HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 31: Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros reacts in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park on March 31, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, the Houston Astros announced they have placed SP Hunter Brown on the 15-day IL due to a right shoulder strain.
Brown, now the staff ace, is 1-0 after two starts with an 0.84 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. He has allowed only 1 run in 10.2 IP and has struck out 17.
Astros manager Joe Espada said Hunter Brown felt something in his shoulder during his throwing program on Friday. He had some imaging done here in Sacramento and flew back to Houston to be seen by team doctors.
His injury comes at a time when fellow SP Cristian Javier is having significant struggles with command. Javier sports a 12.96 ERA after two starts in which he has allowed 10 hits and 9 walks in just 8.1 innings. He has struck out only 3.
Reliever Christian Roa has been recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to fill the roster spot opened by Brown’s injury.
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 24: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Milwaukee looks to pick up its third straight series win after splitting yesterday’s doubleheader with the Kansas City Royals. On the mound is offseason acquisition Kyle Harrison, who impressed in his first start against the Tampa Bay Rays — tossing five innings with eight strikeouts while allowing just one earned run. Harrison faces a stiffer test today against this Royals lineup, but early returns suggest he’s more than up to the task.
Kansas City counters with left-hander Kris Bubic, who posted a 2.55 ERA across 20 starts in 2025 and opened his season by holding the Twins to two hits over six innings.
Brice Turang leads off again, looking to bounce back after striking out five times over two games yesterday. Hitting second and playing third base is Luis Rengifo, who’s doubled twice in five at-bats this series. William Contreras, Christian Yelich, and Gary Sanchez (at first base) make up the heart of the order. Luis Matos will make his first start as a Brewer, batting sixth and playing right field in place of Sal Frelick, who is out after exiting yesterday’s nightcap with what the team called “left side tightness.” Brandon Lockridge (in center field), Blake Perkins, and Joey Ortiz round out the lineup.
Despite Frelick’s absence, Garrett Mitchell isn’t in today’s lineup. Mitchell, who leads the team with 11 RBIs, has recorded an RBI double in each of his last three games.
Today’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. You can catch the game on Brewers.TV, the Brewers Radio Network, and WTMJ 620.
Aug 12, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Team flags showing the current standings of the National League West division fly above the bleachers before the game between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
This past Wednesday, Brady posted the latest SB Nation Reacts poll question of which of their non-Dodgers NL West Division rivals are the bigger threat this season, and now we have that result.
What are the motivations for this poll response? It’s an important question. Do they see the Diamondbacks as a likely second place team or are they more likely to wind up third as they did last season? In that case, the Giants would be competing to avoid a repeat of fourth place. Or, did voters simply look at the field and vote based on which team they thought could be the biggest threat to the Giants clinching second place in the division?
If we focus on the notion of fan optimism, then we’re led to the conclusion that it’s a battle for second place and, presumably, a Wild Card berth. I’m not sure I can travel that far down the road of optimism, however, as the National League playoff field seems awfully competitive on paper. If you figure the Dodgers are the NL West champs (which is no sure thing, because baseball is usually not so predictable), the remaining five teams could be from an extensive group of teams: the Mets, Atlanta, Philadelphia, the Marlins Cubs, Brewers, Reds — heck, the Pirates are 5-3 of this writing. The Giants, Padres, and Diamondbacks don’t seem to be on the same level as most of those teams (Pirates & Marlins being the most obvious exceptions for the moment).
But after seeing San Diego up close, it makes sense that a lot of voters concluded (either just by watching the Giants play them or by their knowledge of the team’s off-field situation in terms of finances, but also prospect capital) that they simply aren’t the threat they once were and especially when compared to the Diamondbacks who… lost a game 17-2 this past week and were then shutout the next night. So, all three of these would-be runner up to the Dodgers have stumbled out of the gate.
Remarkably, ZiPS projects the Giants to land in second place, with the Padres third and Dbacks fourth. The Padres have also won the season series against the Giants in each of the last four seasons and five of the last six. Or, to put it another way, since 2020, the Giants have won the season series just once (2021). Arizona has won the season series in each of the last four seasons, too, though.
But 51-49 is very close, and that makes a lot of sense. Arizona features Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, Zac Gallen, and Eduardo Rodriguez while San Diego has Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, and Ramon Laureano to go with Randy Vasquez, Michael King, and Nick Pivetta. If you put those groups up against Devers, Adames, Chapman, Ramos, Lee, Webb, and Roupp/Mahle there’s a way to make them all roughly equivalent.
The poll questions that weren’t team-specific had to do with viewing the games.
With MLB’s media rights deals set to end after the 2028 season, Commissioner Rob Manfred appears to be gearing up to offer all of the teams media rights as part of a large streaming package. What will that mean for viewers in the future? Probably nothing good. And while this poll isn’t a meaningful sampling of the sport’s viewership demographics, it does speak to a truth that there are too many platforms, subscriptions, and plain ol’ logins in this wacky world. MLB is careening towards this situation:
Making it easy to watch games makes it easier to watch games for other teams. Part of the fun of baseball is knowing who all the dudes are.
That question was asked as a follow up to this one. As you’ll recall, the Giants hosted the Yankees for the very first “Opening Night,” which became the sole MLB game to kickoff the season. It was also hosted on a global streaming service which means everybody saw the Giants pantsed and run up the flag poll so that people could pelt them with produce and make fun of their appearance. If you’re not a fan of either team or aren’t into blowouts, you had no recourse other than to maybe look for something else to watch on the service. Unsurprisingly, fans weren’t that into Opening Night:
That’s an overwhelming rejection of the league’s idea, which probably means it’ll stick around for next season.
If you’re interested in being a survey participant, you can sign up for SB Nation Reacts polls here.
Mar 30, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) looks on during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
The vibes in Birdland right now are…not great. It’s only been eight games, but so far the Orioles look discouragingly similar to the flawed, frustrating team of 2025 that was out of contention by Memorial Day. Their starting pitching has underwhelmed and has already lost a key member, likely for the season. Their offense has too often lacked the big hit. Their defense and bullpen have been as bad as feared. It’s not a good combination. Now the O’s are in danger of being swept by the Pirates in their first road series of the year.
As last year’s Orioles demonstrated, a slow start to the season can easily spiral into something worse, so it would behoove the Birds to turn things around sooner rather than later. Maybe today will be the day. Chris Bassitt takes the mound for his second start as an Oriole after a woeful performance in his debut (4.1 IP, 4 ER, 4 BB, and a throwing error). Bassitt, a veteran leader, could establish some positive momentum for the Orioles if he can deliver a quality performance today. But he’s had his struggles against the Pirates’ big hitters — Brandon Lowe, Bryan Reynolds, and Ryan O’Hearn — each of whom has a .971 or better OPS in at least 17 career PAs versus Bassitt. Lowe has four homers off Bassitt in 20 at-bats.
Meanwhile, some of the Orioles’ key hitters need to get on track. Pete Alonso is 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in this series. Samuel Basallo is OPS’ing .544 for the season. They’ll be batting third and fourth in today’s lineup. Two other struggling Orioles, Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo, have the day off as Craig Albernaz searches for the right mix of hitters. Leody Taveras is back in the lineup and Tyler O’Neill makes his first start in five days. They’ll be facing Pirates righty Braxton Ashcraft, who I definitely will accidentally call “Ashton Braxcraft” at some point. The former second round pick has a 2.74 ERA in 27 games (nine starts) since debuting last year.
The O’s made a roster move before the game, placing scuffling reliever Yaramil Hiraldo on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation. Perhaps the injury explains Hiraldo’s struggles, or maybe it’s just an easy way to rid him from the roster for a while. He’ll be replaced by Cade Povich, who’s up from Triple-A Norfolk. Povich is a candidate to start against the White Sox this week in place of the injured Zack Eflin. I really thought we would get further than two weeks into the 2026 season before we had to watch a Cade Povich start, but I guess that’s a problem for another day.
Let’s go, Orioles. It’s time to look alive.
Orioles lineup:
LF Taylor Ward SS Gunnar Henderson 1B Pete Alonso C Samuel Basallo RF Tyler O’Neill DH Dylan Beavers CF Leody Taveras 2B Jeremiah Jackson 3B Coby Mayo
RHP Chris Bassitt
Pirates lineup:
CF Oneil Cruz 2B Brandon Lowe DH Bryan Reynolds RF Ryan O’Hearn 3B Nick Yorke SS Konnor Griffin 1B Spencer Horwitz C Henry Davis LF Jake Mangum
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 01: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks gets ready in the batters box against the Detroit Tigers at Chase Field on April 01, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals entered this season minus many veteran players who were traded away for prospects by President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom. Many are struggling with the change of scenery with one very big exception. These are the most recent stats going into Sunday’s games. Yes, the sample size is still very small, but this is just a check-in.
Nolan Arenado – Arizona Diamondbacks
Nolan Arenado has continued the downward trend that started with the St. Louis Cardinals as he only has 5 hits in 27 at-bats for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Going into this weekend’s games, Nolan has only scored one run with an average of just .185 and an OPS of .370. His defense has not been stellar either as he’s started 7 games at third base for the Diamondbacks and has already registered an error. Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Jose Fernandez was recently called up and took Nolan’s place at third base and promptly homered twice in his debut.
Willson Contreras – Boston Red Sox
Another former Cardinal who’s off to a chilly start wearing a different uniform this season is Willson Contreras. In 27 at-bats for the Boston Red Sox, Willson has a miserable stat line with a .185 average, but he might be about to turn that around as he now has a home run and a couple RBI’s during Friday’s game at Fenway.
Sonny Gray – Boston Red Sox
Sonny Gray had a shaky Spring Training, but has started the 2026 season with 1 victory in 2 starts for the Boston Red Sox. Sonny has thrown 10 innings total and has an ERA of 4.50. His victory came in his Fenway Park debut Friday.
Miles Mikolas – Washington Nationals
While Mikolas signed with the Washington Nationals and wasn’t traded by Chaim Bloom, many are wondering how our old pal Miles is doing. The answer is great if you’re the team playing the Nationals with Mikolas on the mound. Miles Mikolas has started two games for the Nationals and has been shelled in both starts. Yes, it’s very early in the season, but his stat line of no wins, 2 losses and an ERA of 14.46 over just 9.1 innings pitched isn’t what you strive for because, DUH.
Brendan Donovan – Seattle Mariners
There’s good news and bad news for former St. Louis Cardinal and new Seattle Mariner Brendan Donovan. He’s started the 2026 season with his new steam absolutely on fire at the plate. He’s currently batting .370 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI’s and an OPS of 1.152.
Former St. Louis Cardinal and MVP Paul Goldschmidt has not seen much action for the New York Yankees so far this season, but 1 of his 2 hits in 9 at-bats was a home run, though.
Harrison Bader – San Francisco Giants
Harrison Bader is off to a rough start after signing a 2-year $20.5 million dollar free agent deal with the San Francisco Giants. Going into Sunday’s games, Harrison is only batting .129 in 33 at-bats. He has a meager 4 hits, but does have 1 home run and 3 RBI’s. Still very early in the season, but that’s not the type of start the Giants or Bader were hoping for.
Dylan Carlson – Chicago Cubs
Dylan Carlson has gone to the dark side, but has yet to see regular season game action in 2026. He made the Chicago Cubs opening day roster due to injuries for outfield depth, but I have yet to confirm that he’s made an appearance in a game so far.
Tommy Edman – Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s been awhile since Tommy Edman was a Cardinal, but if you’re wondering how he’s doing for the Dodgers, injuries are unfortunately still dogging him. Tommy has had a slow recovery from right ankle surgery last year and was put on the IL just prior to the start of the 2026 season. He’s now been cleared to take swings from both sides of the plate and run, but has yet to see any game action in 2026.
After slim options on Saturday, NBA player props bettors have a wealth of options to wrap up the weekend, as there’s a full slate of 11 games on tap today.
I’m looking at three very different players in my NBA picks for Sunday, April 5. Let’s take a look at why I like Jayson Tatum to continue his strong return to action, as well as how role players like Donte DiVincenzo and Tari Eason can pay off for bettors in their own ways tonight.
Jayson Tatum has now been back in the Boston Celtics lineup for nearly a full month, and he’s starting to look like the superstar they'll need in the playoffs. Tatum picked up his first triple-double of the year on Wednesday, and nearly repeated the feat on Friday, coming up one assist short against the Bucks.
In his last four games, Tatum is averaging 26.5 points. He’s also enjoyed some of his best shooting of the year recently, shooting 48.3% in his last three contests on heavy volume.
The Toronto Raptors are a solid defensive team, but they haven’t slowed the Celtics this year, with Boston averaging 119.3 PPG in the first three meetings with Toronto. With Tatum back in the lineup, the Celtics are even more potent offensively, and there should be plenty of points available for him to hit the Over on his points total.
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, NBC Sports Boston
Prop #2: Donte DiVincenzo Over 2.5 made threes
-120 at bet365
Donte DiVincenzo has been firing away from deep all season long for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 3.0 made threes per game on 38.1% shooting from beyond the arc. Minnesota has been struggling lately, losing four of seven, but DiVincenzo continues to play his role, hitting at least three shots from 3-point range in six of his last eight.
There’s no reason why the Timberwolves would change DiVincenzo’s role or usage against the Charlotte Hornets tonight. Charlotte isn’t great defensively on the perimeter, allowing opponents to shoot 35.9% from deep.
If anything, DiVincenzo will be among the players who get a couple more shots per game with Jaden McDaniels now out with a knee injury. He’s averaged 10 attempts from deep in Minnesota’s last seven games, and I expect him to get that same volume in tonight’s game.
The Houston Rockets are riding a five-game winning streak, and Tari Eason has been a huge part of avoiding the Play-In bubble. During the winning streak, Eason is averaging 13.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, both up from his season averages.
Eason, who may be primarily known as a defensive presence, also appears to be building confidence. He’s shooting 48.1% from the field and 37.0% from 3-point range on increased volume, showing Houston trusts him with the ball and may be getting him in a rhythm ahead of the postseason.
I expect that usage to continue tonight, as Eason should find success against a mediocre Golden State Warriors defense, especially on the glass, with the Dubs ranking just 21st in the NBA in rebounding rate. I like Eason to hit his PRA total, as he’s gone Over 16.5 in four of his last five games overall.
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MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 3: The sneakers worn by Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 3, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
This decision comes after the Islanders dropped four straight games, in which they played anything but competitive hockey, with the 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes the worst from a game-play perspective.
Roy, who replaced Lane Lambert halfway through the 2022-23 season, failed to make the playoffs in each of his first two seasons behind the Islanders' bench.
The Islanders went 88-76-20 under Roy.
DeBoer, who was relieved of his duties as the Dallas Stars head coach after pulling Jake Oettinger just 7:09 into the game following two goals on two shots in Game 5 of the 2025 Western Conference Finals, has 18 years of NHL coaching experience.
The grizzled veteran head coach has term on his new deal. Roy had two seasons left.
The Islanders battle the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
The New York Islanders have announced that they have fired Montreal Canadiens legend Patrick Roy from their head coaching position and hired Pete DeBoer as his replacement.
The timing of this firing is surprising, as the Islanders have only four more games remaining this regular season. Now, with this news, DeBoer will be looking to lead the Islanders to the playoffs instead of Roy.
However, the Islanders firing Roy comes with them in the middle of a four-game losing streak. They have lost lost seven out of their last 10 games and have the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Washington Capitals all right behind them for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division.
Coaching firings don't normally happen this late into the NHL season, but Roy is now the second coach to be fired since late March. Crazy times in the NHL.
#Isles News: New York Islanders General Manager and Executive Vice President Mathieu Darche announced today that Patrick Roy has been relieved of his coaching responsibilities. Peter DeBoer has been named Head Coach of the New York Islanders.
The Islanders have fired head coach PatrickRoy with four games remaining in the regular season, general manager Mathieu Darche announced on Sunday.
Peter DeBoer was named the new head coach in a hiring that is expected to last longer than the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.
The Isles are expected to retain all of their assistant coaches for the time being, according to Arthur Staple.
Roy's firing comes amid a slump that has seen the Isles lose seven of the last 10 games, as they have gone from looking certain to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs to a team on the brink of seeing their season end. Roy had two years remaining on his contract.
New York, losers of four straight after a 4-3 defeat to Carolina on Saturday, enters Sunday one point ahead of Philadelphia and Columbus for the final spot as the third-place team in the Metropolitan division, but has two games in hand over the Flyers and one game over the Blue Jackets.
The Isles are also in a precarious position when it comes to the wild card, as Ottawa (who occupy the final spot) and Detroit are both one point behind in the standings and with two games in hand. (The Boston Bruins, in the first wild card spot, enter Sunday five points ahead of the Islanders.)
The Islanders are back on the ice Thursday, at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
DeBoer comes to New York after spending three seasons behind the bench in Dallas, where he led the Stars to three consecutive conference finals appearances and a 149-58-29 regular season record. DeBoer was fired last June, with some of his public comments about goaltender Jake Oettinger after a Game 5 loss a week prior contributing to his dismissal.
Before that, he spent three seasons in Vegas, leading the Golden Knights to the conference finals twice. He also spent five seasons as the head coach in San Jose, making the playoffs four times, four seasons with the Devils, with one postseason trip, and three unsuccessful seasons with Florida.
He has made two trips to the Stanley Cup Final, but came up short with the Devils in 2012 and the Sharks in 2016.
DeBoer has a 662-447-152 record (.585 points percentage) during his 18-year head coaching career, and is 97-82 (.542 winning percentage) in the playoffs.
Roy, who was hired in January 2024 after New York fired Lane Lambert, went 20-12-5 down the stretch, but was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. He missed the playoffs in his second season and departed with a 97-78-22 record (.548 points percentage) for his time with the Islanders.
The Islanders fired Patrick Roy with four games remaining in the regular season.
Patrick Roy lost the Islanders dressing room, and consequently his job, the way Mike Campbell went bankrupt: gradually, then suddenly.
A month ago, you could have made a case for Roy getting votes for the Jack Adams Trophy. But by Friday night, when he took the blame for the Islanders looking unready to play in the first period against the Flyers, everyone paying attention knew that he was on thin ice. A day later, when his team was again embarrassed by the Hurricanes, it was obvious both that the Islanders had tuned out Roy and that he was very much on the clock.
Turns out, Mathieu Darche had likely already made the decision by then to end Roy’s fascinating-yet-failing tenure behind the Islanders’ bench. With four games left in the season and the club likely to fall out of a playoff spot before Thursday’s home game against the Maple Leafs, Roy was replaced by Pete DeBoer.
The move was shocking given the timing, but perhaps not altogether surprising.
Patrick Roy is pictured after the Islanders’ April 4 loss to the Hurricanes. Imagn Images
DeBoer, per multiple reports, was hired under a multiyear deal. This move would have required consent of ownership given that Roy had time left on his contract, but it is Darche who owns this bold and potentially defining decision.
It is a Lou Lamoriello-esque move from Lamoriello’s replacement, albeit one that — unlike Darche’s predecessor’s famous decision to fire Robbie Ftorek and hire Larry Robinson to coach the Devils in 2000 — seemed to hasten the inevitable.
Roy was hired by Lamoriello, not Darche, and although the two established a good working relationship, that fact always meant that the coach was likely to be the first person to take the blame under a new administration.
For now, The Post confirmed, the assistant coaching staff remains unchanged, though that may not remain true for long once the season is over.
Neither Darche nor DeBoer spoke publicly on Sunday, with the plan being for both to talk after the Islanders practice Monday.
At least in the short term, the task in front of DeBoer is obvious: get the Islanders to the playoffs and avoid what would be an utter calamity.
Up until the March 19 match in Ottawa, the Islanders had looked not just like a postseason lock, but a team that could potentially win a round.
Since then they are 3-7-0, losing control of their own destiny and a vibe that had been impeccable all year — driven by Matthew Schaefer’s ascendant rookie season — has turned aimless.
Peter DeBoer is pictured during an Islanders game in May 2025. NHLI via Getty Images
Captain Anders Lee said the team needed to stick together, a comment that seemed loaded with subtext, and MSG’s footage of the Islanders looking disinterested in what Roy had to say during a timeout the same night only added to the sense that something was not right.
Making matters even worse, Roy took the blame for his team being unready to play in the first period on Friday, only for them to be even worse in Saturday’s first period.
“100 percent,” Ryan Pulock said Saturday when asked whether Roy’s message was getting through. “He believes in us and we believe in him.”
As for the question of “Why now?” the answer is twofold.
First, if Roy had lost the faith of players and management, then there was little reason to think the Islanders’ best chance of making the playoffs was with him behind the bench.
Second, DeBoer has been considered the best candidate available all season after being fired by the Stars last spring. By hiring him now, Darche jumped a market that will be highly competitive in just a few weeks with Bruce Cassidy and Peter Laviolette among the big names still available.
Hiring DeBoer, a veteran coach with a proven track record across stops in Florida, San Jose, New Jersey, Vegas and Dallas, also sends a clear signal that the Islanders believe they are close to being a legitimate contender.
Though there will surely be severe ramifications to the roster during the offseason — very possibly including Lee’s exit as an unrestricted free agent — this is not a hire that screams retool.
Rather, it is one whose underlying currents indicate a busy offseason is to come, and that Darche has little intention of letting Schaefer’s years under an entry-level deal go to waste.
First, though, is the next four games. And, the Islanders had better hope, the playoffs.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 04: Seth Jarvis #24 and Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes are seen during warm ups ahead of a game against the New York Islanders at Lenovo Center on April 4, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
There’s no rest for the weary Hurricanes as they have to take a quick trip North of the Border for the last time in the regular season to face off against an Ottawa team that’s—stop me if you heard this one before—fighting for its spot in the playoffs.
In the last two weeks—starting with the 5-1 win against the Penguins in Pittsburgh—the Canes have played seven games and six have been against opponents fighting for their playoff lives. The only team to catch them has been Montreal. The latest victim was the New York Islanders on Saturday who currently sit in third in the Metropolitan Division, and next up is an Ottawa team that would be Carolina’s opponent if the playoffs started today. Which they don’t.
What’s helped Carolina is that they have something to play for, and honestly may continue to have something up until the last day of the season thanks to a ridiculously close Atlantic Division. Entering Sunday, they lead Pittsburgh by 10 points for first place in the Metro. As Pittsburgh has only five games left—including a 3 PM tilt against Florida (that is not a typo, somehow the NHL scheduled Florida and Pittsburgh to play in Pittsburgh on back-to-back days)—the best they can hope for is a tie. Should that happen because Pittsburgh won every game in regulation and the Hurricanes lost all six of their remaining games in regulation, then Pittsburgh would actually be the Metro champs because they’d have 37 regulation wins to the Canes’ 36.
What that means for Carolina is that if Pittsburgh once again wins in regulation—and now that Florida is officially eliminated it’s tough to see them really fighting that hard even after being killed 9-4 on Saturday—the Canes will need to get their game at least to Overtime. That will provide them with at least a point, and officially clinch the division. If somehow Pittsburgh fails to win in regulation, however, then that also clinches the division for Carolina. Why? Well, the best Pittsburgh can do then would be to tie the Canes in regulation wins at 36, the next tiebreaker is regulation plus overtimes wins (ROW) and the Canes have an eight game lead on Pittsburgh there.
In short—it’s possible the Canes will have clinched the division officially before their game against the Senators finishes, and if not all they have to do is get their game to overtime. That will bring them their first division title since 2023. Of course then it’s a fight for the top seed in the East overall, and as Tampa proved by coming back to beat Boston they aren’t going to sit back since both Montreal and Buffalo are tied for second just two points behind them. The answer as to when you sit guys that aren’t 100% may be later than you’d think.
With the short turnaround of a 7 PM game at home and now a 5 PM game on the road, don’t expect a morning skate for Carolina, and it’s also likely that once again coach Rod Brind’Amour won’t be changing out the lines. Frederik Andersen should be between the pipes.
On the other side of the ice the Ottawa Senators are one of several teams in the East that…don’t seem to really want to claim a spot. The Boston Bruins have gotten points in seven of their last ten to build a six point cushion over the second wild card spot, so even with their loss to Tampa on Saturday they are playing solid hockey. The Islanders, Senators, Red Wings, and Blue Jackets have all stumbled as of late while the Flyers and Capitals have taken advantage to crawl back in the race. It’s created a log jam to where Ottawa is technically in the WC2 spot, but they are right now tied in points with Detroit, Philadelphia, and Columbus. The Islanders sit just one point ahead of this group but in third place in the Metro, while Washington is just one point back though with one fewer game remaining than most.
Ottawa is going to get the benefit of the same back-to-back at home that Carolina got last weekend. The Senators are already 0-1 in this pair having dropped a decision to a Minnesota Wild team still with an outside shot of catching Dallas for second in the Central and hosting round one. The loss was the fourth in five games for Ottawa, which feels like they’ve been dealing with one story after another off the ice this season. That includes this week when Captain Brady Tkachuk’s dad Keith had some comments on the Tkachuk Brothers’ podcast that seemed to disparage goalie Linus Ullmark.
Speaking of Ullmark, the question will be whether he does the same thing as Ilya Sorokin and start back-to-back games, or if Ottawa goes with James Reimer who hasn’t played since Tuesday night. The Senators are in an “every point matters” situation, and they may feel that their best chance is Ullmark instead of a rested Reimer. We’ll find out around game time.
Thus on one side we have a team possibly looking to clinch a division while keeping their play up against a potential playoff opponent again versus another that’s trying to claw and get every point and even qualify. It should be a good match. If you aren’t in Ottawa to see this in person, here’s how you can catch the action:
Time: 5 PM
TV: FanDuel Sports Network in the Carolinas. Mike Maniscalco will handle play-by-play alongside Tripp Tracy doing color. Hanna Yates and Shane Willis will provide off-ice reports.
Streaming:FanDuel Sports Network App for fans in the Carolinas. Outside the Carolinas, the game will be available on the ESPN app for any ESPN+/ESPN Unlimited subscribers.
Radio: The pregame on 99.9 The Fan starts at 4:30. At 5PM the Hurricanes Radio Network (consisting of 99.9, 730 The Game in Charlotte, ESPN New Bern 107.5/1490, and ESPN Greenville 107.5/1570) picks up the FDSN feed. You can also stream the call on the Hurricanes app.
Odds: Hurricanes -128 Moneyline, Puckline Hurricanes -1.5 at +194/Senators +106 Moneyline, Puckline +1.5 at -260, O/U 6.5 (+104 Over/-128 Under)
After more than two months on the sideline, Stephen Curry will make his long-awaited return to face a former teammate when the Golden State Warriors host Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.
Durant has been stuffing the stat sheet as of late, and my Rockets vs. Warriors predictions expect another strong showing as he returns to the Bay.
Here are my best free NBA picks for this marquee Western Conference matchup on Sunday, April 5.
Rockets vs Warriors prediction
Rockets vs Warriors best bet: Kevin Durant Over 35.5 points + rebounds + assists (-110)
The Houston Rockets are riding a five-game win streak, and Kevin Durant’s stellar play has been a huge contributing factor in the recent string of victories.
Across his last five games, KD has averaged 36.2 PRA and gone for 36+ three times. He’s been even more productive across his last seven games, averaging 39.1 PRA while clearing this combo line five times.
The future Hall-of-Famer has averaged 34.5 PRA at home but a whopping 37.5 on the road, and he’s gone for 36+ PRA in three of his last four away games. Durant has cleared this line in 38 of 74 games overall, including 24 of 36 on the road.
Over the last 10 games, the Golden State Warriors have surrendered the 11th-most points and 11th-most assists, and rank 18th in defensive rating. This is not a scary matchup.
Durant could have some extra motivation while facing his former team. In 11 games since leaving Golden State, he’s averaged 34.8 PRA overall and 34.4 in the Bay. I expect the Slim Reaper to show out in Golden State as he looks to extend Houston’s win streak and earn a victory over his former team.
Rockets vs Warriors same-game parlay
Both teams have covered only four times across their last 10 games, but the Rockets are hot and have the health advantage.
Curry’s return will certainly help Golden State on offense, but Houston sports a healthier and deeper roster. Houston is 3-2 ATS during its current win streak, and Golden State is just 2-3 across its last five.
The Rockets and the Warriors have each hit the Over in three of their last four games, and the teams have gone Over in four of their last six head-to-head meetings. Houston is 18-13 to the Over as the home favorite, and Golden State is 7-4 as the home underdog. I expect the Dubs to get an offensive spark from Curry’s return.
Rockets vs Warriors SGP
Kevin Durant Over 35.5 points + rebounds + assists
Rockets -4
Over 225
Our "from downtown" SGP: Former teammates, familiar foes
Curry might face a minutes restriction in his first game back, but he should see enough playing time to knock down four triples and reach 19 points.
The Chef has scored 19 points in 31 of 39 games this season, and he did so in under 30 minutes eight times. Curry has finished with four triples or four assists 26 times. He pushed to be ready to play Sunday, making this a meaningful contest in which he should be highly motivated.
Durant has been particularly effective as a playmaker as of late. After handing out 6+ dimes in only 20 of his first 68 games of the season, he’s reached that mark in six straight contests.
Over/Under: Over 226.5 (-110) | Under 226.5 (-110)
Rockets vs Warriors betting trend to know
The Golden State Warriors have hit the Team Total Over in 30 of their last 45 games at home (+12.55 Units / 24% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Warriors.
How to watch Rockets vs Warriors
Location
Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Date
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Tip-off
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Rockets vs Warriors latest injuries
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CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 31: Bryan Reynolds #10 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates after hitting a home run against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing against the Baltimore Orioles for the first home series of the season at PNC Park.
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 04: Freddy Fermin #54 of the San Diego Padres is greeted in the dugout after scoring off a hit made by Bryce Johnson #29 of the San Diego Padres during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 04, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (3-5) at Boston Red Sox (2-6), April 5, 2026, 10:35 a.m. PST
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Jayson Tatum
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