Examining how rare Stanley Cup Final rematches are as Panthers, Oilers prepare for sequel series

There have been four instances in the post-expansion era where the same two teams have played each other in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals.

We’re about to have the fifth.

For the second straight year, the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will lock horns in the Stanley Cup Final.

Last year’s series was an epic seven-game marathon that saw each team win three straight games before Florida eventually took home the title by winning a great seventh game.

How the rematch plays out remains to be seen, but just the prospect of another novela of a Final has many of us very excited.

Historically, it’s rare when this kind of situation arises.

The first time since expansion that we saw a Stanley Cup Final rematch came in 1968 and 1969, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the St. Louis Blues in consecutive years.

Montreal then pulled off back-to-back Stanley Cups against the same team again in 1977 and 1978, this time defeating the Boston Bruins both times.

A Final rematch happened once in the 1980s, with the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers going to battle two years in a row.

In 1984, it was the Islanders winning their fourth straight Stanley Cup against the up-and-coming Oilers. The following year, Edmonton ended New York's drive for five, winning their first of five Cups in seven years.

After that, we went over two decades until the next Stanley Cup rematch.

Back in 2008 and 2009, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins went toe-to-toe in back-to-back Finals.

Detroit won the first round in '08 and then Pittsburgh took them down the following season.

Will we get another split this time, or will the Panthers take home back-to-back Stanley Cups?

We’ll find out in the coming weeks.

Have your popcorn ready!

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Photo caption: Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (91) shakes hands with Edmonton Oilers right wing Corey Perry (90) after game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

MLB players’ families grapple with rising online threats as sports betting surges

HOUSTON — Soon after Lance McCullers Jr.’s family received online death threats following a tough start by the Houston Astros’ pitcher, his 5-year-old daughter, Ava, overheard wife Kara talking on the phone about it.

What followed was a painful conversation between McCullers and his little girl.

“She asked me when I came home: ‘Daddy like what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?’” McCullers told The Associated Press. “So, those conversations are tough to deal with.”

McCullers is one of two MLB pitchers whose families have received online death threats as internet abuse of players and their families is on the rise. Boston reliever Liam Hendriks took to social media soon after the incident with McCullers to call out people who were threatening his wife’s life and directing “vile” comments at him.

The Astros contacted MLB security and the Houston Police Department following the threats to McCullers. A police spokesperson said that it remains an ongoing investigation.

McCullers, who has two young daughters, took immediate action after the threats and hired 24-hour security for his family.

“You have to at that point,” he said.

Abuse increasing with rise in sports gambling

Players from around the league agree that online abuse has gotten progressively worse in recent years. Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich, a 13-year MLB veteran and the 2018 NL MVP, said receiving online abuse is “a nightly thing” for most players.

“I think over the last few years it’s definitely increased,” he said. “It’s increased to the point that you’re just: ‘All right, here we go.’ It doesn’t even really register on your radar anymore. I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing. You’re just so used to that on a day-to-day, night-to-night basis. It’s not just me. It’s everybody in here, based on performance.”

And many players believe it’s directly linked to the rise in legalized sports betting.

“You get a lot of DMs or stuff like that about you ruining someone’s bet or something ridiculous like that,” veteran Red Sox reliever Justin Wilson said. “I guess they should make better bets.”

Hendriks has had enough

Hendriks, a 36-year-old reliever who previously battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma, said on Instagram that he and his wife received death threats after a loss to the Mets. He added that people left comments saying that they wished he would have died from cancer among other abusive comments.

He later discussed the issue and his decision to speak out about it.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “Like at some point, everyone just like sucking up and dealing with it isn’t accomplishing anything. And we pass along to security. We pass along to whoever we need to, but nothing ends up happening. And it happens again the next night. And so, at some point, someone has to make a stand. And it’s one of those things where the more eyes we get on it, the more voices we get talking about it. Hopefully it can push it in the right direction.”

What teams are doing

Both the Astros and the Red Sox are working with MLB security to take action against social media users who direct threats toward players and their families. Red Sox spokesperson Abby Murphy added that they’ve taken steps in recent years to make sure player’ families are safe during games. That includes security staff and Boston police stationed in the family section at home and dedicated security in the traveling party to monitor the family section on the road.

Murphy said identifying those who make anonymous threats online is difficult, but: “both the Red Sox and MLB have cyber programs and analysts dedicated to identifying and removing these accounts.”

The Astros have uniformed police officers stationed in the family section, a practice that was implemented well before the threats to McCullers and his family.

Abandoning social media

For some players, online abuse has gotten so bad that they’ve abandoned social media. Detroit All-Star outfielder Riley Greene is one of them, saying he got off because he received so many messages from people blaming him for failed bets.

“I deleted it,” he said of Instagram. “I’m off it. It sucks, but it’s the world we live in, and we can’t do anything about it. People would DM me and say nasty things, tell me how bad of a player I am, and say nasty stuff that we don’t want to hear.”

Criticism is part of the game, threats are not

The 31-year-old McCullers, who returned this year after missing two full seasons with injuries, said dealing with this has been the worst thing that’s happened in his career. He understands the passion of fans and knows that being criticized for a poor performance is part of the game. But he believes there’s a “moral line” that fans shouldn’t cross.

“People should want us to succeed,” he said. “We want to succeed, but it shouldn’t come at a cost to our families, the kids in our life, having to feel like they’re not safe where they live or where they sit at games.”

Houston manager Joe Espada was livid when he learned about the threats to McCullers and his family and was visibly upset when he addressed what happened with reporters.

Espada added that the team has mental health professionals available to the players to talk about the toll such abuse takes on them and any other issues they may be dealing with.

“We are aware that when we step on the field, fans expect and we expect the best out of ourselves,” Espada said. “But when we are trying to do our best and things don’t go our way while we’re trying to give you everything we got and now you’re threatening our families and kids — now I do have a big issue with that, right? I just did not like it.”

Kansas City’s Salvador Perez, a 14-year MLB veteran, hasn’t experienced online abuse but was appalled by what happened to McCullers. If something like that happened to him he said it would change the way he interacts with fans.

“Now some fans, real fans, they’re gonna pay for that, too,” he said. “Because if I was him, I wouldn’t take a picture or sign anything for nobody because of that one day.”

McCullers wouldn’t go that far but admitted it has changed his mindset.

“It does make you kind of shell up a little bit,” he said. “It does make you kind of not want to go places. I guess that’s just probably the human reaction to it.”

Finding a solution

While most players have dealt with some level of online abuse in their careers, no one has a good idea of how to stop it.

“I’m thankful I’m not in a position where I have to find a solution to this,” Tigers’ pitcher Tyler Holton said. “But as a person who is involved in this, I wish this wasn’t a topic of conversation.”

White Sox outfielder Mike Tauchman is disheartened at how bad player abuse has gotten. While it’s mostly online, he added that he’s had teammates that have had racist and homophobic things yelled at them during games.

“Outside of just simply not having social media I really don’t see that getting better before it just continues to get worse,” he said. “I mean, I think it’s kind of the way things are now. Like, people just feel like they have the right to say whatever they want to whoever they want and it’s behind a keyboard and there’s really no repercussions, right?”

Hiring Kekalainen Gives Sabres A Draft Guru (And Potentially Their Next GM)

The fire underneath Kevyn Adams' chair just got a little hotter.

The Buffalo Sabres announced they have hired Jarmo Kekalainen as a senior advisor, serving to GM Kevyn Adams.

The two executives will be working side-by-side in an effort to get the Sabres back to the Stanley Cup playoffs, as they pushed their drought to 14 straight seasons without a playoff berth. However, if things don't change fast for the Sabres, Adams could be looking at his next successor.

Kekalainen was a long-time GM for the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013 to 2024. Following his dismissal in February 2024, he has served as a senior advisor for Liiga’s HIFK in Finland.

Bringing in Kekalainen gives Adams an extra set of experienced set of hands on the steering when it comes to managing his team, specifically for the upcoming draft where the Sabres have the ninth overall pick.

Kekalainen, who with Columbus drafted Zach Werenski, Kent Johnson and Adam Fantilli in the first round, has a track record of unearthing late-round gems, specifically Europeans. With the Blue Jackets, he also drafted Oliver Bjorkstrand, Vladislav Gavrikov, Kirill Marchenko, Elvis Merzlikins, Dmitry Voronkov, and several others who were selected outside the first round.

With Buffalo looking to take the next step and get into the playoffs, it will be interesting to see if the Sabres keep their first-round pick or try and package it in a trade for a player who can help the team right now. Further to that, the team will be looking to add significant players in free agency, with Jarmo also has plenty of experience, having convinced Johnny Gaudreau in 2022 to sign in Columbus over the New York Islanders and other destinations.

Opinion: Johnny Gaudreau Signing with the Blue Jackets Over Devils and Flyers Looks Like a Big MistakeOpinion: Johnny Gaudreau Signing with the Blue Jackets Over Devils and Flyers Looks Like a Big MistakeJohnny Gaudreau likely didn't expect the Columbus Blue Jackets to be this low in the NHL standings when he signed a seven-year deal. Should they consider a trade?

“From his extensive history in scouting, his long tenure as an NHL general manager and his vast experience at the international and European pro levels, Jarmo has a remarkable resume and a long history of success in this league,” Adams said in a statement.

“I spoke with a number of candidates about this role and it’s clear to me that Jarmo is a perfect fit for our team. I couldn’t be more excited to add another significant piece to our front office as we continue the process of adding to our staff,” the Sabres GM added.

After his playing days, Kekalainen became a European scout for the Ottawa Senators for four seasons, before being promoted to the Director of Player Personnel. Later, with the St. Louis Blues, he became the Director of Amateur Scouting and eventually the assistant GM.

Why Marner To Buffalo Is A Non-Starter Why Marner To Buffalo Is A Non-Starter The Buffalo Sabres have reached the highest level of hockey ignominity with their playoff drought extending to 14 seasons, but after strong statements regarding potential organizational changes last month at their season-ending press conferences, there have been only rumors of possible managerial and coaching shakeups. 

In addition to Kekalainen being an asset for Adams, he could be a threat, too. Adams has been Buffalo’s GM for the last five seasons, and they are yet to get a sniff of the playoffs or gradual improvement.

With Kekalainen’s experience and history, if the Sabres part ways with Adams in the future, the Finnish executive could be the next man up.

Flyers re-sign RFA defenseman who made NHL debut in 2024-25

Flyers re-sign RFA defenseman who made NHL debut in 2024-25 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Helge Grans, who gave the Flyers solid minutes when needed this season, signed a two-year, $1.575 million contract with the club Friday.

The deal is a two-way contract in Year 1 and a one-way contract in Year 2, while the average annual value of it is $787,500. The 23-year-old defenseman will remain a restricted free agent when the deal expires.

With the Flyers hurting on the back end in November, Grans was called up to make his NHL debut. He played six games for the big club and showed some promise, recording an assist and five blocked shots.

“I would say I’m a two-way defenseman who can handle the puck,” Grans said before his debut. “But I like to play a defensive role. … I feel my offensive game has gotten a bit better this year with some confidence.”

In 66 regular-season games for AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, the 6-foot-4 righty shot had 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) and a minus-2 rating. He added four points (one goal, three assists) in seven playoff games.

“I really like Gransy, that’s a guy that nobody talks about, but there’s something there about him,” former Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere said in September. “He moves well, he moves the puck well and that’s one of those D that, if you don’t notice him when you watch the game, it’s because he did his job.”

Grans will look to impress the Flyers’ new coaching staff this fall in training camp. He came to Philadelphia from the Kings’ organization as part of the three-team Ivan Provorov trade in June 2023. He was a 2020 second-round pick of Los Angeles.

“I heard from my agency that it’s a rebuild and a lot of young guys here,” Grans said at the Flyers’ 2023 development camp. They’re building up here, so I’m very excited to be here.”

On Thursday, the Flyers re-signed restricted free agent Tyson Foerster. Cam York, Noah Cates and Jakob Pelletier are the big club’s other RFAs in line for new deals.

Football Daily | PSG and Inter to serve up continental treat in Champions League final

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With the 2024-25 season in Uefa-land drawing to its glamorous close, is there a better time to assess how the whole thing went down with everything considered in the round? Yes! But Football Daily doesn’t publish on Sunday morning, so let’s make the best of a bad lot. And it’s been a good year for English football all right. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United went to the artistic and creative mecca of Bilbao and staged what can only be described as a dirty protest, a Chelsea squad worth £1,400,000,000 struggled against (though eventually steamrollered) a team collectively priced at 0.96% of a Mykhailo Mudryk, and it’s fair to say the rest of the continent will be extremely glad to see the back of us.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

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3 Things Panthers Need To Beat Oilers & Win Stanley Cup Again

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are set to face off in the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row. The Panthers will now look to defeat the Oilers again to become back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. 

However, the Panthers know that the Oilers are going to be an extremely tough challenge. Edmonton has an incredible roster and is entering the Stanley Cup Final red-hot. Thus, if the Panthers hope to defeat them, they need these three things to happen. 

Panthers Need To Shut Down Connor McDavid & Oilers' Stars

If the Panthers hope to knock out the Oilers, they going to need to shut down Connor McDavid and the rest of their top stars. McDavid has been excellent this post-season, recording six goals and 26 points in 16 games. Leon Draisaitl has 25 points in 16 games, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard are also producing at an over a point-per-game pace. 

Besides their top stars, the Oilers are also getting strong production from players like Evander Kane, Corey Perry, and Connor Brown. With all of this, the Panthers need to be on their A-game defensively if they hope to get by the Oilers.

Panthers Need Sergei Bobrovsky To Outplay Stuart Skinner

A major reason for the Panthers' success this post-season has been the play of Sergei Bobrovsky. The 36-year-old currently has a 12-5 record, a 2.11 goals-against average, and a .912 save percentage. However, after a tough start to the playoffs, Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner has also been excellent. Skinner has recorded three shutouts and a .966 save percentage or better in five out of his last seven games.

With how hot Skinner is playing right now, the Panthers are going to need Bobrovsky to thrive against Edmonton. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner has shown that he is capable of stepping up in the playoffs, and it will be fascinating to see if he does that against Edmonton from here. 

Panthers Need Offense To Continue To Shine

The Panthers' offense has been excellent this post-season, and another notable reason why Florida is back in the Stanley Cup Final. Besides getting strong offensive production from their top stars, their depth guys have also been stepping up big time. For example, Eetu Luostarinen has a notable 13 points in 17 games. In addition, the Panthers have had 19 different goal-scorers this playoffs.

The Oilers' are an offensively-dominant team, so the Panthers will need their top players, like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Sam Bennett to step up for them. 

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Photo Credit:  © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Oilers vs Florida Panthers: Full 2025 Schedule & 3 Bold Series Predictions

Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)

EDMONTON – Get ready Oil Country, the Stanley Cup Final is coming for you.

After the Edmonton Oilers smashed the Dallas Stars' dreams of competing in the final playoff round, the NHL announced the schedule for the Cup Final.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest newsgame-day coverage, and more

For the second consecutive season, the Oilers will face the Florida Panthers, winner-take-all.

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Oilers vs Panthers Full 2025 Series Schedule

All games are posted in Mountain Time. Italics are used for games that will only be played if necessary. Bold denotes home games.

Game 1: June 4 (Wednesday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM

Game 2: June 6 (Friday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM

Game 3: June 9 (Monday) - Edmonton at Florida - 6 PM

Game 4: June 12 (Thursday) - Edmonton at Florida - 6 PM

Game 5: June 14 (Saturday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM

Game 6: June 17 (Tuesday) - Edmonton at Florida - 6 PM

Game 7: June 20 (Friday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM

3 Stanley Cup Final Series Predictions

A new series needs a new series of predictions. This might be the second year that these teams are facing each other, but this is not last year’s Edmonton Oilers.

Here are my three major series predictions:

Oilers Won’t Go Down 0-3

The Oilers have not lost more than two games in a row for this entire playoff run. Since losing their first two games against the Los Angeles Kings, they have only lost two total games.

They have demonstrated a calmness and maturity that they didn’t have last year. Those attributes will serve them well in the Cup Final. And there is no way that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl allow their team to be put in the same unfortunate situation.

Evander Kane Will Be Evander Kane

It’s time for the Oilers to raise some Kane…that is, Evander Kane.

Last year, Kane was virtually invisible in the series against the Panthers. He only played two games (Games 1 & 2), recording two hits and one block in 25 total minutes of ice time.

That’s not going to be good enough this year.

Kane seemingly took a backseat during the Dallas Stars series. I suspect he might have struggled to find a way to get physically engaged. There should be no struggles to get physically engaged with the likes of former Calgary Flames forwards Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk.

Oilers Will Get The Last Laugh

My final prediction: the Oilers will win the Stanley Cup. There is enough different about this year’s Oilers that they won’t fail in the final twice. Oilers in five.

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Knicks found blueprint to come all the way back, beat Pacers, but can they execute it two more times?

Thursday night the Knicks followed the blueprint.

The question now is, can they repeat it two more times?

Throughout the Eastern Conference Finals, we've been waiting for New York to ramp up its defensive intensity across the board, to be the more physical team and drag the game down into the mud, where it could win. Instead, for three of the four games, Indiana was the more physical team. Surprisingly, Tyrese Haliburton has been more physical than Jalen Brunson. The Pacers were given enough room to run their free-flowing offense, which is elite when Haliburton is scoring, then driving into the paint and then finding cutters or kicking out to shooters.

Thursday night, the Knicks brought a swarming defensive energy they had only shown in flashes this series — they were up in the bodies of the Pacers, bothering them. Mitchell Robinson helped lead that, but even the bench guys like Landry Shamet — not a guy exactly known for his defense — were swarming guys and making plays.

"I'm just very proud of what we did," Brunson said after the game. "Now, we've just got to replicate it in the first quarter of next game and then continue to build on that."

Knicks comeback blueprint

Brunson is right. For the Knicks to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since The Matrix was in theaters, they need to build off of what we saw in Game 5 and be better than they were in that blowout win. New York needs to execute under pressure and take care of the ball, limiting turnovers (they still had 15 Thursday night), and they need guys like OG Anunoby (3-of-14 in Game 5) and Duece McBride (3-of-10 on open 3-pointers in this series) to step up and hit shots.

New York also needs to carry over a lot of things from Game 5. This attacking version of Karl-Anthony Towns has to show up.

On the other end of the court, Brunson and the Knicks were more aggressive in taking the ball out of Haliburton's hands, and in the face of that, Haliburton was passive. He was not seeking out his shots — he took just seven for the game — instead, he was driving to pass, which threw the entire team off balance. With Haliburton struggling, nobody else stepped up. Myles Turner turned the ball over twice early and was off all night. Indiana's execution was lacking in the way the Knicks' execution was lacking in other games this series. Thursday night it was Indiana being sloppy with the ball.

(Note to the Pacers: If you thought the Knicks' physical, swarming defense was an issue, I'd like to introduce you to the Oklahoma City Thunder. You ain't seen nothing yet.)

For the Knicks to win this series, that defensive pressure has to keep Indiana on its heels and off-balance. The Pacers will play better at home, New York can't let up.

Tom Thibodeau must continue to trust his bench — including Shamet, Hart, Delon Wright, and Precious Achiuwa, whose minutes all matter in keeping their stars fresh.

Additionally, Brunson has to continue to be the best player on the court. He was the aggressor on this night and led the Knicks in getting downhill and scoring 60 points in the paint on 58.8% shooting. New York had eight and-1s in the game. Brunson was himself again.

Don't expect passivity from the Pacers at home in Game 6 on Saturday night — with the home crowd behind them, they should be able to match the desperation of the Knicks. It's tempting to say that Game 6 is Indiana's Game 7, that they have to close it out because they can't win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden — except they did that just a year ago, when they blew out the Knicks by 21 in a Game 7 in Manhattan.

Still, the Pacers don't want a return trip to New York, Game 7s can be random. Indiana wants to close it out.

New York now has the blueprint to stop that and come all the way back and win the series. Whether they can execute it will be the question.

Athletics at Blue Jays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for May 30

Its Friday, May 30 and the Athletics (23-34) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (28-28).

Jeffrey Springs is slated to take the mound for Oakland against Chris Bassitt for Toronto.

Toronto took care of business in the series opener last night with a 12-0 smack of the Athletics. Ernie Clement drove in five runs and Bo Bichette knocked in three as the Jays pulled back to an even .500 for the season with an overall record of 28-28.

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 Athletics at Blue Jays

  • Date: Friday, May 30, 2025
  • Time: 7:07PM EST
  • Site: Rogers Centre
  • City: Toronto, ON
  • Network/Streaming: NBCSCA, SN1, Sportsnet

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 Athletics at the Blue Jays

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Athletics (+140), Blue Jays (-165)
  • Spread:  Blue Jays -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Athletics at Blue Jays

  • Pitching matchup for May 30, 2025: Jeffrey Springs vs. Chris Bassitt
    • Athletics: Jeffrey Springs (5-3, 3.97 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/24 vs. Philadelphia - 6IP, 3ER, 4H, 2BB, 6Ks
    • Blue Jays: Chris Bassitt (4-3, 3.38 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/25 at Tampa Bay - 4IP, 5ER, 9H, 2BB, 2Ks

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Athletics at Blue Jays

  • The Blue Jays have won 7 of their last 9 home games with Chris Bassitt on the bump
  • The Blue Jays' last 6 home games with Chris Bassitt on the mound have gone under the Total
  • The Blue Jays have covered the Run Line in 6 of their last 7 home games with Chris Bassitt as the starter
  • Bo Bichette has homered in back-to-back games
  • Anthony Santander is without a hit in his last 5 games (0-17) and has just 4 hits in his last 12 games (4-33)

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

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Athletics and the Blue Jays

Rotoworld Best Bet

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

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

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Athletics and the Blue Jays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Toronto Blue Jays on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Toronto Blue Jays at -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0.

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

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Tigers at Royals prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends, and stats for May 30

Its Friday, May 30 and the Tigers (37-20) are in Kansas City to take on the Royals (30-27).

Casey Mize is slated to take the mound for Detroit against Seth Lugo for Kansas City.

The Tigers finished off a three-game sweep of the Giants in Motown Wednesday with a 4-3 win. Colt Keith and Justyn-Henry Malloy each drove in a pair to account for the Detroit offense.

KC salvaged the final game of their three-game series against the Reds with a 3-2 win Wednesday. Bobby Witt Jr. drove in a pair and Noah Cameron allowed just a single run over 6.1 innings to earn the win.

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 Tigers at Royals

  • Date: Friday, May 30, 2025
  • Time: 8:10PM EST
  • Site: Kauffman Stadium
  • City: Kansas City, MO
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNDT, FDSNKC

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 Tigers at the Royals

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Tigers (-116), Royals (-103)
  • Spread:  Tigers -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Tigers at Royals

  • Pitching matchup for May 30, 2025: Casey Mize vs. Seth Lugo
    • Tigers: Casey Mize (6-1, 2.46 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/24 vs. Cleveland - 5IP, 1ER, 4H, 1BB, 6Ks
    • Royals: Seth Lugo (3-4, 3.02 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/11 vs. Boston - 6IP, 3ER, 6H, 0BB, 5Ks

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Tigers at Royals

  • The Tigers are on a 4-game winning streak
  • The Under is 8-5-1 in the Tigers' matchups against AL Central teams this season
  • The Tigers have covered the Run Line in 3 straight road games against the Royals
  • Gleyber Torres is 6-20 (.300) over his last 8 games
  • Bobby Witt Jr. is 8-44 (.182) over his last 11 games

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

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Tigers and the Royals

Rotoworld Best Bet

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

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

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

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Detroit Tigers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play ATS on the Detroit Tigers at -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

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

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

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

Celtics player spotlight: Last chance for Jordan Walsh to earn larger role?

Celtics player spotlight: Last chance for Jordan Walsh to earn larger role? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jordan Walsh was the youngest member of the Boston Celtics each of the last two years.

Even though he showed signs of improvement this past season, we’re still waiting for the 2023 second-round pick to have that breakout moment.

Jayson Tatum’s injury and any offseason roster changes that are made could give Walsh more of an opportunity with the Celtics in the fall, but it will be up to him to seize it.

As we continue our “Celtics Player Spotlight” series, let’s recap Walsh’s 2024-25 season and analyze how he fits into Boston’s lineup for 2025-26:

2024-25 Season Recap

After playing in just nine games as a rookie, Walsh appeared in 52 contests in Year 2, including five of Boston’s 11 playoff matchups. He averaged 1.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 7.8 minutes per game.

Walsh scored 10-plus points in two games this season — Dec. 31 against the Raptors and the April 13 season finale versus the Hornets. He also tallied season highs in minutes (21) and rebounds (eight) in that matchup against Charlotte.

Walsh is a good defender with enough length and athleticism to defend multiple positions. He brings great energy to the court, too.

Contract details

Walsh has completed the first two years of his rookie contact. He has a salary cap hit of $2.21 million for the 2025-26 season, per Spotrac. His contract includes a team option for the 2026-27 campaign.

Potential roles for 2025-26

Scenario 1: Walsh improves as an outside shooter, plays larger role

Walsh’s defense is solid, but that alone won’t give him a larger role for the Celtics. They need scoring off the bench, and especially from the wing positions with Tatum potentially missing most or all of next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury.

Walsh has struggled to make an impact offensively with the Celtics. He has shot 36.7 percent from the floor, 26.6 percent on 3-pointers and 57.1 percent from the free throw line over two seasons. It’s not a large sample size and the volume of shot attempts is low, but there hasn’t been much to like from his offensive game so far.

If he improves his 3-point shooting, that should open up more minutes for him next season.

Scenario 2: Walsh doesn’t provide enough offense to justify more meaningful role

If Walsh is unable to stretch the floor as an outside shooter, or if he can’t produce offense in another way, then it’s hard to see how he earns a more prominent role in his third season.

If Walsh is unable to become a 3-and-D wing who can average 10-plus minutes per game, then it’s fair to wonder whether the Celtics will pick up his team option for the 2026-27 season. A wing who is a poor 3-point shooter doesn’t really fit with how the Celtics have played on offense under head coach Joe Mazzulla over the last three seasons.

Final thoughts

With a team option in his contract for 2026-27, the upcoming season might be Walsh’s best (and maybe last?) chance to carve out a consistent role for the Celtics.

His defense is definitely NBA-caliber, but he must make more of an impact offensively.

The Celtics, with an expensive roster as a team in the second apron, need low-cost players to play meaningful roles. Walsh stepping up in Year 3 would benefit Boston tremendously.

Jonathan Marchessault reportedly open to trade from Predators

After making a splash in free agency last season, Nashville Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault could be on the move again. 

Frank Seravalli said on Wednesday on Daily Faceoff Live that Marchessault is reportedly "open to the idea of being traded this offseason," with Montreal being a desired location. Marchessault is from Quebec City. 

Marchessault signed a 5-year, $27.5 million contract with the Predators on July 1, 2024, after the Vegas Golden Knights passed on resigning him. 

He had spent the majority of his career in Vegas, picked up by the team in the 2017 Expansion Draft from the Florida Panthers. Marchessault made a name for himself as a Golden Knight, playing 514 games, recording 417 points and winning the 2023 Stanley Cup and Conn Smyth Trophy. 

When his contract expired at the end of the 2023-24 season, Marchessault expressed that he didn't want to leave Vegas and wanted to finish his career as a Golden Knight. 

“I’ve done everything I can to stay here,” Marchessault said to local media on May 15, 2024. “I would love to stay. This is my home. I’ve been part of the guys that started this. It’s the most proud thing I’ve done in my life." 

Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon cited the length of Marchessault's desired contract, five years, and his age by the time it'd expire, 38 years old, as the reasons why Vegas didn't resign him.  

Marchessault and Steven Stamkos' signing as free agents made the Predators look like a preseason playoff favorite, but the offense never really clicked.

Marchessault finished with 56 points in 78 games, 13 points behind his 2023-24 total. Stamkos finished with 53 points in 82 games, 28 points behind his previous season's total. 

The Predators finished with a 30-44-8 record, finishing sixth in the Central Division. 

If Marchessault was traded, and depending on who the Predators would receive, offloading his contract could open up a ton of space in the salary cap. This would allow Nashville to shop for some big-name free agents come July 1, potentially. 

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner is expected to be the hottest free agent on the market this summer. He just finished a six-year, $65.41 million contract. 

Nationals at Diamondbacks Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends and stats for May 30

Its Friday, May 30 and the Nationals (26-30) are in Phoenix to take on the Diamondbacks (27-29).

Jake Irvin is slated to take the mound for Washington against Merrill Kelly for Arizona.

The Nationals closed out their series with the Mariners with a 9-3 win in ten innings last night in Seattle. Josh Bell went yard as part of Washington's seven-run tenth inning to help secure the series win.

Arizona was off yesterday following back-to-back losses to the Pirates including a 10-1 smack on Wednesday. Zac Gallen opened the floodgates allowing five earned runs over five innings for the home team.

Lets dive into the opener in this series 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 Nationals at Diamondbacks

  • Date: Friday, May 30, 2025
  • Time: 9:40PM EST
  • Site: Chase Field
  • City: Phoenix, AZ
  • Network/Streaming: MASN2, ARID

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 Nationals at the Diamondbacks

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Nationals (+181), Diamondbacks (-219)
  • Spread:  Diamondbacks -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Nationals at Diamondbacks

  • Pitching matchup for May 30, 2025: Jake Irvin vs. Merrill Kelly
    • Nationals: Jake Irvin (4-1, 3.42 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/24 vs. San Francisco - 8IP, 0ER, 3H, 2BB, 7Ks
    • Diamondbacks: Merrill Kelly (5-2, 3.52 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/24 at St. Louis - 6IP, 4ER, 6H, 1BB, 6Ks

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

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

  • The Diamondbacks have won their last 3 against the Nationals with Merrill Kelly as the starting pitcher
  • With Merrill Kelly starting the Over was 5-2 (71%) in the Diamondbacks' home games last season
  • The Diamondbacks have failed to cover the Run Line in 7 straight games when they've held a rest advantage
  • CJ Abrams is 2-24 (.083) in his last 6 games
  • Corbin Carroll is 5-39 (.128) in his last 9 games

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

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Nationals and the Diamondbacks

Rotoworld Best Bet

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

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

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

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

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Arizona Diamondbacks on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

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

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

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

6 Former Ducks Advance to 2025 Stanley Cup Final

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final matchup is set, and it might look a little familiar. That’s because it will be a rematch of the 2024 Cup Final.

Six former Anaheim Ducks will take part in the second consecutive Florida Panthers-Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Final, though only three of those players were involved in last season’s affair.

Adam Henrique and Corey Perry were on the losing side for the Oilers while Dmitry Kulikov marked his return to the team that drafted him by playing a crucial role in their run to their first ever Stanley Cup.

Oilers Have Big Opportunity In Cup Final RematchOilers Have Big Opportunity In Cup Final RematchEDMONTON – They could smell the blood in the water.

Now, Max Jones and John Klingberg have joined Henrique and Perry on the Oilers’ end. Defenseman Jaycob Megna has done the same with Kulikov and the Panthers.

Perry, 40, scored goals in consecutive games to help the Oilers knock off the Dallas Stars in five games. Henrique put the finishing touches on Game 4’s victory and Klingberg has proven to be a dependable option on the blue line for head coach Kris Knoblauch since returning from an injury that kept him out for most of the regular season.

Most of Kulikov’s ice time in this year’s playoffs has come on his off-side, playing alongside fellow left-hander Nate Schmidt as the Panthers’ de-facto third pair. Head coach Paul Maurice has utilized all three of his pairs efficiently, creating matchups that he can use in any situation.

May 24, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA;Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) controls the puck during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Jones and Megna have been on the outside looking in for their respective teams, acting as reserves. Neither of them have appeared in a single game this postseason and both are unlikely to barring catastrophic injury circumstances.

Regardless of the result, a former Duck will hoist Lord Stanley again. Last season, it was Kulikov, Anthony Stolarz, Brandon Montour and Josh Mahura who got the glory. Henrique and Perry will look to exact revenge after coming one game away from reaching the peak of the National Hockey League.

Featured image caption: May 29, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Edmonton Oilers right wing Corey Perry (90) reacts after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Related articles:

Former Duck Jakob Silfverberg Wins Trio of Awards

Five Ducks Medal at 2025 Worlds

The Anaheim Ducks' Pitch to Mitch Marner in Free Agency