Donovan had an option year on his contract to coach the Bulls next season, but decided to leave the position. Chicago is still in the process of looking for a person to head up its basketball operations after the team fired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley.
"Through honest conversations, we all agreed that giving our new Head of Basketball Operations the right to build out his staff was the most important thing for the future of this franchise. That is the kind of person Billy is – he put the Bulls first. We are deeply grateful for everything he has given to this organization," Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf partially said in a statement.
The 60-year-old Donovan went 226-256 in his tenure in Chicago, and the Bulls missed the postseason in each of the last four years.
"After a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization, I have decided to step away as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, to allow the search process to unfold," Donovan said in a statement. "I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls, to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit. My gratitude for this community and this organization is permanent."
Before coaching the Bulls, Donovan spent five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he compiled a 243-157 record, with the team making the playoffs in each season.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer coached at the University of Florida before stepping up to the NBA, leading the Gators to two national championships.
Coaching candidates to replace Billy Donovan as Bulls coach
While the Bulls are nowhere near deciding who will lead them for the 2026-27 season and beyond, speculation can run rampant about who should be the next coach. Here are five candidates who could be a fit in Chicago.
Wes Unseld, Jr.
Unseld, who was the Washington Wizards' head coach from 2021–2024, was Donovan's top assistant this season.
Johnnie Bryant
Bryant, 40, was close to securing the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns jobs last year after being a finalist for both. He has spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers under Kenny Atkinson
Sam Cassell
It seems like Cassell's name pops up every offseason as a candidate for head coaching jobs. He definitely deserves a chance at leading a team, with experience as an assistant with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. He has been on the Boston Celtics' staff for the past three years.
Tom Thibodeau
A return to Chicago would certainly be interesting for Thibodeau, who coached the team from 2010 to 2015. Thibodeau is 68 years old, not one to change his philosophy, and was unceremoniously dumped after leading the New York Knicks to the conference finals last year.
Taylor Jenkins
The Bulls might be in full rebuild mode, and Jenkins would certainly fit in by bringing out the best in the Bulls players, as he did when he led the Memphis Grizzlies. In six seasons in Memphis, he led them to three playoff appearances, but couldn't get past the conference semifinals.
After treating their fans to a 111–98 victory in Game 1, the San Antonio Spurs will look to keep home-court advantage intact with another win against the Portland Trail Blazers tonight.
We break down Kalshi’s win probability markets and deliver some Trail Blazersvs. Spurs predictions to help guide your NBA picks for Tuesday, April 21.
Trading at 79¢ before the series opener, San Antonio is an even heavier favorite heading into Game 2, currently listed at 86¢.
Our prediction:Spurs to win
Victor Wembanyama has officially arrived. Not to overreact to an easy Game 1 win, but this version of the San Antonio Spurs should be feared by everyone in the NBA.
The Trail Blazers had a delightfully surprising season, but it would be an act of mercy by the NBA to shorten this series to best-of-five, if not best-of-three.
Sign up now using our exclusive Kalshi promo code 'COVERS' and get a $10 trading bonus after you trade $10 on any other event contracts — including Trail Blazers/Spurs!
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More Trail Blazers vs Spurs prediction markets
You're certainly not limited to the main game outcome for Trail Blazers vs. Spurs at Kalshi; you also have options to trade on the spread, total, and more, among other NBA odds markets.
You can buy either side of a market — for example, "Yes" on the Spurs -10.5 spread means the Spurs will cover, while "No" means the Trail Blazers will cover — with each side priced based on the implied probability (which can be converted to American, Decimal, or Fraction odds using theCovers odds converter).
Trail Blazers vs Spurs spread and total at prediction markets
Outcome
Yes
No
Spurs -10.5
54¢ (-117)
47¢ (+113)
Over 219.5 points
52¢ (-108)
49¢ (+104)
Our predictions:Over 219.5 points — No
The one thing the Trail Blazers should carry over from Game 1 is slowing down the pace. Fewer possessions give San Antonio fewer chances to enjoy its talent advantage.
Six of Portland's final eight regular-season games also cashed the Under.
Other Trail Blazers vs Spurs prediction markets available
Victor Wembanyama 25+ points (Yes: 69¢)
De'Aaron Fox 6+ assists (Yes: 53¢)
Donovan Clingan 10+ rebounds (Yes: 46¢)
What is Kalshi and how does it work?
Kalshi is a federally regulated U.S. exchange where you trade directly on the outcome of real-world future events. Instead of traditional bets, you trade "Event Contracts," which are simple Yes/No questions like "Will the Spurs win tonight?" These events are priced between $0.01 and $0.99, and the prices reflect the market’s estimated probability of that event occurring. For instance, $0.55 equals a 55% chance. If your prediction is correct, the contract pays out exactly $1.00; if not, it settles at $0. Kalshi is essentially a stock market for reality.
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In a sportsbook, you bet against the bookmaker, who sets fixed odds and takes a "vig," which is a kind of commission. On Kalshi, you trade against other users. This peer-to-peer model means prices are driven by supply and demand, often resulting in fairer odds. Additionally, because these are financial derivatives, you can exit your position early. If your team takes a 14-point lead, the contract price will rise, allowing you to sell your "Yes" shares for a profit before the final whistle even blows.
Why should I wager on Trail Blazers vs Spurs at Kalshi?
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PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Randy Guzman #39 of the New York Mets bats during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Clover Park on March 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Randy Guzman came into this series hitting .154/.267/.154, still looking for his first extra base hit. The young slugger found his power stroke over the course of the series, hitting a double, hitting a triple, and launching not one, not two, but three home runs. He went 3-5 on April 15th, hitting a triple and two of his three homers for the week, raising his slugging percentage from .129 to .417 in just a single game.
This time last year, Randy Guzman was on few, if any, radars. Coming into the season, he had two seasons of experience, both in the Dominican Summer League, where he was a cumulative .186/.324/.324 hitter in 67 games with the DSL Mets Orange and the DSL Mets Blue. While I, personally, don’t know how close to the chopping block he was, as an older player from the DR without much pedigree and who was not performing well, one imagines that Guzman did not have much going for him. What he did have on his side was the fact that he was the fact that he was a hard worker; Guzman was known to always hustle, to listen to his coaches, and to apply himself. When the 2025 season started, even though his numbers did not necessarily warrant it, the infielder/outfielder was sent stateside and promoted to the FCL Mets, a move meant to boost morale among DSL players by highlighting that hard work and perseverance is noticed.
Improbably, Guzman responded to the promotion. He got off to a strong start to the FCL Mets season and continued hitting. When the Florida Complex League season ended in late July, Guzman had hit .282/.371/.474 with 9 doubles, 7 home runs, and 15 walks to 33 strikeouts. Continuing to challenge the 20-year-old, he was promoted to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and finished the season in the Florida State League. Guzman picked up right where he left off with the FCL Mets and hit .333/.381/.604 in 26 games with St. Lucie, logging 13 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs, with 6 walks to 21 strikeouts. In 75 games in total, he hit .302/.375/.524 with 22 doubles, 2 triples, and 10 home runs, walking 21 times and striking out 54 times.
Coming into the season, Guzman was ranked 23 on the Amazin’ Avenue Top 25 Mets Prospects list- and had his spot increase two slots when Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat were traded for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers in late January. The Mets had him begin the year with St. Lucie, but barring some severe regression, I would expect him to eventually make it as high as High-A Brooklyn sometime this year.
The data that we have on Guzman this year so far is so limited as to be nearly worthless, but in that limited dataset, the most striking thing that sticks out are the numerous problematic launch angles Guzman has put balls in play with; at the time of this writing, he is averaging a 6-degree launch angle. As mentioned, the data for Guzman is extremely limited at the moment, but broader trends bear this out: his line drive rate is currently 17.6%, his groundball rate 61.8%, and his flyball rate 20.6%. Hitting so many balls on the ground at this moment, running a BABIP of .226, it is no wonder that his batting average is straddling the Mendoza line at .200. As compared to his numbers in St. Lucie last season, the right-hander should be due for some positive regression. While he may not start playing like a .300 hitter on pace to hit 60 home runs, Guzman undoubtedly should begin playing better baseball as the season progresses.
Jose Chirinos
Week: 2 G (2 GS), 8.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K (Single-A)
Born in Los Puertos de Altagracia, Venezuela, Jose Chirinos was signed by the Mets on January 15, 2022, the first day of the 2022 international signing period. Receiving a $10,000 signing bonus, the 17-year-old right-hander was assigned to the Dominican Summer League for the year, where he posted a 4.91 ERA in 33.0 innings, allowing 31 hits, walking 18, and striking out 29. He remained in the DSL for the 2023 season as well, posting a nearly identical 4.62 ERA in 39.0 innings with 40 hits allowed, 17 walks, but with a much improved 51 strikeouts.
The organization sent him stateside in 2024, assigning him to the Florida Complex League for the majority of the season, getting a single token inning with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets in September. The results were not great, but rather, more of the same, albeit at a higher level; the right-hander posted a cumulative 6.21 ERA in 37.2 innings, allowing 36 hits, walking 26, and striking out 44. Things changed for Chirinos in 2025, and he began seeing success. Starting the year out back with the FCL Mets, the right-hander made 4 appearances, starting 3 games, and posted a 2.35 ERA in 15.1 innings, allowing 11 hits, walking 6, and striking out 22. Returning to St. Lucie that June, he remained there for the rest of the season and ended up posting a 3.20 ERA in 56.1 innings over 15 games, 10 of which were starts. He allowed 40 hits, walked 30, and struck out 51. In total, the 20-year-old posted a cumulative 3.01 ERA in 71.2 innings, allowing 51 hits, walking 36, and striking out 73.
With his lanky 6’3”, 170-pound frame and long, flowing brown hair spilling out from underneath his cap, and low-effort, whippy, low-three-quarters arm slot, it would be easy to confuse Jose Chirinos on the mound with Jacob deGrom. Unfortunately, a slight physical appearance is where the deGrom comparisons end- at least for now.
Chirinos has a standard four-pitch repertoire, throwing a two-seam fastball, cutter, slider, and changeup. He generally utilizes his fastball roughly 50% of the time, mixing in his cutter, changeup, and slider at similar intervals, leaning more heavily on whichever pitch he has a better feel for at the time. In general, his slider has been his most effective swing-and-miss pitch, while his cutter has been his least.
His fastball has averaged 93 MPH so far this season, ranging 91 to 95 MPH. The pitch produces average spin rates for a sinker, but in general, because of the amount of active spin on the pitch, it does not have much movement. He commands the ball well, and rather than get his swings-and-misses on his fastball, it better serves as a set-up for his secondary offerings.
Chirinos’ slider is arguably his best strikeout pitch. Sitting in the high-70s-to-low-80s, the pitch has slurvy movement, with good horizontal movement and vertical break. He commands the pitch well and is able to get whiffs with the pitch at the lowest levels of the minor leagues, but will need to tighten up the pitch as he progresses up the minor league ladder.
His changeup sits in the high-70s-to-high-80s, with a much wider velocity band than you’d want for a changeup. Featuring minimal horizontal movement, his changeup is more effective in the lower end of that velocity band, as it acts similar to a bad splitter at the upper reaches of its velocity band. His cutter is arguably his least effective pitch. Sitting in the mid-to-high-80s, the pitch features very little movement; the pitch is effective when tunneled with his fastball or his slider, but in and of itself, the pitch lacks effective bite.
Fayetteville’s Gabel Pentecost winds up a pitch for a Wilson batter on Friday, April 3, 2026, during Fayetteville’s opening night game at Segra Stadium. | Andrew Craft / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This will be your weekly look at the hottest prospects in the system, highlighting the top performers at the plate and on the mound.
Who’s Hot At The Plate?
Anthony Huezo – Huezo had a breakout year making his way to full-season and he’s off to a nice start this year. This week in six games, Huezo hit .364 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs and 3 stolen bases. Overall he has a .866 OPS through 13 games.
Will Bush – Bush has been really good to start the season and this week was no different. Bush played in five games for the Hooks and hit .333 with 2 home runs, 4 runs batted in and drew 7 walks. He has a .510 OBP with more walks than strikeouts this year.
Cesar Hernandez – Hernandez appears to really have found his swing this year. The 22-year-old played in five games this week for Asheville and hit .600 with 5 runs batted in and didn’t strike out once. On the season he .452 with only 4 strikeouts in 9 games.
Trevor Austin – Austin had possibly his best week as a pro. The utility player for the Hooks hit .313 but four of his five hits were for extra-bases included three home runs. He also walked four times and stole a base this week.
Yamal Encarnacion – Encarnacion has bounced around as a utility player but has been solid this year. This week the 22-year-old hit .444 with 6 stolen bases over 5 games for the Hooks. In 12 games this year he is hitting .318 with 9 RBI and 7 stolen bases.
Who’s Hot On The Mound?
Bryce Mayer – After a shaky first outing for Mayer, he turned in a good one this week. In his one start for the Hooks, the right-hander struck out 7 batters over 4 scoreless innings.
Gabel Pentecost – Pentecost had one great outing and one rough outing coming into this week. This week though, he turned in another good outing striking out 8 batters over 5 innings allowing just 2 runs for the Woodpeckers.
Ethan Pecko – Pecko has been pitching in rehab appearances for the Woodpeckers but his numbers this week were too good to leave off. He made one start in Fayetteville and struck out 8 over 3 scoreless innings. He should be ready for Triple-A soon.
Parker Smith – Smith has a chance to make some noise in 2026 and this week he was solid. In his one start he struck out 7 over 6 innings allowing 3 runs, though all came on a 3 run home run. It was a good outing and another step in the right direction.
TEAM ERA and OPS:
Sugar Land – From 2.17 ERA to 3.16 ERA – From .631 OPS to .682 OPS
Corpus Christi – From 3.18 ERA to 3.77 ERA – From .583 OPS to .673 OPS
Asheville – From 4.66 ERA to 6.52 ERA – From .634 OPS to .739 OPS
Fayetteville – From 5.67 ERA to 6.16 ERA – From .683 OPS to .709 OPS
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on after lining out to end the game against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Braves defeated the Phillies 4-2. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phillies can’t do anything right at the moment. They’ve pitched poorly, their defense has been a mess, and their offense has been almost nonexistent. In addition to playing poorly, they’ve also had absolutely horrendous luck, as their .355 batting average on balls in play against is the worst in baseball entering Monday. In fact, it’s over 25 points higher than the team in second, namely the Houston Astros with a .324 mark. It’s 10 points higher than the all-time leaders in worst BABIP against, the 1930 Phillies (.345), who themselves just barely edged out the 2020 Phillies (.344). None of this is meant to be an excuse, but rather a statement of fact that the Phillies have been on the wrong end of batted ball luck.
However, bad luck and playing poorly are not mutually exclusive. On any given night, poor play can lead to more chances for bad luck, or bad luck can lead to a snowball effect of poor play. Take Saturday night’s loss to the Braves for example. The Phillies entered the third inning leading 1-0 thanks to Felix Reyes’ hitting a home run in his first major league at-bat. Cristopher Sánchez was on the mound and tasked with throwing a desperately needed shutdown inning. He struck out the first two hitters in Jorge Mateo and Ronald Acũna Jr., but then allowed a hard hit single up the middle to Drake Baldwin.
Sánchez was then able to get Ozzie Albies to ground into what should have been the final out of the inning, but Edmundo Sosa bobbled it on his way to tag second base and both runners were safe. Matt Olson then walked on four pitches to load the bases before Austin Riley hit a swinging bunt that only went 104 feet but was in a perfect spot. Couple that with Sánchez not fielding it cleanly, and the tying run scored without a throw on a hit with an expected batting average of .130. Mauricio Dubón then singled on a fly ball to center field that landed perfectly behind Sosa and in front of center fielder Brandon Marsh, scoring two more runs for Atlanta. Sánchez finally got a groundout to end the inning, but the damage was done.
Here we can see how poor play led to bad luck. Sánchez should have been out of the inning unscathed, but Sosa’s error allowed the chance for bad luck to occur, and that’s exactly what happened. Sánchez is not entirely innocent either, as his four-pitch walk of Olson immediately after the error allowed the inning to further spiral out of control. He didn’t allow any earned runs and still pitched well enough to win the game, but the three runs that came across in the inning were more than enough to beat the Phillies lifeless offense that was completely shut down by Chris Sale.
Sunday night was another example, this time on the offensive side. The Phillies had two runners on with two outs in the ninth down 4-2 with Kyle Schwarber at the plate. Schwarber ripped a Raisel Iglesias changeup to right field with an exit velocity of 102 MPH and an expected batting average of .430, but Acuña Jr. was able to chase it down and make a nice catch, robbing Schwarber of a possible game-tying base hit.
In this example, the Phillies frankly shouldn’t be waiting until their last out to generate offense. After all, the team had three combined hits from the second inning through the eighth inning and had a span of only having two base runners after Schwarber’s first inning home run until the fifth inning, both of which were Bryce Harper. You cannot control your luck, but you can control your quality of play. Having better at-bats earlier in the game can ensure that your chances to win don’t hang on your last out. If you play better, there’s less opportunity for poor luck to drastically influence the game.
These are just two of the more recent examples of one of these factors feeding into the other. There’s not much you can do against a perfectly placed swinging bunt or a good catch in the field. Those are things that are out of a player’s control. What is in a player’s control though is making sure games don’t have to come down to perfectly placed swinging bunts or getting robbed in the outfield.
The Phillies batted ball luck will normalize at some point. It’s simply unsustainable to be at the rate it is, even if they eventually end the season with a higher rate than usual. The question is, will it be too late to matter?
This team is starting to show that it has a lot of different ways to beat you. Monday night, Craig Counsell talked in his press conference about seven outs saved by his defense in a single game. I don’t know that all of the metrics will find all seven of those, but if you saw much of this game, you surely caught a highlight reel play or two by the defense. The defense sparkled, Colin Rea and a pair of relievers were fantastic and the Cubs offense put enough runs on the board for this one to feel like a fairly easy one.
You are rarely as bad a team as you appear to be when you are struggling. The same goes in the opposite direction. You are rarely as good a team as you appear to be when you are streaking. This team is on fire right now. The things you were worried about last week when this team had lost three of four games to drop to a season-low two games under .500 haven’t really gone away. Facing the Mets and Phillies when they are down is masking a lot of issues. This team is basically devoid of any frontline pitching right now. They also haven’t found their cohesion offensively.
On the other hand, they’ve been getting frontline type pitching numbers for a while now. And their offense is scoring a lot of runs. How well will all of that hold up as the competition stiffens? Well, we’ll start finding out later in the week. I suspect we’ll see a little more out of these Phillies, maybe even before the end of this series. But for now, it’s six straight wins and I’m not apologizing or giving any of it back. Keep taking advantage of timing. Keep adding on. Hopefully, this team starts getting some injured players back and in the interim, some guys earn playing time well into the time when this roster is healthier.
Baseball is so very fun when everything is going right. This is now a 95.7 win pace. That’ll play.
Three Positives:
Colin Rea was terrific. Defensive help or no, 20 outs recorded on 28 hitters faced. Six hits and two walks, but only one run. He struck out five.
Alex Bregman had two doubles in four at bats.
Moisés Ballesteros is absolutely crushing these cherry picked spots the team is giving him. A hit and a walk in two plate appearances. He scored a run. OPS sitting at 1.020. The Cubs will have to eventually give him some leash against lefties, but this is working like a charm right now.
Game 22, April 20: Cubs 5, Phillies 1 (13-9)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Dansby Swanson (.207). 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
Hero: Colin Rea (.190). 6.2 IP, 28 BF, 5 H, 3 BB, ER, 5 K (W 3-0)
Sidekick: Michael Conforto (.084). 0-0, BB, SF, RBI
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Miguel Amaya (-.082). 0-4, DP
Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.024). 1-4
Kid: Michael Busch (-.010). 1-4, R
WPA Play of the Game: Dansby Swanson’s three-run homer with two outs in the second extended the lead to four and turned out to be more than enough. (.211)
*Phillies Play of the Game: Aaron Nola got Miguel Amaya to ground into a double play with the bases loaded and no outs, trading the game’s first run for two outs. (.070)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game21 Winner: Michael Conforto received 156 of 263 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Nico Hoerner +10.5
Michael Conforto +7
Carson Kelly/Colin Rea +6
Matt Shaw -7
Seiya Suzuki -8
Pete Crow-Armstrong -15
Up Next: Game two of this four-game set with the Phillies. The Cubs are now up 3-1 in the season series and need to win one of the final three to win that season series. Another thing you’ve heard me say before: get greedy. Kick’em when they’re down. Let’s get two or three more while we are at it. No apologies, no regrets.
Shōta Imanaga (1-1, 2.45, 22 IP) makes his fifth start of the season. Last time out, he allowed one run on three hits and a walk over six against this Phillies team. Colin Rea bounced back nice on back-to-backs against the same team. Hopefully Imanaga can do the same.
Jesús Luzardo (1-3, 7.94, 22.2 IP) is also making the fifth start of his season. This has been a nightmarish start for the talented lefty. The Cubs had 12 hits and eight runs against him in just 5.1 innings last week. The Cubs usually aren’t as good against lefties, but this team is showing some promise against southpaws. But they are 2-4 when the other team starts a lefty.
Stay hot. A six pack is great, but seven is heavenly.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 08: José Urquidy (65) of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch during a game against the San Diego Padres on April 08, 2026 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates came into 2026 with high expectations on their pitching staff, and while their starting rotation has lived up to them, the bullpen has been very shaky to start the season.
The Pirates bullpen has an ERA of around 3.68, which is up there for being the best in the National League. However, that stat could be deceiving with how inconsistent some of the top reliever guys have been for Pittsburgh.
The Bucs bullpen have allowed 85 hits, which is tied for third in the National League. They also allowed 11 home runs which is also tied for third in the national league.
Outside of Dennis Santana and Gregory Soto, the bullpen has been looking a little light and inconsistent at times.
Pittsburgh’s bullpen problems became obvious in their series vs. the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, April 10-12, where the starting pitching was strong, but the bullpen issued too many walks and blew two leads in the final two games of that series.
The Pirates bullpen walked 15 batters over their 12.2 innings for a 10.66 BB/9 with five earned runs.
There is a lot of potential for this bullpen to be really good. Pittsburgh called up both Evan Sisk and Wilber Dotel, who are two young guys with a lot of promise. We have also seen some highlights from Yohan Ramirez, Mason Montgomery, and Issac Mattson.
By no means has the bullpen been terrible, but they have cost the Pirates a handful of games this season, which cannot happen down the stretch of the season, especially in the NL Central where all five teams have a winning record.
The starting pitching has been really good so far as expected for the Buccos but it’s now time for the relief pitching to be equally dominant and back them up. Starters cannot always be excpected to save the day.
There have been some good showings from the bullpen in 2026, but far too often, they’ve had issues that the Pirates can’t have if they want to make the MLB postseason.
There are plenty of options on the diamond for YRFI and NRFI bettors on Tuesday, April 21, and I’ve got a trio of MLB picks to cover you throughout the 15-game slate.
My best NFRI bets start with the Houston Astros' visit to the Cleveland Guardians, while the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels are rounding out my betting card tonight in a yes run first inning play.
Best NRFI/YRFI bets today
Pick
Odds
/ - NRFI
-109
/ - NRFI
+102
/ - YRFI
-120
Astros at Guardians: NRFI (-109)
With Cleveland Guardians lefty Parker Messick next to unhittable to start the season, he’s set to shift into cruise control again early against the Houston Astros, and I’m confident Ryan Weiss can navigate the first frame Tuesday with the top of the Cleveland lineup struggling.
Guardians Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, and Kyle Manzardo are mired in a 7-for-51 slump the past five games, which leaves star Jose Ramirez on an island in the three hole. And, returning to Messick, he’s been brilliant with just three runs allowed through 25 2/3 innings across his four starts.
Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SCHN, CleGuardians.TV
Orioles at Royals: NRFI (+102)
The Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals respectively rank third and last in percentage of games scoring a run in the first inning, so even with the wind forecasted to be howling out at Kauffman Stadium, I’m expecting starters Shane Baz and Kris Bubic to post zeros in the opening frame.
Baltimore hasn’t scored an opening-inning run on the road all season, and Kansas City is the lowest-scoring team in the opening frame for the year and second-lowest scoring team overall, too.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Royals.TV, MASN
Blue Jays at Angels: YRFI (-120)
The Los Angeles Angels are third in OBP and seventh in wOBA against left-handed pitching this season, and the top of their lineup has righties Zach Neto, Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler all crushing southpaws to start the year.
So, this is a daunting matchup for Toronto Blue Jays veteran Patrick Corbin given his 5.46 ERA and 5.68 xERA dating back to 2021.
Toronto is also set up for success with Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz’s 3.47 ERA is well below his 5.09 xERA, and respective 6.81 and 5.89 marks across 111 innings in 2025.
Plus, the Blue Jays are in the midst of heating up at the dish with 15 runs across consecutive wins.
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ESPN
What is a NRFI bet?
NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) bets add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI bet is a wager that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're betting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.
A YRFI bet is the exact opposite. You're betting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.
NRFI and YRFI bets add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for bettors looking for a quick resolution.
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So, arguing with the benefit of hindsight will annoy people. Still, if it’s contrary to a view that you’d expressed with (deeply flawed) foresight, it’s responsible.
All of which is to say, I thought Fred VanVleet over James Harden was the right call. Now, I think it was a mistake.
So, here we are.
Rockets had their reasons to pick VanVleet
It was the summer of 2023. It was a simpler time. The Rockets did not know “what they had”, so the prevailing assumption among fans was that Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson would be populating All-NBA teams for time immemorial.
The front office was presumably not operating under the assumption. Still, figuring out what they had was an imperative. So, bringing in a high usage guard could be counterproductive. If Harden was carrying the group to wins, how could we learn about the group?
Fred VanVleet was coming off a season with the Toronto Raptors in which he had a 23.2% Usage Rate. That’s not egregiously high, and it was easy to imagine him scaling down. Harden’s 2022-23 Usage Rate with the Philadelphia 76ers was just 24.9%. That’s barely higher, but the year before, he was at 28.3% with the Brooklyn Nets.
Perhaps Harden would have treated Sengun with the same relative deference with which he treated Joel Embiid. Perhaps. Yet, even 24.9% was too high. In VanVleet’s first season with the Rockets, his usage dipped to 19.7%. Harden hasn’t dipped below 20% since his 2010-11 rookie season. For context, his Usage Rate this year is 28.6%.
Moreover, what’s Harden’s value if you scale down his usage? VanVleet is a more active off-ball player. He’s also a far better defender.
This wasn’t strictly about basketball, either. The Rockets wanted a culture-setter. VanVleet brought everyone a copy of “Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great” by Joshua Medcalf. The forever aloof Harden was more likely to bring Gucci bags full of honeybuns.
It seemed clear that Ime Udoka wanted VanVleet, and the Rockets wanted to shape the team in Udoka’s image. They wanted defensive intensity. So, there were plenty of good reasons to pick VanVleet over Harden:
As it turns out, none of them were good enough to justify taking the lesser player.
Rockets picked the wrong guard
VanVleet missed this season, so let’s look at 2024-25. Harden averaged 22.8 points and 8.7 assists per game with a 4.3 Box Plus/Minus (BPM). VanVleet averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 assists per game with a 0.9 BPM.
Yes, there’s context. Again, there’s defense. Harden also turns the ball over far more often. That’s all true, but here’s the grander, more substantive truth:
Harden is much better than VanVleet.
It’s easy to say now. We now (basically, depending on your level of optimism and/or delusion) know that the Rockets have a platoon of talented young players who are not franchise-altering. Perhaps we don’t learn that with Harden in the fold.
Alternatively, the goal was to build a winning team. Perhaps it was wiser to bring in the best players possible and let the chips fall. Moreover, usage isn’t so strictly delineated that Harden would erase everyone. There’s a world where, yes, Sengun finishes pick-and-roll alongside Harden very often, but Harden’s Philly usage stagnates, allowing Sengun an Embiid-sized piece of the pie.
It’s particularly easy to say when VanVleet is injured. Yet, as easy as it is to say, I felt compelled to say it. I thought VanVleet was the right move, and now, I see that it would have been better to go with Harden:
Gary Payton is best known for his legendary Seattle Supersonics career, and he sees the return of the Sonics as a necessity for the Emerald City.
The Hall of Fame point guard established his legacy in the NBA as a member of the Supersonics (1990-2003), leading them to the NBA Finals in 1996 and becoming the first point guard in league history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Payton also went to the All-Star game nine times and led the league in assists and steals.
With the NBA approving possible expansion into Seattle and Las Vegas for the 2028-29 season, the city of Seattle could see the return of the Supersonics for the first time in two decades. Their franchise left Seattle in 2008 to become the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"Our community needs it"
"Our community needs it," Payton told Covers in an exclusive interview. "I think that we should be able to get our Sonics back, because if you look at it, we just won the Super Bowl. Baseball is doing very, very well. The Storm is doing very well; they've won a lot of championships. They gave Sue Bird a statue in front of the place. We're doing things like that in Washington.
"The Huskies, the Sounders, everybody is coming. The Kraken, our new NHL team. We're pretty good. The only thing we're missing is basketball. When that comes back, it's going to be a great thing for me to be a part of it, be up there every day and get it back going. Get our tradition back."
Payton said that he will absolutely be a part of the Supersonics franchise if it does come back. He said he's close to the ownership group looking to lead the franchise, One Roof Sports & Entertainment, back to Seattle.
"I can't do anything else," Payton said. "This is the franchise that started me. That's the franchise that started 'The Glove', the franchise that got me to become a Hall of Famer, a top-75 player. So yes, I'm going to be a part of that and get that built to where it needs to be built back up, when we were winning in the 90s and every game was sold out. When we were winning 50 or more games every year for about six, seven years straight. So yes, that's going to be a big thing for me to go in here and try to help our city get back to where it was."
Payton: Sonics tickets will sell out in "about an hour"
Payton plays up how big of a sports city Seattle is, saying that the arena will sell out in "about an hour" if the franchise moves back to the city.
"You’ve got to see our city to understand what it is," Payton lights up when given a chance to speak about the city he made his name in. He continued, 'It's not just a city of rain, it's a city of love. Our team and our people there know that, and that's why we're so big and adamant about getting the Sonics back. Now we have this opportunity. Watch what's going to happen, as soon as they say, 'Yo, it's time to come and let's go.' We're probably going to sell out in about an hour.”
Payton has high expectations if, or when basketball returns to Seattle, "Everybody's going to be coming in and rolling there. It's going to be almost like Los Angeles. I think a lot of people will come in there and be a part of our thing. A lot of superstars, a lot of celebrities. I think they're going to be up there, especially if I'm involved. I'm trying to get them up there every time, every chance we can, so we can have a good time up there."
Payton: Michael Jordan would average "40 a game easily" in today’s NBA
Payton is known as widely regard as the greatest perimeter defender of all-time.
The 57-year-old Oakland, CA native was a nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection for nine consecutive seasons from 1994 until 2002. Nicknamed ‘The Glove’, he famously helped the Supersonics win two NBA Finals games against the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls squad that won a then-record 72 games.
The wins came after Payton was switched onto Michael Jordan and with Seattle trailing 3-0 in the series. Payton held Jordan to just 23 points in Game 4 on 6-of-19 shooting. He held Jordan to 26 points in Game 4.
Jordan had averaged 31.0 points per game in the first three games on 46.0% from the field.
When asked what Jordan would average today, Payton said the five-time MVP would average 40 points per game "easily" if he played in the current era.
"Forty, easily," Payton said. "Nobody could guard him, not right now. There's only a couple of teams that play defense. You saw last year, the two teams who made it. Why did Indiana make it? Because they played defense. They brought their team, played defense. I think Oklahoma City plays a lot of great defense."
The Hall of Fame point guard makes it clear that while you can slow down a great scorer, there's no stopping one like Jordan.
"Y'all got to understand, nobody can stop that kind of scorer," Payton said. "All you can do is slow him down and try to make it close and make yourself have a chance of winning games. But with him, I think he would average 40. He would average 40 a game easily in this league."
Payton: Gary Payton II, Jrue Holiday best on-ball defenders in NBA
Holiday is a six-time All-Defensive Team selection.
"That's very hard," Payton said initially. "I'm always gonna say my son can be the best one-on-one defender along with Jrue Holiday. I think they're two of the best basketball players that can change a game guarding anybody. I think on the ball, those two guards are the best that's on the scene right now in the NBA."
Payton: Jontay Porter “a good kid” and NBA should consider reinstatement
Payton currently serves as a consultant for the USBL's Seattle Super Hawks, which is coached by former NBA guard Robert Pack. The USBL returned to play this season after being defunct since its last season in 2008.
The most intriguing storyline for the league and the team right now is Jontay Porter, who currently plays for the Super Hawks after he was banned for life by the NBA after violating its gambling policies as a member of the Toronto Raptors.
"Unfortunately, he got in trouble, but he's a good kid," Payton explained. "He's a quiet kid, a family kid. He's around his people, his family all the time, and we just have to let people understand what was happening. He made a mistake, and that's what was going on. But as a basketball player, he has a hell of an IQ. The IQ of what I think that a big man should have, as you see with Jokic in Denver.”
Payton speaks glowingly of Porter as a person and gives major praise to the 6-foot-10 big man for his passing abilities, saying he can pass it like Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. As of this writing, the Super Hawks have the best record in the USBL at 12-0. Porter leads the league with 20.0 rebounds per game and ranks second with 7.8 assists per game.
"This kid can pass a basketball, he can score the basketball, he has a good feel for the game. He can dribble the basketball. For a big man, I think his passing ability is off the charts. I think that he didn't come in here in shape, but now he's getting in shape, and now he's starting to have double-doubles and do the things when he wants to. I want the NBA to see that, but we have to first get him out of trouble first. Then we'll see what the NBA wants to do after that."
Payton: Porter must earn back his credibility
Payton - who will take over his hometown Oakland USBL franchise when it begins play in 2027 - said the best advice he has given Porter is to stay humble.
"The best advice I gave to him is that you have to listen and you have to be humble," Payton continued. "The humble thing is you got to understand that you got to get your credibility back. You got to get people to trust you again. A lot of people always say, 'Oh, these kids do this, they do that.' But you gotta earn respect and earn trust, and you gotta show people that you can do this and don't just talk about it.
Payton remains optimistic for Jontay Porter’s future, "I think he's staying out of trouble. He's doing things in the community that would help people understand that, 'Yeah, I made a mistake, and I don't want other people to make mistakes. So now I'm gonna talk about it.' I think when people get in trouble, they have to understand that, and they have to be real with it. They gotta talk about it."
Gary Payton spoke exclusively with DJ Siddiqi on behalf of Covers.com. All quotes in this article are taken from an exclusive interview conducted by Covers.com. Journalists and media outlets are welcome to use these quotes, provided they are attributed to Covers.com. Please ensure links back to the original article to provide full context for readers.
LeBron James and the Lakers look to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their Best-of-Seven series against Kevin Durant and the Rockets tonight at crypto.com Arena in Southern California.
The question for the Rockets is “will Durant play”? The all-time great did not dress for the series opener due to a knee injury. Without him, the Rockets looked out of sorts and that is putting it kindly. Without their two leading scorers, Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique), the Lakers rolled in Game 1 to a 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets.
Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James took over as the Lakers’ No. 1 option with both Doncic and Reaves out. James rose to the occasion, posting 19 points, a game-high 13 assists and 8 rebounds. The Lakers also got a major contribution from Luke Kennard, who finished with a season-high 27 points (9-for-13 shooting, including 5- for-5 from three).
The Lakers succeeded in slowing down the pace of the game in Game 1, scoring just four fast break points in the win. Those four points tied for the second-fewest fast break points the Lakers recorded in a game this season. As a result of the slower pace, LA had fewer possessions but they made the most of them. The Lakers took only 66 field goal attempts but shot 60.6% from the field (40-for-66). As a reference point, the Lakers only shot 60% or better from the field 3 times during the regular season.
The stakes are of course high tonight, but specific to Game 2, know this stat: The Lakers have won 32 straight series after winning the first game of a playoff series, which is the longest streak in NBA history. The last time LA lost a series after going up 1-0 was in their 1993 First Round series against Phoenix (the Lakers were up 2-0 and lost in five games, 3-2).
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
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 courtesy of DraftKings 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 and How to Watch Live: Lakers vs. Rockets
Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Time: 10:30PM EST
Site: crypto.com Arena
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: NBC/Peacock
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA 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!
Game Odds: Lakers vs. Rockets
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Lakers (+160), Houston Rockets (-192)
Spread: Rockets -4.5
Total: 206.5 points
This game opened Rockets -4.5 with the Game Total set at 205.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Lakers vs. Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
PG Marcus Smart
SG Luke Kennard
C DeAndre Ayton
SF LeBron James
PF Rui Hachimura
Houston Rockets
PG Amen Thompson
SG Josh Okogie
SG Reed Shephard
C Alperen Sengun
PF Jabari Smith Jr.
Injury Report: Lakers vs. Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Doncic (hamstring) is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game
Austin Reaves (oblique) is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game
Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant (knee) is questionable for tonight’s game
Fred VanVleet (knee) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Steven Adams (ankle) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Lakers vs. Rockets
The Lakers are 29-13 at home this season
The Rockets are 22-20 on the road this season
The Lakers are 46-36-1 ATS this season
Houston is 36-47 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 39 of the Rockets’ 83 games this season (39-44)
The OVER has cashed in 42 of the Lakers’ 83 games this season (42-41)
Luke Kennard led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage during the regular season among qualified players (47.8%)
LeBron James has played in 5 of the last 6 games (incl. playoff Game 1) since Doncic and Reaves have been out, and he has recorded a double-double in 4 of those 5 games played
The double-double was the 145th of James’ playoff career which is the 3rd-most all-time, only trailing the Spurs’ Tim Duncan (164) and the Lakers’ Magic Johnson (157)
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 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 Tuesday’s Lakers and Rockets game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Rockets -4.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 206.5
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That’s the big question surrounding Kevin Durant and his status for Game 2 between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
While KD is a game-time call with a knee injury, my same-game parlay for Houston at L.A. is confident the visitors can rally from a poor performance in the opener with some help from a young superstar. Given game script, LeBron James will be forced to jack up more shots from beyond the arc.
Without Kevin Durant, this Houston Rockets offense was stagnant, but with two days to rest and ready a Plan B, Houston will look much better in Game 2 while the Los Angeles Lakers’ hot shooting cools. If KD comes back, L.A. doesn’t have a defensive solution for the 6-foot-11 shooter.
Amen Thompson was the only member of the Rockets to show up in Game 1, scoring 17 points. His projections for Game 2 are as high as 19 points, and he’s put up 17, 19, and 26 in his last three head-to-head meetings with the Lakers.
If Durant does return, the game script has Los Angeles playing from behind. LeBron James wasn’t needed from distance in Game 1, but with L.A.'s shooting ripe to regress, LeBron will feel the need to take and make more shots from 3-point land to close the gap.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Life is funny. The one thing that made the Los Angeles Lakers underdogs is kind of the reason they won the series opener with the Houston Rockets.
Kevin Durant’s absence sapped more star power from this Round 1 matchup — already down Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — but unlike L.A.’s injured studs, Durant has a good shot of playing in Game 2 tonight.
My Rockets vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks bank on a better showing from Houston tonight, with or without KD on April 21.
UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Rockets vs Lakers prediction
Who will win Rockets vs Lakers Game 2?
Rockets: I bet the Lakers’ moneyline in Game 1, even before the news of Kevin Durant’s knee injury. If there was going to be a game in which L.A. came out swinging, it would be the opener. And boy did it. But balance is restored in Game 2 as Houston’s role players get on track and the Lakers’ support staff plummets back to earth.
Rockets vs Lakers best bet: Rockets -4.5 (-110)
With the way the Los Angeles Lakers shot the ball in Game 1, it may not have mattered if Kevin Durant was healthy or not.
Los Angeles finished a blistering 61% from the floor, including 10-for-19 from beyond the arc. A well-rested LeBron James conducted a crisp L.A. attack that recorded an assist on more than 72% of its total buckets.
The Houston Rockets' offense, on the other hand, was lost and untethered without the gravity of Durant. The Rockets were a chilly 38% from the floor, with an 11-for-33 mark from beyond the arc.
Los Angeles was able to be more aggressive when it came to double-teaming Houston’s secondary stars, and the Rockets missed KD’s ability to create when things broke down. Couple that with playoff nerves on the road for some younger standouts, and you can see how things fell apart.
I expect it all to come closer to the middle in Game 2 as a potential letdown for the Lakers, who got a Luka-like effort from reserve-turned-starter Luke Kennard on Saturday.
Los Angeles won’t connect at the same clip, and Houston will tighten the bolts on offense, with or without Durant. Head coach Ime Udoka is emphasizing spacing and more screen action — both on- and off-ball — after iso-heavy sets stagnated the Rockets in Game 1.
I’m holding out hope Durant returns for the sake of this bet, but I’m confident Houston will still perform better than Game 1 if he doesn’t.
Rockets vs Lakers same-game parlay
Amen Thompson scored 17 points in Game 1 as one of Houston’s lone bright spots. He dropped 26 and 19 points in the previous two matchups with Los Angeles, and if Durant returns, he’ll enjoy a lot more space in Game 2. Thompson is projected for as many as 19 points.
LBJ did it all for L.A. in the opener but didn’t need to take or make triples, with the Lakers playing with the lead. Game script has Los Angeles trailing tonight, and with some of the Lakers’ role players coming back to earth, James will jack up his share of long-range looks to close that gap.
Rockets vs Lakers SGP
Rockets -4.5
Amen Thompson Over 16.5 points
LeBron James Over 1.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: The King and I (V2.0)
Let’s try this one more time. I had a fun all-GOAT same-game parlay pegged for Game 1 leaning into LeBron vs. KD. Then Durant went and spoiled it all by banging up his knee in practice. He’s trending toward playing in Game 2, so I’m calling for these two HoFers to pace their team in points and knock down shots from downtown.
Rockets vs Lakers SGP
Rockets -4.5
Kevin Durant Over 23.5 points
Kevin Durant Over 2.5 threes
LeBron James Over 24.5 points
LeBron James Over 1.5 threes
Rockets vs Lakers odds for Game 2
Spread: Rockets -4.5 | Lakers +4.5
Moneyline: Rockets -205 | Lakers +170
Over/Under: Over 207 | Under 207
Rockets vs Lakers betting trend to know
Houston is 22-8 SU off a loss this season, with those bounce-back spots producing a 12-17-1 Over/Under count. Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Lakers.
How to watch Rockets vs Lakers Game 2
Location
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Tip-off
10:30 p.m. ET
TV
NBC/Peacock
Rockets vs Lakers latest injuries
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