Hawkins leads Williams 10-6; Allen 9-7 up on Wilson
Shaun Murphy will savour some home comforts after beating Xiao Guodong with a session to spare and reaching the last eight of the World Snooker Championship. Murphy guaranteed himself a night off on Friday with a 13-3 second-round demolition of Xiao – and then revealed he was heading home before his quarter-final gets under way on Tuesday.
“Mathematically it’s possible to win with a session to spare but you don’t think it’s going to happen,” Murphy told the BBC after a fluent potting display that produced four centuries and seven further breaks over 60. “I kept getting those little chances and I’m really pleased how I played. It doesn’t happen often because everybody’s so good. We’re going to ship out of Sheffield for a few days. Go home now.
Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) drives against Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Before Game 1, I chatted with Dave, my friend who runs PtR’s sister site that covers the Portland Trail Blazers, Blazers Edge. After Game 2, we agreed to pick it back up as the series shifts to the Pacific Northwest.
Dave
Well, the series is 1-1 and nothing is decided firmly, but the most important thing is Wemby and the concussion. Are you worried? Does it seem like Wembanyama is just a wee bit injury-prone at this point?
J.R.
I’ve decided that I won’t be worried until Game 7 and Wemby isn’t playing. I know it’s assuming a lot, jumping ahead five games but I don’t want to consider the team not being able to hang with Portland without the Alien. Still, since it’s best not to take too much for granted, I’ll amend my official stance to the following: I will not worry until it’s an elimination game and Wemby isn’t playing
As to him being injury prone, I’m not feeling it. He played 71 games his rookie year. He’s had his share of minor injuries, but sprained ankles happen to everyone and none of his have recurred. The big game-stealer was last year’s DVT which can come in a repeating version or a plain vanilla freak medical event style. And everything we know points to his being the latter. This season, the big challenge to him playing 65 games was a calf strain that happened when Podz went full Cobra Kai and swept Victor’s leg. The recovery took its own sweet time, but that was because after all of the Achilles tears last season, perhaps the most important medical term for franchises to pay attention to is “calf strain.”
To summarize: I see a string of both normal and unusual situations that only have a single thing in common – that they all happened to the same guy. That’s not my definition of being injury prone.
So, as to Game 2, I saw a lot of awesome things happen for your team and a serious percentage of them had a double zero attached to them! Do you think coming through in the crucible of the playoffs is exciting for Henderson’s long-term outlook, or have the last three seasons already given you enough of a read on what he’s going to become?
Dave
Game 2 was good for Scoot’s personal brand and hopefully his confidence. He’s played 160 NBA games in his career now. That was his best all-around one. It showed the progress he’s made defensively. His three-point shot opened up drives. Scoot can be deadly with a head of steam and a little space off the dribble. It was all the best of Mr. Henderson, wrapped up in 38 minutes of fun.
Anyone who tries to get a read on Scoot’s future based on that game is either a totally optimistic Blazers fan or hasn’t watched him or the team much this year. Portland’s performances are repeatable, but never for long. They’ll sustain for 3-4 games, then flip to the polar opposite of what they were. It doesn’t even depend on the opponent that much. Sure, they did better towards the end of the season in a weaker schedule than they did in the middle months when it was brutal, but they’ve beaten some great teams and lost to some lousy ones inexplicably. Trying to analyze the Blazers is just like going to church. First comes the reading, then comes the prayer. And who knows whether it’ll be answered this week or not?
We shouldn’t minimize the progress Scoot has made. This version of him is impactful. Even the down parts are NBA-worthy (mostly). That’s way better than his rookie season. But you can flip a coin whether this is the start of something new or just an anomaly that shows his ceiling without being able to sustain it.
Well, we have an update on Wemby now. He traveled to Portland and has been listed as questionable. Are they really thinking about playing him? What are the chances that this is a little bit of gamesmanship on the Spurs’ part? If it were my franchise cornerstone against an opponent as beatable as Portland, I think I’d give it another game at least.
J.R.
First, I think it’s wise, whenever you’re dealing with a franchise that has an ex-spy like Gregg Popovich who’s had a hand in creating a culture that prioritizes winning above all things, including dealing with the media and filing injury reports (anybody remember Duncan’s DNP-Old?), to expect at least a modicum of gamesmanship and often quite a bit more.
Second, I think there’s practically zero chance that Wemby is on the court for Game 3. San Antonio‘s process for returning a player from a serious injury does not include playing someone that they list as questionable. It goes from being unavailable, to being questionable for several games, to being probable for a night or two, and then playing. There are a lot of stages to it and it’s very predictable. The only question is whether they consider this to be a serious injury. And, I mean, it’s the franchise player’s freaking brain. That’s serious. Even Vic traveling with the team, I’d say I give it less than 50% chance of playing in Game 4.
Now, what do you think about the way the Blazers turned the tables and overcame that double digit lead in the fourth? I liked the intensity of the defense, and the Spurs were certainly not prepared to attack in a way that surprised Portland. How regularly do you think they’ll be able to match that effort?
Dave
Honestly, I read the Spurs as overconfident after building up that double-digit lead. Yes, Portland’s defense was good. They can do that. But does anybody recall the Blazers basically letting you guys score on the break in the third period and/or early fourth because they couldn’t be bothered to take care of the ball or get back on defense? Both sides of that coin are very Portland in 2025-26. I think San Antonio smelled the win, thought they had it, then got disabused of that notion as the Blazers made one of their famous, death-defying runs. By the time y’all got your act together, the game was there for the taking.
There’s a huge difference between that scenario and playing 48 minutes of high-focus, pristinely-executed basketball. I’m not sure the Blazers can pull that off. And if they don’t, the Spurs will be right there, either even or building another 12-14 point lead.
You still have the deeper talent pool–I hear the Spurs were kicked out of community game night for getting a BINGO after three balls were drawn–and you have the advantage of having played together the whole season. The Blazers team you’re seeing right now is basically five weeks old, at best. I think this is the first time all year the injury list reads, “Damian Lillard” and nothing else. I’m not joking about that. Portland’s starting lineup is still in the talking stage. Their bench players are basically trying to speed date the first unit. More overall talent and more continuity for San Antonio will probably be the bane of any attempt by the Blazers to put together a superior complete game.
The Blazers could win two games if Wemby doesn’t play significant minutes. The Blazers could win one under any circumstances. I think the most likely outcome, factoring in injuries, is a 1-1 split over the weekend. The next most likely outcome is probably Spurs 2-0. Blazers 2-0 registers but it’s in third place on the odds table.
What’s your prediction for the outcome of the next two games?
J.R.
I predict Wemby plays neither game, but takes up space and churns all kinds of rumors with his presence alone. Whether that steals cycles from Portland’s coaching staff you’ll know better than I, but I’m preparing for the worst – coming home potentially down 3-1. Now that might not be the most probable outcome, but the Wemby-less Spurs haven’t proven that they can beat this version of the Blazers that’s reinventing themselves on the fly. Until they do, the series is up in the air.
You say you expect 1-1 over the weekend and for me that’s a win, because it contains at least one win! This year, the Spurs have had their struggles in late-game situations against a defense that’s dug in and prepared for them. Early in the season, the team had a ton of success in clutch situations, but since February when they started blowing teams out and went 23-2 with Wemby playing, they rarely played close down the stretch but didn’t look great when they did. I’m concerned about how they generate offense in the last two minutes of a tight game on the road.
Bottom line, these two teams playing without Victor seems pretty evenly matched, but I’d feel much better if you told me that it’d be 1-1 after two blowouts than I would be expecting that result if we get two close games. Hate to say it, but it’s true.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 22: Owen Tippett #74 of the Philadelphia Flyers celebrates his empty net goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Flyers defeated the Penguins 5-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins face their first truly must win game of the season tomorrow night in Philadelphia. If they can do that, they would have another in Pittsburgh on Monday. If they won that, it’d be another must win situation setup for Game 6 in Philadelphia. If somehow they won that too, then there would be a Game 7 back in Pittsburgh.
As we all know the odds of that happening, realistically, are grim right now. Perhaps even non-existent. The Pens have been outplayed in any and every facet over the first three games, and the only time they were leading a game got thrown away due to a post-whistle scrum that quickly put them back behind. The goaltending has been spotty, and certainly much better for the other club. The adjustments made have made little difference. We could go on and on, but you probably get the picture and have already accepted that Pittsburgh’s impressive season is coming to a shockingly ugly end.
With that dose of reality out of the way, why not dream a little? It’s Friday, there’s no game today and 0-3 comebacks (completed or attempted) are on the rise in hockey. It’s still a fact that the series is almost a foregone conclusion – teams up 3 games to 0 have ended up winning 209 out of 213 times in NHL history in a stat from the Tribune Review, but that doesn’t necessarily mean all the drama has to be over just yet.
No one would know that better than Stuart Skinner. In 2024, the Edmonton Oilers fell down 3-0 to the Florida Panthers. Skinner, of course, was the goalie for the Oilers back then. Edmonton won the next three games to force a Game 7. They’d lose 2-1 to come so close to the ‘reverse sweep’ of winning four straight games after falling into a big hole.
“Playoffs are intense,” Skinner said. “There’s a lot of pressure, a lot of noise going on everywhere. I feel like when you go down 3-0, what really helped me in my experience was it kind of just frees you up. You don’t really have anything to lose. And we’re in a spot where we don’t have anything to lose, and they do. If we catch them a couple times — just talking about momentum — you can change momentum, and when that happens, things can go in your favor.”
By the way, Skinner’s performances in Games 4-7 of the ‘24 Stanley Cup Final were outstanding. He only allowed seven goals over the four games (1.76 GAA) and posted a .935 save%, he played some extremely great hockey with his back to the wall, so his words about getting freed from the pressure sound like they worked. It’s not like the first round against the Flyers carries the same burdens of playing for a Canadian team in the SCF where every question is built around if Connor McDavid can ever win ‘his’ Cup, so who knows how much that will change the performance this time around. At this point that sounds like one of the best straws to grasp at that at least the Penguins have a goalie who has been in this exact situation before and handled it extremely well.
The most recent time for a 0-3 series comeback in the NHL dates back to 2014, when the Los Angeles Kings pulled the trick against the San Jose Sharks in the first round. The Kings would go onto win the Stanley Cup that year. It’s crazy to think how close that was to going out the window in the very opening games of the playoffs, which goes to provide yet another instance of just how thins the margins are in the NHL this time of year between winning and losing.
Back in 2011, there were two close calls: the Sharks almost blew a 3-0 lead against Detroit, but SJ held on and earned a Game 7 victory. In that very same year and round, the then-defending Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks dropped an overtime Game 7 to fall just short of making an 0-3 comeback of their own against Vancouver at the very same time the SJ/DET series was going on.
The year prior, in 2010, Philadelphia was able to overcome a 0-3 deficit to the Boston Bruins in the conference semifinals and advance. There must have been something in the water during that 2010-14 time frame with a couple close calls (Detroit and Chicago in ‘11) and then a pair of successful comebacks (LA in ’14 and Philadelphia in ‘10) all happening in the same period.
For historical completion, the Penguins have been involved in a 0-3 series comeback, albeit on the wrong end. The NY Islanders made the massive comeback in 1975, serving as a sore spot for the franchise for many years, especially considering that ‘75 series made for a recurring trivia note since it was the only time from 1943-2009 that an NHL team blew a 3-0 series lead. The time before that, in 1942, was the Stanley Cup Final where Toronto pulled the comeback against Detroit.
It sounds daunting to even consider the Penguins joining those groups of teams to make a run. Based on the numbers (209 out of 213) it’s obvious a lot of these series are bound to conclude in four or five games when it gets to this situation. Just call it some Friday morning optimism that just because the vast majority of these instances are foregone conclusions doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unprecedented.
“We have to win a hockey game,” Dan Muse said. “So, we’ll have a practice [Friday], get ready for that game. Then, we’ll go into that game, we need to win a game. And so, that’s entirely where the focus is right now.”
Climbing out of an 0-3 hole is sort of like that old saying about eating an elephant. It has to be done one bite at a time. Game 4 is that first bite. Win that, extend the season and earn the chance to take that next bite in Game 5. It’s easier said than done but the Penguins still have an opportunity available to go down a path that exists for teams to at least make a run at pulling the reverse sweep.
We have three games on the NBA Playoffs schedule this evening, and I’ve found value in my NBA player props. I’ll highlight Devin Vassell, LeBron James, and Tyrese Maxey.
Tyrese Maxey certainly did his part in Game 2, scoring 29 points and dishing out nine assists as the Philadelphia 76ers tied the series, 1-1.
Maxey’s hit the Over in dimes in back-to-back games in this first-round matchup, and the guard averaged 6.6 assists per contest during the regular season.
The Boston Celtics are allowing 8.6 dimes per game to point guards, and Maxey is averaging exactly 6.5 assists this season at home.
He’s thriving as a passer at the moment, and his playmaking will help the Sixers keep Game 3 competitive on home court.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Prime Video
Prop #2: LeBron James Over 8.5 assists
-115 at bet365
It’s pretty remarkable that the Los Angeles Lakers are up 2-0 on the Houston Rockets without their two best players, but that’s the case right now.
LeBron James is definitely a big reason for the series lead. He’s cooking in every way. The King dished out 13 dimes in Game 1, and while he had just seven in Game 2, Bron has hit the Over in four of his last six.
In fact, in his last two road games, James has compiled a whopping 26 dimes.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remain out, which means the playmaking duties continue to fall heavily on LeBron’s shoulders. He’s making everyone around him better at the moment, and he’ll continue to pick apart an inconsistent Rockets defense.
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Prime Video
Prop #3: Devin Vassell Over 14.5 points
-115 at bet365
Devin Vassell is one of the players on this San Antonio Spurs roster who will need to step up heavily with Victor Wembanyama either out or playing hurt, and I believe he will.
The guard scored 16 points last time out, and he’s cashed the Over in both games of this series so far. He’s also played heavy minutes through Games 1 and 2, averaging 33 per contest.
There’s a big workload to make up for if Wembanyama is not on the floor, and Vassell will have the rock in his hands a lot more tonight. He’ll be one of the key guys in helping the Spurs stay afloat in the series.
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The New York Knicks are looking to bounce back after dropping two straight games as they head into Game 4 on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
Jalen Brunson fell just short down the stretch in Game 3, but my Knicks vs. Hawks predictions expect him to respond with a signature scoring performance to help New York even up the series.
Here are my best free NBA picks for Saturday’s Game 4 from State Farm Arena.
UPDATE: Added prediction for who will win.
Knicks vs Hawks prediction
Who will win Knicks vs Hawks Game 4?
Knicks: It’s do-or-die time for the New York Knicks, who are staring down a potential 3-1 series deficit. Coming back from a 3-1 hole is nearly impossible, and New York can reclaim home-court advantage and regain momentum with a victory in Game 4.
The Knicks had the ball on the final possession of Games 2 and 3, and they lost by one point in each on a missed Mikal Bridges jumper and a Jalen Brunson turnover. Brunson and the Knicks will clean up their mistakes from the last two games and win this one on the road.
Knicks vs Hawks best bet: Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 points (-110)
When the NBA playoffs roll around, Jalen Brunson elevates his scoring to a new level. Since 2023-24, Brunson is one of just four players to average 30+ points per game, and he’s the only one to play in more than six games.
With an average of 30.4 points across his last 34 playoff games, Brunson has a proven track record in critical games.
Brunson has found success in Game 4’s in recent seasons. He’s averaged 32.6 points per game across his last seven Game 4’s, scoring 27+ six times. He’s reached that mark in four of his last five road games in that situation.
Over his last 21 playoff games overall, Brunson has averaged a healthy 29.2 points, and he’s scored 27+ 14 times, including two of three in this year’s postseason. He came up just shy of that mark in Game 3, finishing with 26 points.
Brunson averaged 28.5 points in six matchups against the Atlanta Hawks this season, including 30 points per game at State Farm Arena. Brunson reached 27+ points in four of six games against the Hawks.
In the regular season, Brunson recorded 27+ points in 38 of 74 games overall and in 21 of 38 games on the road. He hit a clutch “And-1” in the final minute of Game 3 only to watch as CJ McCollum hit a go-ahead bucket in the final seconds.
Brunson uncharacteristically turned the ball over on the final possession of the game, and he’ll be driven to atone for that mistake and lead his team to victory. This could be the blowup scoring game for which New York Knicks fans have been waiting.
Knicks vs Hawks same-game parlay
Each of the last two games of the series has been decided by one point, and four of six head-to-head matchups in 2025-26 have been decided by three points or fewer. Game 4 will be a dog fight, but I expect Brunson to lead the Knicks to a crucial victory.
A win for New York makes this a best-of-three series with home court advantage, but a loss means the Knicks will need to win three straight. After coming up just shy in Games 2 and 3, I expect the Knicks to play with urgency and get the job done on the road before coming back to the Garden.
This hasn’t been a high-scoring series, but the point totals keep creeping down, and we can find value in the Over. Three of six games between these teams have gone for at least 215 points, and two more went for 213.
Game 3 totaled 217 points despite two of New York’s starters combining for just two points. I’ll bet the Over as New York gets back on track offensively.
Knicks vs Hawks SGP
Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 points
Knicks -1.5
Over 214.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Villanova Three!
Josh Hart finished with just two points on 1-of-9 shooting in Game 3, and he’s got to be more productive. Improved scoring from New York’s starters is crucial, as the Knicks have lost two straight games by just one point.
Hart scored 12+ in 18 of 33 road games in the regular season, and he’s due for a bounce-back performance in a critical Game 4.
Mikal Bridges has scored 21 total points on 8-of-22 shooting through the first three games of this series. That’s dreadful for a guy who was brought in to be the missing piece on a contending team.
Bridges logged only 21 minutes in Game 3 in favor of Miles McBride (15 points), and I expect the benching and poor performance to motivate him in Saturday’s high-stakes matchup.
Knicks vs Hawks SGP
Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 points
Knicks -1.5
Josh Hart Over 11.5 points
Mikal Bridges Over 10.5 points
Knicks vs Hawks odds for Game 4
Spread: Knicks -1.5 (-115) | Hawks +1.5 (+105)
Moneyline: Knicks -130 | Hawks +110
Over/Under: Over 214.5 | Under 214.5
Knicks vs Hawks betting trend to know
The New York Knicks have hit the 4Q Moneyline in 35 of their last 50 games (+19.90 Units / 27% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Hawks.
How to watch Knicks vs Hawks Game 4
Location
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Date
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Tip-off
6:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Knicks vs Hawks latest injuries
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“You broke their hearts, now go and take their souls!” That was the final phase of the Huskers’ team meeting Friday night after a big comeback win, exclaimed by pitching coach Rob Childress. And that really epitomized the approach the team took the remainder of the biggest weekend in at least 11 years at Hawks Field. That propelled the Huskers up the RPI ladder, where they now sit at 13. That puts them right in the thick of the battle to host a regional, one of the major goals for Will Bolt each year. Taking care of business with nothing like the 2021 Rutgers sweeping them at home, should mean we see June baseball in Lincoln.
Coach Dan Hartleb (somehow in his 21st season) and Illinois are stuck in the middle of the slog of the Big Ten. They sit at 8th with an 8-10 record, with 6 teams either tied in wins or within a game of them in the standings. They’ve basically won the series against the teams they should have (Minnesota, Rutgers, and Penn State) and have lost to the teams you’d expect them to (USC, Purdue, and Oregon).
The major thing the Illini have going for them is that they are finishing up a 3 week home stand, and Nebraska has been living on a bus since the USC series ended. But they are only 5-4 in the home stand against some “meh” teams, other than Oregon. They are going to be striving to not drop close to the 12 spot and be in danger of missing the Big Ten Tournament field.
Game 1: RHP Cooper Katskee (5-0, 4.02 ERA) vs. LHP Regan Hall (5-4, 5.37 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Carson Jasa (7-1, 3.93 ERA) vs. RHP Mitch Dye (1-0, 5.35 ERA)
Game 3: RHP Gavin Blachowicz (3-1, 3.02 ERA) vs. TBD
It’s safe to say Cooper Katskee’s first Friday night start didn’t go as planned. 5 earned runs on 6 hits and 5 walks in 3 innings against an average USC offense put Nebraska in a hole against the best pitcher in the conference. Katskee admitted he may have been a little too excited to start his first Friday night game in scarlet and cream, and may have overdone his preparation, which was also on a shorter week with the move from Sundays. Let’s see how a normal week lets him rebound.
From the first inning, Carson Jasa was in control against USC. He was hitting 97 mph on his fastball with ease, and had his big 12-6 curve working maybe the best it has all season to mix with his slider and cutter. He struck out 7 and didn’t give up a run until the 7th and final inning. He gave up both of his runs and 3 of his 5 hits on the day in that inning. He’d obviously run out of gas, but with some big arms doing lots of work Friday night, powering through for a complete game was a huge help to the bullpen.
In his return to the Sunday slot, Gavin Blachowicz also had a rough start, walking the bases loaded, tossing a wild pitch, and giving up back to back home runs in the 2nd inning. With the bullpen fully rested, the coaches wasted no time in going to new long reliever Ty Horn to steady the ship. Sweeping a ranked team despite 2 starters only tossing a couple innings each is beyond difficult and just shows the resolve of this team.
Regan Hall has been the Friday night ace for the Illini all season and has pulled off some big victories, including against Coastal Carolina. However, his last outing against Oregon makes Katskee and Blachowicz USC lines look like they were Roger Clemons and Pedro Martinez. Hall gave up eleven (ELEVEN!!!) runs on 11 hits with 2 doubles, a triple and 3 home runs by the Ducks in only 3.2 innings. His ERA jumped from 3.83 to 5.37. Woof. Hall has struck out 49 and only walked 11 in 55 innings. So he is coming right at you.
After being a lights out reliever for the first month and a half of the season, Mitch Dye was inserted into the starting rotation. He had gone 4 straight appearances without allowing a run, and in his first start against Minnesota, only gave up a single run in 4.3 innings. Since then his ERA has gone from 2.31 to 5.35. But injuries and ineffectiveness of other starters force him to remain in the weekend starting role. The Sunday slot is not yet declared, as the team weighs going with
Scouting Report
The Illini offense is nothing like it was in 2024 when they won the Big Ten regular season crown by just mashing the ball all over, and out of, the yard. They are in the bottom half of nearly every offensive statistic. One thing they do is take a ton of pitches, trying to both draw walks and get a team to its bullpen. They are only 13th in the B1G in batting average at .269, but tied for 3rd in walks. You have to attack them.
The player that has been the most steady performer on offense has been a freshman first baseman, AJ Putty. Putty has worked himself into being the team’s cleanup batter, leading the team with a .338 batting average. He also leads the team in extra base hits with 20 (11 doubles, a triple and 8 home runs), and RBIs with 43. He really looks to be the guy they can build around in years to come, if they can hang on to him. He is an home grown Illinois kid, so its not out of the question.
Leadoff batter and outfielder Nick Groves is one of the harder outs to get on the team. He is batting .320, but adds a team leading 30 walks to push his OBP to .451. The Senior outfielder loves to show off his speed. He is a team best 11 for 15 on stolen bases and also leads the team with 3 triples on the year. He currently has an on-base streak of 42, good for 4th in Illinois history. The team’s Director of Player Development Cam McDonald is the program record holder at 63.
The best power bat in the Illinois lineup is outfielder Collin Jennings. At 6’5” 215 lbs, he is an imposing centerfielder. He led the team in home runs and slugging last year, and is leading in home runs again this year. He currently has 10 home runs, and is second on the team with 31 RBIs.
The Illinois bullpen is fairly average. They have decent numbers that that are around the middle of the Big Ten teams, except for their walks. The staff as a whole only averages 3.5 walks per 9 innings, which is 3rd in the Big Ten behind UCLA and Michigan State at 3.2 and 3.4.
Reed Gannon is the top option in the bullpen. He leads the team with 16 appearances, and 3 saves. He can go multiple innings, having gone 5 innings against Penn State earlier in the season. He has 25 strikeouts and 6 walks in 32.1 innings of work on the year. Expect him to get a lot of work if one of the games still seems in the mix.
Sam Reed is another oft used left handed reliever. His ERA is only 3.27, but his other numbers suggest that should be higher. He only has 13 strikeouts to go with 8 walks in 22 innings of work. Batters are hitting .253 against him, which is very high for someone with that ERA. He makes up for that with only having allowed 6 extra base hits. He is quite the enigma with all of his numbers.
The young arm that seems to have the most upside is sophomore Sam Mommer. He is a transfer from Wisconsin-Parkside a D-II school where he won the conference freshman of the year last year before transferring to Illinois for this year. He has made 12 appearances, including 3 starts, with a bullpen best 2.45 ERA. He has 23 strikeouts and 11 walks in 25.2 innings on the year.
Illinois has a very good defense, fielding the ball at 97.8%.
Series History
Illinois owns a 16-15 all time record against Nebraska (Illinois claims it is 18-15). Nebraska won the last series in 2023. The last time the teams met in Champaign, you might remember the 5 hours worth of weather delays during the series finale. Nebraska was making a late season push to try and make the Big Ten Tournament, so was willing to stay as late as possible to try for a win, but gave up a run in the bottom of the 9th to lose 5-4. Then they would get tarp-ed the next week by Purdue. #NeverForget
On Deck
Drew Grego, current Big Ten co-Player of the Week and Freshman of the week, has 33 RBIs on the season. Thats 6th most by a freshman this century. He is 1 behind Brice Matthews (2021), and 4 behind Pat Kelly (2012).
Dylan Carey and Mac Moyer are tied for 2nd in the Big Ten with 65 hits, and Nebraska is the only team in the country with 2 players over 65 hits.
The 36 runs Nebraska scored in the USC series, is its second highest total in a Big Ten series. Against the team that led the conference in ERA.
Carson Jasa has 77 strikeouts on the year, 5th most in Nebraska’s Big Ten era, and 3 behind Emmett Olson (2023).
If you haven’t been a watcher of the cinematic recaps that the athletic department puts out, check out one of the best ones, the recap of the USC series.
ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 11: Myles Turner #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during the game against the Orlando Magic on February 11, 2026 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
You might have passed the tests on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ryan Rollins, and Kevin Porter Jr., but how will you fare with Myles Turner? A surprise addition to Milwaukee’s roster last offseason, Turner was supposed to catapult the Bucks back into contention. Instead, he arguably had his worst season as a professional.
Turner joined the Bucks in a stunning move last offseason, signing a four-year, $107m deal that brought buzz back to Milwaukee after consecutive first-round playoff exits. The move was the talk of free agency, mostly for the way it happened—waiving and stretching Damian Lillard’s contract—though we convinced ourselves it wasn’t the foolish move it was being made out to be. Doc Rivers even called the fit “perfect” in Turner’s introductory press conference. It was no surprise, then, when Turner assumed the position of Robin (aka second) in our Ranking the Roster series.
When the ball hit the hardwood, however, things weren’t so peachy. Turner struggled to find his position in the Bucks’ offence, finishing with fewer than 10 points four times in the team’s first seven games, and after averaging 30 MPG over the season’s first 20 games, his minutes started to decline. From games 21-60, Turner played just 26.7 MPG, and by mid March that dipped to the low 20s and he was losing minutes to Jericho Sims, a debate on which fans were divided. In all, while there were some highlights—23 points (with five threes), eight rebounds, and four steals in a win against the Chicago Bulls; 23 points, six rebounds, and four blocks in a win against the Charlotte Hornets—Turner simply didn’t live up to expectations.
Tantalising totals
(1) Turner led the Bucks in blocks, averaging 1.6 per game for the season. Where did this rank him in the entire league?
Click to reveal answer
Seventh, behind Victor Wembanyama (3.1), Chet Holmgren (1.9), Jay Huff (1.9), Evan Mobley (1.7), Donovan Clingan (1.7), and Rudy Gobert (1.6).
(2) How many double-digit rebound games did Turner have for the season: 5, 13, 24, or 31?
Click to reveal answer
5 (with a season high of 14 against the Washington Wizards).
(3) Turner had a season-high 31 points in an away game against which Easter Conference team?
Click to reveal answer
The Philadelphia 76ers.
Atypically advanced
(1) Player shooting frequency is tracked by location: at the rim, midrange, and from three. Match the percentage of Turner’s shooting frequency to each location: 54%, 22%, 23%.
Click to reveal answer
Rim: 23%, midrange: 22%, three: 54%.
(2) True or false: Turner had a career-worst PER this season?
Click to reveal answer
True, (14.2 this year vs. 15.4 in his rookie year).
Obscure optics
(1) True or false: Turner made more three-pointers this season than he did free throws?
Click to reveal answer
True (147 three-pointers vs. 131 free throws).
How did you fare? Share your score in the comments and don’t forget to drop your thoughts along with it—which stat stands out?
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 6: Brandon Young #63 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on April 6, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles came into the 2026 season talking about rotation depth, and for once with actual justification. The team had failed to sign a big-name ace in the offseason, but they did have six starters for five spots (Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt, Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer)—seven, even eight, if you counted sometime starters Albert Suárez, Tyler Wells, and Cade Povich. The team even had, in theory, something in scant supply last season: health. Kyle Bradish was back from Tommy John, Zach Eflin was recovered from back surgery and reportedly feeling better than ever, Shane Baz was ready to go a full year. The Norfolk shuttle would be for prospect call-ups, not emergencies.
Then the season started, and it’s been going a little like Mike Tyson’s observation about everybody having a plan until you get punched in the face.
Ace Trevor Rogers has looked fallible, with five and four earned runs in his last two starts, respectively. Bradish, meanwhile, is not inspiring full confidence: his velocity is pretty much normal, but his two-seamer and slider are markedly less effective weapons. Eflin had a great spring, then exited his very first start on March 31 due to right elbow discomfort, underwent imaging and a second opinion, and ultimately had Tommy John surgery. He is gone for the year and possibly beyond. As for Kremer, who didn’t even make the rotation out of spring training, he was recalled after other injuries, pitched competently, but just went back on the 15-day IL with a strained right quad.
And that’s how we ended up turning to Brandon Young, called up Thursday to start against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. Not even the team’s eighth-best choice for the starting rotation back in spring, it’s now looking like he might be sticking around for a while.
Brandon Wayne Young’s path to the majors has been long and interrupted. An undrafted free agent, he signed with the Orioles in 2020, missed that year entirely due to COVID, showed promise in 2021, then underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 after just three starts at Double-A. He spent 2023 bouncing between four affiliates while working his arm back. In 2024, he put it together: over 27 appearances between Bowie and Norfolk, he posted a combined 3.57 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 111 innings. It was enough to push him onto the Orioles Top 30 prospects list for the first time, appearing at No. 19.
From undrafted to sort-of top prospect, Young made his MLB debut the following year, in 2025. Interestingly, as now, it was injuries to Zach Eflin (a right lat strain then, Tommy John now) that vaulted Young into the O’s rotation. Cool opportunity, but results-wise, his season was mixed, at best. Over 12 starts and 57.2 innings, he went 1-7 and posted a 6.24 ERA. Yet amid those struggles, he produced two performances that ranked among the season’s best moments. On July 9 against the Mets, he threw an immaculate inning: nine pitches, nine strikes, three strikeouts, getting whiffs from Jesse Winker and Jeff McNeil on his changeup before blowing a 96 mph fastball past Luis Torrens. And then, on August 15 in Houston, he tossed a career-high eight innings, allowing only one hit, becoming the first Oriole rookie to throw eight scoreless innings while allowing one or zero hits since Chris Waters in 2008. He came within four outs of a perfect game. A hamstring strain ended his season shortly after.
Cut to 2026. Once again, Brandon Young didn’t figure to be central to the Orioles’ pitching plans, but intervening circumstances dictated otherwise. The big Texan began the season down in Norfolk, and his performance there started to turn heads. In three starts totaling 16.2 innings, he allowed just two runs and struck out 19. With a 1-0 record and 1.08 ERA, 0.54 WHIP and .111 opponent average, he was named International League Pitcher and Player of the Week, a fitting tribute to his strong start. Even better: on April 6, he was called up to the big leagues, where he threw five scoreless innings with two hits against the lowly White Sox, showing a command and ability to miss bats that was often absent from his 2025 work. Now, given another chance to start for the O’s, he’ll try his luck against Sox of a different color.
Is there reason to think something has genuinely changed for Brandon Young? Cautiously, because it’s been very little time, but yes. It seems last season he had some bad luck on contact, to judge by his xwOBA against (.320) was meaningfully better than his actual wOBA (.372), and for ERA (6.24 actual, 4.27 expected). This spring he’s simplified his pitch mix and cut down on walks, and for now, his fastball is generating more swings and misses than it did last season, with a positive run value. A pitcher with four good pitches who throws strikes is better than one who sort-of commands six. The sample is still small, but the underlying indicators point in the right direction.
The ceiling remains much what we expected (although in fairness, who saw that near-perfect game coming last year?). The Young four-seamer sits in the 92-95 mph range: it’s a solid pitch when he locates it at the top of the zone, and it plays up because everything comes out of the same delivery window. He’s upped the use of his splitter, his best swing-and-miss weapon, and replaced a hard-to-locate curveball with a slider. Fewer moving pieces to mess up here.
We’ll see what happens on Friday night, but I’m being obvious when I say that the Orioles could use good news on the pitching front. The rotation they built has already been significantly depleted, and this team has real offensive talent that deserves consistent support from the mound. Young is not a top-of-rotation arm, and his hold on a roster spot may be temporary once others get healthy. But given a chance to pitch, he may prove an unexpected asset. There were glimpses of this last season. This year, he may be ready to make the most of the opportunity.
Windy Luebbers of Dunlap draws some attention as a giant inflatable pink octopus during the No Kings Rally 3.0 protest Saturday, March 28, 2026 along War Memorial Drive near Peoria Stadium. | MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Happy Friday, everyone! Extra happy that the Tigers do not need to play the Brewers today. Their exceptionally short trip back to Detroit is over and they’re on their way to Cincinnati to play the Reds this weekend. We’ve got some fun news bites to keep you occupied until tonight’s game. We’ll break down the numbers on Kevin McGonigle’s contract, see the broadcast crew do their best lip sync routine, and in one of the best things the Tigers have released on social media recently, we figure out what kind of fish each Tigers player is.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 23: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the ninth inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, April 23, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Okay, I don’t have a great title for this one, but this is probably less a question post than a thoughts post, just masquerading as a daily question post.
With the best record in baseball, the Braves are surprising to probably everyone, except maybe themselves. I thought they’d be good, but not best-team-in-baseball good. Sure, a good team can play like the best team for a month (a bad team can play like the best team for a month), but it’s still surprising when it happens. Component-wise, coming into the season, the most common complaining refrain was about the rotation. I thought the rotation would be fine — maybe not great, but above-average. Through the Braves’ first 26 games, the rotation is instead, “funny” moreso than anything else: 78/106/99, ranking 23rd in FIP-, 16th in xFIP-, but third in ERA- thanks to the defense behind the arms. I’m not sure who, if anyone, was right about the rotation at this point, and it’ll work itself out in one way or another in the coming months, anyway.
My bigger concern was the middle infield. Ha-Seong Kim needed a bounceback, even before he (re-)injured himself in the offseason. Mauricio Dubon was a great get as a utility fill-in that could play a realistically good shortstop, but would be stretched as a quality regular. And then, we come to Ozzie Albies, whose career had been petering out. I won’t rehash the whole thing here (see his player review for 2025 if you want more), but Albies finished 2025 with a career-low 87 wRC+, a sub-.300 xwOBA (.299), below-average defense at second base for the third time in three years, and just 1.3 fWAR despite getting 667 PAs. Oh, and on top of that, he fractured his hamate bone late in the season, an injury that’s known to sap power for a long duration even after the player returns to the lineup.
Well, Kim is still injured, and we’ll get to Dubon another time. But Albies? At a surface level, joke’s on me: his career looks resuscitated. He has a 126 wRC+, the lowest strikeout rate of his career, and 0.7 fWAR, i.e., paced at 3.8 fWAR per 600 PAs (or 4.4 for 162 games). Albies is back, right? Maybe he’ll even get another extension to hang around and produce for the team in his 30s, which would be more aesthetically pleasing than tearing apart the Ronald Acuña Jr.-Albies BFFship, right?
Well… not so fast, maybe. Despite Albies’ fantastic plate results so far, he’s rocking a .296 xwOBA. His average exit velocity is down over two mph from last year, which was already about a mph off from 2023-2024. He’s posting a career-low barrel rate, and his xwOBACON is below .300, which is something I haven’t seen from anyone over three-four weeks, maybe ever. While he’s historically really only hit fastballs, his performance against non-fastballs is even worse now than ever before. On top of this, he’s making less contact while not generating any power. Inputs-wise, essentially, he does look like a logical progression from a poor 2025 while coming off a hamate bone injury. Which is sad, because we all want Albies to stick around and succeed, but…
If there’s one positive, it’s that Albies seems to have improved defensively, reversing the trend of him being a minus at the keystone. It’s a tiny sample, and his arm strength is still getting worse, now to the point where it’s essentially the worst throwing arm for an fielder that has to make throws in baseball. But, in the 2023-2025 stretch, he only had five positive defensive months at second, and 2026 has started off with one so far, as part of a teamwide defensive showcase. So, it’s not all bad.
Bottom line, Albies remains in an awkward position. The only thing that’s not awkward is that the vibes (and outputs) are approaching immaculate. So long as the team keeps winning, there won’t be many complaints; so long as he’s massively outhitting his xwOBA (a top ten overperformance), nothing’s gonna happen. But, we know these things don’t last, not even for habitual xwOBA overperformers like Albies, so… I dunno. Is Ozzie Albies on the rebound? I’ll still hope so, but it isn’t looking that way right now.
(I didn’t fit it in here, but Albies stopped hitting lefties well last year, and he’s continuing to have an issue there this year, with a sub-.250 xwOBA against them that he’s also massively outhitting.)
Columbus Clippers Travis Bazzana (12) throws the ball to first base during home opener at Huntington Park on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Columbus should have pulled this game off. The Clippers rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 5-4 lead, but Cody Heuer picked a terrible time to surrender his first run of the season in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
Then in the 10th inning, after Columbus failed to score, Franco Aleman, who also had not allowed an earned run all season, kept his streak alive — although the ghost runner scored to lose the game.
Kahlil Watson had the lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with a stolen base. Milen Tolentino walked twice and stole a base and Petey Halpin tripled and walked.
Travis Bazzana’s hot streak continued as well, as he went 1-for-4 with a home run, a walk and a stolen base. He continues to look like he’s right on the verge of a call-up should Juan Brito continue to struggle on defense.
Travis Bazzana with a 110.1 mph laser for his second roundtripper of the year.
The RubbereDucks collected nine hits and walked eight times, but managed just two runs because they went a putrid 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Angel Genao led the way, going 2-for-3 with two walks. Jacob Cozart also had a great game, going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk, accounting for all of Akron’s scoring on the day.
Christian Knapczyk went 2-for-5 with a double while Alex Mooney went 1-for-2 with two walks and Guy Lipscomb walked twice.
Starting pitcher Cam Favors was decent, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with six strikeouts and a walk in 6.0 innings.
Carter Rustad added 2.0 innings, allowing an unearned run with three strikeouts.
Braylon Doughty was the story of this game as his spectacular start to the 2026 season continues. Doughty was flat out impressive, allowing one run on five hits in 5.0 innings with eight strikeouts and zero walks.
Braylon Doughty had it all working tonight (4/23/26). Racked up 14 whiffs, mid-90s heat with command everywhere, and showed off his nasty curve and slider.
— Justin L. (jlbaseball on bluesky) (@JL_Baseball) April 24, 2026
The bullpen didn’t give up a run over the remaining four innings.
Offensively, Maick Collado had himself a game, going 2-for-5 with a home run and a double. Ryan Cesarini also went 2-for-5 with a home run.
Other standouts included Jaison Chourio, who went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk and Dean Curley, who went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk. Catching prospect Bennett Thompson went 1-for-2 with a double and three walks.
Joey Oakie was good, not great, but he pitched well enough to give the Howlers a chance to win before a late bullpen blowup cost Hill City.
Oakie allowed one run on two hits in 4.0 innings, but he walked five batters while striking out two.
Jervis Alfaro also pitched 4.0 innings. His first three innings were great, but then he got lit up in the eighth inning for five runs.
Robert Arias remains scorching at the plate. The 19-year-old blasted his third home run of the season, also his third in the last five games, while going 2-for-4 with a stolen base. If he keeps this up, he skyrockets up my prospect rankings into not just the top 10, but possibly the top five.
BOZEN-BOLZANO, ITALY - APRIL 24: Mark Donovan of Great Britain and Team Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling leads the breakaway during the 48th Tour of the Alps 2026, Stage 5 a 128.6km stage from Trento to Bozen-Bolzano on April 24, 2026 in Bozen-Bolzano, Italy. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hickory starter Kamdyn Perry went three innings, allowing three runs, striking out three and allowing a homer. Jormy Nivar struck out three in five shutout innings.
Paulino Santana drew three walks. Dewar Tovar was 2 for 3 with a homer and a walk. Esteban Mejia had a hit, three walks and a stolen base. Josh Spring was 2 for 4 with a double. Yolfran Castillo had a hit. Hector Osorio was 2 for 4.
Hub City continues to put its early season offensive woes behind them, exploding for 16 runs in its win over the Dash on Thursday.
J’Briell Easley allowed one run in 2.2 IP, striking out three. Bubba Hoopii-Tuionetao threw 1.1 scoreless innings.
Paxton Kling was 3 for 6 with two doubles. Gleider Figuereo was 2 for 3 with a walk. Yeison Morrobel was 3 for 6 with a double. Rafe Perich was 2 for 5. Ben Hartl was 2 for 3 with a homer.
Winston Santos’ difficult start to the 2026 season continued, as he got the start for Frisco but was pulled with two outs in the first after 31 pitches. He allowed one run and one hit, walked two, struck out two and hit a batter.
Bryan Magdaleno’s impressive rebound from his awful 2025 season continued, as he struck out three in 1.1 scoreless innings, walking two. Wilian Bormie struck out three and walked one in two shutout innings.
In Game One, Josh Stephan struck out six in four innings, walking one and allowing a two run homer. Rehabbing Carter Baumler allowed a run in an inning of work. Michel Otanez walked two and struck out one in a scoreless inning. Robbie Ahlstrom struck out two and walked one in a scoreless inning.
Cam Cauley was 2 for 4 with a walk. Justin Foscue was 2 for 4 with a walk. Michael Helman had a hit and a walk.
In Game Two, Ryan Brasier struck out two in a scoreless inning. Dane Acker struck out three and walked two in 2.1 IP, allowing three runs. Emiliano Teodo threw 31 pitches (18 for strikes) in 1.2 IP, walking one, striking out four and allowing a run. Josh Sborz allowed a solo homer and struck out two in an inning.
Cam Cauley homered, walked three times, and stole a base. Aaron Zavala homered, walked twice and stole a base. Justin Foscue drew a pair of walks. Michael Helman was 1 for 4 with a walk.
Having won both games in Southern California to open the series against the Rockets, Lebron James and the Lakers can take a stranglehold of their 2026 NBA first-round playoff series tonight in Game 3.
Minus Luka Doncic (hamstring)and Austin Reaves (oblique)the Lakers were actually the underdog in those first two games, but their defense has suffocated the Rockets especially on the perimeter. Kevin Durant and co. shot just 24% from deep (7-29) while the Lakers shot 46% (13-28).
In the absence of his high-profile running mates, LeBron James has turned back the clock averaging 23.5 points along with eight rebounds and ten assists. The revelation has been Luke Kennard who leads the Lakers with an average of 25 points per game.
No question the Rockets are falling short of expectations. Yes, Durant is struggling with a knee injury, but the offense has showcased a ridiculous lack of rhythm and imagination. Head Coach Ime Udoka has to be on the hot seat as he has found no answers against an undermanned Lakers’ team.
Note to remember: The Lakers have won 32 straight series after winning the first game of a playoff series, which is the longest streak in NBA history.
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: Friday, April 24, 2026
Time: 8PM EST
Site: Toyota Center
City: Houston, TX
Network/Streaming: Prime Video
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 Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Lakers (+270), Houston Rockets (-340)
Spread: Rockets -8.5
Total: 206.5 points
This game opened Rockets -9.5 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
SF Kevin Durant
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 30-13 at home this season
The Rockets are 22-21 on the road this season
The Lakers are 47-36-1 ATS this season
Houston is 36-48 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 39 of the Rockets’ 84 games this season (39-45)
The OVER has cashed in 42 of the Lakers’ 84 games this season (42-42)
Marcus Smart was 5-7 from 3-point range in Game 2
Reed Shepherd scored not one point in Game 2 going 0-7 from the field
The Lakers got just 6 points from their bench in Game 2 (all 6 from Jaxson Hayes)
Rotoworld Best Bet
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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 Friday’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 Lakers +8.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 206.5
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Neemias Queta’s NBA future was murky at best when the Sacramento Kings cut him in September of 2023.
The Boston Celtics, despite an overstocked frontcourt that would soon deliver the franchise’s 18th title, were convinced they could mold Queta into the sort of player who could aid a championship quest.
“They told me right away, like, ‘OK man, you’re here, we’ve got these guys ahead of you, they’re really good, and you can become one of them. But you’ve got to put in the work,’” said Queta. “We’ve got to put you through these situations where we can develop you and try to get the best version of yourself.”
A dramatic frontcourt overhaul this past summer cleared a pathway for Queta to elevate to a starting role. But it was Queta’s relentless desire to improve, including over the course of the 2025-26 season, that confirmed Boston’s decision and helped Queta emerge as one of the best value contracts in the league.
On Friday, the NBA will announce the winner of this year’s Most Improved Player. Queta is not one of the three finalists — Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Portland’s Deni Avdija, and Detroit’s Jalen Duren will vie for the honor — but Queta should slot somewhere close behind that trio.
Queta and the Celtics have more pressing issues, anyhow. Queta’s postseason performance could play a major role in the length of Boston’s playoff stay.
Joel Embiid — the league’s reigning MVP at the time Sacramento cut ties with Queta — returned to Sixers practice on Thursday and soon could be back in game action. If the Celtics outlast Philadelphia in Round 1, Queta might be tasked with defending the likes of New York’s Karl Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson or Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — or maybe get his own MIP showdown with Duren.
It’s crazy to think that, less than three years ago, Queta wasn’t certain what the next step in his NBA journey would be. The Celtics were certain they could tap into his potential.
“From that point on, it was just a matter of putting in the work, being in the lab, watching film,” said Queta. “And, honestly, I think the structure made my life so much easier. And the setup from workouts every day, we were doing individual work, the film sessions as a group, the individual film sessions, [coach] Joe [Mazzulla’s] attention to detail, too — all of those things mattered.”
Mazzulla said it was a series of spot starts that Queta made last season when Celtics’ veteran big men were resting that helped Queta earn the trust of the coaching staff. After Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet all departed this offseason, Mazzulla made sure Queta knew he was going to be the starting big man for the 2025-26 Celtics.
“We had guys out [last season] and he won a game for us,” said Mazzulla. “There’s been a bunch of times where Al or KP had sat, or guys were out, and Neemi played, and the minutes that you give are so impactful. And I thought it was important to empower him to be the starting center of the Celtics after what he did for us over the last couple years in Maine, [and] in those games where guys are out. And he’s taken that responsibility and ownership very seriously.”
Queta and Mazzulla huddled early in the summer of 2025, and Mazzulla laid out the plan to elevate Queta to a starter.
Get your mind right. You have to figure it out. I don’t want to hear any s—.
Joe Mazzulla’s message to Neemias Queta after naming him a starter
“We went to dinner and we just chopped it up for a couple hours, and it was pretty special,” said Queta. “When we had that conversation, it was more about, ‘OK Neemi, you know what’s going on. You know what’s going to be ahead of you for the future. Make sure you get ready. Do your thing, work as hard as you can, but be prepared, because it’s a different level of expectancy, [and] it’s a different level of responsibility as well.’ So, knowing that I’d be counted upon every night to deliver was huge for me, knowing that the season was going to be big for us.
“My ability to go into the summer, knowing every day that I’d be counted on, and just going out there working as hard as I could, just opened up the mindset for me to come in every night and deliver.”
Mazzulla pulled no punches with his advice for Queta.
“Get your mind right. You have to figure it out. I don’t want to hear any s—,” Mazzulla said of his instructions after naming Queta starter. “I’m telling you now so that by the time the season starts, you have an understanding of what the expectation is, what we need from you.
“Credit to him, he cares, he wants to get better, pushes himself. He’s really quiet, so you don’t get to see the competitive mindset that he really has on wanting to get better and get it right, but he cares, man. He’s good.”
Queta just wants to do all the dirty work to aid winning. He jousts with bigs and hunts rebounds. He finished second in the NBA in screen assists (274) and screen-assist points (668), trailing only Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in both categories.
Queta owned the best net rating in the entire Eastern Conference (minimum of 50 games played and 25 minutes per game) as the Celtics outscored opponents by 13.2 points per 100 possessions in his floor time. (Duren was second at +11.8). Queta also had the best defensive rating in the East at 105.6 (second: Detroit’s Ausar Thompson at 107.2).
Queta ranked 18th in ESPN’s new Net Points metric that uses box score data to quantify a player’s two-way impact. Queta finished third overall in Defensive Net Points, trailing only San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren. Wembanyama was the Defensive Player of the Year, while Holmgren finished second in the voting.
Queta doesn’t take the opportunity for granted and just wants to keep improving.
“It’s surreal still to me, being able to find my way in this league, finding a place where I’m believed in, a coach that trusts me and wants the best for me, is just huge for me,” said Queta. “And I want to come out here and do my best to deliver.”
Queta doesn’t need a Most Improved trophy to know just how far he’s come.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 21: Evan Carter #32 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with Brandon Nimmo #24 after making a catch that robbed Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates (not pictured) of a home run in the fifth inning at Globe Life Field on April 21, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 6, Pirates 1
See, that was much better than the previous game.
A couple of big innings early to get a comfy lead, and good pitching throughout.
A 10 strikeout game from Jacob deGrom, his first double-digit K game since May 10, 2025. Just one walk. Just one run, when Oneil Cruz once again sent a ball into the stratosphere. I’m glad to see Oneil Cruz leave town.
A very impressive 21 whiffs from deGrom in the game — nine on his fastball, six on his slider, four on his changeup and two on his curve.
That’s tied for the fourth most swings-and-misses in a game this season. Shota Imanaga and Dylan Cease have each had a 24 whiff game, and Jacob Misiorowski had a 22 whiff game.
Interestingly, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter are the only two pitchers this year in the majors to generate 20 swings and misses in a game.
The one walk was on a 3-2 pitch to Ryan O’Hearn with two outs in the sixth. That was the last batter deGrom faced, as the Rangers continue to be cautious with his pitch count (deGrom ended the night with 89 pitches) early in the season.
Gavin Collyer was summoned to finish out the sixth and while he maintained his perfect ERA he scared us in the process, hitting Nick Gonzales with a pitch and then issuing a four pitch walk to Spencer Horwitz before getting Konnor Griffin to ground out to end the inning.
Jalen Beeks and Jakob Junis each pitched a scoreless inning before Peyton Gray came in for the ninth in his major league debut. He retired all three batters he faced, with the final out coming on a Griffin strikeout, which was Gray’s first major league strikeout.
So a day after both the starter and the pen had problems, the starter and the pen were very good for Texas.
Texas threatened early against Pirates starter Bubba Chandler, loading the bases in the first on a Brandon Nimmo single, a Corey Seager single, and a Josh Jung HBP before Evan Carter got called out on strikes on a 2-2 pitch to end the inning. Carter challenged the K call, and it was close, but the pitch just nicked the zone.
Chandler wiggled out of a two on, two out situation in the second after Alejandro Osuna singled and Nimmo walked, with Joc Pederson hitting one deep the opposite way, but not deep enough.
Not deep enough in the Shed, at least. Per Statcast, it would have gone out at Fenway, at the Juice Box, at Petco, at the Rogers Centre, at Citizens Bank Park, and at Rate Field.
It was fun-having time in the third, though, as, after a Josh Jung single, Evan Carter hit a blast to right center that caromed off the wall and resulted in an inside-the-park home run. Look!
The inside the park home run is, I think, the most fun play in baseball. I still remember, as a kid, watching Toby Harrah and Bump Wills hit back-to-back inside the park home runs off of Ken Clay at Yankee Stadium. Its one of the most memorable Rangers moments of my childhood.
The Rangers turned a small lead into a big lead in the fourth. Josh Smith walked and stole second. Alejandro Osuna walked. After Brandon Nimmo fanned, Joc Pederson singled home Smith. Corey Seager followed that up by yanking a 1-0 Bubba Chandler changeup down the right field line and into the stands for a three run bomb. That made it 6-0 Rangers, and the offense at that point decided to save the rest of the runs they might have scored for the weekend.
Incidentally, regarding Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler…Bubba is not an acceptable name for a pitcher. If you are named Bubba you need to be a position player. Probably an outfielder, but maybe a big beefy first baseman.
Bubba Chandler does throw really hard, at least. If you’re a pitcher named Bubba, you should at least be bringing the gas.
I feel like the nickname Bubba has gone out of style of late. When I was younger it seemed like there were lots of Bubbas around. I had a teammate named Bubba on my little league team. He was the best player on the team, and I think if you’re a little leaguer you don’t get to be called Bubba unless you’re one of the best players on the team. You can’t be named Bubba and be bad. Kind of like the rule that, if you are a baseball player and your uniform number is “1,” you should be a small guy, but you have to be a good small guy. You can’t be a bad small player and wear “1.”
Also, if you are named “Bubba,” you kind of have to have an edge to you. Like, I was thinking about who on the Rangers would be the best one to be nicknamed “Bubba,” and I was thinking about Evan Carter, but he seems to nice to be a “Bubba.”
My preferred bubble gum as a kid was Hubba Bubba. I don’t know if they still make that. I’m kind of out of the chewing gum game.
Someone offered Ben’s four year old son Tibsy a piece of gum the other day, and Ben’s mom said he was too little to have it. Tibsy said he could have gum when he was old like daddy, because then he won’t have any hair for the gum to get stuck in.
Jacob deGrom maxed out at 98.7 mph on his fastball, averaging 97.5 mph. Gavin Collyer hit 98.1 mph with his fastball. Jalen Beeks reached 95.2 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis’s sinker touched 92.5 mph. Peyton Gray’s fastest pitch was his first major league pitch, a 92.5 mph fastball.
Alejandro Osuna had a 106.0 mph ground out. Corey Seager had a 104.7 mph home run. Brandon Nimmo had a 102.3 mph double. Evan Carter’s homer was 99.3 mph.
Rangers are tied for first place in the American League West with the A’s of Northern California, who are rolling into town for three games.
Tyrese Maxey
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