The NBA’s All-Star break isn’t close to the halfway point of a season.
Only 27 regular-season games remained when the Warriors started the supposed second half last season, meaning 67 percent of their regular season was done ahead of their eventual play-in tournament win and NBA playoff run. The regular season pie essentially can be broken down into four slices of 20 games, with one bigger piece getting an extra dash of two more games.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr always has seen it that way, especially when it comes to the first 20 games. That’s when he believes he can give an honest assessment of what his team is, and what they can become. The Warriors, this upcoming season, will face several challenges through the first 20 games.
It all begins with an ever-growing, and ever-darkening, shadow of Father Time lurking over the Warriors. If you haven’t heard, Steph Curry is 37 years old and turns 38 in March. Jimmy Butler will be 36 by the time opening night arrives, and Draymond Green will be 35. Those ages will be tested early on.
After milking every ounce of the Steph Curry vs. LeBron James rivalry to open the season, the Warriors have one day off of travel before their home opener against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 23. And just like that, the Warriors, with an average age of 36 from their Big Three, will start their first back-to-back. They play the Portland Trail Blazers the next night, a team that shouldn’t be as much of a punching bag this season, as seen from their defense the final few months of last season, while also adding veterans like Jrue Holiday in the offseason.
Having two days off to enjoy the weekend after those two home games will be nice for the Warriors. The break then will turn to another battle of stamina in an instant. Again, the Warriors will host a back-to-back, playing the Memphis Grizzlies and LA Clippers at Chase Center. Though four of their first five games are at home, and the other being in LA, those four games are back-to-backs.
Will Curry, Butler and Green play both sides of back-to-backs? What if the Warriors do indeed sign a 39-year-old Al Horford who wasn’t playing both sides of a back-to-back in Boston?
The Warriors, after those first two back-to-backs, go one whole week before starting yet another. They’ll welcome the Phoenix Suns and then travel to Sacramento to play the Kings the next day. After a road game in Denver against the Nuggets and a home game against the Indiana Pacers, the Warriors, on Nov. 11, kick off a six-game road trip, tied for their longest of the season with a six-game slate in March that’s far from home.
The beginning of that six-game trip in November starts with a back-to-back (Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs), and also ends with one as well (Orlando Magic and Miami Heat), giving the Warriors five back-to-backs through their first 17 games.
None of the final three games of their first 20-game sample are part of a back-to-back, and all are in San Francisco.
“We’ve always spoke about there being 82-game players and 16-game players,” Green said at his exit interview press conference three months ago. “At some point, for us, we have to take a look at both because ideally, you don’t want to be from February 8th on scrapping and clawing for every win that you could possibly get. That takes a toll after a while.”
A season obviously isn’t decided after the first 20 games. There’s still three pieces of the pie to chow down. The Warriors were 12-8 through 20 games last season, tied for sixth in the Western Conference. They also were 12-3 through 15 games, lost five straight and began spiraling for months until Butler arrived.
Through 20 games last season, the Warriors played 12 road games and eight home games, including just two back-to-backs in that span compared to five this season.
This season’s first 20 games feature 11 road games and nine home games for the Warriors. How about the opponents? Here’s the full breakdown: Nuggets twice, Blazers twice, Spurs twice, Pacers twice, Los Angeles Lakers once, Grizzlies once, Clippers once, Milwaukee Bucks once, Suns once, Kings once, Thunder once, New Orleans Pelicans once, Magic once, Heat once, Utah Jazz once and the Houston Rockets once.
In total, 10 of the 16 teams the Warriors play in their first 20 games made the playoffs last season. Age, strength of schedule and the longest road trip of the season. The Warriors are staring at an exam from the start that can reveal plenty of answers about them moving forward.
The perfect ending is the first rematch of the Warriors’ first-round playoff matchup against the new-look Rockets, playing Kevin Durant and Co. in front of Dub Nation for the teams’ final NBA Cup game of Group Play on the 20th game of the season. TNT is out of the picture, but the NBA still knows drama.
It would have been understandable if the Guardians had phoned it in at the trade deadline. They were 40-48 on July 6th and had just lost their 10th game in a row. Starting pitcher Luis L. Ortiz was facing an MLB suspension for illegal gambling activity. Just a few weeks later, star closer Emmanuel Clase would join him on administrative leave for the same potential infraction. It seemed like a given that fellow veterans Carlos Santana, Steven Kwan, and others might be traded at the deadline, with the team turning the page to 2026.
Instead, the Guardians came out of the gates hot after the All-Star break, held firm at the trade deadline, and then doubled down and promoted one of their top prospects, C.J. Kayfus, at the start of August.
Kayfus was the Guardians’ third-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Miami. At the time of his promotion, he was the team's 4th-ranked prospect and the 66th-ranked prospect overall, according to MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old began this season at Double-A, quickly shot up to Triple-A after 18 games, and already finds himself in the big leagues. That would be a whirlwind of a season that could be hard for anybody to process, but Kayfus is keeping his composure by sticking to a simple process.
"Just sticking to my plan and getting a pitch over the middle of the plate," he told me before a game against the Mets last week. "I've had success throughout my career. That's what got me here, so I'm trying not to change anything."
That plan has certainly led Kayfus to success in all stages of his career. He was a .350 hitter in three seasons at Miami with a 1.001 career OPS in college. He holds a .293 career minor league batting average in 211 games with a .920 OPS. In 68 games with Triple-A Columbus this season, Kayfus slashed .283/.367/.526 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs. He played well enough that he was selected to represent the Guardians in the 2025 All-Star Futures Game during the All-Star Break.
During his time at Triple-A, he made strong swing decisions and was aggressive in the zone with a 68% zone swing rate that led to a 73% contact rate overall, which is solid for a player with 20 home run power. However, hunting his pitch in the zone has been a bit harder to do since he's been up in the big leagues.
"Honestly, the only big difference [between Triple-A pitching and MLB pitching] is the consistency with hitting spots," he admitted. "Whether it's a hitter advantage count or not, they're still gonna paint around the zone instead of giving you a pitch to do damage with, is what I've noticed so far."
The stats support what Kayfus is seeing. So far, the rookie has seen a pitch in the strike zone 43.8% of the time, which is below the league average of 47.2%, and his first pitch strike rate, which measures swings and called strikes in 0-0 counts, is just 48.3%, which is well below the 62.2% league average. As you can also see in the Statcast graphic below, the majority of the pitches Kayfus is seeing are in the shadow area, which encompasses the corners that are partially on the strike zone and partially off.
Statcast
Kayfus is swinging at those pitches 12% more than league average, which has led to a -2 Run Value on pitches that he sees on the shadow. He's doing a good job of laying off pitches that are well off the plate, but he could also afford to be more aggressive when he does get a pitch over the middle of the plate, since they seem to come less often than they did for him in the minor leagues.
Still, Kayfus is adjusting just fine. He has hits in six of his eight starts and in five of his last six. His chase rate is only marginally higher than it was in the minors, and his contact rate is still 72.2%, which is pretty solid for a rookie in his first MLB action. It's also more impressive considering Kayfus has also made four big league starts in right field, which is a position he just learned to play in the minor leagues this season.
"There really wasn't any conversation at all [about the position change]," he recalled. "Honestly, it was just get back after the game and see that I'm playing left or right field again."
The move made sense from an organizational standpoint. The Guardians already have Kyle Manzardo and Carlos Santana at first base on the MLB roster, and even if Santana were to leave in free agency, Manzardo would be the favorite to be the regular first baseman in 2026. The team has also been using Jhonkensy Noel at first base in the minor leagues, and he would fill a logical platoon with Manzardo, so the Guardians needed another way to ensure that Kayfus could get regular at-bats and find an easier path to the big league team this year. The outfield was the best way forward.
Even though Kayfus played 36 games at first base for Triple-A Columbus, he also mixed in as a right fielder for 22 games, a left fielder for 12 games, and a designated hitter for one. There weren't many major hiccups either. Kayfus only made three errors while he was in Triple-A, but two of them came at first base, so the Guardians kept writing him into the lineup in the outfield.
"I think that's exactly what I needed," he stated, "just more time out there." Kayfus got that time during practices, but he also makes sure to get as much work in the outfield as he can pre-game as well. "I like to, regardless of if I'm playing first or outfield, go get some live reads during batting practice...I'm feeling really comfortable out there now."
It's no small feat that Kayfus has transitioned to a new position so quickly and has been able to play it comfortably at the big league level. You hear plenty of stories about players who spend so much time focusing on improving their defense or learning a new position that they have less time in the day to hit in the cage or work on their swing. So while their defensive performance or versatility improves, their offensive production begins to taper off. That hasn't been the case with Kayfus.
"I don't think [learning a new position] had any correlation with my offensive production," Kayfus said. "I think that the coaches here have done a really good job of helping me with the extra work of playing multiple positions."
While Kayfus is happy with his coaches, his primary concern now is making sure that his coaches are happy with him.
"Just, pretty much prove myself to my teammates and coaches who are here at the big league level," he replied when I asked what his goals were for the remainder of the season. "Really just staying true to myself and playing my game of baseball, you know, situational hitting, whether it's moving a guy over or getting a clutch two-out RBI."
He's beginning to show off that situational hitting more over the last few games. On Saturday, he drew an impressive nine-pitch walk in his second at-bat of the game against the White Sox and scored on a Brayan Rocchio double. In his next at-bat, he pounced on a 2-0 fastball and hit it out of the park for his first MLB home run. It was a pitch that Kayfus originally thought was going to be an “auto-take”in a 2-0 count: "Honestly, I think I told myself it was an auto-take. Let me just get on base, see some more pitches. And then I end up swinging. I'm sure glad I did."
That adaptability has been a hallmark of Kayfus' season so far in Cleveland and could be the calling card of his emergence as an everyday asset in this Guardians lineup.
The Kings finished as the Western Conference’s No. 9 seed last season with a 40-42 record, and a play-in loss to the Dallas Mavericks ended their season early and, more than anything, left a bad taste in their mouths.
Moments after the ugly loss, then-general manager Monte McNair and the Kings mutually agreed to part ways. The next day, Scott Perry was hired to clean up the mess alongside new assistant GM B.J. Armstrong.
Doug Christie officially had his interim tag removed and was named the coach of the Kings. He did a decent job after taking over for fired Mike Brown last season, but the real test begins in his first full campaign calling all the shots.
A new front office. A new-ish coach and coaching staff. New rookies. New starting point guard. New players, which means new training camp battles.
It will take some time to adjust to all the new, but when the ball gets rolling for Sacramento, there certainly is no shortage of interesting matchups along the way.
Here are five key Kings games to watch during the upcoming season:
at Suns (season opener)
Wednesday, Oct. 22 at PHX Arena
This likely wouldn’t have made the list if it fell on any other date.
But because it’s the 2025-26 NBA season opener, it’s only right that this is a key game to watch. Not necessarily because of the matchup, but more to gauge where the Kings are at and how a jumbled roster on paper looks in person.
The Kings won’t face the star-studded Suns, as Kevin Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets and Bradley Beal was shipped to the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason. Devin Booker still runs the show in Phoenix, alongside new teammates Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, who were part of the Rockets trade.
Both teams have plenty of question marks to answer.
The first item on Perry’s long offseason to-do list included finding a starting point guard to fill the void left by De’Aaron Fox in February. That appears to have been checked off when Sacramento acquired veteran point guard Dennis Schröder in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons.
So, the projected starting lineup for the new season is Schröder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis. Malik Monk and Keon Ellis are expected to be the first two players to come off the bench for Sacramento.
But Sacramento still hasn’t addressed the wing position that has haunted it for years, as the depth issues partially have impacted Keegan Murray’s growth. Jonathan Kuminga once appeared to be the simple solution, but that hasn’t been the case this offseason throughout his complicated restricted free agency.
Another question that doesn’t have a clear answer as of now is who is Sabonis’ backup? The Kings traded Jonas Valančiūnas to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Dario Šarić. Valančiūnas played the backup role well for Sacramento, averaging 8.7 points on 55.6-percent shooting, with 7.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 16.9 minutes over 32 games (nine starts).
Currently, the Kings have Isaac Jones and rookies Maxime Raynaud and Dyland Cardwell on their big man depth chart. Newly acquired Drew Eubanks and Šarić also can play the center role, along with veteran unrestricted free agent Trey Lyles if he re-signs with the Kings.
Of course, training camp will help sort out the competition at all positions. But Game 1 of 82 also will be a good indication of the direction this team is headed.
vs. Spurs
March 17, 2026, at Golden 1 Center
Despite 7-foot-3 phenom Victor Wembanyama gracing Sacramento with his presence for the first time next season and the first time since early December 2024, there is another, somehow larger, reason all eyes will be on this particular matchup.
That comes in the form of Sacramento’s 2017 first-round draft pick, De’Aaron Fox. For seven years, Fox was the King of Sacramento and, after the Kings traded Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana in 2022, was believed to be the franchise point guard for years and years to come.
But after years of continued mediocracy, including a historic playoff appearance that didn’t lead to any sustained success, a divorce was imminent. The Kings shipped Fox to the Spurs at last year’s trade deadline in a multi-team deal that landed two-time NBA All-Star Zach LaVine in Sacramento.
And while Fox already has made his return to Sacramento since the trade on March 7, it might take years for the city of Sacramento and its fans to adjust to seeing Fox in a jersey that’s not the Kings. That jersey likely will be the Spurs for years to come after Fox agreed to a reported four-year, $229 million maximum contract extension with San Antonio earlier this month.
Plus, it will be the first time both Fox and Wembanyama take the Golden 1 Center floor as teammates.
Fox said it felt good to rip the band-aid off after playing his first game as a Spur against the Kings.
“Yeah, definitely,” Fox said on March 7. “I hope I play 10-plus more years, so I’ll be back. I’ll be here. So it’s definitely good to get the first one out the way.”
The 27-year-old point guard finished that game with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, with four rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 33 minutes. Sacramento won 127-109.
“I’m glad the first one is over with because now I feel like it probably won’t be as anticipated anymore,” Fox said afterward. “But next time, I’m hoping for a better game for us.”
vs. Warriors (all four matchups, really)
Nov. 5, 2025, at Golden 1 Center Jan. 9, 2026, at Chase Center April 7, 2026, at Chase Center April 10, 2026, at Golden 1 Center
No matter how much players from both sides try to deny the rivalry brewing between the Kings and Warriors, no one can downplay how intense the competition is when the two teams come face to face.
It doesn’t matter when, it doesn’t matter where, but any time the Kings and Warriors play each other, the barking gets louder and the claws get sharper. It hasn’t always been that way, though, but things have only intensified since their first-round meeting in the 2023 NBA playoffs, when Sacramento took the then-defending champs to seven games but fell short courtesy of a Steph Curry 50-point masterclass.
Since that point, the teams have split their eight regular-season matchups with four wins apiece over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. None of those games disappointed. And this rivalry that’s not a rivalry but clearly is a rivalry will have a midweek game in November feel like a playoff game in April.
While the Curry versus Fox matchups only got more and more fun to watch, that’s a thing of the past as Fox no longer is on the Kings. While there isn’t a particular matchup key to the outcome, there also is the storied feud between Kings big man Domantas Sabonis and Draymond Green.
Newer wrinkles added to the mix include a heated exchange with Steve Kerr and Doug Christie after Green set a rough screen on Ellis during their first matchup of the 2024-25 season.
Steph Curry on Steve Kerr and Doug Christie exchanging words after Draymond set a hard screen on Keon Ellis in the third quarter.
"That's two ex players wishing they were back in their jersey. It's good to see that kind of fire." pic.twitter.com/2NAmgjvOB2
And, maybe to a lesser extent, Sacramento’s addition of Schröder, who spent about seven weeks with Golden State before being shipped to his third team of the season last year, could provide yet another interesting storyline to a book that doesn’t lack them.
Not to mention the Kuminga saga, as the Kings have shown significant interest in the Warriors wing this offseason, with the brass even having a good meeting with Kuminga last month. However, Golden State hasn’t been moved by Sacramento’s offers, and all signs point to Kuminga returning to the Warriors next season.
Who knows what this season will bring to the NorCal rivalry?
vs. Mavericks
Dec. 27 at Golden 1 Center
The Kings will have their hands full when they come across the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for the first time.
Cooper Flagg, who had one of the best freshman seasons in college basketball history with Duke this past season, and the Mavericks will come to Sacramento for a late Christmas treat on Dec. 27.
Flagg lived up to his sky-high expectations in his one season with the Blue Devils, averaging 19.2 points on 48.1 percent shooting, with 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 30.7 minutes through 37 games.
Aside from it being the 18-year-old’s first game against the Kings, a taste for vengeance might also be a factor leading into this matchup.
The Kings still have a bad taste in their mouths with how their 2024-25 season ended, when the Mavericks came into town and embarrassed them on their home floor in the NBA play-in tournament.
Dallas led by as many as 26 points and had a 22-point advantage when Sacramento waved the white flag and pulled its starters. The Mavericks won 120-106 and advanced to the second play-in game but lost to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Anthony Davis led the way for Dallas with 27 points in just his 10th game with the team. Klay Thompson made five 3-pointers and finished with 23 points, and P.J. Washington added 17.
Thompson’s showing was his own kind of revenge, since the last time he faced the Kings in a postseason matchup was when he went scoreless in a 2024 play-in loss when he was a member of the Warriors. The sharpshooter went 0 of 10 from the field and 0 of 6 from 3-point land in the 118-94 loss that ended Golden State’s season.
But Thompson bounced back in his next postseason appearance against Sacramento, adding to his long-time success against the franchise, which includes an NBA-record 37-point quarter against the Kings back in 2015.
Now, though, it might be time for the Kings to seek their revenge.
vs. Lakers (all four matchups)
Oct. 26, 2025, at Golden 1 Center Dec. 28, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena Jan. 12, 2026, at Golden 1 Center March 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena
This one goes without saying, right?
Any time the Lakers are on the schedule, all of Sacramento will be watching.
The rivalry dates back decades, when the two teams battled in the 2002 Western Conference finals. The series went to a Game 7, when the Lakers ultimately defeated the Kings. The matchup between the Kings and Lakers still is regarded to this day as one of the most controversial playoff series in league history, as there was widespread criticism of the officiating favoring Los Angeles, particularly in Game 6.
The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals and swept the Nets to secure the 13th of their 16 championship titles.
That was more than 20 years ago, yet it still stings Kings fans as Sacramento hasn’t made it to the conference finals since.
The Kings dominated the season series against the Lakers two seasons ago, sweeping all four matchups in 2023-24. But Los Angeles returned the favor last season, winning all four of its games against Sacramento in 2024-25.
Plus, any game against four-time NBA MVP LeBron James is automatic must-see TV — especially after James made his NBA debut on Oct. 29, 2003, in Sacramento. And it will be the first time James’ new partner-in-crime, Luka Dončić, will face the Kings since the league-shattering blockbuster trade that sent him to the Lakers last season.
Did we mention that Dončić loves to play against the Kings ever since they infamously passed on him in the 2018 NBA Draft? Even years later, Dončić won’t let it go, even recently directing taunts and comments toward former Kings general manager Vlade Divac during a visit to Sacramento.
Luka Doncic as he puts away the Kings tonight in Sacramento with his final free throw, then as the final horn sounds, waves goodbye to former Kings GM Vlade Divac seated courtside and says "he shoulda' drafted me." pic.twitter.com/6j26cLprxA
That one might hurt a little more after the loss of Fox.
And to add salt to the wound, instant fan favorite Jake LaRavia, who was acquired by the Kings at the trade deadline, left Sacramento this offseason to sign a two-year deal with the Lakers. It’s always hard to see your ex with someone you already don’t like.
Honorable mentions
vs. new-look Houston Rockets led by Kevin Durant – Dec. 3, 2025
vs. Chicago Bulls (LaVine, DeRozan’s old team, plus facing a familiar face in Kevin Huerter) – Oct. 29, 2025
vs. reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder – Oct. 28, 2025
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The Warriors believe the vast improvement they experienced after acquiring Jimmy Butler III was no mirage. That their 27-8 record with Stephen Curry and Butler in the lineup tells them they can play with the best of the NBA.
Yet most interested observers align with the oddsmakers, who remain unconvinced. They’re awaiting compelling evidence.
The Warriors can begin submitting that on opening night, when they play the first of six games that should provide a fair assessment of where they stand in the league and their postseason ceiling.
What better way to immediately turn heads than going on the road and beating the league’s most publicized team – and most publicized superstar?
The Warriors were 1-3 against the Lakers last season, but the losses came before both teams made major changes February. LA acquired Luka Dončić and Golden State added Butler. On April 3, with playoff positioning at stake, the Warriors made a statement with 123-116 win at Crypto.com Arena.
While Golden State’s roster is unfinished, LA this summer added starting center Deandre Ayton and defense-first guard Marcus Smart. Moreover, Dončić is in the best condition of his seven-year career.
No matter Golden State’s personnel on opening night, a loss to the Lakers would give LA an early edge in what will be a savage battle for playoff seeding in the Western Conference.
Nov. 11 at Oklahoma City
Classic battle of accomplished upstarts vs. experienced squad rich with ingenuity.
The defending champion Thunder are built for today, tomorrow and probably the next 30 years. The Warriors’ core – Draymond Green, Curry and Butler – is built for yesterday but determined to show it has what it takes to flourish against the league’s young bucks.
OKC is trying to become back-to-back champs, something not done since the 2018 Warriors. The Thunder, then, hope to go where Curry and Green have been. As deep and young and kinetic as this roster is, this challenge is the biggest they have known.
No better means of measurement than facing the NBA kings in the league’s most imposing building. A loss would not be catastrophic, but winning at OKC would make a statement huge enough to be discussed and dissected for several days.
Nov. 19 at Miami
Butler returns to the place where he validated his stardom before an ugly exit.
Jimmy’s departure from South Beach had the elements of high drama. Pat “The Godfather” Riley, Hall of Fame coach and one of the most astute executives in NBA history, calls out his franchise player in public. Franchise player barks back. Both are too proud to budge. Coach and team are stuck in the middle of a feud that simmers for months before Riley sends Butler to Golden State.
The trade was a form of salvation for both teams. The Heat, shedding a massive distraction, finally could exhale and focus on basketball. The Warriors, after treading water for almost four months, could sprout wings and fly.
The victor on this night, whether Butler or Riley, will grin his way out of Kaseya Center.
Dec. 25 vs. Dallas
With the return of Warriors legend Klay Thompson and the Bay Area initiation of teenage sensation Cooper Flagg, the NBA hands Dub Nation two gifts on Christmas Day at Chase Center. There’s an outside chance Kyrie Irving, rehabilitating from a torn ACL sustained in March, could be back.
The teams split four games last season, with 1-1 records on each side of the Dallas trade featuring Anthony Davis and Dončić and the Golden State deal featuring Andrew Wiggins and Butler. With Davis and Irving missing substantial portions of the second half of the season, the Mavericks tumbled out of play-in tournament position.
Though Dallas is rejuvenated by the lottery gift that is Flagg, Warriors-Mavericks shapes up as a clash of teams projected to struggle to rise above the play-in tournament.
Jan. 24 and 26 at Minnesota
Was Minnesota’s playoff sweep of the Steph-free Warriors a definitive statement of supremacy, or a simple matter of a severely diminished roster?
The Warriors went into the conference semifinals feeling good about themselves, based on their 3-1 record against the Timberwolves in the regular season. Their confidence was further boosted by their victory in Game 1 at Target Center.
When Curry missed the next four games with a strained left hamstring, the Wolves feasted, in the process making the Warriors look too small, too slow and vastly inferior.
Golden State will have had more than eight months to digest its abrupt postseason exit. Revenge can’t come until the second half of the season, two games over three days on the road. A sweep would be fantastic, a split acceptable. Getting swept would be a punch in the mouth.
Four more games that can tell a story
Oct. 23 vs. Nuggets (snapped nine-game losing streak to DEN in April), Oct. 28 vs. Clippers (went 0-4 against LAC last season), Nov. 26 vs. Rockets (Kevin Durant joins feisty squad), April 12 vs at Clippers (second consecutive season finale vs. LAC)
Its Thursday, August 14 and the Marlins (58-62) are in Cleveland to wrap up their three-game series against the Guardians (62-57).
Edward Cabrera is slated to take the mound for Miami against Tanner Bibee for Cleveland.
In just his 13th game as a major leaguer, Jakob Marsee drove in seven runs as the Marlins evened the series at one game apiece with a 13-4 drubbing of the Guardians. The rookie went 4-5 including two home runs and is now hitting .436 since being promoted to the big club on August 1.
Lets dive into this evening's game 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 the 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.
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Game details & how to watch Marlins at Guardians
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2025
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: Progressive Field
City: Cleveland, OH
Network/Streaming: FDSNFL, CLEG
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Odds for the Marlins at the Guardians
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Marlins (+106), Guardians (-126)
Spread: Guardians -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Marlins at Guardians
Pitching matchup for August 14, 2025: Edward Cabrera vs. Tanner Bibee
Marlins: Edward Cabrera (6-5, 3.08 ERA) Last outing: August 8 at Atlanta - 1.13 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 11 Strikeouts
Guardians: Tanner Bibee (8-9, 4.60 ERA) Last outing: August 8 at White Sox - 6.75 ERA, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Marlins at Guardians
The Marlins have won 18 of their 32 games against American League teams this season
Tanner Bibee has struck out 5 or more hitters in 7 of his last 9 starts
The Guardians have failed to cover the Run Line in 5 of their last 7 home games against the Marlins
Jose Ramirez is 4-7 (.571) through two games of this series
Steven Kwan is just 2-22 (.091) over his last 5 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Marlins and the Guardians
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 Thursday's game between the Marlins and the Guardians:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play 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 7.0.
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Here's what happened in Mets Land on Wednesday, in case you missed it...
The Mets opened an early six-run lead, but then allowed 11 unanswered runs in an ugly 11-6 loss to the Braves
David Peterson was cruising, but imploded in the fourth inning, allowing six of the nine Atlanta runs scored in the frame
Paul Blackburn did a nice job saving the bullpen in his first relief appearance back with the team, pregame Carlos Mendoza discussed bringing him back into the mix
After opening the season against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Oct. 21, the Warriors return to the Bay for a four-game homestand against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 23, the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 24, the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 27 and the LA Clippers on Oct. 28.
In addition to hosting the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas Day, the Warriors also welcome the Miami Heat to Chase Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Monday, Jan. 19.
NBC Sports Bay Area will air 63 regular-season Warriors games, with each game also available in the NBC Sports app.
The Warriors are scheduled to have seven games on NBC and four games on Peacock, the new broadcast home of the NBA.
The Warriors begin their quest to win the 2025 NBA Cup on Nov. 7 against the Nuggets. Golden State also has Group C games on the road against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 14 and at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 21 and the Houston Rockets on Nov. 26.
Golden State gets to test itself against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder three times by early January. The Warriors travel to OKC on Nov. 11 for their first meeting. Then the Thunder visit San Francisco on Dec. 2 and Jan. 2. The final matchup between the two Western Conference powers comes on March 7 at Paycom Center.
As Steph Curry and LeBron James wind down their Hall of Fame careers, every meeting between the two superstars carries extra weight, which is why the NBA has them facing off on Opening Night. But after that game, the Warriors and Lakers don’t see each other again until Feb. 7, again at Crypto.com Arena. The two meetings at Chase Center come on Feb. 28 and April 9.
After Kevin Durant and the Rockets visit San Francisco in late November, the Warriors travel to Houston on March 5. The final meeting between the teams occurs on April 5 at Chase Center.
The Warriors will make their first trip of the season to Sacramento on Nov. 5, with the Kings traveling down I-80 for a Jan. 9 game at Chase Center. The final two meetings between the Northern California rivals will come within four days at the end of the season. They will play April 7 in San Francisco and at Golden 1 Center on April 10 – Golden State’s second-to-last regular-season game.
If Steph Curry hadn’t injured his hamstring in Game 1 of the Warriors’ second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in May, Golden State might have won the series. This season, they won’t see each other until Jan. 24 and Jan. 26 when they play a mini two-game series at Target Center. Their only meeting at Chase Center is on March 13.
If Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Co. are deep in the playoff race, the final game of the season could have massive implications, as the Warriors face the Clippers at Intuit Dome on April 12.
The Warriors have high hopes entering the season and they’ll learn a lot about the roster during the first 20 games.
The day has arrived: The Kings’ schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season is out.
As it was reported earlier this week, Sacramento will open the new campaign on the road against the new-look Suns at 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Oct. 22, in Phoenix. Devin Booker no longer has Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal by his side, but he will be accompanied by his new partners-in-crime, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, who were shipped to Phoenix as part of the trade that sent Durant to the Houston Rockets this offseason.
Sacramento’s home opener will take place at 7 p.m. PT on Oct. 24 against the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center, and the excitement will continue over the weekend as the Kings host LeBron James, Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers at 6 p.m. PT on Oct. 26.
The Kings’ first road trip of the season won’t be an easy one, first facing the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 28, and then some familiar faces with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls on the second half of a back-to-back on Oct. 29. They then take on two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 1 and wrap up the road trip in Denver against three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets.
Steph Curry and the Warriors come into town on Nov. 5 for the first game of the season between the NorCal rivals, and all eyes could be on the biggest storyline of the offseason, Jonathan Kuminga, who the Kings have had notable interest in.
The Kings’ first game against their former face of the franchise will come on the road against the Spurs on Nov. 16 in San Antonio. But Fox won’t return to the place he called home for more than seven years until March 17, 2026, when the Kings host his Spurs at Golden 1 Center at 8 p.m. PT. The game will be nationally broadcast on NBC.
Sacramento will face Durant and the revamped Rockets for the first time on Dec. 3 in Houston. The Rockets then will head to California’s state capital a few weeks later for a rematch on Dec. 21 at Golden 1 Center.
On Jan. 14, former Kings coach Mike Brown, who was fired last December following a 13-18 start in his third season with the organization, will return to his former workplace when his Knicks come into town. New York hired Brown last month to replace Tom Thibodeau at the helm.
Here is the full schedule:
Here is the Sacramento Kings’ full schedule for the 2025-26 NBA season ⬇️
The Kings’ 2025 NBA Cup action begins with a tall task against the Thunder on Nov. 7 at Golden 1 Center. Sacramento also will play the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Nov. 14, host the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 26 and face the Jazz in Utah on Nov. 28.
The Kings’ regular-season finale will come against Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers on April 12 in Portland.
Sacramento is slated for nine nationally televised games.
Its Thursday, August 14 and the Cubs (68-51) are in Toronto to wrap up their series against the Blue Jays (70-51).
Matthew Boyd is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Max Scherzer for Toronto.
The Cubs evened the series yesterday with a 4-1 win. Rookie Cade Horton was the story allowing just one hit and one run over 5.2 innings enroute to his seventh win of the season. Matt Shaw and Michael Busch each went deep for Chicago. The Jays' attack was held in check all day. The home team was limited to two hits while striking out ten times.
Lets dive into this afternoon's 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 the 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 Cubs at Blue Jays
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2025
Time: 3:07PM EST
Site: Rogers Centre
City: Toronto, ON
Network/Streaming: MARQ, 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 Cubs at the Blue Jays
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Cubs (-108), Blue Jays (-111)
Spread: Blue Jays 1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Blue Jays
Pitching matchup for August 14, 2025: Matthew Boyd vs. Max Scherzer
Cubs: Matthew Boyd (11-5, 2.46 ERA) Last outing: August 8 at St. Louis - 5.40 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
Blue Jays: Max Scherzer (2-2, 4.21 ERA) Last outing: August 8 at Dodgers - 3.00 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 3 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!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Blue Jays
The Cubs have won 22 of their 38 games against American League teams this season
The Blue Jays' last 4 games against the Cubs have stayed under the Total
Max Scherzer has struck out 5, 5, and 11 hitters in his last 3 starts
Pete Crow-Armstrong was 0-4 yesterday and is now 3-41 (.073) for the month of August
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Cubs and the Blue Jays
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 Thursday's game between the Cubs and the Blue Jays:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Chicago Cubs on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago Cubs 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
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Its Thursday, August 14 and the Mariners (67-54) are in Baltimore to take on the Orioles (54-66) this afternoon.
Logan Evans is slated to take the mound for Seattle against Tomoyuki Sugano for Baltimore.
The Orioles evened the series at a game apiece with a 4-3 victory last night. After Seattle tied the game with two in the top of the ninth Baltimore walked it off thanks to a double by Jackson Holliday that scored Dylan Carson. The win for the O's snapped the Mariners' eight-game winning streak.
Lets dive into the series finale 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 the 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 Mariners at Orioles
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2025
Time: 1:05PM EST
Site: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
City: Baltimore, MD
Network/Streaming: RSNW, MASN2 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 Mariners at the Orioles
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Mariners (-131), Orioles (+110)
Spread: Mariners -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Mariners at Orioles
Pitching matchup for August 14, 2025: Logan Evans vs. Tomoyuki Sugano
Mariners: Logan Evans (6-4, 4.36 ERA) Last outing: August 9 vs. Tampa Bay - 5.06 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
Orioles: Tomoyuki Sugano (9-5, 4.24 ERA) Last outing: August 8 vs. Athletics - 1.29 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 4 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!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mariners at Orioles
The Mariners have won 4 of their last 5 games against AL East teams
7 of the Orioles' last 8 games with the Mariners have stayed under the Total
The Orioles have covered the Run Line in 8 of their last 10 games at Camden Yards against the Mariners
Jackson Holliday's game-winning hit yesterday was just his 6th hit in 42 ABs in August (.143)
Julio Rodriguez is enjoying a modest 4-game hitting streak (7-15)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Mariners and the Orioles
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 Thursday's game between the Mariners and the Orioles:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Seattle Mariners 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 over on the Game Total of 9.0.
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American says he would hesitate to let sons compete
Michael Phelps has launched a scathing attack on USA Swimming’s leadership, with the 23-times Olympic gold medallist branding the body weak and demanding sweeping reforms after what he sees as years of organizational decline.
“I’ve watched too many teammates struggle to compete in a sport they love without the support they need,” Phelps, who retired from competitive swimming in 2016, wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “I’ve also seen the sport struggle to return its membership numbers to pre-pandemic levels, and I’m done pretending this system works just because it produces medals.
It's Thursday, August 14 and the Diamondbacks (59-62) are in Denver to take on the Rockies (32-88). Eduardo Rodriguez is slated to take the mound for Arizona against Bradley Blalock for Colorado.
Arizona is 7-2 versus Colorado this season and swept the Rockies just a few days ago (Aug 8-10). The Rockies are coming off two wins agains the Cardinals to win the series and also break an eight-game losing streak.
The DBacks have won their past two and are 5-1 in the last 6 games and 8-3 in the past 11 contests with three series won in the previous four.
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 Diamondbacks at Rockies
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2025
Time: 8:40PM EST
Site: Coors Field
City: Denver, CO
Network/Streaming: ARID, COLR, FS1
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 Diamondbacks at the Rockies
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Diamondbacks (-176), Rockies (+147)
Spread: Diamondbacks -1.5
Total: 12.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Diamondbacks at Rockies
Pitching matchup for August 14, 2025: Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Bradley Blalock
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 Diamondbacks and the Rockies
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 Thursday’s game between the Diamondbacks and the Rockies:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Arizona Diamondbacks on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 12.0.
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 Diamondbacks at Rockies
Arizona is 7-2 versus Colorado this season
Arizona swept Colorado in the previous meeting
Colorado is 2-0 in the last 2 games
Colorado is 2-8 in the last 10 games
The Diamondbacks have won 4 of their last 5 on the road, while the Rockies have lost 4 straight home games
The Rockies' last 6 home games have gone over the Total
The Diamondbacks have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 1.53 units
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:
