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Red Sox at White Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for April 11

Its Friday, April 11 and the Red Sox (6-7) are in the Windy City to take on the White Sox (2-9) in Game 1 of a weekend series.

Sean Newcomb is slated to take the mound for Boston against Davis Martin for Chicago.

The Red Sox salvaged the final game of their series against the Blue Jays with a two-run rally in the bottom of the tenth inning. David Hamilton scored from third when Andres Gimenez could not field a Trevor Story ground ball cleanly and Boston won, 4-3.

The White Sox have not yet won a game in April. They were swept earlier this week by the Guardians losing the finale Thursday, 6-1. Chicago mustered a mere five hits and Jonathan Cannon gave up six runs in 5.1 innings in the loss.

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

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

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

Game details & how to watch Red Sox at White Sox

  • Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
  • Time: 7:40PM EST
  • Site: Rate Field
  • City: Chicago, IL
  • Network/Streaming: NESN, CHSN+

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

Odds for the Red Sox at the White Sox

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Red Sox (-169), White Sox (+142)
  • Spread:  Red Sox -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at White Sox

  • Pitching matchup for April 11, 2025: Sean Newcomb vs. Davis Martin
    • Red Sox: Sean Newcomb (0-1, 5.19 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/6 vs. St. Louis - 4.2IP, 1ER, 6H, 3BB, 5Ks
    • White Sox: Davis Martin (0-1, 5.73 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/5 at Detroit - 5IP, 7ER, 9H, 2BB, 2Ks

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

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

  • The Red Sox scored 8 runs in their 4-game series against Toronto
  • Despite being just 2-10, The White Sox are 7-5 against the spread
  • It has been 4 games since the Red Sox last covered the Run Line
  • The White Sox have lost 8 in a row
  • Boston's last 4 games have gone UNDER the Game Total

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 Red Sox and the White Sox

Rotoworld Best Bet

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

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

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

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

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Boston Red Sox on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago White Sox at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

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

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Why Young believes Daniels, not Draymond, is most deserving of DPOY

Why Young believes Daniels, not Draymond, is most deserving of DPOY originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young believes his teammate Dyson Daniels should win the 2024-2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year over Warriors forward Draymond Green.

Young shared his thoughts on why Daniels is more deserving of the annual award given to the league’s best defensive player.

“Obviously, Dyson for Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved too, he should get those two awards,” Young told NBA insider Chris Haynes. “He’s been playing great this year. I think Draymond is in the running right now. I love Dray to death, but he’s not Dyson this year as far as what he’s been doing on defense. On the ball every game, he’s getting three, four, five steals. Just picking them by himself, no help.

“He’s doing stuff that no guard, no defender has ever done before.”

Daniels emerged as a revelation on defense, with 226 steals this season, the most since Gary Payton had 231 in 1995-96. His stalwart play is one of the main reasons the Hawks are in contention for a postseason spot.

Green has powered the Warriors’ defense this season, with plenty of lockdown performances in arguably his best year since 2017, when he won his first DPOY award. Still, he has struggled with consistency throughout the season, particularly when he’s forced to guard larger players around the rim.

With Golden State and Atlanta still in the hunt for playoff positioning over the final two regular-season games, expect both Green and Daniels to put forth their best defensive efforts.

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Celtics make smart decision with Jaylen despite NBA award implications

Celtics make smart decision with Jaylen despite NBA award implications originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With the Boston Celtics already locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, there aren’t many intriguing storylines as the regular season winds down.

But Jaylen Brown and his nagging knee injury is one of them.

The Celtics ruled Brown out for Friday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday afternoon, more than 24 hours before tip-off. The decision ensures that Brown, who has appeared in 63 games so far this season, won’t reach 65 games played, as Boston has just one regular-season game remaining after Friday (Sunday afternoon vs. Charlotte).

That’s notable because 65 games is the minimum threshold for players to be eligible for end-of-season NBA awards like the All-NBA and All-Defense teams, Defensive Player of the Year and more. After Friday night, Brown will be officially disqualified from those awards.

Whether Brown realistically would have made All-NBA is a separate discussion, but for a few days, it looked like the Celtics were attempting to give him a chance.

The league requires requires players to log at least 20 minutes those 65 games to be award-eligible, and Brown played 21 minutes in Boston’s rout of the Washington Wizards last Sunday despite looking slightly hobbled. He then labored through 21 minutes of Tuesday’s matchup with the New York Knicks before sitting out the entire fourth quarter and overtime of a close game.

Even when Brown didn’t play on the second night of a back-to-back in Orlando on Wednesday, it was worth wondering if he’d suit up Friday and Sunday to hit his minutes minimum before heading to the bench.

“Even though my team visibly can see maybe I’m in a bit of pain,” Brown said after the Celtics’ April 2 game against the Heat, “they trust me to go out there and I can control my body and still be able to make plays and mentally, be able to push through it.”

While there’s some value in learning how to manage pain, there’s more value in rest, and it appears Brown and the Celtics have made that calculation with two games left in the regular season. Assuming Brown doesn’t play in Sunday’s season finale, he’ll have had at least nine days of recovery time before Boston begins its first-round playoff series next Saturday (April 19) or Sunday (April 20).

How close the All-Star wing is to 100 percent by Game 1 remains to be seen, and it sounds like he’ll still have to manage the injury throughout the postseason. But the team’s decision leaves no doubt that he and the Celtics are prioritizing the playoffs over the opportunity to earn individual recognition.

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Giants' roster continuity stands out most two weeks into MLB season

Giants' roster continuity stands out most two weeks into MLB season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Before the fourth game of the 2024 season, the Giants DFA’d catcher Joey Bart and added right-hander Daulton Jefferies, who started later that day and then was immediately optioned back to Triple-A. Bart was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Jefferies later joined him there — but only after being recalled and optioned two more times in early May.

A year earlier, a trade for veteran Matt Beaty in the hours before the opener at Yankee Stadium led to Bryce Johnson and Sean Hjelle surprisingly being left off the Opening Day roster after strong springs. Brett Wisely had been told the night before the opener that he was being optioned, but he ended up returning after the roster shakeup.

“I’m honestly still in a little bit of shock,” Wisely said the last time the Giants visited New York. 

Two days later, he was optioned and Johnson was added to the roster. Hjelle arrived the next day. 

That’s just the way things were in the clubhouse for a few years, starting in 2019, when Farhan Zaidi acquired Connor Joe and Michael Reed at the end of his first spring in charge and plugged them right into the lineup. In 2022, the Giants used a franchise-record 66 players, and it became the norm to go through 50-60 players a year.

As the Giants headed back out on the road Wednesday night, the same 26 players who were in Cincinnati two weeks ago boarded the flight. There are a lot of important numbers from the first 12 games, nine of which have been wins, but the one that stands out the most might be zero. 

Through two weeks, the Giants haven’t made a single roster move. They’re one of just four teams in the big leagues with their original 26-man roster intact. 

“There will be moves that are made this year, but also I think it’s important to read the room,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said on Thursday’s “Giants Talk” podcast. “These guys are close already and they’ve created a pretty cool atmosphere in that locker room. We are off to a nice start, so I think we take all of those things into account when myself, Zack (Minasian), Jeremy (Shelley) and Bob (Melvin) are considering some of these decisions. It’s not that we won’t make moves, but consistency is important to me as well.”

There are reasons beyond personal preferences for the lack of roster churn. The Giants had two off days over their first eight days of the season, and they somehow escaped Cincinnati without dealing with any of the usual weather issues that can lead to another pitcher or two being added. Their starting pitchers are giving them quality innings, and it’s certainly easier to be patient with slumping hitters when you’re winning.

There’s also the fact that the Giants have been remarkably healthy going back to the start of the spring. Tom Murphy and Jerar Encarnación went on the IL before the opener, but nobody has gone down since the season started. 

But a big part of this is personal preference. The front office and coaching staff want clubhouse continuity, and there’s no doubt that the vibes within that room are significantly better this season.

“We’re trying to establish a little bit more of a set type of lineup,” Melvin said. “Now look, lineups change as it goes along — we’re going to have subtle moves with lefties and righties (pitching) — but I think Buster is trying to just create some stability here. So far, so good.

Melvin has used his Opening Day lineup five times through 12 games, with the only notable shift being a two-spot drop for Patrick Bailey, who is off to a slow start. LaMonte Wade Jr. has a .146 on-base percentage but remained atop the lineup Wednesday, with Willy Adames (.465 OPS) right behind him. Melvin scoffed when asked about making big changes after back-to-back shutouts, noting that it was just two games and he still likes the composition of his lineups. 

At some point, the Giants will adjust with players who are slow to come around, but the focus early on has been on patience. That’s been particularly important with young players. 

Casey Schmitt had a rough debut at first base last week, but when he was thrown back out there Tuesday, he cut off a run with a heads-up play on a squeeze. He also had two hits, and afterward, Melvin was asked if Schmitt might get more time at second base. The manager said he has faith in Tyler Fitzgerald, who has a .546 OPS through 10 games.

Fitzgerald’s rookie season was a great example of the importance of giving some leeway to young players. He got picked off in the ninth inning of a tie game against the Dodgers last May 13 and was put on ice for a full week before getting optioned back to Triple-A. When the Giants gave him an everyday shot later in the summer, he flourished. Fitzgerald mentioned several times this spring how much trust he has in the staff right now.

“You saw what happened last year,” Melvin said. “He was moving around a little, got sent down, now we make a move at short (with releasing Nick Ahmed) and he gets to play short every day and it was a lot better. I think for young players, it certainly helps to know that it’s probably not going to be knee-jerk.” 

Fitzgerald is one of three young right-handed-hitting infielders on the roster, along with Schmitt and Christian Koss. The Giants are short on left-handed bench options, but they’ve used just eight total pinch-hitters so far. They also have just one left-handed reliever, but that hasn’t bothered Melvin late in games yet. He views Tyler Rogers as someone who can neutralize tough lefties, and the submariner has started his year with seven straight scoreless appearances. 

With an extra spot in the bullpen, the Giants have been able to stick with Hayden Birdsong, who didn’t appear in the first five games of the season. Birdsong threw three sharp innings Tuesday and has seven shutout frames over the past seven games. The Giants eventually will stretch him back out, but with their rotation looking strong early, they’re going to use Birdsong as a multi-inning threat right now.

“We monitor his workload, but look, Hayden Birdsong is a baseball player. When I say baseball player, he wants to do whatever he can to help the team win,” Posey said. “I do see him long-term as being a great big league starter but he has taken to his role in the ‘pen. I’m not surprised with how well he has taken to it so far.”

The flight to New York on Wednesday kicked off a three-city, 10-game trip against teams off to good starts, and also marked the start of 17 consecutive games without a break. At some point over the next two and a half weeks, a roster move will be required. There will be changes to the lineup and fresh arms for the bullpen. But for now, the clubhouse is enjoying the continuity, and crediting the closeness for some of this early success.

“It’s about as much fun as I’ve ever had on a baseball field,” Mike Yastrzemski said after his walk-off homer on Wednesday. “It’s an unbelievable group. Even when things got tough the last two days when we’re not scoring any runs, we’re still having fun, smiling, we’re not letting it affect us. I think these are learning curves even for veteran guys. It’s a nice reminder to just keep fighting.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Top-five tussle: how Premier League battle for Champions League spots is shaping up

With Liverpool and Arsenal in line for two of five guaranteed spots in the tournament we assess other contenders

The important thing for Forest is that they sit third and have an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City to look forward to. Everyone below would like to be in their position. Injuries will be a cause for concern for Nuno Espírito Santo, who has been without his top scorer, Chris Wood, since the international break and then lost Wood’s replacement, Taiwo Awoniyi, leaving Forest without a recognised striker for the loss to Aston Villa, a game also missed by Ola Aina. Their final seven matches include four at home, where they have lost only twice, but three tricky away clashes in London mean the path to a historic return to Europe’s top table is unlikely to be straightforward for a team who have not been in this situation before. Forest have more experienced squads snapping at their heels as they seek to accomplish the most significant Premier League achievement since Leicester won the title. Will Unwin

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Jaron Ennis has been tipped as boxing’s next great one. Now it’s time to prove it

The Philadelphia boxer nicknamed Boots, touted as a future pound-for-pound No 1, carries sky-high expectations and an unfinished family legacy into the biggest fight of his life

Bozy’s Dungeon never had a fixed address. For years it was tucked two blocks from the clattering El train in North Philadelphia, past strips of weathered rowhouses and corner stores. These days it sits in a quiet residential stretch of the Great Northeast. The location and sign on the door might change, but inside, it’s always the same: a temple of toughness and repetition, where talk is cheap and fighters are made brick by brick, round after round. The ring is sacred, the rules unwritten but understood: work, wait, and one day, your shot will come. For Jaron Ennis, the amply gifted welterweight from Philly known as Boots, that day arrives Saturday night.

Ennis, the International Boxing Federation’s champion at 147lb, unbeaten over 33 professional fights with 29 wins inside the distance, will put it all on the line under the vaulted ceilings of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall against Eimantas Stanionis, a rugged, come-forward brawler from Lithuania who holds the World Boxing Association’s version of the title. For Ennis, it’s more than a unification bout. It’s a prime opportunity to shed the perception that, despite his immaculate record and world champion status, he remains a fighter on the cusp rather than one firmly established at the top.

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Nike Hoop Summit men’s rosters 2025: Kiyan Anthony, Cameron Boozer headline high school basketball event

There is one place in April where fans can see the NBA stars of tomorrow today — and it's not the NCAA Tournament.

It's the Nike Hoops Summit, which takes place this Saturday. It can be seen starting at 7 p.m. on the USA Network and streamed on Peacock. It's a USA vs. the World game featuring the best high school players from around the globe. The list of alums from the summit includes 15 former No. 1 picks and 94 top-10 picks, featuring such names such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Nikola Jokic, Derrick Rose, Anthony Davis, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett — and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Who are this year's participants? Here are this year's rosters for the Nike Hoops Summit men's teams.

MEN’S TEAM

USA roster

• Darius Acuff Jr., 6’2” guard. The Arkansas commit was the top-ranked point guard in this class. He was tournament MVP when the USA won gold at the 2024 FIBA Men's U18 AmeriCup, averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4 assists a game.

• Nate Ament, 6’7” forward. He led his high school squad to the Virginia state championship three times, averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game this past season.

• Cameron Boozer, 6’9” forward. The son of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer (and the twin brother of Cayden Boozer), Cameron is the early projected top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Duke commit won two gold medals and was named MVP for USA Basketball at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup.

• Cayden Boozer, 6’3” guard. The other son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer and the fraternal twin of Cameron Boozer, like his brother and father he is committed to Duke. He has won two gold medals with Team USA: the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup.

• Mikel Brown Jr., 6’2” guard. The man can shoot the rock, he won the 2025 McDonald's All-American 3-point contest. Brown has committed to Louisville.

• Chris Cenac Jr., 6’10” center. The Houston commit was the MVP at the 2024 NBPA Top 100 Camp, averaging 18.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks a game.

• AJ Dybantsa, 6’8” guard. He has been on this stage before: Dybantsa had a game-high 21 points in the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit playing for the World Team (his parents are from the Republic of Congo and Jamaica. He has committed to BYU for college.

• Jalen Haralson, 6’8” forward. He averaged 21.2 points per game last spring in the Nike EYBL circuit and was part of the gold medal-winning Team USA in the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup. He has committed to college at Notre Dame.

• Jasper Johnson, 6’4” guard. The bucket getter and sharp-shooting guard was always destined for Kentucky for college, his father, Dennis, and his uncle, Derrick, both played football at Kentucky (Dennis also played three seasons in the NFL). He and big man Malachi Moreno, also playing for the USA in Portland, will form an impressive freshman tandem for the Wildcats.

• Nikolas Khamenia, 6’8” forward. The Duke commit starred at Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, the school that produced former NBA players Jarron and Jason Collins, as well as current NBA player Johnny Juzang (not to mention actors Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal).

• Trey McKenney, 6’4” guard. The big-bodied combo guard with a soft shot has committed to play for the Michigan Wolverines next season.

• Malachi Moreno, 6’11” center. Kentucky's Mr. Basketball for 2024-25, he is staying home and will play for Mark Pope and the Wildcats. He has shown some chemistry in Nike Hoops Summit practices with the other Kentucky commit here, Jasper Johnson.

WORLD ROSTER

• Shon Abaev (Israel), 6'7" forward. He recently led Calvary Christian Academy to a Florida Class 3A state championship, and he is committed to the University of Cincinnati for next season.

• Ikenna Alozie (Nigeria), 6’2” combo guard. He was the MVP of the 2025 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp at NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco.

• Kiyan Anthony (Puerto Rico), 6’5” guard. The son of Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, he was a standout at Long Island Lutheran high school in New York and, following in his father's footsteps, is committed to Syracuse. He has Puerto Rican ties through his mother, Alani "La La" Vazquez, a well-known actress and producer.

• Tajh Ariza (Japan), 6'7" forward. He is the son of Trevor Ariza, who played 18 years in the NBA and won an NBA title in 2009 with the Lakers. He recently led Westchester High School in Los Angeles to its 16th City Section championship.

• Bogoljub Marković (Serbia), 6'11" forward. He has played professionally in the very physical and intense Serbian league for the past two seasons. He plays for KK Mega Basket, the team that produced Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac, Nikola Jovic and Goga Bitadze.

• David Mirkovic (Montenegro), 6'9" forward. He is playing professionally for SC Derby Podgorica in Montenegro but reportedly is interested in playing collegiately in the USA next season.

• Omer Mayer (Israel), 6'4" guard. Mayer currently plays professionally for Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. At the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket, he led Israel, averaging 18.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists a game.

• Jaion Pitt (Canada), 6'10" forward. Originally from Norwood, Ontario, he moved with his family to play his high school ball in Arizona, and now is committed to playing for Arizona State next season.

• Eric Reibe (Germany), 7'0" center. He was the top-ranked player in Maryland this last season and is committed to UConn for next season.

• Dame Sarr, (Italy) 6'5" guard. He is currently playing for FC Barcelona's top team (but has been linked to Illinois if he comes stateside for college). He was a member of the Italian national team for the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers.

• Tounde Yessoufou (Benin), 6'6" forward. He moved from the West African nation to California at age 15 but adjusted well on the court — he became California's all-time leading scorer in February, breaking DeMarcus Nelson's record.

• Boyuan Zhang (China), 6'8" forward. He plays professionally in China for Shanxi Fenju and has represented China in a number of international basketball events.

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Watch Anthony Edwards score 44, Timberwolves put up 52 in third quarter, beat Grizzlies

NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies

Apr 10, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves were hot, resulting in a still-tight Western Conference with two games to play.

Edwards poured in 44 points Thursday night, including 18 in the third to spark a 52-point quarter by Minnesota against Memphis.

The result was a 141-125 Minnesota win between two teams hoping to avoid the Play-In Tournament, but if the playoffs started today these two teams would face each other in the 7/8 game.

The West sees the Warriors, Timberwolves and Grizzlies all tied at 47-33, sitting as the 6/7/8 seeds. The trio is just one game back of the Clippers and Nuggets, who are the 4/5 seeds, and every team has two games left to play.

This was Minnesota's sixth win in its last seven games, and was also sparked by Julius Randle, who added 31 points and 10 rebounds.

Ja Morant led Memphis with 36 points, although what will make headlines is his new 3-point celebration: Pretending to throw a grenade into the crowd. Desmond Bane scored 28 and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 23 points.

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Three takeaways: Panthers clip Wings' speed, Samoskevich continues to impress

Apr 10, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (25) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The wins are starting to come again for the Florida Panthers.

After a rough stretch in which the Cats dropped five straight games but had been playing some decent hockey, Florida has been able to string a couple wins together since returning to Sunrise.

On Thursday, the Panthers took down the Detroit Red Wings 4-1, moving back within one point of Tampa Bay and four points behind first place Toronto.

It was the second straight game where Florida left the ice feeling like they had earned a win and actually picked up the two points.

Now the test will be to see if they can keep it going over the final games of the regular season and carry some momentum into the playoffs.

We know how well that worked out for them last year.

Let’s get to Thursday’s takeaways:

MARCHAND FINDS BACK OF NET

It took eight games, but Brad Marchand has scored his first goal as a member of the Panthers.

He’d been used on a few different lines while acclimating himself to Florida’s systems, now skating with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen.

They’ve now put together a solid stretch of hockey and are finding the back of the net.

We’ve seen several players flourish on the Lundell-Luostarinen line (Sam Reinhart comes to mind) so it’s not terribly surprising to see Marchand hitting his stride with the fun Finns.

“It was good coming off the last game, because the line scored and you think there's something there,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “You like the players to have the belief in it, too, and they had a bunch of chances and some really good zone time, but guys who produce big points need to put numbers up to feel good, for them to feel like they're contributing, so I like that belief in the line, and I like the way they played.”

CLIPPING THE WINGS

Florida knew they were going to face a desperate Red Wings squad.

Detroit came into Thursday’s game with no margin for error.

At this point, they basically needed to win every one of their remaining games and hope for a lot of help in order to make the playoffs.

Despite allowing the Wings to score first, Florida controlled much of the play and never felt like they were chasing the game.

It certainly looks like the Cats are rounding themselves into postseason form.

“They did have some zone time – a long shift in the second period, Sergei (Bobrovsky) made a bunch of saves – but there wasn't the danger off the rush, and that's where that team is hard,” said Maurice. “(We were) smart enough to stay out the penalty box, because their power play is elite., I like the kill-and-a-half that we had.”

A ROOKIE’S PROGRESSION

Mackie Samoskevich scored his 15th goal of the season on Thursday while skating on Florida’s top line with Sasha Barkov and Sam Reinhart.

The rookie has seen his game grow by leaps and bounds since the start of the season, in far more ways than just on the scoresheet.

Despite being one of the smaller guys on the ice, listed at 5-foot-11, 180 lbs., Samoskevich has shown a propensity for throwing his body around and used his speed to enhance his physical prowess.

Based off the skills and progress he’s shown this year, it would appear the sky is the limit for the young sniper.

“It’s highly unusual for a young man to cover the distance that he's covered, because he was still physical in the game and hard where he needed to be,” said Maurice. He's played now with every single line and in every section, so good for him and to his credit, because you don't see young guys come in and learn the hard things and be willing to do the hard things as quickly as he has.”

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

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Three takeaways: New Brad Marchand line looking quite good, big game from Gus Forsling

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Lundell, Forsling help Panthers get back in win column with 3-1 victory over Toronto

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Kings dominate Ducks to maintain gap over Oilers in Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, stops as shot by Los Angeles Kings.
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, stops a shot in front of Kings forwards Andrei Kuzmenko, center, and Anze Kopitar during the second period of the Kings' win Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

The Kings moved two points closer to clinching home ice for the first round of the playoffs Thursday, riding two goals from Kevin Fiala and goals from Quinton Byfield, Anze Kopitar, Alex Laferriere and Jordan Spence to a 6-1 rout of the Ducks at Crypto.com Arena.

Andrei Kuzmenko and Adrian Kempe each had three assists.

Cutter Gauthier scored for the Ducks, his 20th of the season, early in the second period. But Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper didn’t give up another, extending his streak of games yielding two or fewer goals to 15, one short of the modern NHL record.

Read more:Kings fall to Kraken but stay four points ahead of Oilers

The win gave the second-place Kings a four-point lead over the third-place Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division with four games to play. The Kings and Oilers are almost certain to meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for a fourth consecutive season and home ice could be critical for the Kings, who have the NHL’s best home record (30-5-4).

The Oilers won the last three playoff series with the Kings but all three opened in Edmonton.

The Kings needed just 84 seconds to take the lead, with Byfield scoring from the slot on a power play. Gauthier matched that 1:46 into the second period, blasting a snap shot past Kuemper from the right faceoff circle. But Kopitar put the Kings in front to stay 31 seconds later, redirecting in a Mikey Anderson shot from the blue line for his 20th goal of the season.

That marked the 14th time Kopitar has scored 20 or more goals in a season.

Fiala doubled the lead on a power-play goal from the top of the right faceoff circle 2 ½ minutes later before Laferriere made it 4-1, batting down a loose puck at the top of the left circle, then fanning on a shot from the crease before backhanding a second shot.

Read more:Kings' top line is one of the NHL's best scoring trios. So why don't they have a nickname?

Fiala and Spence closed the scoring in third period, with Fiala netting his 32nd of the season on the power play and Spence getting his fourth. For Kuzmenko, the three assists gave him 10 points in the last six games while Kempe, whose wife, Sian, gave birth to the couple’s first child, a girl, earlier this week, has nine points over the same six-game span.

The Kings were without defenseman Drew Doughty for a second straight game. Doughty’s absence was related to the broken left ankle that caused him to miss the first 47 games of the season. He is listed as day to day

Despite the loss the Ducks, with 35 wins, have already matched their best regular-season total since 2018-19.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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CFP Waiver in House v. NCAA Settlement Draws Scrutiny

Atlanta attorney Michael McGlamry has reviewed his fair share of settlement agreements over a 30-year career representing plaintiffs in personal injury and wrongful death cases—including former NFL players who sued the league over the long-term effects of head trauma. His process usually begins the same way: examining the release language tucked near the end of …

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Knicks on pursuit of No. 3 seed: 'You want to be playing well and be the highest seed possible'

Thursday night was a potential clinching game for the Knicks, as they took on the Pistons in Detroit.

New York needed to win just one game to capture the No. 3 seed but the Pistons turned up the defensive intensity in the second half and dominated the fourth quarter to beat the Knicks for the third time in four games this season.

Granted, the Knicks were without OG Anunoby and Josh Hart -- two starters -- and a key bench player in Mitchell Robinson but New York still held a lead as large as 13 points and led for most of the game.

“First half played pretty good,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “Third quarter got up 13. And then I thought our turnovers really hurt us. Tight score with probably six, seven minutes left in the game. But, again, turnovers really hurt us.”

The Knicks gave up an uncharacteristic 14 turnovers in the game, seven coming from Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns, who was held down by foul trouble for most of the game, broke out in the fourth quarter. He scored 15 of his team-high 25 points in the final frame but also turned the ball over four times in the fourth.

“We said we gotta play 40, 48 minutes Including myself,” Towns said of the game. “Just got to be better and finish the game out, play all 48 minutes. We had a good first half just didn’t play the second half the way we needed to.”

The Knicks won’t have much time to dwell on Thursday’s loss, they are back in action Friday against the Cavaliers at MSG. The loss coupled with the Pacers' win means the No. 3 seed is still up in the air with two games remaining in the regular season.

One more win -- or one Pacers loss -- clinches the three-seed for the Knicks. Towns said they aren’t thinking about that, just worried about getting the next win, echoing his coach.

“We talked about it, we don't want to change our approach for anything,” Thibodeau said about the team’s pursuit of the No. 3 seed. “I'd say just take it step by step, and you go into the game to prepare to win and play as hard as you can. Fight to win every possession.

“And then you want to check as many boxes as you can. You want to be playing well and be the highest seed possible going into the playoffs.”

If the Knicks do take the No. 3 seed, a collision course with the upstart Pistons may be in New York's future. Detroit is close to keeping the No. 6 seed, which means both will meet in the first round.

This year’s Pistons team has become known for being a physical group, and it showed in Thursday’s game. Drives to the basket from Jalen Brunson or Towns were met with force, the Pistons crashed the boards with their myriad of bigs -- they outrebounded the Knicks 35-34 -- and forced those costly turnovers with their active hands

That physicality is something the Knicks will have to combat if they meet in the playoffs. But Towns is unbothered by the style of play and felt the game was still the Knicks’ to be had.

“That's Detroit basketball. They play physical basketball,” he said. “They upped their physicality in the second half, just didn't do enough to win the game, including myself. Take responsibility and move on to the next one, and get ready for that.”

The playoff seedings still need to be sorted out over the regular season’s final two games, but barring some very specific scenarios playing out, the Knicks and Pistons will meet in the first round, and New York will need to be ready.

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Braves OF Ronald Acuña Jr. to have knee reevaluated as the slugger works to return to lineup

ATLANTA (AP) — Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. will have his injured left knee reevaluated next week as he works to return to the Atlanta lineup after ACL surgery last year.

Acuña, who tore his left ACL on May 26 and had surgery on June 6, will travel to Los Angeles for the checkup, Braves manager Brian Snitker said Thursday.

Acuña has been taking live batting practice, but has not been cleared to do any start-and-stop running or cutting, Snitker said. The 27-year-old slugger has not run out of the batter’s box in his workouts.

“They just have to check him out and sign off on it before they can do that,” Snitker said. “And I think this was just part of the plan initially. I don’t think he’s going to rush it or anything. This has been the case from the get go.”

Acuña was hurt after 49 games last season and hit just .250 with four home runs, one year after winning the National League MVP with 41 home runs, 73 steals and a .337 batting average.

“It’s going to be about, just like other guys that miss spring training, getting his body in shape when he gets cleared,” Snitker said.

The Braves have struggled without Acuña in the lineup this season. Atlanta lost nine of its first 11 games and were tied for 28th with 34 runs scored entering play Thursday.