Its Tuesday, May 13 and the Pirates (14-28) are in Queens to take on the Mets (27-15).
Mitch Keller is slated to take the mound for Pittsburgh against Kodai Senga for New York.
The Mets claimed the series opener last night, 4-3. Pete Alonso's sacrifice fly in the ninth plated the winning run after the Bucs tied the game at 3 in the top of the final frame.
Lets dive into tonight's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch 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.
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Game details & how to watch Pirates at Mets
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: Citi Field
City: Queens, NY
Network/Streaming: SNP, SNY
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Odds for the Pirates at the Mets
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Moneyline: Pirates (+204), Mets (-250)
Spread: Mets -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Pirates at Mets
Pitching matchup for May 13, 2025: Mitch Keller vs. Kodai Senga
Pirates: Mitch Keller (1-4, 4.40 ERA) Last outing: 5/7 at St. Louis - 6IP, 3ER, 7H, 3BB, 6Ks
Mets: Kodai Senga (4-2, 1.16 ERA) Last outing: 5/7 at Arizona - 6IP, 0ER, 2H, 5BB, 4Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Pirates at Mets
Francisco Lindor has at least one hit in 5 straight games (10-23)
Pete Alonso has a single hit in each of the last 4 games (4-17)
The Mets have won 16 of their last 20 games at Citi Field against the Pirates
The Under has cashed in 6 of the Mets' last 8 home games with Kodai Senga as the starting pitcher
Betting the Mets on the Run Line with Kodai Senga as the starter has returned a 1.35-unit profit in 2025
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 Pirates and the Mets
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Pirates and the Mets:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Mets on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play ATS on the New York Mets at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.
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We’re now officially more than one quarter of the way through the MLB season and it’s getting increasingly difficult to find standout players on the waiver wire.
So, we need to look a bit deeper to find gems. Fear not, because there are still a handful of available players that have the chance to be difference makers in both the short and long term.
Chandler’s debut is likely imminent. Mainly because he’s proven everything he needs to at Triple-A with a 2.00 ERA over 67 1/3 innings split between the last two seasons with 95 strikeouts and 26 walks.
Apart from those great results, his stuff is incredible. Chandler’s fastball sits in the upper-90s and routinely touches triple digits with great rising action. It has a 42% whiff rate this season in the minors and we can trust itspotential to be one of the best handful of fastballs by any starting pitcher in the league immediately when he’s called up.
Otherwise, his most reliable secondary pitch is a slider that averages 88 mph with great bite. He’s also comfortable with his changeup – a big deal for pitchers who are making the jump to the majors – and has more than doubled the usage of his curveball at triple-A this season compared to last.
Again, the stuff or matter of readiness is not in question. This just comes down to when the Pirates call Chandler’s number, and it could be very soon if they follow the same plan they used last year with Paul Skenes.
Similar to Chandler, Skenes was tormenting Triple-A batters last April and we all knew he’d be in the big leagues before long.
Pittsburgh waited until after the Super Two deadline in early May, which is the annual cut-off that determines whether a player begins the arbitration process after two or three years of service time, and scheduled Skenes for a home game against a division rival. That was Saturday, May 11th against the Cubs.
Now, again, we’re in early May, the Pirates’ next esteemed pitching prospect is on fire, and they have a seven-game homestand coming up next week against the Reds and Brewers.
With their season spinning out of control after the early firing of manager Derek Shelton and a last-place 14-28 record, the organization will be looking for a spark both on and off the field.
Chandler is that spark and he needs to be stashed away on more rosters with an increasing likelihood he debuts sooner rather than later.
Ryan Weathers, SP Marlins
(13% Rostered on Yahoo)
One of the most popular breakout picks from this spring, Weathers is set to make his season debut this coming Wednesday against the Cubs.
While inconsistent and sometimes unimpressive in the past, he showed off improved stuff this spring and that makes him an intriguing flier.
Weathers generated buzz in March when he was tossing 99 mph fastballs with around 20 inches of induced vertical break after previously sitting in the mid-90s with a relatively unimpressive shape.
Only five qualified left-handed starting pitchers in the league right now – Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Jesús Luzardo, Cole Ragans, and MacKenzie Gore – average 95 mph or harder with their fastball. Weathers will join this list when he returns.
He’ll also show a sweeper, slider, changeup, and sinker off that fastball. He threw each at least 14% of the time in his most recent rehab outing and all five pitches exhibited the same extra life they had during spring training before his forearm strain.
Before that injury, his average draft position jumped from around pick 400 in February to nearly inside the top-250 just before he went down. Based on that momentum, there was likely more helium to come, too. The market was telling us that he was inching his way into being viewed as a top-50 type of pitcher.
Now, he’s set to return and the stuff looks exactly as it did when he had all that momentum. Great stuff, great home park, and a guaranteed rotation spot means he should be rostered in more places than he is right now.
Hunter Dobbins, SP Red Sox
(7% Rostered on Yahoo)
The Red Sox have a decision to make next week.
Walker Buehler is set to return from the injured list. Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito have come back healthy and that trio plus Garrett Crochet gives them 80% of a solid rotation.
That leaves just one spot between the upstart Dobbins and Tanner Houck.
Dobbins has been solid as a 25-year-old rookie who’s made four scattered, spot-starts over the course of the season. He’s reached the sixth inning in three of those four starts with a 2.78 ERA, 19.8% strikeout rate and 4.2% walk rate.
His low strikeout number hints that these strong results may not have much staying power, but he’s been excellent at limiting damage due to tremendous command and a deep arsenal that includes two distinct sliders, a curveball, and a splitter.
All four of those secondary pitches have a plus movement profile and gives him multiple weapons to attack hitters from each side of the plate with. Also, they help to cover up his four-seam fastball, which doesn’t miss many bats despite sitting at 95 mph.
Then, we have Houck, who has a major-league worst 8.04 ERA and is coming off a 2 1/3 innings, 11 earned run catastrophe against the Tigers on Monday. Shockingly, it was the second time this season he’s allowed 11 earned runs in fewer than three innings of work.
Houck has gotten into trouble this season because he’s failed to develop a method for facing left-handed batters. He has a solid sinker and sweeper combo, but that’s really it. Neither of those pitches often perform well for right-handed pitchers against left-handed batters and they’ve allowed a .633 and .690 slugging percentage for Houck, respectively.
Dobbins will face this same Tigers team on Wednesday and a start significantly better than Houck’s could give him a leg up in the race for the fifth starter spot that will be decided soon.
Given Dobbins’ pitch-ability and Houck’s more stuff-centric approach, Houck is better suited for the bullpen anyway. Dobbins is a solid speculative add at the moment with an increased likelihood he’ll be able to stick in this rotation.
Just be mindful of how difficult of a place Fenway Park is to pitch and if Dobbins is on your team, use him more so as a streamer away from home or only at home in favorable matchups.
Its Tuesday, May 13 and the Rockies (7-34) are in Arlington to take on the Rangers (21-21). Kyle Freeland is slated to take the mound for Colorado against Jack Leiter for Texas.
The Rangers won a closely contested match in the first game of the series 2-1. The Rockies took a one-run lead in the second inning, but gave up two runs in the sixth, which cost them the game.
While the Rockies lost the game, they covered the massive +3.5 runline.
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.
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Odds for the Rockies at the Rangers
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Moneyline: Rockies (+188), Rangers (-228)
Spread: Rangers -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rockies at Rangers
Pitching matchup for May 13, 2025: Kyle Freeland vs. Jack Leiter
Rangers: Jack Leiter, (2-2, 5.09 ERA) Last outing (Boston Red Sox, 5/8): 5.1 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Rangers
The Rangers have won 3 straight games, while the Rockies have suffered 4 road losses in a row
The Rangers have failed to cover in their last 4 games against the Rockies
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 Rockies and the Rangers
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Rockies and the Rangers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Texas Rangers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0.
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Its Tuesday, May 13 and the Athletics (21-20) are in Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers (27-14).
Jeffrey Springs is slated to take the mound for Oakland against Landon Knack for Los Angeles.
These teams were each off on Monday. The Athletics lost two of three over the weekend at home to New York. The Dodgers split a four-game set in Phoenix against the Diamondbacks.
Lets dive into today's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch 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.
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Game details & how to watch Athletics at Dodgers
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Time: 10:10PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: NBCSCA, SNLA
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Odds for the Athletics at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Moneyline: Athletics (+168), Dodgers (-202)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Athletics at Dodgers
Pitching matchup for May 13, 2025: Jeffrey Springs vs. Landon Knack
Athletics: Jeffrey Springs (4-3, 4.81 ERA) Last outing: 5/6 vs. Seattle - 5IP, 2ER, 5H, 2BB, 4Ks
Dodgers: Landon Knack (2-0, 4.61 ERA) Last outing: 5/7 at Miami - 5IP, 0ER, 4H, 1BB, 5Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Athletics at Dodgers
Freddie Freeman has 19 hits in 40 ABs in the month of May
6 of the Athletics' last 8 games (75%) have gone over the Total
The Dodgers are up 1.94 units on the Run Line in their last 5 at home
Mookie Betts is 7-19 (.368) over his last 4 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Athletics and the Dodgers
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 Tuesday's game between the Athletics and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Los Angeles Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Los Angeles Dodgers at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.
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Dallas Stars look to take 3-1 series lead while Winnipeg Jets search for first road playoff win
The Dallas Stars look hard to beat as they look to be getting healthier with star defenceman Miro Heiskanen potentially coming back for game four. The Winnipeg Jets face a dire situation as they must put on a valiant effort to even up the series and do so on the road where they haven't won a game this postseason.
A 3-1 series deficit will be very tough to overcome for the reigning President's trophy winners and adds serious stakes for game four of the series. The Stars will look to stay hot and put themselves one win away from their third straight conference Finals.
For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 36-26 record on our last 62 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series.
All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
This one will once again rely heavily on one player and that's Winnipeg netminder Connor Hellebuyck. After allowing five more goals in game three, we are getting a very clear image of the struggles the Michigan native is having.
Hellebuyck reps the third-worst goals against average of the playoffs at 3.51 and the worst save percentage at .848 over ten starts. It's completely different from the goaltender that is on the verge of winning back-to-back Vezina trophies.
At home, he's been sensational with a 5-1 record and a 1.99 goals against average but on the road his numbers plummet to a 0-4 record, a 6.65 average and a .722 save percentage.
The numbers are so bad that we can't go against a consistent trend and should lead to a decent amount of goals, enough to cover our over.
The Jets will be looking at this game as an absolute must-win as they should with a 3-1 series deficit virtually sealing their fate. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger has been sensational but has shown cracks with .908 save percentage in five home playoff starts.
He's lost just one of those starts and has a 2.49 average but with how hot he's been lately, he may fall off in a game where Winnipeg wants it more.
After scoring two goals in game three, I expect a much better effort out of this group and should lead to yet another over as the Jets have totalled six or more goals with their opponent in seven of their ten playoffs game so far.
They've gone over once in the last three games and should signal for a big spot here where the Jets come out flying.
Winnipeg forward Mark Schefiele has been battling injuries this postseason but hasn't shown much slowing down as he's recorded eight points in as many games.
He didn't get on the board during game three but will do so in game four as his line chemistry with Kyle Connor can almost generate at least one goal once they get hot.
The Portland Trail Blazers have hired a bank to begin the long-expected process of selling the NBA team.
The Blazers said in a social media post on Tuesday that the team had hired Allen & Co. The team is currently owned by the estate of late owner Paul Allen, who died in 2018. Allen asked that his sports teams—mainly the Blazers and NFL’s Seattle Seahawks—be sold after his death. The NBA team’s statement said that this news doesn’t affect the status of the Seahawks.
Picnic PostNL rider claims maiden grand tour stage win
Mads Pedersen finishes fourth and retains maglia rosa
Casper van Uden claimed his maiden grand tour victory in a sprint finish on stage four of the Giro d’Italia to top an all-Dutch podium in Lecce. The Picnic PostNL rider Van Uden powered ahead of his compatriot Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor) in a bunch dash for the line. Mads Pedersen finished fourth to retain the maglia rosa.
After the first three stages in Albania and a subsequent rest day, the Giro returned to Italy in Puglia, with a mostly-flat 189-kilometre run from Alberobello to Lecce.
The Celtics trail 3-1 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks after losing 121-113 in Monday night’s Game 4 at Madison Square Garden. Tatum suffered his injury late in the fourth quarter of that defeat.
The loss of Tatum can’t be overstated. He is the team’s best player and one of the league’s top-five players overall. The superstar forward leads the Celtics with 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game in the playoffs.
Overcoming a 3-1 deficit with Tatum would have been a difficult challenge. Doing it without him is an enormous obstacle.
But the Celtics do have a lot of talent and playoff experience. So, what can we expect from Boston without Tatum in Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday night?
The Celtics are 16-3 (1-0 in playoffs) over the last two seasons without Tatum, but 11 of those 19 games were against teams that didn’t make the playoffs, including a couple late regular season matchups last month versus the Wizards, Hornets and Trail Blazers.
In those 18 regular season games that Tatum has missed since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, Jaylen Brown leads the Celtics with 26.8 points per game. Brown played in 13 of those 18 games Tatum missed.
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Brown is obviously the player who needs to step up the most with Tatum out.
The reigning Finals MVP is more than capable of scoring 30-plus points in a playoff game. In fact, he did it in Game 2 of the first round with 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a win over the Orlando Magic that Tatum missed due to a wrist injury. Brown has 14 30-point playoff games in his career.
White is another player who has to provide more scoring in Tatum’s absence. He shot pretty well in Game 4, going 6-for-11 from 3-point range and finishing with 23 points.
Holiday has to be more aggressive offensively, too. He has scored only 12 points in the last two games combined, and he’s shooting 4-for-14 on 3-pointers in the series.
Pritchard deserves to see a larger role with Tatum out of the lineup. The Sixth Man of the Year Award winner played just 20 minutes in Game 4 after scoring 23 points in 35 minutes during Boston’s Game 3 win. The C’s need his outside shooting and tenacity at both ends of the floor. He also pushes the pace as well as any player on the roster.
Porzingis making an impact would be a massive lift for Boston. He has struggled to be effective in the playoffs as he deals with the effects of an illness he battled in the regular season. The 7-foot-3 center has scored 20 points in the four games against the Knicks combined. He has only played more than 20 minutes in one of those matchups. Can Porzingis give the Celtics 12-15 points and good interior defense in Game 5?
🔊 Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD: C’s season pushed to the BRINK after losing Game 4, Jayson Tatum to injury | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
The best way for the Celtics to survive without Tatum might be to keep letting it fly from beyond the arc.
The C’s are fully capable of getting hot from 3-point range, but outside of going 20-for-40 in Game 3, they have largely struggled on these shots against the Knicks. Boston is shooting just 33.5 percent on 3-pointers in the series.
The Celtics have built a lead of at least 14 points in every game this series. They have a lot of talent on their roster, even without Tatum. Two of the last three games are at TD Garden, including a potential Game 7.
Yes, beating the Knicks three straight times without Tatum is going to be extraordinarily tough. And the Knicks, to their credit, have played fantastic in the fourth quarters of this series. But to totally count out the Celtics would be foolish.
Roki Sasaki has a 4.72 ERA and 1.485 WHIP in his first eight starts, logging just 34 ⅓ innings with only 24 strikeouts and 22 walks. (Darryl Webb / Associated Press)
In the Tokyo Dome in March, you could almost hear the zip of the ball.
101 mph.
The pop of the catcher’s mitt sounded like a gunshot.
100 mph.
Roki Sasaki would lift his left leg almost to his head, stretch far down the front side of the mound, and let out a grunt as a blur of white leather came screaming from his hand.
For a brief moment, at the very start of his Major League Baseball career, it seemed like the Japanese phenom pitching prospect had already achieved one of his most important rookie objectives.
100 mph.
During his MLB debut in Japan, Sasaki hit those 100-plus-mph velocities on each of his first four big-league pitches. In the first inning of that March 19 game against the Chicago Cubs, he eclipsed 99 mph eight times in a 1-2-3 frame.
For a developing young pitcher who came to the majors this offseason fixated on improving his fastball speeds, it was a promising early sign — an apparent indication that, after suffering a slight drop in fastball velo during his last season in Japan, the 6-foot-4 flamethrower still possessed triple-digit life.
“The velocity,” manager Dave Roberts said that day, “was good.”
Roki Sasaki's first four pitches of his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome in March were at least 100 mph. He has not reached that velocity since. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Almost two months later, however, in one of the more confounding developments of the Dodgers’ otherwise successful start to the season, Sasaki hasn’t come close to even flirting with 100 mph again.
Instead, over a choppy seven-game sample following the team’s return from Japan, Sasaki has struggled to consistently throw the ball hard, averaging just 96 mph with his four-seamer on the whole this season while sometimes dropping down to the 92-93 mph range.
“It’s not an ideal situation,” pitching coach Mark Prior said. “Clearly, the fastball is not gonna carry through the zone at 93 very effectively.”
For some pitchers, this wouldn’t be as pressing a problem. Even in an era of rising fastball velocities around the sport, sitting in the mid-90s is still safely above the major-league average.
Sasaki, however, needs premium velocity (plus consistent command) to make his heater competitive. Because, for all his other raw natural talent, there isn’t much natural deception to the pitch.
Unlike the best fastballs in the sport, Sasaki doesn’t throw his four-seamer with much spin or “vertical break” (pitch characteristics that can give fastballs a rising illusion as they barrel toward the plate). While others can miss bats at even below-average pitch speeds, Sasaki’s four-seamer has a flatter shape that’s easier to hit.
As a result, his fastball has always been predicated on eye-popping velocity — requiring elite radar-gun readings to blow opponents away.
“The velocity allows for that margin of error,” Prior said last week. “And clearly, that’s not there [right now].”
In evaluating Sasaki’s underwhelming start to the season — he has a 4.72 ERA and 1.485 WHIP in his first eight starts, logging just 34 ⅓ innings with only 24 strikeouts and a whopping 22 walks — the most glaring red flag has been the performance of his fastball.
So far, his trademark splitter has been an effective weapon, yielding just a .158 batting average to opponents while generating whiffs on 35% of swings. His lesser-used slider has been a fine secondary option, with opponents batting just three-for-12 against it while coming up empty on 33% of swings.
Sasaki’s fastball, on the other hand, has been susceptible to the improved level of hitting he has faced in the big leagues, resulting in a .253 opponent batting average, a .494 slugging percentage, almost as many home runs allowed (six, not even including two others that were robbed on leaping catches by Andy Pages) as strikeouts generated (eight), and a 10.1% whiff rate that ranks fifth-lowest for four-seamers among qualified MLB starters.
Granted, Sasaki’s lack of command has factored into such struggles, leaving him all too often in unfavorable hitter’s counts where opponents are better primed to square up mistakes.
“I think guys are on his fastball because it’s the one thing that’s probably in the zone more than anything,” Prior said. “This goes back to his ability to throw the other pitches for strikes, and be able to mix, probably balance with all three.”
Still, since that adrenaline-fueled debut in his home country, Sasaki hasn’t thrown even one fastball that has topped 99 mph. In that same span, he has chucked 27 that failed to eclipse 94 mph. Each week, his declining fastball velocity has become a bigger conversation point around his outings. But so far, few answers have materialized about how he can fix it.
"Just really still in this process of finding out what the root cause [is],” Sasaki said through interpreter Will Ireton this past weekend, after the Arizona Diamondbacks teed off on a heater that averaged 94.9 mph in a four-inning, five-run start that represented his worst outing of the year.
“[I’m] working with my coaches, talking to people about this,” Sasaki added. “I'm not quite exactly sure and can't really state exactly the single reason."
The Dodgers’ coaching staff has faced the same conundrum this year, struggling to identify exactly why an element so critical to Sasaki’s success — fastball velocity was such a point of emphasis during Sasaki’s free agency this winter, he gave interested clubs a “homework assignment” about how they planned to improve it — has been so far from advertised during the start of his rookie season.
Prior acknowledged that there are “clearly some delivery things” that Sasaki is “still trying to work through” right now. After struggling with wild command in his first few appearances, Sasaki and the team also discussed whether slightly dialing back on the intensity of his throws could help him more consistently locate pitches over the plate.
Mechanics alone, however, don’t explain why Sasaki’s fastball has dropped into the low 90s for some stretches of the year, Prior countered.
And though Sasaki’s command has somewhat improved while throwing with less velocity, both he and Prior insisted his velo hasn’t dropped this far on purpose.
“For us, it’s always been like, ‘If it’s 100 or if it’s 98, that’s fine, if it’s easier to control or something like that.’ We had that conversation,” Prior said. “But nothing to the degree of where it’s been.”
Given that Sasaki has shown no signs of any physical ailment, it’s possible he could be experiencing more of a pitch conviction issue in his new MLB surroundings, potentially lacking the internal confidence to let his fastball consistently rip at top speeds.
“We go back to the drawing board every week with him. We try to talk to him about some certain things, some ideas,” Prior said. “But ultimately, he’s working through his process, and we’re just trying to support him with everything we can.”
To this point, that process has not involved the addition of a different fastball variety more apt at generating soft contact, such as a two-seamer or cutter. Sasaki has said repeatedly that his primary goal is to first refine his primary fastball-splitter arsenal.
“There’s been a lot of conversations about a lot of different things,” Prior said. “Again, we go every week with him, and we’ve been trying to shed light on things where we think there’s gonna be some improvement. But ultimately, again, I think it’s just him trying to get his footing under him, and be comfortable in what he’s doing.”
Indeed, the Dodgers continue to argue that this is all part of Sasaki’s long-term development arc — inevitable growing pains for a superstar who, despite all the hoopla that surrounded his signing, arrived in the majors as an admitted work in progress.
“He's certainly talented,” Roberts said. “But there's finishing school. That's something that we were prepared for. I know it's harder for him to embrace not having complete success, but this is a tough league."
When Sasaki’s fastball has ticked up, he’s gotten results, too. On heaters thrown at 97 mph or above, opponents are batting just .133 with a .333 slugging percentage, and swinging-and-missing almost twice as often.
“He will make adjustments given how the hitters respond,” Roberts said. “I think you learn that by doing that here."
But until that happens, and Sasaki’s fastball starts returning to the upper 90s or 100-mph levels he flashed in Japan, more struggles could lie ahead. More growing pains might have to be endured.
It’s Tuesday, May 13, and the Denver Nuggets (50-32) and Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) are all set to square off from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder leveled the series with a 92-87 win in game four. They outscored the Nuggets 29-18 in the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets are currently 24-17 on the road with a point differential of 4, while the Thunder have a 8-2 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Nuggets vs. Thunder live today
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Time: 9:30PM EST
Site: Paycom Center
City: Oklahoma City, OK
Network/Streaming: TNT
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Nuggets vs. Thunder
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Odds: Nuggets (+374), Thunder (-493)
Spread: Thunder -10
Over/Under: 221 points
That gives the Nuggets an implied team point total of 109.45, and the Thunder 114.66.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Tuesday’s Nuggets vs. Thunder game
NBC Sports Bet 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.
Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is betting on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 8.5 1st quarter points...
Thomas: "Taking SGA over first quarter points after back-to-back slow stars from the future MVP. With the highest first-quarter utilization on the court and the expectation of playing the entire quarter, this number is more than obtainable."
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Nuggets & Thunder game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Denver Nuggets on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Denver Nuggets at +10.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 221.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Nuggets vs. Thunder on Tuesday
The favorite has a record of 36-23 this postseason
The Thunder have covered the spread in 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with winning records
Betting the Nuggets on the Money Line in all games this season would have shown a 109% return on investment
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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The Boston Celtics were bracing for bad news Monday night, and they got it Tuesday.
Jayson Tatum has a ruptured right Achilles tendon, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. Tatum underwent “successful” surgery Tuesday after undergoing an MRI earlier in the day in New York and is “expected to make a full recovery,” per the Celtics.
Boston didn’t give a timetable for Tatum’s return, but it’s very likely the injury causes him to miss most if not all of the 2025-26 season; according to ESPN’s Stephania Bell, NBA athletes average about 10 months of recovery time after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon.
The Celtics star suffered the injury with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden when he dove for a loose ball. Tatum fell awkwardly without making contact with Knicks wing OG Anunoby and had to be carried off the court before being transported through the halls of MSG in a wheelchair.
“The fact that he had to be carried off — he’s the type of guy that gets right up,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “… It’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”
Tatum’s injury is devastating in the short term for a Boston team that trails the Knicks 3-1 in their second-round series and will need to win three games in a row without its star player to avoid an early playoff exit.
The All-Star forward was brilliant in Game 4 prior to his injury — he became the first player in NBA history to record at least 42 points, seven made 3-pointers, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in a playoff game — and his absence likely is a death knell to Boston’s playoff hopes.
But the bigger concern is in the long term, as the Celtics are deep in the luxury tax and already were facing some difficult roster decisions this offseason prior to Tatum’s injury. The Celtics already have committed to $228 million in contracts for next season, and if they want to avoid stiff penalties for being in the second apron of the luxury tax, they’ll need to shake up their core.
Now that Tatum is expected to miss a large part of the 2025-26 campaign, it’s possible that shake-up takes a different form, as president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and new majority owner Bill Chisholm try to chart a new path forward.
Boston will aim to keep its season alive Wednesday in Game 5 at TD Garden with tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET.
The Boston Celtics were bracing for bad news Monday night, and they got it Tuesday.
Jayson Tatum has a ruptured right Achilles tendon, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. Tatum underwent “successful” surgery Tuesday after undergoing an MRI earlier in the day in New York and is “expected to make a full recovery,” per the Celtics.
Boston didn’t give a timetable for Tatum’s return, but it’s very likely the injury causes him to miss most if not all of the 2025-26 season; according to ESPN’s Stephania Bell, NBA athletes average about 10 months of recovery time after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon.
The Celtics star suffered the injury with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden when he dove for a loose ball. Tatum fell awkwardly without making contact with Knicks wing OG Anunoby and had to be carried off the court before being transported through the halls of MSG in a wheelchair.
“The fact that he had to be carried off — he’s the type of guy that gets right up,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “… It’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”
Tatum’s injury is devastating in the short term for a Boston team that trails the Knicks 3-1 in their second-round series and will need to win three games in a row without its star player to avoid an early playoff exit.
The All-Star forward was brilliant in Game 4 prior to his injury — he became the first player in NBA history to record at least 42 points, seven made 3-pointers, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in a playoff game — and his absence likely is a death knell to Boston’s playoff hopes.
But the bigger concern is in the long term, as the Celtics are deep in the luxury tax and already were facing some difficult roster decisions this offseason prior to Tatum’s injury. The Celtics already have committed to $228 million in contracts for next season, and if they want to avoid stiff penalties for being in the second apron of the luxury tax, they’ll need to shake up their core.
Now that Tatum is expected to miss a large part of the 2025-26 campaign, it’s possible that shake-up takes a different form, as president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and new majority owner Bill Chisholm try to chart a new path forward.
Boston will aim to keep its season alive Wednesday in Game 5 at TD Garden. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.
NEW YORK — Paul Skenes is ready to take on the world.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace announced that he will join Team USA when the World Baseball Classic returns next spring.
The reigning National League Rookie of the Year — who spent two years at the Air Force Academy before transferring to LSU — is expected to be near the top of the rotation for the Americans, who are coming off a runner-up finish to Japan at the 2023 WBC.
Skenes, who soon turns 23, was the top pick in the 2023 amateur draft. The 6-foot-6 right-hander is 14-7 with a 2.16 ERA in 32 career starts. That includes a 3-4 mark with a 2.63 ERA this season. Skenes gave up one run in six innings against the New York Mets and exited with the lead before Pittsburgh’s bullpen gave it away late in a 4-3 loss.
The 2026 WBC will be held from March 5 to 17 in Tokyo, Houston, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Skenes and the rest of Team USA will begin pool play in Houston from March 6-11.
D.J. Short
