an adductor muscle injury. The 37-year-old was not included in the 25-man squad announced on Monday by coach Lionel Scaloni.

Messi featured in Inter Miami’s MLS win over Atlanta United on Sunday, scoring in the 20th minute and playing the full 90 minutes of the match despite picking up an injury. On Monday, Inter Miami confirmed he had suffered a “low-grade” adductor muscle injury.

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Saracens and Leicester to trial separate away sections for Premiership fans

  • Trial to take place in two games next month
  • Will Evans: ‘Players want this. You’ll see a better product’

The Premiership will trial away ­sections for supporters in two forthcoming matches in April, in an effort to improve atmospheres in top‑flight fixtures.

It is understood that for ­Saracens’ fixture against Gloucester on 19 April and Leicester’s match against ­Harlequins on 26 April, ­specific areas for visiting supporters to congregate in will be created.

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Tigers full-back Rooney sidelined for four months

Fletcher Rooney in action for Castleford
Fletcher Rooney signed a new five-year deal with Castleford Tigers earlier this year [swpix.com]

Castleford Tigers full-back Fletcher Rooney has been ruled out for about four months with a thigh injury.

The 19-year-old suffered a high-grade quadriceps injury in training.

Rooney has featured in all four of the Tigers' Super League games so far this season, scoring two tries.

"It's really tough to see Fletch sidelined with such an unlucky injury," head of medical services Nick Raynor told the club website.

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Spurs vs. Lakers Predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends, and best bets for March 17

San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview 

The San Antonio Spurs (28-38) and Los Angeles Lakers (41-25) are all set to square off from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The Lakers are still without LeBron James and Rui Hachimura is a game-time decision.

They have fallen a bit down the Western Conference rankings since James’ injury.

The Spurs are currently 10-21 on the road with a point differential of -2, while the Lakers have a 9-1 record in their last ten games at home. 

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.

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

Game details & how to watch Spurs vs. Lakers live today

  • Date: Monday, March 17, 2025
  • Time: 10:30PM EST
  • Site: Crypto.com Arena
  • City: Los Angeles, CA
  • Network/Streaming:

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 NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Spurs vs. Lakers
The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Odds: Spurs (+337), Lakers (-433)
  • Spread:  Lakers -9
  • Over/Under: 229 points

That gives the Spurs an implied team point total of 113.47, and the Lakers 118.16.
 
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Monday's Spurs vs. Lakers game

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections 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 today’s Spurs & Lakers game:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Los Angeles Lakers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Antonio Spurs at +9.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 229.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Spurs vs. Lakers on Monday

  • The Lakers have won 7 games straight at home, while the Spurs have lost on 8 of their last 10 road trips
  • The Under is 24-17 in the Lakers' matchups against Western Conference teams this season
  • The Lakers have won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with losing records

 
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 NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
 
Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. 
 
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: 
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) 
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)