Knicks clinch playoff spot for third straight season after Hawks' loss to Heat

The Knicks are in.

After failing to clinch a playoff spot on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Miami Heat did New York a favor by defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 122-112, on Thursday night.

The Knicks are now guaranteed a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, allowing them to avoid the play-in tournament.

Now, the next question is where the Knicks will be seeded. With 10 games to go, the Knicks (45-27) are the three-seed in the conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers (59-14) and the Boston Celtics (54-19) are too far ahead to catch, so the highest seed the Knicks can get is to remain at No. 3 but there are some interesting wrinkles forming for this team.

First, they are dealing with plenty of injuries especially at the point guard position. Jalen Brunson is still recovering from his ankle sprain, but he'll likely return before the end of the regular season. However, Miles McBride (groin) and Cam Payne (ankle) are also on the mend and will miss Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Without many experienced true point guards, the Knicks will have to find ways to fend off the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers (43-30). Just three games separate the two teams.

Another factor is the Knicks' strength of schedule, which is the seventh-toughest according to Tankathon.

If the Knicks hold on to the No. 3 seed, and the other teams remain in the same positions, they'll face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round with a date with the Celtics in round two.

Falling to the four-seed will put the Knicks on a collision course with the upstart Detroit Pistons before taking on the Cavaliers in round two.

Shohei Ohtani hits one of Dodgers' three homers to beat Tigers in their home opener

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 27: Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) is introduced.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani smiles during pregame player introductions before a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani hit a home run in the seventh inning to provide a key insurance run. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The 2025 Dodgers looked a lot like the 2024 Dodgers on Thursday.

Just with gold lettering adorning their World Series championship jerseys.

In a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers in their home opener, this year’s Dodgers produced all the same hallmarks of last season’s title-winning club.

Timely offense, epitomized by Teoscar Hernández’s go-ahead, three-run home run in the fifth inning off reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, and Shohei Ohtani’s solo blast in the seventh for a key insurance run.

Read more:‘Generational upgrade.’ Inside Dodgers’ offseason renovations to their home clubhouse

Starting pitching that was just good enough, with two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell limiting damage in a five-inning, two-run debut with the team.

And effective relief from the bullpen, which nursed a narrow lead to the finish line for a home-opening win and 3-0 start to the Dodgers’ championship defense.

Thursday was always going to be about 2024 more than 2025.

Over a 30-minute pregame ceremony, the Dodgers raised a “2024 World Champions” banner up the center-field flagpole, unveiled a new “2024” sign next to their other seven World Series plaques in right field, and were delivered the Commissioner’s Trophy by Ice Cube — via a Dodger blue Chevrolet Bel-Air the hip-hop artist drove across the warning track.

Fans cheer as recording artist Ice Cube arrives at Dodger Stadium in a classic convertible.
Fans cheer as recording artist Ice Cube arrives at Dodger Stadium in a classic convertible with the 2024 World Series trophy before the start of the Dodgers' home opener Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

To commemorate their title, the Dodgers also wore special gold-trimmed jerseys and caps, just as they will again Friday when they are presented their World Series rings.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the ceremonial first pitch came with a fitting twist. Kirk Gibson, the walk-off hero of the club’s 1988 World Series, took the mound to throw the ball. Freddie Freeman, the walk-off hero of last year’s Fall Classic against the New York Yankees, squatted behind the plate to catch it.

The accompanying roar from the early arriving Dodger Stadium crowd wasn’t quite to the level of either man’s iconic October home run. But for a hazy afternoon in late March, it was deafening nonetheless.

The Dodgers’ goal is to be back in the World Series, aiming to become Major League Baseball’s first repeat champion — and undisputed dynasty — since the New York Yankees of 1998 to 2000.

But first they will have to tackle another grueling 162-game schedule. So far, they’re off to an unblemished start.

Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell delivers during the first inning Thursday against the Tigers.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell delivers during the first inning Thursday against the Tigers. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

After sweeping their season-opening series against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo last week, the Dodgers faced a new task on home soil against Skubal, the 28-year-old left-hander who rolled to last year’s Cy Young with an 18-4 record and AL-leading 2.39 earned-run average.

For four innings the Dodgers couldn’t crack him, a second-inning home run from Tommy Edman representing their only scoring.

Snell, the biggest star of the Dodgers’ half-billion offseason spending spree, was less clinical in his first Dodgers start. Though all five hits he gave up were singles — most of them hit softly — the $182-million star struggled to find the strike zone, walking four and putting himself under constant stress.

Snell stranded runners at second and third in the second inning, then another at third base in the top of the third. But with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, he spiked consecutive two-strike curveballs, the second bouncing all the way to the backstop to plate a run. In the fifth the Tigers loaded the bases again with two singles and a walk, setting up Manuel Margot for a sacrifice fly to center.

It was an imperfect outing for Snell, who despite owning two Cy Youngs still is known for a lack of consistent efficiency, having topped 130 innings just twice in his nine-year career.

But on this loaded Dodgers team, his ability to limit damage — the Tigers were 0 for 9 against Snell with runners in scoring position and 0 for 15 on the day — was enough.

Just like in the latter stages of last season, when Hernández punctuated his bounce-back, All-Star season with a penchant for clutch hitting that continued into the playoffs, manager Dave Roberts bumped Hernández ahead of Freeman in Thursday’s batting order, putting the right-handed-hitting slugger third against a left-handed starter, and the left-handed-hitting Freeman fourth.

“I just like it,” Roberts said before the game. “There's a Teoscar tax, to get through Freddie the third time.”

Teoscar Hernández celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning Thursday against the Tigers.
Teoscar Hernández celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning Thursday against the Tigers. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Indeed, with two on and two outs in the fifth, Skubal paid it on a first-pitch fastball, leaving a 96-mph heater over the heart of the plate that Hernández blasted to center, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead.

Two innings later Ohtani answered a Spencer Torkelson solo homer in the top of the seventh, the Japanese star's second long ball of the season just three games in.

And after Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen combined to close out the game in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, Dodger Stadium erupted in the same way it did so often last fall, celebrating a home-opening victory from a club beginning another long march toward World Series glory.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mets, Juan Soto discuss game-ending strikeout against Josh Hader: 'He just got me'

You could not have scripted it any better if you were the Mets.

After struggling to get any offense going against Astros starter Framber Valez, the Mets had prized offseason acquisition Juan Soto up with a chance to steal Opening Day from Houston.

Astros closer Josh Hader had a rocky start to the ninth, allowing the Mets to load the bases with no outs. After scratching across a run, the Mets were down to their final out with men on the corners for Soto.

Soto worked the count in his favor 3-0 before taking a get-me-over slider. Hader threw a 95 mph fastball up in the zone that Soto fouled back. The 26-year-old slugger looked primed and ready to do something special. He’s done it multiple times before in his career, including in the postseason for the crosstown rival Yankees a year ago.

But Hader’s sixth pitch of the at-bat was an 86 mph slider that went west to east outside of the zone. It's a pitch that we've been accustomed to seeing Soto, and his unreal eye, scoff at but instead, he swung weakly at the offering for strike three, ending the Mets’ rally and the game

“Pretty nasty pitch there by Hader,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the at-bat after the game. “That 3-1 fastball, [Soto] put an A-swing there and just missed it. Hader’s pretty good too. He got him this time with a pretty nasty slider there.”

“He’s one of the best closers in the league,” Soto said of his ninth-inning at-bat. “His stuff is nasty, everything he do. And he’s really smart on the mound. That’s why he’s been so effective.”

Soto went into the at-bat 2-for-4 in his career against Hader, so he had some familiarity with the southpaw so when he was asked what he was looking for on that final pitch, Soto said plainly, “His best pitch. His best pitch was the fastball and I was sitting fastball.”

“Everyone was like ‘Let’s get Juan up and see what happens,’” Thursday’s starter Clay Holmes said of the feeling in the dugout in that ninth inning. “More times than not we feel good about it… At the end of the day, if we have Juan up and a chance to win the game, you like your chances.”

“I was expecting to be up in that moment, in that situation,” Soto said. “[Hader] let that ball go on the last pitch and he got me. It was a pretty good pitch, down and away. It happens.

"We all want to do something in a big spot. We all want to get that knock and bring the runs in and try to help the team either way. For me, I don’t mind taking a walk right there. Pete [Alonso] behind me and he’s a really good power hitter...He just got me in that situation."

Soto finished the day 1-for-3 with two walks, showing how he can help this Mets offense with his ability to get on base at an insane clip. And that’s what Mendoza takes away from Soto’s first official game with the Mets…along with the fact that he knows his star has a great chance to reverse the result next time he’s in that situation.

“As a competitor, he always wants to come through,” Mendoza said. “I thought he had some good at-bats today and even on that one. He got 3-0 and then 3-1, that pitch he got there he just missed it. And then pretty good pitch [on 3-2]. He’ll come through.”

And there’s no reason not to feel that way. Soto is historically a clutch hitter, so Thursday was just the exception to the trend. 

Entering Opening Day, Soto is a career .294 hitter and has smashed 17 home runs with two outs and runners in scoring position. Last season, when he finished third in AL MVP voting with the Yankees, he hit .375 with seven home runs in that same situation.

Despite the disappointment, Soto and the Mets understand it’s just one game and that there is good to come from the Opening Day loss. Despite being outmatched by a great starter, the team clawed its way back in the later innings, a hallmark of last year’s rollercoaster season, and now Soto is along for the ride, and is happy to be on it.

“I was expecting to win the game but it’s not how we wanted,” he said of his Opening Day experience with the Mets. “They are a really good team over there. For me, It was a good experience, these guys are amazing we’ve been having a good time since spring training we just have to bring that all the way.”

Are The Boston Bruins Really This Awful?

Joonas Korpisalo and Ian Mitchell (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

Man, Jake DeBrusk must have been much better than we all thought. Ever since he's left the Boston Bruins, they've gone to the dogs.

Well, not really. When the calendar turned to 2025, the Bruins were in third place in the Atlantic Division, firmly in possession of a playoff spot. Since then, disaster. They've not only foundered, but they traded away franchise stalwarts Brad Marchand and Brandon Carlo for futures.

Yes, they have a ton of cap space this summer. But so do a lot of other teams. Yes, they have a decent core of players signed long-term, but that might just prompt them to continue chasing a contender status that just isn't there.

This is a team that looks destined to be in the mushy middle, which is kind of the worst place in the NHL, for a few years.

Today's video column has more.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Yankees' feel-good Opening Day win tested by new closer Devin Williams

Devin Williams was one more poor pitch from coming out of the game or blowing his first save opportunity and ruining an otherwise outstanding Opening Day for the Yankees

The bases were loaded and the right-hander had to feel as if the roof was caving in on him as his old team, the Milwaukee Brewers, were making his job difficult, especially in not chasing the changeup that has made him one of the most dominant relievers in baseball the last few years. 

In the end, however, Williams found a way to avoid disaster and get the job done, limiting the damage to one run while striking out the last two batters even as his pitch count climbed into the 30s. 

And so afterward manager Aaron Boone was quick to smile at his press conference and say, “I love that he didn’t break. He was in a corner there but he kept making pitches. It’s not always easy but we know how good he is.”

The result was that Williams and the Yankees escaped with a 4-2 win on Opening Day in the Bronx, a win that offered reason for them to feel good about their ballclub after their injury-plagued spring. 

There was Carlos Rodon, pitching like at least mostly like an ace in the absence of Gerrit Cole, dominating the Brewers over five innings before a couple of walks elevated his pitch count and knocked him out of the game. 

There was Austin Wells, the newly-minted leadoff hitter, making all sorts of history, from becoming the first Yankee catcher ever to lead off to becoming the first catcher in the majors ever to hit a leadoff home run on Opening Day. 

And there was the depth of the bullpen on display, as Tim Hill, Mark Leiter Jr., and Luke Weaver got eight outs while allowing only two baserunners before things got hairy in the ninth with Williams. 

“A great team win,” Wells called it. “We had so many good things happen.”

Intriguing as well, starting with Rodon. 

Boone was candid even before the game, talking about Rodon’s difficulty to adapt to pitching in such a pressurized environment after signing his big contract two years ago with the Yankees.

“As rough as his first year was,” Boone said, “that could have derailed a lot of people. But he really leaned into that. He connected with the people he needed to connect with and developed a really good routine to focus on the task at hand.”

Boone admitted that controlling his emotions on the mound has been the most difficult part for Rodon, and as such the manager was looking at the season-opening start as a test of just how far the lefty had evolved as a Yankee.

So after Rodon delivered his strong 5 1/3 innings that included seven strikeouts and only those two sixth-inning walks, Boone was beaming. 

“He was really in command of his emotions,” the manager said. “If he does that he’s capable of that every time.”

Boone also made the point that Rodon has expanded his repertoire since coming to the Yankees mostly as a fastball-slider guy, and has weapons to make him a much more complete pitcher. 

“The changeup is a very important pitch to him now," Boone said. "To have longevity as a pitcher you’ve got to be able to evolve, and he’s doing that.”

As for Wells, the first-inning home run was quite a jump-start to his career as a leadoff hitter, a slot for which Boone thought he fit well because of his on-base percentage and his aura, if you will, even as a young player. 

“There’s just a presence about him,” Boone said. “Something you notice right away. I think he’s going to be one of the best two-way catchers in the league.”

Perhaps, but Wells admitted he didn’t believe Boone was serious when the manager approached him about it in spring training. 

“I really thought he was messing with me,” Wells said. “But then I did it, and it continued, and here we are. I’m good with it.”

Together with a home run by Anthony Volpe, a blast off the right-field wall by Ben Rice, and Wells’ first-inning blast it was a statement of sorts about what it will take for the 2025 Yankees to win big. They’re going to need breakout years from their young players, including Jasson Dominguez as well, if this team is going to have enough offense to overcome the loss of not only the injured Giancarlo Stanton but the departed Juan Soto

In that sense it was a feel-good day at Yankee Stadium, with things falling into place nicely for eight innings, setting the stage for Williams, the closer for whom they traded with these Brewers. 

Then suddenly a quiet came over the Stadium as Williams struggled. Nerves likely played a part but there was also the question of lingering scar tissue from that Pete Alonso home run last October that Williams gave up to blow the wild-card series against the Mets.

Disaster loomed, to the point where Boone went to the mound to take Willliams’ temperature and give him some rest, worried that he might have to pull him. 

“But he kept making pitches,” Boone said. 

Finally he began getting results: a sac fly, then he struck out Jackson Chourio swinging at a changeup, and after going to 3-2 on Christian Yelich, knowing he was coming out of game soon as his pitch count sat at 35, Williams reached back and blew 95 past Yelich for a strikeout to end the game.

Afterward Williams called it “a weird day” facing his old teammates, and thought their familiarity with him worked to their favor. 

“My command wasn’t great but they laid off some tough pitches,” he said. “They really made me work for it. But I just focused on making pitches. I know there are more eyes on me here with the Yankees but I wasn’t thinking about that on the mound. I’m pretty laid-back. I was able to get the job done.”

He didn’t break, as Boone put it, and maybe that bodes well for both him and the Yankees this season. On this day, anyway, it was the last bit of positivity to make these Yankees believe they can have a special season, injuries and all.

Mets’ Luisangel Acuña makes up for Opening Day error with terrific late-inning at-bat: ‘That’s what you want to see’

Luisangel Acuña has a big opportunity early on this season.

With starting second baseman Jeff McNeil sidelined for the first couple of weeks with a mild right oblique strain, the Mets will turn to Acuña and Brett Baty to split time in his place until he’s ready to return. 

While Baty is expected to see the bulk of the opportunities after his monster showing during spring training, it was Acuña who received the start for the Mets’ Opening Day matchup against Astros left-hander Framber Valdez

Things, however, didn’t quite begin as planned -- as the 25-year-old went hitless in each of his first three at-bats and made a costly error in the third when he rushed a throw on what should’ve been a routine inning-ending double play. 

Acuña had plenty of time to throw out slow-footed catcher Yanier Diaz, but instead, his throw sailed way past Pete Alonso and into the Mets’ dugout, prolonging the inning and bringing home the third run of the game. 

“It was just a bad throw, he had time and just threw it away,” Carlos Mendoza said. 

But the youngster did ultimately make up for it as the game went on -- recovering with some slick plays in the field and then putting together one of the best at-bats of the afternoon against Astros closer Josh Hader in the top of the ninth.

With the Mets still trailing by three and two men on with nobody out, Acuña fought off pitch after pitch from the All-Star left-hander as he battled his way to a 12-pitch walk, loading the bases and giving the top of the order an opportunity.

Hayden Senger then struck out in what was his first career at-bat and Francisco Lindor drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, before Juan Soto chased a 3-2 slider way out of the zone to strand the tying run on base. 

The comeback effort fell short and the Mets were defeated on Opening Day for the second consecutive season, but the skipper was still encouraged by the young slugger’s impressive late-inning at-bat. 

“That’s what you want to see,” Mendoza said. “Especially out of a young player -- he’s 0-for-3, he already made an error, he’s facing one of the best closers in the game. For him to have an at-bat like that says a lot. He showed us that ability to move on to the next play, the next inning, the next at-bat.”

After first Mets start, Clay Holmes ready to 'build off this and keep moving forward'

If Clay Holmes' Opening Day start taught the Mets anything, it's that converting a reliever into a full-time starting pitcher is going to take a lot of work.

Now, it wasn't a terrible start for Holmes who went 4.2 innings against the Houston Astros in New York's 3-1 loss on Thursday, but it also didn't come as seamlessly as it did for the right-hander during spring training where Holmes looked untouchable.

Overall, Holmes allowed two earned runs on five hits. However, he walked four (and hit a batter), adding plenty of traffic on the basepaths and forcing him to throw extra pitches which didn't allow him to go deep into the game.

"I think the big thing was the walks," Holmes said about his first outing. "... I think if those walks were limited then we have a lot better chance at winning that game."

He continued: "Obviously the walks, they were not at good times. They were not good walks, all of them really. I think part of it was there’s a lot of new, maybe I’m thinking too much versus just attacking."

Despite making five starts during the spring and totaling 19.1 innings -- and looking dominant in the process -- Thursday's start was Holmes' first in the majors since his rookie season in 2018. Since then, the 32-year-old appeared in 300 games, all as a reliever, before taking the mound in the first inning against the Astros.

And even after catching up to speed during the trial run during camp, making a start in a MLB game (especially Opening Day) is a different beast entirely.

"I mean it’s different than spring training. You’re facing a lineup one through nine where they have a gameplan, there’s a lot more scouting both ways," Holmes said. "It’ll definitely be a learning process on how you navigate that, what pitches I can go to, how I can use my full arsenal, all those types of things and kind of building trust with it."

Facing a majority right-handed lineup, Holmes stuck with his sinker, his bread and butter pitch as a reliever, and hardly threw any changeups. But with a larger arsenal at his disposal and facing a lineup more than once through, Holmes will need to learn to trust some of his other pitches in big spots as well.

It's another sign that transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation can be difficult. Not to mention the difference in stamina required to pitch deeper into games, something Holmes has already discussed as being different for him.

"It’s a different approach to the game, it’s a different level of endurance," he said. "The more I get under me the more I’ll start to feel that and handle it."

As mentioned, Holmes' outing wasn't terrible and there are certainly positive things that can be taken away and built off of. One thing he referenced was being "able to limit the big innings."

The Astros scored one in the second and two in the third, but one of those came thanks to a throwing error by Luisangel Acuña that should've ended the inning but instead brought home a run. In fact, if New York's offense wasn't stymied by Framber Valdez's seven innings of work, the Mets had a real good chance of winning the game.

They came close in the ninth, loading the bases with nobody out and eventually sending Juan Soto to the plate as the go-ahead run. Soto struck out and finished his first game in blue and orange by going 1-for-3 with two walks.

"I think there’s gonna be a lot of growth and learning, especially here early on," Holmes said. "I think figuring out the things that I really need to nail down, how I want to attack lineups, how I want to use the arsenal, all those things.

What the prep looks like in between outings, the bullpens, the workload, what feels good. All those types of things, it’s gonna be important to assess and continue to build on where I’m at."

As for starting on Opening Day, the righty was thankful for the opportunity and will cherish the "special" moment.

"It’s a cool moment," Holmes said. "I don’t know if I ever pictured myself in this moment, but to be able to take it in, try to enjoy it as much as I could. It was special. It was cool to take it in, but we’ll build off this and keep moving forward."

Nashville Predators vs. St. Louis Blues: Live Game Thread

The Nashville Predators (27-36-8, 62 points) host the St. Louis Blues (38-28-7, 83 points) for the fourth and final matchup between the Central Division rivals this season Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.

The Blues lead the season series, 3-0, with each of their last two wins over Nashville coming within the last 10 days. The Blues currently hold a 3-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, while loss to St. Louis in any fashion on Thursday will officially eliminate the Predators from playoff contention.

Juuse Saros will get the start in net for the Predators, while Joel Hofer will tend the twine for the Blues. 

How the Predators Lined Up vs. St. Louis

Forsberg-O'Reilly-Evangelista
Bunting-Stamkos-Marchessault
Smith-Svechkov-Bellows
L'Heureux-McCarron-Sissons

Skjei-Blankenburg
Del Gaizo-Barron
Englund-Stastney

Saros
Annunen

Extra: Vrana, Oesterle
IR: Lauzon, Josi, Wilsby

Fedor Svechkov, Nashville Predators

Predators vs. Blues: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 2, STL 0)

Fedor Svechkov got the scoring started for Nashville with a pinpoint wrist shot from the slot that went bar down at the 2:48 mark of the first period. Michael Bunting made the play behind the net and fed to Svechkov for the score to give Nashville a 1-0 lead. Andreas Englund also recorded a secondary assist on the play for his first point as a member of the Predators.

The Predators doubled their lead on the power play just over halfway through the frame with a shot from the high slot by Brady Skjei. A Ryan Suter slashing penalty gave Nashville the man advantage, and Skjei received a drop pass from Luke Evangelista to score with just 14 seconds remaining on the penalty to make it 2-0 at the 10:16 mark

Evangelista's primary assist on the play gives him six points in his last six games. He has three goals and three assists in that span.

Rockies at Rays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for March 28

The final MLB season opener is in Tampa, FL where the Rays will entertain the Colorado Rockies.

Kyle Freeland is slated to take the mound for Colorado against Ryan Pepiot for Tampa Bay

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

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

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

Game details & how to watch Rockies at Rays

  • Date: Friday, March 28, 2025
  • Time: 4:10PM EST
  • Site: George M. Steinbrenner Field
  • City: Tampa, FL
  • Network/Streaming: Rockies.TV, FDS

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

Odds for the Rockies at the Rays

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Rockies (+168), Rays (-202)
  • Spread:  Rays -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Rockies at Rays

  • Friday’s pitching matchup March 28, 2025: Kyle Freeland vs. Ryan Pepiot
    • Rockies: Kyle Freeland
      Spring Training - 5GP, 19.1 IP, 2-1, 6.16 ERA, 24 Ks
    • Rays: Ryan Pepiot
      Spring Training - 3GP, 8.1 IP, 0-2, 3.38 ERA, 9 Ks

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Rays

  • The Rays have won 7 of their last 9 games at home
  • The Rays' last 5 home games have stayed under the Total
  • Junior Caminero and Brandon Lowe each belted 4 HRs in Spring Training for the Rays
  • Kris Bryant had just 4 hits in 31 ABs in Spring Training for the Rockies

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

Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s game between the Rockies and the Rays

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

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

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

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

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Rockies and the Rays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Tampa Bay Rays on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

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

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Littler wins night eight in Newcastle to extend Premier League lead

  • Teenager storms to 6-1 victory over Humphries
  • Littler now eight points clear at top of the table

Luke Littler earned back-to-back Premier League victories with a 6-1 win over Luke Humphries in the final at Newcastle. Littler also beat Stephen Bunting and Rob Cross on his way to a fourth win of the competition.

Both Littler and Humphries had previously met in two finals during this season’s Premier League, with one win each. Humphries cut a frustrated figure as “the Nuke” stormed into a 4-0 lead with three successive double 20 checkouts.

Continue reading...

Penguins Crosby Joins Exclusive Club With Another 80-Point Season

Sidney Crosby - Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored a first-period goal against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, March 27, securing his 14th 80-point season.

Besides surpassing Wayne Gretzky for the NHL record of 20 seasons averaging a point-per-game, Crosby also joins The Great One in an exclusive club featuring three other Hockey Hall of Famers.

Since turning 30 in 2017, Crosby has compiled six seasons of 80 points or more, which ties Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito, and Jean Ratelle for most 80-point seasons by a player age 30 or older.

BREAKING: Sidney Crosby Breaks Wayne Gretzky's Point-Per-Game Seasons RecordBREAKING: Sidney Crosby Breaks Wayne Gretzky's Point-Per-Game Seasons RecordAfter 20 years in the making, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has made NHL history.

After the 2023-24 season, Crosby had five seasons on his resume, tying him with fellow Hall of Famers: Martin St. Louis, Joe Sakic, Adam Oates, Mark Messier, Ray Bourque, and Johnny Bucyk.

If the Penguins' captain can score 80 points in his last two seasons, he'd overtake the record and set the bar at eight seasons. 

However, when looking at the list of active players over 30 with at least two 80-point campaigns, Crosby would be wise to pay attention to the careers of Artemi Panarin (33) and Nikita Kucherov (31), as these two superstars have the skills to eventually find themselves at or near the top of this exclusive list.

Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesPittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and on pace to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season, a first in Sidney Crosby's 20-year career. However, there is plenty to play for in the final weeks of the regular season. 

BREAKING: Sidney Crosby Breaks Wayne Gretzky's Point-Per-Game Seasons Record

Mar 4, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

After 20 years in the making, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has made NHL history.

On Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, Crosby registered a first-period goal to clinch his 20th consecutive NHL season at a point-per-game pace, which officially breaks the previous NHL record set by Wayne Gretzky at 19.

Crosby also accomplished the record by doing so in the first 20 seasons of his career, meaning he has not registered a season under point-per-game - something that has never been done in NHL history.

He is also riding a nine-game point streak (seven goals, 14 points) - which is the longest active streak in the NHL - and he leads the NHL in five-on-five points this season with 59.


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