Worldwide Sports News

May 1, 2025

Mets vs. Diamondbacks: How to watch on SNY on May 1, 2025

The Mets conclude a three-game series with the Diamondbacks at Citi Field on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

Mets Notes

The Mets' team ERA of 2.64 is the lowest in baseball
Francisco Lindor is hitting .308/.372/.500 with a career-best 148 OPS+
Pete Alonso has reached base safely in 12 consecutive games and 15 of his last 16
Kodai Senga has been phenomenal over his first five starts of the season, with a 1.26 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 28.2 innings

DIAMONDBACKS	METS
-	Francisco Lindor, SS
-	Juan Soto, RF
-	Pete Alonso, 1B
-	Jesse Winker, DH
-	Mark Vientos, 3B
-	Brandon Nimmo, LF
-	Luis Torrens, C
-	Jeff McNeil, 2B
-	Tyrone Taylor, CF

What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone.

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB?

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps:

Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account.

Select the SNY Mets game you wish to view from the Multimedia Center.

How can I watch the game on the MLB App?

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.

Download the free MLB App.

Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.

Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”

To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.

May 1, 2025

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Targets: Using contact rate to find value

We're now a full five weeks into the fantasy baseball season, and we're all starting to get a much clearer sense of just how good (or bad) our teams may be. More stats have started to stabilize, top prospects have been called up, and position battles have been won, so it becomes a little harder to find those impactful players on the waiver wire.

Yet, it's still early enough in the season that there are plenty of talented hitters mired in long slumps or hitters off to hot starts who are being written off as a "fluke" by the majority of fantasy managers. My goal for today is to try and see if we can come up with a way to determine who our true targets should be and who is just experiencing a hot month.

For that, we're going to turn to a set of stats I think are often overlooked: swing rates and contact rates.

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Targets - Rationale

The rationale behind focusing on these stats is pretty simple. Hitters who make the most valuable contact are the ones who produce the most fantasy value (duh). But making the most valuable contact doesn't always come from barrel rates or exit velocities. Oftentimes, the most valuable thing a hitter can do is swing at good pitches and not swing at bad ones.

It seems simple, but it bears itself out in the numbers and is something we often overlook. As you can see from the graphic put together by the awesome Kyle Bland over at Pitcher List (follow him here), the most impactful decision a hitter can make in terms of Run Value added is to simply not swing at a pitch that isn't a strike.

That's a +4.8 Run Value on simply seeing a pitch outside of the strike zone and letting it go for a ball. No other swing decision even provides ANY level of positive run value. The next closest is seeing a pitch in the strike zone and deciding to swing, and even that creates -0.3 Run Value. Obviously, seeing a pitch in the strike zone and taking it and seeing a pitch out of the strike zone and swinging provide clear negative value, but look at that gap. There's an over 10-run value difference from when a hitter takes a ball versus when a hitter swings at a ball.

It should then go without saying that having hitters on your team who will NOT swing at a ball increases your chances of producing great fantasy value from your hitters. To help us find those hitters, I created a leaderboard of Overall Swing%, Zone Swing%, Zone Contact%, Chase% (or O-Swing%), and Overall Contact Rate. I then deleted anybody worse than league average in any of the metrics. That means we should have a leaderboard of only players who swing at the right pitches, swing at them often, and make a lot of contact on them.

That's a good list to be on.

However, I wanted to take it one step further. We know that swinging at strikes is good, but clearly, not good enough on its own since it still provides a -0.3 Run Value. To determine who is making the best decisions when they do swing at the zone, I also included Pitcher List's Zone Decision Value metric, another Kyle Bland stat that qualifies how valuable each hitter's swings in the zone are. Did you turn on a fastball on the inside half, or did you reach for a 2-0 slider on the outside corner? This metric qualifies the overall Run Value of each pitch in the given count and location and ascribes the hitter a Decision Value for his decision to swing at that pitch or not. By removing all hitters who had a below-average Zone Decision Value, that means I also eliminated hitters who swing a lot in the zone and make a lot of contact in the zone, but tend to swing at pitches that aren't really beneficial.

At the end, this should give us a list of hitters who swing at pitches in the zone that they can make meaningful contact on, swing at them often, and make a lot of contact on those pitches. Those should be hitters we want on our team. So who are they?

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Targets - Waivers

Name	Team	Z-Swing%	Z-Contact%	Contact%	O-Swing%	Swing%	SwStr%
Wilyer Abreu	BOS	74.8	0.854651	0.797235	0.269565	0.510588	0.103529
Andrew McCutchen	PIT	66.2	0.851852	0.765027	0.264463	0.444175	0.104116
Victor Scott II	STL	72.7	0.851064	0.776596	0.280335	0.47	0.105
Brandon Nimmo	NYM	70.9	0.85	0.779736	0.292576	0.50783	0.111607
Jorge Polanco	SEA	71.8	0.843137	0.79021	0.317073	0.501742	0.10453
Miguel Vargas	CHW	65.6	0.842105	0.828571	0.247104	0.444915	0.075949
Joc Pederson	TEX	68	0.854701	0.771242	0.274286	0.466049	0.104938
Oswaldo Cabrera	NYY	69.8	0.85	0.77439	0.303191	0.488095	0.110119
Carlos Santana	CLE	65.2	0.842767	0.768182	0.273381	0.458506	0.105372
Max Kepler	PHI	67.2	0.885135	0.784615	0.296117	0.496183	0.106599
JJ Bleday	ATH	64.3	0.842105	0.769634	0.274809	0.434091	0.1
Carson Kelly	CHC	72.9	0.872549	0.834711	0.224852	0.427562	0.070671
Gleyber Torres	DET	66.9	0.878505	0.832117	0.239796	0.428125	0.071875

There are fewer hitters in baseball hotter than Jorge Polanco, and he's probably been scooped up in most places, but when I had him on the waiver wire article on Sunday, I got a lot of questions on Reddit about whether we should believe in what he's doing, so I'm keeping him in the waiver wire section for now. Polanco has the highest chase rate of any hitter on here, so that's something to watch, but it's right around league average, and he continues to make nearly 80% contact overall, so the approach is working for him. He's obviously not going to hit .389 or keep up with Aaron Judge when it comes to home run production, but Polanco is a good hitter who is feeling healthy and seeing the ball well right now.

You also know by now that Carson Kelly is off to a tremendous start, so it's not a shock that he's on a leaderboard that tries to highlight players with good process. Kelly is chasing out of the zone just 13% of the time, which is well down from his 23.7% career mark, and that's why his walk rate is an absurd 23%. He's also being more aggressive in the zone, but his Zone Decision Value, which is a Pitcher List metric that attributes run value to every swing decision made in the strike zone, is just league average. Kelly is also seeing fewer pitches in the strike zone than he ever has, which may explain his walk rate. This feels like a situation where pitchers will start to get more aggressive in how they attack Kelly, and then the regression will hit. Maybe not hit hard enough for you to want to drop him, but enough that he won't produce like one of the best catchers in the league.

Brandon Nimmo may have gotten scooped up in a lot of leagues after his 9 RBI game on Monday, but he was also one of the most dropped players in Yahoo formats over the weekend. Even after his huge game on Monday, he's hitting just .218/.261/.418 on the season, so there may still be some shallow leagues where he's out there. His 12.1% barrel rate is indicative of the type of contact he's making, and his .218 average comes with a .266 xBA. Buy into the approach and quality of contact here.

Wilyer Abreu doesn't get the respect he deserves in fantasy circles, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that he doesn't face left-handed pitching. That's also why he's on the waiver wire in more leagues than he should be, and unless you're in a full week lineup lock league, Abreu deserves to be rostered. He's on this list because his approach is really solid, and he scores a 128 on Pitcher List's Zone Decision Value chart, which is the best score of any hitter in this entire article. If somebody wants to write off his good numbers to the hot first week, go ahead and let them, and get Abreu on your team.

Max Kepler is in a similar spot, where he essentially only plays against right-handed pitching for the Phillies. I also don't love that Kepler is being more passive in the zone than he was last year, and also hitting the ball on the ground so often, with just a 33.3% fly ball rate. That being said, he's chasing out of the zone far less than last year and swinging and missing less overall. His 8.3% barrel rate isn't lighting up any leaderboards, but I think if he can reduce the groundball rate just a bit, we could see some strong summer production in that Philadelphia ballpark.

There's also a lot to like in what Victor Scott II is doing. His zone swing rate is one of the highest on this list, but his Zone Decision Value score is also in line with Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco, two players off to really good starts. My only issue with Scott right now is that he's raised his fly ball rate, and his 14.8-degree launch angle is too high for me. He's sporting just a 31% groundball rate right now, which is not ideal for a player with his speed. I like a lot of what he's doing in terms of his swing decisions, but I need him to focus more on line drives and hard groundballs, and I think we could see a strong stretch of production.

I know Joc Pederson and Miguel Vargas are hard to get behind as adds because their surface-level stats are so bad, and I get it. But perhaps you can just add them to your proverbial watch list, given his information. Both of them are swinging a lot in the zone and making a lot of contact in the zone. They're both well below league average when it comes to chase rate and have better than league average swinging strike rates as well. Additionally, both of them have solid, but not great, Zone Decision Value scores. Honestly, most things under the hood look pretty good for both of them, except that Vargas is being too passive right now. His Swing Aggression score, another Pitcher List metric, is the third-worst of any player on this list. Maybe you just decide to keep an eye on whether or not he raises his overall swing rate and try to buy in then, but Vargas has come up for me on a lot of lists that highlight players with good process, so I think there's something here.

I was of the mind that Gleyber Torres needed a fresh start away from the Yankees, and that could be the case. We've heard great things about his leadership in Detroit, and he's off to a really solid start to the season. He's chasing less outside the zone than he ever has and making more contact than he ever has, both of which are great. His 7.2% SwStr% is a career-best, but he's also swinging at the lowest rate he ever has in a full season. His swing aggression score is the worst of any player on this list, and while I know part of that is helping him to not chase bad pitches outside of the zone, I think he can afford to be a little more aggressive in the zone since his Zone Decision score is slightly below league average.

It should not be a shock to find Carlos Santana and JJ Bleday on a leaderboard about contact rate and swing decisions. Both of them have shown a consistent ability to command the strike zone and not get themselves out on bad decisions. However, neither one is producing great results so far this season. Santana's batted ball profile is similar to his career norms, but he's hitting the ball on the ground a bit more, and his contact rate is down despite not really chasing more out of the zone. Perhaps that's age catching up with him? Bleday is also hitting the ball on the ground 8% more than last year, which is the only difference I can spot. His swing decisions are still similar, and he's chasing less outside of the zone, but he's also putting the ball in play early in counts more often than last year, which is why his Zone Decision Value score is league average. Perhaps he needs to be more selective about what he swings at in the zone, and he'll need to do it fast because Denzel Clarke is having a good season at Triple-A.

Oswaldo Cabrera makes this list, but he's really only a deep league option because there is very little power and speed here. The plate discipline and swing decisions should keep his batting average solid, and he'll score some runs as the everyday third baseman in that lineup, but there's little else here.

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Targets - Trade

Name	Team	Z-Swing%	Z-Contact%	Contact%	O-Swing%	Swing%	SwStr%
Marcus Semien	TEX	0.723577	0.88764	0.785408	0.284672	0.4926	0.105485
Francisco Lindor	NYM	0.655797	0.861878	0.836	0.293919	0.469043	0.074766
William Contreras	MIL	0.672489	0.811688	0.772947	0.275362	0.445161	0.101075
Willy Adames	SFG	0.644444	0.856322	0.740891	0.305556	0.460821	0.117537
Kyle Tucker	CHC	0.689286	0.870466	0.811024	0.241158	0.46098	0.086957
Dylan Crews	WSN	0.646226	0.839416	0.738636	0.253433	0.478261	0.119565
Matt Olson	ATL	0.676364	0.806452	0.775934	0.261398	0.435018	0.097473
Cedric Mullins	BAL	0.64257	0.9	0.809302	0.240803	0.420744	0.080235
Alec Bohm	PHI	0.658537	0.919753	0.875598	0.283262	0.483796	0.060185
Jonathan Aranda	TBR	0.656109	0.8	0.746269	0.267717	0.458904	0.116438
J.T. Realmuto	PHI	0.666667	0.902778	0.780488	0.300813	0.474537	0.103926
Cody Bellinger	NYY	0.640167	0.856209	0.760369	0.296578	0.458774	0.109937
Jordan Westburg	BAL	0.671642	0.844444	0.789474	0.284946	0.483051	0.101695
Brice Turang	MIL	66.1	0.86802	0.832669	0.269625	0.458029	0.076503

Some of these guys are players it's going to be hard to trade for - like Francisco Lindor, Kyle Tucker, Cedric Mullins, William Contreras, and Matt Olson, but since they qualified, I wanted to make sure I at least kept their names on here.

Willy Adames is hitting just .212/.286/.305 on the season and just signed a big contract, so there were plenty of people projecting a bad year, which means more than a few would be willing to get rid of him in a trade. If we trust our leaderboard, he should be somebody we want to try and go get. However, I should note that he BARELY made it on the list. Technically, his swinging strike rate (SwStr%) is 0.1% too high, and his contact rate is 0.6% too low. However, those felt negligible enough to me that I decided to keep him on here. Especially since his SwStr% is actually 1.1% better than what he posted last year, and his contact rate would be the highest he's had since 2019. Adames is pulling the ball and hitting it in the air slightly less than last season, but maybe that's an adjustment to his new park. He's making more contact in the zone than he ever has and chasing less than he has since 2021. The issue here appears to be that his swing rate and zone swing rate, which are both better than league average, are still down from last year. He's being more passive than he was in his best seasons. Maybe it's him worrying about trying to do too much on his new team, but we'd like to see Adames get a bit more aggressive because the rest of his profile is very much in line with what we've seen in the past.

Dylan Crews is another hitter who technically had a contact rate that was too low and a SwStr% that was too high, but he's a young player who is currently on a hot streak, and his numbers over the last three weeks are much better than the numbers that kept him under the threshold, so I decided to allow him to stay. A young hitter who is not chasing out of the zone too much and is being aggressive in the zone while making lots of contact in the zone is a hitter we should want to get behind. Now, pitchers are aggressively attacking him in the zone, and not all of his decisions in the zone are good ones, but his 105 Zone Decision Value is above average. I think the approach we're seeing from Crews is good, and the 15.3% barrel rate supports that, but he simply needs to continue to adjust to MLB velocity and sequencing. I believe it will happen and maybe is already happening.

I'm surprised to see Marcus Semien and Alec Bohm on here, but here we are. At the time of my writing this, Semien is hitting .177 with a .493 OPS while Bohm is hitting .221 with a .526 OPS. All of that is gross. However, both of them are chasing about 28%, which is below the league average. They're both swinging about 49% of the time overall, which means they're not being too passive. Neither one has a below-average swinging strike rate, and Bohm's is at just 6%. They're swinging in the zone more frequently than league average and making more contact in the zone than league average, with Bohm sporting an 88% contact rate overall. All of that is stuff we should love. In fact, Semien has a 127 Zone Decision Value, which is second of any hitter on this sheet, behind only Wilyer Abreu. Semien also has a 9.3% barrel rate that would be the second-best mark of his career. Semien is 34 years old and is being challenged more in the zone than he ever has, but he's also seeing a 6% boost in sliders faced and is seeing fewer fastballs, so I don't think this is a velocity thing. Right now, I just don't see a reason why these guys are struggling as much as they are.

Jordan Westburg is a weird one to show up on here. I was a big fan of his coming into the season, but I think that March injury has been impacting him for a while now, and this trip to the IL for a hamstring injury could be just what he needs to let his body reset. His barrel rate is at 12.9%, he's chasing less out of the zone, making more contact in the zone, more contact overall, and dropping his swinging strike rate to 10.2%. The biggest change I see in his profile is that his pull rate is down 13%, so the exit velocities are way down, and the power hasn't been there. I really think the March "upper body" injury plays a big role in that, and I'd be looking to acquire Westburg while he's on the IL right now.

May 1, 2025

Holiday's latest win: Celtics guard wins NBA Sportsmanship Award

Holiday's latest win: Celtics guard wins NBA Sportsmanship Award originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jrue Holiday’s trophy case keeps growing.

The Boston Celtics guard has won the 2024-25 NBA Sportsmanship Award, the league announced Thursday. The award, first introduced during the 1995-96 season, honors the NBA player who “best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.”

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy for winning the 2024-25 NBA Sportsmanship Award.
This is the second NBA Sportsmanship Award for Holiday, who also earned the honor in the 2020-21 season with the Milwaukee Bucks. pic.twitter.com/bWmbr6LH5U
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 1, 2025

This is the second NBA Sportsmanship Award for Holiday, who earned the honor with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. Holiday is the first Celtics player to receive the award and is just the fifth player to win the award multiple times, joining Mike Conley, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd and former Celtic Kemba Walker.

Holiday also has won the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award three times in his career (2020, 2022 and 2024) and is finalist for the 2024-25 NBA Social Justice Champion Award. The 16-year veteran has won two NBA championships (2021 with the Bucks and 2024 with the Celtics) in addition to a pair of gold medals with Team USA in 2020 and 2024.

The last time Holiday won the league’s Sportsmanship Award, his team won an NBA championship, so he and the Celtics will be looking to continue that trend as they await their second-round opponent in the NBA playoffs.

May 1, 2025

The Lakers’ Luka-LeBron era begins with a stumble, not a statement

Luka Dončić and LeBron James have plenty to consider in the offseason.Photograph: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Dorian Finney-Smith slams his hand in frustration against an empty chair on his way to the shower. The locker room is so silent you could hear a pin drop. In spite of every expert prediction, it was not “Lakers in five,” or, at least, not on the right end of five. The LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and JJ Redick-led Lakers were sent packing by the Minnesota Timberwolves on their home court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, in a five-game series whose final tally doesn’t tell the whole story.

Minnesota were decidedly the better team in the series, but with the exception of a decisive Timberwolves win in the opener, it was a sequence of games won on the margins. The final game between the two teams felt, for the most part, like a competition where neither opponent particularly felt like giving their all, which played into Minnesota’s hands as the roster with far more depth and, thus, margin for error. But, in all likelihood, the series was won and lost in Game 4, a classic, hard-fought battle that came down to the final buzzer. While it wasn’t technically the end of the series, it’s the kind of loss that’s almost impossible to come back from, both emotionally, and historically: teams who go up three games to one in a seven-game series go on to win 95% of the time.

Those margins were, in large part, decided by the glaring holes in the Lakers’ roster construction that were illuminated in fluorescent light by the Timberwolves’ massive frontcourt. In short (as it were): the Lakers are not big enough, they were demolished on the boards by a Minnesota team who have size in spades. The small-ball-by-necessity style that secured the Lakers the three seed in a stacked West proved to be not quite resilient enough for a postseason that’s determined by depth and matchups more than ever. Los Angeles learned the hard way that a roster without a center making more than the league minimum can only take you so far, even on a team with the high-end talent of Dončić and James.

There was also, of course, the head coach factor. JJ Redick was damned impressive through 82 games and showed plenty of promise in his first season coaching basketball above the youth level, especially considering all the roster upheaval and, it’s worth noting, the fact that he lost his home in the Pacific Palisades fire in January. But the playoffs are a different animal, and Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch looked every bit the veteran opposite Redick, a contrast that was notable on multiple occasions throughout the series.

Perhaps the clearest example of Redick’s learning curve, and undoubtedly the one that will keep him awake at night this summer, was his decision to ride with his most successful five-man lineup of James, Dončić, Finney-Smith, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura for all 24 minutes of the second half of Game 4 – the first time any NBA head coach has done so in the playoffs in the tracking era. While not having much faith in his bench, which proved to be even thinner than many thought heading into the playoffs, resulted in an understandable gamble, it did not pay off: the quintet clearly had run out of gas by crunchtime, scoring only 19 points combined in the fourth quarter. That fatigue very well may have contributed to the Game 4 loss that effectively cost the Lakers the series.

Clear coaching growing pains and glaring roster deficiencies aside, it’s ultimately extremely rare for a dramatic roster move like swapping Anthony Davis (who, ironically, would have come in extremely handy for the Lakers in this series) for Dončić midseason, to pay dividends in its first year. James said as much in his exit interview on Wednesday night: “Anytime you make a big acquisition in the middle of the season, it’s always going to be challenging,” he said. “Not only for me, but for [Austin Reaves] and the rest of the group.”

James added that all things considered, the group came together well, and that there’s reason for optimism moving forward: “For the time we had, I thought we ended the regular season very well, to be top three in the West, and obviously, how tough the West is. I thought that was a good test for us. We had some challenges, but I think ultimately having a guy like [Dončić] is very dynamic for any franchise.”

The “Nico Harrison is somewhere smiling” memes were aplenty after a less-than-stellar (by his standards, at least) showing for Dončić, in his first postseason as a Laker, but it’s far too early to call the Dončić/James experiment a bust. There is, clearly, plenty of work to be done on both the supporting cast and Dončić’s conditioning (and defensive intensity, which was lackluster to say the least) in the offseason. And there is, of course, the question of 40-year-old James’s future: if he’ll even return to play another NBA season, let alone with the Lakers, is still up in the air.

But assuming James does come back for at least one more campaign in LA, there is plenty of cause for optimism as to what a full offseason and training camp, a head coach with a full season of experience under his belt, and a retooled roster could do for the pairing of two of the brightest basketball minds the world has ever seen. While the Lakers’ first round-exit is undoubtedly disappointing given all the hype and expectations around them heading into April, there is still plenty of meat left on the bone.

May 1, 2025

Brewers at White Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for May 1

It's Thursday, May 1 and the Brewers (16-15) are in Chicago to take on the White Sox (7-23). Chad Patrick is slated to take the mound for Milwaukee against Sean Burke for Chicago.

Milwaukee scored three runs in the top of the 8th inning yesterday to beat Chicago, 6-4, to guarantee a winning series against the White Sox. The Brewers won Game 1, 7-2, so today Milwaukee goes for the sweep. Milwaukee has won three straight, while Chicago has lost three straight.

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 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 Brewers at White Sox

Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
Time: 2:10 PM EST
Site: Rate Field
City: Chicago, IL
Network/Streaming: FDSNWI, 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 Brewers at the White Sox

The latest odds as of Thursday:

Moneyline: Brewers (-181), White Sox (+150)
Spread: Brewers -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for the Brewers at White Sox

Pitching matchup for May 1, 2025: Chad Patrick vs. Sean Burke
- Brewers: Chad Patrick, (1-2, 2.46 ERA)
  Last outing: 4.1 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts
- White Sox: Sean Burke, (1-4, 6.00 ERA)
  Last outing: 5.1 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts

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

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Brewers and the White Sox

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Brewers -1.5:

"If you're looking for +100 or better plays today, Milwaukee would be a lean of mine. The Brewers have won three straight, while the White Sox dropped three consecutive games and this is a chance for the series sweep in favor of Milwaukee.

The Brewers only had one chance at a three-game series sweep so far this season and they lost that in Colorado, 7-2. You can't lose out on the sweep to both of those teams, right? I could only lean toward Milwaukee on the ML or run line."

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 Brewers and the White Sox:

Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Milwaukee Brewers 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

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

The Brewers have won their last 3 road games, while the White Sox have lost 8 in 10 at home
The Over is 12-7-1 for the White Sox's and the Brewers' last 10 games combined
The Brewers have covered the Run Line in 3 straight games at the White Sox

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

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)

May 1, 2025

San Antonio Spurs 2024-25 fantasy basketball season recap: Future is bright in Alamo City

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

Next up in the series are the San Antonio Spurs. Key injuries have been a theme among the bottom teams, but the Spurs boast one of the most encouraging outlooks in the Association heading into next season.

San Antonio Spurs 2024-2025 Season Recap

Record: 34-48 (13th, West)

Offensive Rating: 113.5 (19th)

Defensive Rating: 116.3 (25th)

Net Rating: -2.8 (22nd)

Pace: 100.08 (13th)

2025 NBA Draft Picks: 6.6 percent chance of winning the lottery via their own pick and an unprotected pick owed to them from the Hawks via the Dejounte Murray trade; Pick No. 38

Don’t let the 13th seed in the West trick you into thinking the Spurs weren’t a wildly improved team in 2024-25. San Antonio’s win total improved from 22 wins in each of the last two seasons to 34. The win total is tied for the best mark over the last six seasons, and the Spurs are on the rise.

San Antonio went 21-25 with Victor Wembanyama available and just 13-23 without him. Losing Wemby after the break and losing De’Aaron Fox for the end of the campaign certainly hurt the team’s record, and the Spurs could have easily been a .500 team with Wemby and Fox available.

Number four pick Steph Castle won Rookie of the Year, joining Wemby as back-to-back winners on the same team. Castle came on strong to end the campaign, and the Spurs now sport a strong young core featuring Castle, Wemby and Fox, with an excellent fourth option in Devin Vassell.

With plenty of cap space to address some needs (most glaringly in the front court), the Spurs are locked and loaded to take the next step in 2025-26 and compete as a legitimate playoff threat in the loaded Western Conference.

Let’s recap last season’s fantasy performances and look ahead to 2025-26.

Fantasy Standout: Victor Wembanyama

Surprise, surprise. If anyone could dethrone Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as fantasy’s top player, it had to be Wemby. The second-year man has apparently never heard of a sophomore slump as he averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 3.1 triples and 3.8 swats.

For the second straight season, he comfortably led the NBA in blocked shots, deriving significant fantasy value from his dominance in that category. He set new career-best marks in points, boards, triples and blocked shots and improved his shooting across the board.

Wembanyama knocked down 47.6% of his attempts from the field, 83.6% from the charity stripe and 35.2% from beyond the arc. Most notably, his free throw attempts dropped from 5.2 to 4.1 while his three-point attempts ballooned from 5.5 to 8.8.

Wemby finished with a number of new career highs, including a 50-point game against the Wizards on November 13 in which he nailed eight triples. He set a new career-best mark in assists when he handed out 11 in a 34/14/11 game against the Kings to record his second career triple-double. He also grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds against the Nuggets on January 4.

Unfortunately for Wemby, he didn’t return after the All-Star break due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. He appeared in 46 of the team’s first 52 games before missing the remainder of the season. After undergoing surgery on March 27, he’s expected to be ready for training camp, and fantasy managers can target him with the first overall pick in 2025-26 drafts.

As crazy as it sounds, the best is still yet to come for the phenomenal Frenchman.

Fantasy Revelation: Stephon Castle

Castle finished the season ranked just inside the top 300 in per-game fantasy value, but he was absolutely a revelation in his inaugural campaign.

Castle averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists across 26.7 minutes as a rookie, but his numbers were better as a starter, and he closed out the 2024-25 campaign with some monster counting stats.

Across 47 starts, he averaged 16.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists, including averages of 19.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists over the final 18 games of the season.

Castle took things to a new level over the final eight games of the season, and his 18.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.5 assists vaulted him into the top 120 in per-game fantasy value during that span.

The UConn product posted two 30-point games, including a career-high 33 points at Charlotte on February 7. He corralled 15 rebounds against Denver on April 2, and he dished 14 assists against the 76ers on March 21.

Castle’s versatility as a scorer, rebounder and facilitator were on full display over the final month of the season, and his outlook is bright. His poor shooting percentages from the field and the charity stripe dragged his overall fantasy value down, but rookies and efficiency don’t always go hand-in-hand.

The reigning Rookie of the Year can boost his fantasy stock considerably with improvements as a shooter and a small bump in defensive contributions. He’s got a monster ceiling heading into 2025-26.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads

De’Aaron Fox:

Fox came over to San Antonio in early February by way of a three-team deal that sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento and multiple players to Chicago.

In 17 games with the Spurs, Fox averaged 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.8 dimes, 1.5 steals and 1.5 triples. His scoring dropped, but his assists increased after averaging 25 points and 6.1 dimes with Sacramento before the trade.

Fox had a strong Spurs debut, going for 24/5/13 in a 126-125 win over the Hawks, and he nearly triple-doubled in his final game of the season, as he posted 32/9/11 against the Mavericks in a 126-116 victory.

Fox should be healthy to start the 2025-26 campaign after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair tendon damage in his left pinky on March 13. Numbers similar to those he produced in his first 17 games with the Spurs wouldn’t be surprising, and fantasy managers can confidently draft him as a mid-round PG.

Devin Vassell:

Vassell missed the first nine games of the season and 14 of the first 18 due to a foot injury, but he enjoyed a productive season once he returned.

Vassell averaged 16.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 dimes, 1.5 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.7 triples. He shot 45.2% from the floor, 85.1% from the charity stripe and 38.5% from beyond the arc and committed just 1.2 turnovers.

He finished as a top 80 per-game fantasy player for the third straight season, and he’s been a top-100 guy in each of the last four. Vassell posted career highs in points and boards with a 37/11/5/4/1 performance against the Nets on March 4.

As a key contributor for the up-and-coming Spurs, expect strong production moving forward and another top-100 finish in 2025-26.

Chris Paul:

The veteran shocked NBA fans and fantasy managers alike when he appeared in all 82 games for the first time since 2014-15 and just the second time in his career.

Paul finished 83rd in per-game fantasy value behind averages of 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples while committing just 1.6 turnovers. He shot just 42.7% from the floor but canned 37.7% of his tries from long distance and sank 92.4% of his attempts from the charity stripe.

CP3 was a worthwhile fantasy option and strong veteran presence for an emerging Spurs squad. He’s played for three teams in as many seasons, and he turned 40 in May. It’s unclear if he’ll return for another season, but if he does, he makes sense as a late-rounder in 2025-26 fantasy drafts.

Harrison Barnes:

A model of durability, Barnes appeared in all 82 games for the third straight season, averaging 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.9 triples across 27.2 minutes.

Barnes’ minutes were his fewest since his rookie campaign in 2012-13, though he was highly efficient with his reduced playing time. The veteran shot 50.8% from the field, 80.9% from the charity stripe and a career-high 43.3% from beyond the arc.

As usual, Barnes had some random big games, as he scored at least 20 points in five of the Spurs’ final eight and sunk a game-winning three against his former team, the Golden State Warriors on April 9.

Barnes will be available, so managers looking for stability can draft him late. On a per-game basis, he’s not going to offer strong production.

Jeremy Sochan:

Injuries limited Sochan to just 54 games (23 starts), and he logged a career-low 25.3 minutes per game. He averaged 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 “stocks” while shooting 53.5% from the floor. He knocked down only 69.6% of his free throws and 30.8% of his three-pointers.

The 22-year-old provided numbers similar to Years 1 and 2, and his outlook for Year 4 looks to be about the same. The Spurs’ top producers will be Wemby, Fox and Castle, with Vassell offering solid numbers as the No. 4. For everyone else, they’ll fill the rotational minutes without a ton of upside. That’s true of Sochan, who is a strong on-court defender but doesn’t offer a ton to fantasy managers in the box score.

Julian Champagnie:

Champagnie enjoyed the most productive run of his young career, averaging 23.6 minute across 82 appearances and averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.2 triples. He shot 41.5% from the floor but knocked down 90.4% of his free throw attempts and 37.1% of his tries from long range.

Champagnie started 29 games and saw modest improvements in his counting stats while running with the first unit. He’s missed just eight games over the last two seasons and proven his reliability as a floor-spacer and offensive sparkplug. He’ll likely earn rotational minutes next season, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in San Antonio, so Champagnie is not someone to draft in leagues of most sizes.

Keldon Johnson:

Johnson’s role diminished significantly in Year 6, as he logged just 23.9 minutes per game, his fewest since his rookie campaign in 2019-20. He averaged 12.7 points, 4.8 boards, 1.6 dimes, 0.6 steals and 1.1 triples while shooting 48.2/77.3/31.8 splits.

For the first season of his career, Johnson didn’t start a single game, and he finished outside the top 200 in per-game fantasy value. With Steph Castle still ascending and De’Aaron Fox ready to play his first full season with San Antonio, don’t expect more playing time or touches for Johnson in Year 7. He’s not a draftable option in 2025-26 fantasy basketball.

Restricted Free Agents: Harrison Ingram, David Duke Jr., Riley Minix

Unrestricted Free Agents: Chris Paul, Jordan McLaughlin, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Charles Bassey, Bismack Biyombo

Club Option: None

Player Option: None

May 1, 2025

Report: Athletics call up top pitching prospect Gunnar Hoglund

Report: Athletics call up top pitching prospect Gunnar Hoglund originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Gunnar Hoglund can nearly smell his MLB debut.

The Athletics are calling up their No. 14 prospect for his big league debut, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Thursday, citing sources.

The A's are calling up right-handed pitching prospect Gunnar Hoglund, sources tell ESPN. Twice a first-round pick, Hoglund is now the team's No. 2 prospect, per @kileymcd, and joins an A's squad that is 16-15 and more than holding its own in the wide-open American League West.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 1, 2025

Hoglund was drafted in the first round twice and now will provide pitching support to the Athletics, who are 16-15 and in the mix of a tight AL West about one month into the 2025 MLB season.

The 25-year-old was the No. 19 overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. He landed with the Athletics in the trade that sent Matt Chapman to Toronto.

Through six starts with Triple-A Las Vegas, Hoglund has posted a 2.43 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.

He has overcome injuries, including a lengthy rehab from Tommy John surgery, but has flashed his sky-high potential when healthy.

May 1, 2025

Cardinals at Reds prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 1

Its Thursday, May 1 and the Cardinals (14-17) are in Cincinnati wrapping up a four-game series against the Reds (16-15).

Matthew Liberatore is slated to take the mound for St. Louis against Andrew Abbott for Cincinnati.

St. Louis hammered Cincinnati yesterday taking both games of their doubleheader by a combined score of 15-1. The Cardinals scored all nine of their runs in the first three innings of their 9-1 win in the nightcap. Wilson Contreras smacked a three-run home run in the first inning to set the tone for the Cards.

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 Cardinals at Reds

Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
Time: 12:40PM EST
Site: Great American Ball Park
City: Cincinnati, OH
Network/Streaming: FDSNMW, FDSNOH

Odds for the Cardinals at the Reds

The latest odds as of Thursday:

Moneyline: Cardinals (+102), Reds (-122)
Spread: Reds -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Cardinals at Reds

Pitching matchup for May 1, 2025: Matthew Liberatore vs. Andrew Abbott
- Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore (2-2, 3.19 ERA)
  Last outing: 4/25 vs. Milwaukee - 6IP, 1ER, 5H, 0BB, 4Ks
- Reds: Andrew Abbott (2-0, 3.60 ERA)
  Last outing: 4/25 at Colorado - 4IP, 4ER, 5H, 5BB, 4Ks

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cardinals at Reds

The Under is 5-2 in the Cards' last 7 games
The Under is 6-2 in the Reds' last 8 games
Elly De La Cruz is riding a 14-game hitting streak during which he is 19-54 (.352)
Wilson Contreras has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games (.356)

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 Cardinals and the Reds

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.

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 Cardinals and the Reds:

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 St. Louis Cardinals 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)

May 1, 2025

NHLPA Hires Ex-NFLPA Boss Scebelo to Lead Business Affairs

The NHL Players’ Association has made a crucial business-related hire at a pivotal time, given the NHL and the NHLPA are in discussions for a new collective bargaining agreement.

Former NFLPA executive Steve Scebelo has been named the chief commercial officer for the NHLPA, a newly created role expected to lead the organization’s business approach and help drive commercial growth. While CBA negotiations take place, Scebelo has already started exploring ways to not only bolster current revenue streams but also create additional ones.

More from Sportico.com

“It’s fertile ground,” Schebelo said in a phone interview. “We want to work on our core sponsorship and licensing areas to start. There’s going to be some good potential growth and then there’s a lot of areas to get creative and go beyond those cores [sectors]. First things first, that’s building revenue in our core areas.”

Schebelo, who will report to NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh, understands though that achieving his revenue goals hinges on growing the profiles and marketability of the league’s current stars, from Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard to older legends like Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The former president of NFLPA’s for-profit marketing and licensing arm (NFL Players Inc.) wants to get more hockey stars involved in various activations. He referenced former New York Rangers star Mark Messier whose popularity soared after his team won the Stanley Cup in 1994.

“He was the face of all these different campaigns,” Schebelo said. “We know that it can happen. These players are dynamic, and we have to give them the opportunity to shine off the ice, either with products or experiences.”

Schebelo, a licensing veteran who most recently worked as the founder of consulting firm REP Worldwide, looks to grow the NHLPA’s business across consumer products, sponsorships, advertising and individual player endorsements. As part of getting his internal team into a more progressive mode, Schebelo also floated the union potentially investing in early-stage companies that are native to the hockey industry.

“Just being open to it is something as a practice that hasn’t been part of the NHLPA’s business in the past,” he added.

Schebelo previously led various business initiatives at the NFLPA, which included overseeing nine years of consecutive revenue growth. “We’re going to dig into the NHLPA’s numbers and see if that’s something that we can do,” he said. “We need to make sure that we have a reasonable timeline and that the [internal] team is energized, asking ourselves ‘what’s it going to take to double this business?’ ”

The NHL, which is projecting a significant salary cap increase over the next three seasons, is experiencing a wave of momentum following a strong viewership showing in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. There’s also growing anticipation for the 2026 Winter Olympics, where NHL players will be on the Team USA roster for the first time since 2014. Focused on growing revenue in the U.S. specifically, Schebelo believes it’s critical for the NHLPA to capitalize on this moment and better demonstrate to its commercial partners how it can add value.

The NHLPA wants to build around its core U.S. partners, which include Fanatics, Upper Deck and EA Sports, but also tap into new global markets and opportunities abroad as it represents players from more than 20 countries. The overseas interest comes as the NHLPA and the NHL recently jointly partnered to bring the World Cup of Hockey back in 2028.

Best of Sportico.com

May 1, 2025

Diamondbacks at Mets prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 1

Its Thursday, May 1 and the Diamondbacks (16-14) are in Queens to take on the Mets (21-10) in the series finale.

Zac Gallen is slated to take the mound for Arizona against Kodai Senga for New York.

These teams have split the first two games of this series with Arizona winning yesterday 4-3. The Diamondbacks scored two in the seventh and two in the ninth to earn the win. Pinch-hitter Geraldo Perdomo drove in those seventh inning runs, and Corbin Burnes won his first game for the Diamondbacks allowing one run on four hits over six innings.

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

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

Game details & how to watch Diamondbacks at Mets

Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
Time: 1:10PM EST
Site: Citi Field
City: Queens, NY
Network/Streaming: ARID, SNY, MLBN

Odds for the Diamondbacks at the Mets

The latest odds as of Thursday:

Moneyline: Diamondbacks (+128), Mets (-152)
Spread: Mets -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Diamondbacks at Mets

Pitching matchup for May 1, 2025: Zac Gallen vs. Kodai Senga
- Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen (1-4, 5.57 ERA)
  Last outing: 4/25 vs. Atlanta - 5IP, 3ER, 4H, 2BB, 6Ks
- Mets: Kodai Senga (3-1, 1.26 ERA)
  Last outing: 4/25 at Washington - 6IP, 2ER, 6H, 2BB, 5Ks

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Diamondbacks at Mets

The Mets have won their last 3 home games Kodai Senga has started
This season Kodai Senga has an ERA of 1.28 and a WHIP of 0.98
Betting the Mets on the Run Line with Kodai Senga starting has returned a 1.00-unit profit in 2025
Francisco Alvarez is 4-21 (.190) since his return from the disabled list

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 Diamondbacks and the Mets

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.

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 Mets:

Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Mets on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Mets -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

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)

May 1, 2025

Stephen A defends Brooks, Rockets for attacking Steph's injured thumb

Stephen A defends Brooks, Rockets for attacking Steph's injured thumb originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Stephen A. Smith saw no issue with the Houston Rockets going after Steph Curry’s injured thumb during their first-round Western Conference playoff series with the Warriors.

The outspoken ESPN analyst had a harsh response to Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s comments about Rockets forward Dillon Brooks swiping at Curry’s hand under the NBA’s “idiotic” rules.

“In case you don’t know, I think Steve Kerr is one of the top-six greatest coaches in the history of basketball,” Smith said Thursday on ESPN’s “First Take.” “I think he’s phenomenal. And I think he’s a good man, very contentious. But sometimes this Goody Two-shoes sanctimonious approach, it really rakes my nerves. Like he’s so above the fray. This man is a champion. Champion in Chicago. Champion in San Antonio. Champion as a coach in Golden State. He knows what comes with it.

“If you have a hurt thumb, hurt ankle, whatever debilitating issue you have, it’s going to be attacked. The man’s thumb is compromised on his shooting hand. The greatest shooter that ever lived might be compromised. And somebody’s not going to try to exploit that? Stop.”

.@stephenasmith and @RealJayWilliams on Dillon Brooks' comments about Stephen Curry's thumb injury.
"Whenever you hear about weaknesses that people have, you go at that." 👀 pic.twitter.com/YxlnD6FcfR
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 1, 2025

Curry has been dealing with a thumb injury since January, re-aggravating it at the end of the regular season. Since the start of the series, it has been clear that Houston knows this and is going after Curry’s thumb whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Fellow ESPN analyst Jay Williams seconded Smith’s opinion, as the former NBA player explained how attacking a player’s injury is just part of the game.

“I love it, it’s basketball,” Williams said. “First off, look. Stephen A. and I are supposed to play a one-on-one game. I heard him talk about how his elbow is hurting. I’m attacking the elbows then. Last year it was the shoulder. I’m attacking the shoulder. Whenever you hear about weaknesses that people have, you go at them.”

The Rockets have played a tough and physical series with the Warriors so far, utilizing their length and youthfulness to stymie Golden State’s shooters on every possession. After Wednesday night’s 131-116 blowout loss to the Rockets, the Warriors can ill-afford another off game when the series returns to Chase Center on Friday for Game 6.

All eyes will be on Curry’s wrapped thumb as he and Golden State look to close out the series against Houston and move on to the Western Conference semifinals.

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May 1, 2025

Cubs at Pirates prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 1

Its a Paul Skenes Thursday. Its May 1 and Skenes and the Pirates (12-19) and the Cubs (18-13) wrap up a series in Pittsburgh.

Colin Rea is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Skenes for Pittsburgh.

These teams have split the first two games of this series with the Bucs winning yesterday, 4-3. Andrew McCutchen drove in a pair of runs to pace the attack for Pittsburgh.

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

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

Game details & how to watch Cubs at Pirates

Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
Time: 12:35PM EST
Site: PNC Park
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Network/Streaming: MARQ, SNP

Odds for the Cubs at the Pirates

The latest odds as of Thursday:

Moneyline: Cubs (+134), Pirates (-159)
Spread: Pirates -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Pirates

Pitching matchup for May 1, 2025: Colin Rea vs. Paul Skenes
- Cubs: Colin Rea (1-0, 0.96 ERA)
  Last outing: 4/25 vs. Philadelphia - 5IP, 0ER, 3H, 2BB, 7Ks
- Pirates: Paul Skenes (3-2, 2.39 ERA)
  Last outing: 4/25 at Dodgers - 6.1IP, 0ER, 5H, 0BB, 9Ks

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Pirates

The Cubs have won 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with losing records
The Under is 4-0-1 in the Cubs' last 5 matchups against NL Central teams
Kyle Tucker is in a funk with just 2 hits in his last 22 ABs (.091)
Paul Skenes has struck out 39 opposing batters in 37.2 innings

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 Cubs and the Pirates

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.

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 Pirates:

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 Chicago Cubs at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

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)

May 1, 2025

Phillies trade for reliever Daniel Robert, option him to Triple A

Phillies trade for reliever Daniel Robert, option him to Triple A originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies announced Thursday morning that they acquired right-handed relief pitcher Daniel Robert and optioned him to Triple A Lehigh Valley.

The club sent 20-year-old righty Enrique Segura to the Rangers in exchange for Robert. Segura is a Dominican starter who went 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA this year at Single A Clearwater.

Robert, 30, made his MLB debut last season. The former 21st-round draft pick was 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA in four appearances. Robert threw his sweeper on nearly half of his pitches. The Auburn product’s fastball averaged 94.9 mph.

Robert started 2025 at Triple A Round Rock. He’s pitched in 10 minor-league games this season and has a 1.54 ERA. Robert’s numbers were good for Round Rock in 2024, too — 4-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 52 strikeouts and 13 walks. Triple A batters hit .144 against him.

Relief pitching has been an early-season weakness for the Phillies, whose 5.03 bullpen ERA ranks 27th in MLB.

May 1, 2025

Phillies trade for reliever Daniel Robert, option him to Triple A

Phillies trade for reliever Daniel Robert, option him to Triple A originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies announced Thursday morning that they acquired right-handed relief pitcher Daniel Robert and optioned him to Triple A Lehigh Valley.

The club sent 20-year-old righty Enrique Segura to the Rangers in exchange for Robert. Segura is a Dominican starter who went 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA this year at Single A Clearwater.

Robert started 2025 at Triple A Round Rock. He’s pitched in 10 minor-league games this season and has a 1.54 ERA. Robert’s Triple A numbers were good for Round Rock in 2024, too — 4-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 52 strikeouts and 13 walks. Triple A batters hit .144 against him.

Relief pitching has been an early-season weakness for the Phillies, whose 5.03 bullpen ERA ranks 27th in MLB.

May 1, 2025

11 NHLers On Swedish Roster At Last Pre-Worlds Tourney

William Eklund (left) and Alexander Wennberg of the San Jose Sharks. © Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The NHL contingent on the Swedish national team has now risen to 11 as the team approaches its last tune-up before the IIHF World Championship, and that’s the Czech Hockey Games this weekend – the final leg of the 2024-25 Euro Hockey Tour.

In addition to those who played in the NHL this season, the roster this weekend also includes Boston University defenseman Tom Willander, a Vancouver Canucks prospect. It does not include Filip Hållander of Timrå IK, who has been in the team’s camp and recently signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Find the roster below.

“A lot of work remains before the World Championship premiere on May 9 in Stockholm,” said coach Sam Hallam. “Now we are looking forward to having the opportunity to hone our game and come together as a group. It will also be inspiring to work together with (assistant coach) Anders Sörensen and some new players.”

The Swedes play on Thursday night against Switzerland in the Zurich suburb of Kloten, conveniently where the airport is located. The team then flies to Brno, Czechia to face the Czechs on Saturday and Finland on Sunday before heading home to start the Worlds next Friday.

Pastrnak Will Play For Czechs In Worlds, But Not This Weekend In Euro Hockey Tour Multiple Czech media outlets reported on Monday that David Pastrňák has finally agreed to play for his home country in this year’s IIHF World Championship. Czech national team GM Jiří Šlégr confirmed the news after the team’s practise.

Goaltenders: Samuel Ersson (Philadelphia Flyers, NHL), Arvid Söderblom (Chicago Blackhawks, NHL), Arvid Holm (Rögle BK).

Defensemen: Rasmus Andersson (Calgary Flames, NHL), Tom Willander (Boston University, NCAA), Adam Larsson (Seattle Kraken, NHL), Gabriel Carlsson (EV Zug, SUI), Marcus Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks, NHL), Tim Heed (HC Ambri-Piotta, SUI), Andreas Borgman (HC Fribourg-Gottéron, SUI), Simon Edvinsson (Detroit Red Wings, NHL).

Forwards: Alexander Wennberg, William Eklund (both San Jose Sharks, NHL), Anton Bengtsson, Felix Nilsson (both Rögle BK, SWE), Isac Lundeström, Leo Carlsson (both Anaheim Ducks, NHL), Max Friberg (Frölunda HC, SWE), Marcus Sörensen (HC Fribourg-Gottéron, SUI), André Petersson (HV 71, SWE), Christoffer Ehn (Linköping HC, SWE), Oscar Lindberg (Skellefteå AIK, SWE), Oskar Steen (Färjestad BK, SWE), Sebastian Hartmann (Timrå IK, SWE), Mika Zibanejad (New York Rangers, NHL).

USA Names First 18 Players To World Championship Roster USA Hockey has named the first 18 players to its roster at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, which runs from May 9 to 25 in Stockholm, Sweden and Herning Denmark. The USA plays in Group B in Herning.