Connor Zary’s Next Deal a Priority for Flames

Signing Connor Zary should be near the top of Flames’ GM Craig Conroy’s to-do list.

The 23-year-old forward is a Restricted Free Agent (RFA), and while his numbers don’t scream ‘super star’ just yet— 13 goals, 14 assists, 27 points in 53 games last season—there’s no mistaking the upside.

Zary showed flashes of top-six potential before two fluke injuries derailed his year: first, a knee-on-knee collision in Anaheim and then an awkward fall after being hauled down against Dallas.

© Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Still, when he’s healthy, Zary drives play and creates dynamic offence. A full season could see him push 25 goals and 50 points. His scoring touch showed in 2022–23 with the AHL’s Wranglers, where he played all 72 games and racked up 21 goals and 58 points.

He also has the potential to slide from wing to centre, which would give the Flames much needed stability down the middle. 

Zary can be streaky at times, but his game is still maturing. If he finds another level of consistency, he becomes a key piece in Calgary’s forward group.

Drafted 24th overall in 2020, Zary is coming off a three-year entry-level deal with a modest $863,334 cap hit.

The Flames are in a great spot to sign him at value. The production may not match the ceiling just yet—but it’s coming. Zary isn’t just part of the future—he’s shown he can make an impact now.

© Tim Fuller-Imagn Images

© Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Mets vs. Reds: How to watch on SNY on July 18, 2025

The Mets open a three-game series against the Reds at Citi Field on Friday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...


Mets Notes

  • Juan Soto is hitting .317/.457/.676 with 15 home runs, five doubles, 31 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 35 walks over his last 41 games
  • Edwin Diaz has allowed one earned run since April 21. For the season, he has a 1.66 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 55 strikeouts in 38.0 innings
  • Sean Manaea, who made his season debut last Sunday against the Royals, gets the start

REDS
METS
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What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

  • Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 
  • Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account. 
  • Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. 

How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

  • Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 
  • Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  
  • To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here

Fresh engraving of Brad Marchand's name with Panthers on Stanley Cup directly under his 2011 Bruins

Earlier this month, the Stanley Cup was freshly engraved with the names of the latest NHL champions.

In case you forgot, that just happened to be the Florida Panthers, who claimed the Cup for the second straight season.

That means the new engravings were placed directly next to last year’s Panthers’ names, which is one of the cool things about winning back-to-back Cups.

Other than the side-by-side glory that will live on forever, there was another interesting element about the placement of the new engravings that caught some attention.

Before getting to that, let’s take a moment to appreciate the efforts of a certain Trade Deadline addition who played a massive role in Florida’s postseason success this year.

Brad Marchand, acquired at the deadline for a second-round pick that has since become a first-round pick, seemed to get better and better as the playoffs went by.

The plays he made and the goals he scored during the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers were something out of a storybook.

He’ll get a good chance to keep the magic going after signing a six-year extension to stay with the Panthers through the end of his Hall of Fame career.

Whether the 37-year-old and the Cats get another few cracks at the Stanley Cup remains to be seen, but seeing him step up during Florida’s playoff run was something Panthers fans will never forget.

Getting back to the Cup, here’s the interesting thing referenced earlier.

Directly above the 2024-25 Florida Panthers’ names that have been freshly engraved on the historic trophy are the 2010-11 Boston Bruins.

Image

Photo caption: The Stanley Cup made an appearance at the Flanigans in Hallandale Beach on Wednesday. (Photo source: @miamiguydylan on X) 

That means anytime a Panthers fan checks out the Cats’ names on the Stanley Cup, they won’t have to look far to find Marchand’s name from when he won the Cup with Boston.

Of course, that also means that when Bruins fans seek out their latest Stanley Cup win, and only since the early 70s, they might also catch a glimpse of Marchand’s name under the Panthers banner.

We’ll get an idea of how the longtime Bruins star will be received back in Boston when the Panthers visit TD Garden on Oct. 21.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Stanley Cup finds its way to South Florida staple Flanigan's

Tobias Bjornfot Returns To Panthers On One-Year, Two-Way Deal

Panthers Sign Forward Wilmer Skoog To A One-Year, Two-Way Deal

Once again, Florida Panthers given unfavorable schedule full of confusing travel, plenty of back-to-back sets

New Report Shares Bad News About Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk's Injury

Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Fantasy Baseball second-half breakouts and bouncebacks: Oneil Cruz, Zebby Matthews, more

The second half is underway, and I promise you there is still time to make up ground in your fantasy leagues. If you’ve dealt with injuries or poor performance or just can’t quite seem to string together consistent success, there is still time to make tweaks to get your team to a title.

Similarly, there is still time for players to make tweaks to find another level of success. For some, we’ve been seeing the groundwork laid for that success already.

In this article, I’m going to highlight players who have failed to meet our expectations in the first half. Some of them are guys who have battled injuries, others haven’t quite found their groove, and others have given us some elements of fantasy goodness but are due for more. All of them are players who I think will have far more fantasy value after the All-Star break than they did before.

In order to narrow the scope, this article does not feature injured players or rookies who will be making their debut after the All-Star break (like Shane McClanahan or Bubba Chandler) it also doesn’t include players who have played well but might gain value in a new role (like Jack Perkins). I'm simply focusing on players who either struggled in the first half or had major MLB opportunities in the first half, but are players I think are due for much better months in August and September.

Second-Half Hitters to Target

We'll start with two veteran shortstops, who are still providing some value but not as much as I think they'll give you in the second half: Oneil Cruz and Corey Seager.

Oneil Cruz - SS: Pittsburgh Pirates
Cruz came out of the gates hot this season and has 16 home runs and 29 steals on the season, so there has been plenty of fantasy goodness. However, since May 1st, he's slashing .192/.296/.356 in 57 games with a nearly 35% strikeout rate. That's actively hurting you in batting average leagues. However, even in that stretch, Cruz has a 21.4% barrel rate and 96 mph average exit velocity. The approach is also not that much different than what we've seen from him as his 40% pull rate is right in line with his season-long averages, and his 33.3% flyball rate is just about 5% below what we were seeing from him earlier. What's more, from May 12th on, his Process+ score is 104, where 100 is the league average. Process+ is a Pitcher List stat that shows “The combined value of a hitter’s Decision Value, Contact Ability, and Power,” so it's a stat I like for showing hitters who are making good decisions and making enough contact and quality contact. If Cruz can keep his power and speed but hit something closer to .240 in the second half, that could make him a major fantasy asset.

Corey Seager - SS, Texas Rangers
Seager is another player who is not quite living up to our elevated expectations for him. From June 1st on, Seager is slashing .248/.404/.465 with seven home runs and 18 RBI in 36 games. However, that comes with a 16.5% barrel rate and a 125 Process+ score. He's already started to turn it around in July, but I think there still might be a bit of a window to buy low on Seager in a trade before he puts up big numbers in the second half. I think he could double his home run total in the remaining games while also putting up a .280 average and good counting stats.

Otto Lopez - 2B/SS, Miami Marlins
Lopez is another middle infielder who I think is in for a good second half. He's been pretty good already this season, slashing .250/.320/.392 with 10 steals and a surprising 10 home runs. The power is not something I expected from a guy with just an 88 mph average exit velocity; however, his xSLG of .481 is much higher than his .392 slugging percentage, and his Pull Air% is not great, but better than anything he's posted before. His 7.9% barrel rate is the best of his career, and his 113 Process+ from May 12th on suggests that Lopez's .291 xBA might be closer to what we see from him in the second half.

Dominic Canzone - OF, Seattle Mariners
Since Canzone has been called up, all he's done is mash with a .319/.340/.564 slash line to go along with six home runs, 10 RBI, and a 15.8% barrel rate in 30 games. His appearance on this list isn't me saying that there is more in the tank here, but it's simply me saying that what we're seeing isn't that much of a fluke. He's pulling the ball almost 10% more than last year, and so even though he isn't lifting the ball as much, he's making much more damaging contact. Canzone's bat speed is faster this season, and he's closed his stance a bit and started attacking the ball out in front of the plate a bit more. If Canzone is still available on your waiver wires, he could be in for a strong second half.

Colt Keith - 1B/2B, Detroit Tigers
I've written about Colt Keith a few times in my waiver wire articles, mentioning that Keith is hitting .358/.417/.585 with two home runs, 11 runs scored, and six RBI over his last 15 games. His Process+ score is 120 from May 12th on, and I recorded a video talking about Keith's recent surge, so check that out here.

Jac Caglianone - 1B/OF, Kansas City Royals
I also recorded a video on Caglianone, suggesting that he could be in for a strong summer. He hasn't had great results so far as a pro, but he has just a 21.7% strikeout rate with an 11.1% barrel rate and 89.1 mph average exit velocity. His 102 Process+ score from May 12th on confirms that he's not really being overmatched at the big league level, and his xBA of .259 and xSLG of .462 is far better than his .140 average and .264 slugging percentage. If Cags was dropped in your league, it might be time to add him.

Max Muncy - SS/3B, Athletics
Muncy may be one of the riskiest picks on here because he has the least evidence to support his potential breakout. His expected stats and Process+ score don't jump off the charts, and his contact metrics are only trending up in a small sample size. However, those results have been good for him lately, and I think it could be tied to a slight approach change. Over his last 14 games, Muncy is slashing .288/.339/.577 with four home runs, eight runs scored, seven RBI, and a 16.2% barrel rate. If you use Statcast's Swing Path data, you can see that Muncy's Ideal Attack Angle has skyrocketed to nearly 60% in July. Some of that could be tied to adjusting how far out in front of the plate he's making contact and also how wide his stance is, opening it up slightly after closing it off a lot in June. This could all be nothing, but we've seen young players adjust as the season goes on, so maybe that's what Muncy is doing.

Will Benson - OF, Cincinnati Reds
Another player I'm just going to trust the numbers on here is Will Benson. We've seen Benson flash great raw tools before, but he has never been able to maintain consistent stretches of MLB production outside of his 2023 season. However, he jumped out to me for a few reasons here. For starters, his .282 xBA is much better than his .223 average, and his .538 xSLG is far superior to his .427 slugging percentage. We know that expected stats aren't always a good barometer of future success; however, Benson also has a 117 Process+ score from May 12th on, which suggests that his overall decisions and contact have been good as well. He still has a 16% swinging strike rate, which worries me, but he's swinging more often this year, which has allowed him to slightly reduce his strikeout rate by giving himself more opportunities to make contact. I'm not sure if this will work, but in deeper leagues it might be worth a shot.

Jesus Sanchez - OF, Miami Marlins
Much like Benson, Sanchez is a platoon bat who will often sit against left-handed pitching. Unlike Benson, Sanchez has never really had major strikeout issues and has produced more consistent results. He's hitting just .259 on the season with seven home runs, but his 112 Process+ from May 12th on is well above the 100 league average mark. He has a 92 mph average exit velocity and 11.7% barrel rate, so he's making tons of strong contact. He is also chasing far less outside of the zone and making a career-high 76% contact rate. It would not surprise me if we see a power surge from Sanchez in the second half.

Nick Gonzales - 2B/SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
Gonzales doesn't have much speed and hits in a mediocre offense, so his fantasy upside will be limited; however, I wanted to highlight him here because his .289 xBA and 110 Process+ from May 12th on tell us that Gonzales could be a batting average asset in the second half of the season. In July, Gonzales has taken a pretty drastic opposite field approach, making contact -4.4 inches behind the front of the plate after being out over 10 inches in front of the plate earlier in the season. That has led to a massive spike in his Ideal Attack Angle%, and while it will limit his power ceiling, it could mean more line drives and hits fall in.

Daylen Lile - OF, Washington Nationals
Lile is not the young Nationals hitter that many people are talking about, but some interesting things are happening under the hood here. His .306 xBA is far better than his .234 average, and I've been impressed by his 14% strikeout rate and 5.7% swinging strike rate in his brief MLB debut. He makes really good swing decisions, which is partly why he's posted a 103 Process+ score from May 12th on. He stole 25 bases in the minor leagues last season and had 12 steals in 47 games in the minors this year, so if Lile can start to get on base more often, he should be able to run and help you in stolen bases as well. It's worth a gamble in deeper leagues.

Josh Bell - 1B, Washington Nationals
We'll end with a veteran, Josh Bell, who has been stepping it up lately. Bell has posted a 117 Process+ from May 12th on, but it wasn't until the middle of June that that process started to lead to tremendous results. From June 10th on, Bell is hitting .296/.369/.429 with two home runs, 10 runs scored, 13 RBI, and a 9.3% barrel rate over that span. Bell is no longer a 25-30 home run guy, but we could easily see 8-10 home runs from him the rest of the way with a good batting average. He could also be traded to a contender as a switch hitting first base option, and that could boost his fantasy value as well.

Second-Half Starting Pitchers to Target

Dylan Cease - San Diego Padres
Cease is the most obvious "buy low" target you can get. We know he's a streaky pitcher, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him go on a hot stretch, but his underlying stats tell us it could happen as well. He's posted a 16.6% SwStr% and 20.7% K-BB% in 56.1 innings since May 15th, which has helped him post a 3.36 SIERA that's far better than his 5.11 ERA. Most people in your league are expecting Cease to bounce back, so you likely can't get him cheap, but I would try to get shares of Cease if I can.

Tanner Bibee - Cleveland Guardians

Bibee is a less likely bounceback, and he may not be the SP2 in fantasy baseball that we expected. However, his pitch mix is starting to click with his three fastball variations, and his last start before the break gave us a bit of a sign that he could be turning things around. Even if he doesn't become an ace, he deserves to pitch better than he has. He has an 11.4% SwStr% and 17.3% K-BB% in 64 innings since May 15th, which has led to a 3.65 SIERA that's better than his 4.64 ERA. I'm going to bank on the sinker, cutter, four-seamer combination helping him to lower his ERA closer to that SIERA mark, but I'm not sure we're going to get tons of strikeouts.

Zebby Matthews - Minnesota Twins
I wrote about Zebby Matthews as a pitcher I think could end the season in the top 25 starting pitchers, so clearly I've been in the bag for him all season. However, he has also deserved better in his big league innings with a 12.1% SwStr% and 20.5% K-BB% in 19 innings since May 15th. That has helped him post a 3.39 SIERA despite his 5.21 ERA. He looked electric in his Triple-A rehab start last week, and I'd be stashing him now.

Richard Fitts - Boston Red Sox
I'm also fully in the bag for Fitts and have been since he showed increased velocity and an expanded pitch mix this spring. Since coming off the IL, he has been sitting 97 mph on his four-seam fastball with his secondaries starting to get more consistent. He's posted a 13.2% SwStr% in 16.2 innings since May 15th, with a 3.84 SIERA that is much better than his 5.40 ERA. I think he was done a disservice by the Red Sox rushing him back from the IL, and it wouldn't shock me if he keeps his rotation spot for the remainder of the season.

Frankie Montas - New York Mets
We also know that Montas will keep his rotation spot for the remainder of the season, but I think he's probably more of a deep league option. He's posted a 5.03 ERA in his first 19.2 innings, but that has come with a 12.3% SwStr%, 16% K-BB%, and 3.92 SIERA. He pitches on a good team in a good pitcher's park, and so it wouldn't surprise me if Montas were a good enough deep league asset.

Michael Soroka - Washington Nationals

I also think Michael Soroka is in for a better second half. His 10.1% SwStr% since May 15th isn't overly impressive, but that comes with a 19.5% K-BB% and 3.45 SIERA. I wrote about Soroka’s changes with a new arm slot and curveball usage earlier his month, and I think he's somebody who could really turn it around in the second half.

Brandon Walter - Houston Astros
Brandon Walter is another pitcher I wrote about earlier this season, and I've been impressed with what he's done so far. He's registered just an 11.9% SwStr% but a 23% K-BB% and 2.98 SIERA in 40.2 innings this season. He relies more on command and deception than overpowering stuff, which makes him a bit riskier than some of the other names on this list, but I think his spot in the rotation is rather secure, and I could see him being a streamer in 12-team leagues and a locked-in option in deeper formats.

Joey Cantillo - Cleveland Guardians
If you're looking for the inverse of Walter, you could turn to Cantillo, who seems to have a rotation spot locked up with Luis L. Ortiz undergoing an MLB investigation for a gambling infraction. Since coming back as a starter, Cantillo has a 14.9% SwStr% and 20.7% K-BB% in 12.2 innings with a 3.33 SIERA. His changeup can be a truly dominant pitch, and he gets elite extension on his fastball, so there is enough here to tie up right-handed hitters and make Cantillo a good high-upside play for the second half.

Giants at Blue Jays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 18

Its Friday, July 18 and the Giants (52-45) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (55-41).

Justin Verlander is slated to take the mound for San Francisco against Chris Bassitt for Toronto.

The Jays won 11 of 13 games heading into the All-Star Break to assume first place in the American League East by two games over the New York Yankees. The offense has been exceptional for Toronto averaging 6.2 runs per game over their last 13 games.

The Giants entered the Break looking like they are ready to make a push in the National League West and Wild Card races. They return to the diamond having won six of their last eight. To really make some noise San Francisco needs Rafael Devers to start cooking. Devers is hitting just .205 in July (8-39).

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 Giants at Blue Jays

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 7:07PM EST
  • Site: Rogers Centre
  • City: Toronto, ON
  • Network/Streaming: NBCSBA, Sportsnet, MLBN

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 Giants at the Blue Jays

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Giants (+114), Blue Jays (-135)
  • Spread:  Blue Jays -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Giants at Blue Jays

  • Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Justin Verlander vs. Chris Bassitt
    • Giants: Justin Verlander (0-7, 4.70 ERA)
      Last outing: July 9 vs. Philadelphia - 6IP, 2ER, 7H, 0BB, 7Ks
    • Blue Jays: Chris Bassitt (9-4, 4.12 ERA)
      Last outing: 7/13 at Athletics - 1IP, 0ER, 0H, 0BB, 1K

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 Giants at Blue Jays

  • Betting the Blue Jays on the Money Line is up 6.40 units with Chris Bassitt as the starting pitcher at home
  • The Under is 11-8 (58%) in the Blue Jays' games this season with Chris Bassitt on the bump
  • With Chris Bassitt starting, the Blue Jays are up 5.71 units on the Run Line at Rogers Centre in 2025
  • George Springer is 0-12 in his last 4 games and just 2-23 in his last 7.
  • Heliot Ramos was 1-13 in the 3-game series against the Dodgers heading into the Break

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 Giants and the Blue Jays

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 Giants 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 leaning towards a play ATS on the San Francisco Giants 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)

ESPN has Nique Clifford, not Cooper Flagg, as best rookie at NBA Summer League

ESPN has Nique Clifford, not Cooper Flagg, as best rookie at NBA Summer League originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It hasn’t taken long for Kings rookie Nique Clifford to turn heads league-wide.

The 23-year-old, whom Sacramento traded to acquire No. 24 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, was listed by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton as the No. 1 rookie who stood out at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Clifford is listed just above 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who ranked second on Pelton’s list. Charlotte Hornets forward Liam McNeeley is third.

Pelton referred to Clifford as one of “the most polished rookies” in this year’s draft class after he averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in four games with Sacramento so far this summer.

Clifford also is shooting 53 percent from the 3-point line.

Pelton believes Clifford’s “savvy playmaking” will be a strength for Sacramento as the rookie’s career progresses.

Clifford’s showing helped lead the Kings to a flawless 4-0 record, as five other teams also finished with an undefeated 4-0 record. However, based on tiebreak procedures, only the Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder, Hornets and Toronto Raptors claimed a spot in the semifinals.

Sacramento will play the Raptors on Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. The championship game will be played Sunday at 7 p.m. PT.

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast

Jeff Teague ranks Steph Curry above Magic Johnson on all-time NBA top-100 list

Jeff Teague ranks Steph Curry above Magic Johnson on all-time NBA top-100 list originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Bleacher Report ranked Steph Curry as the 10th-best NBA player of all time and Magic Johnson the fourth-best in an article published Monday, and Jeff Teague wasn’t having it.

The retired 12-year veteran explained Wednesday on his “Club 520” podcast why the Warriors legend should be ranked above the Los Angeles Lakers icon and considered the game’s greatest point guard.

“I’m taking Steph over Magic Johnson,” Teague said. “I know Magic saved the league — him and Larry Bird saved the NBA — I get it. So there’s no disrespect. Magic made it cool to be a big point guard. But Steph saved everybody. 

“Steph is the best PG of all time. [Johnson] was cold. He backed people down. He deserves to be in the top 10. But he should be 10; [Johnson and Curry] could switch. What he did at 6-foot-3, bro. Like, think about Magic Johnson. He was going to be able to play anyway because he’s 6-foot-9 — could’ve played center, he could’ve played anywhere.”

Teague saw Johnson as an electric, versatile facilitator who helped save the NBA alongside Bird in an era that needed big-time stardom and rivalry. But Teague simply sees Curry as a world-changer.

Curry changed basketball forever with his 3-point prowess. He has made 4,058 triples over 16 regular seasons and still is going. Johnson, in his day, made just 325 over 13 campaigns, after the NBA introduced the 3-point line during his rookie 1979-80 season.

“I think that Steph Curry changed the game in a way where he made it beneficial for the world,” Teague said. “If you can shoot just half as good as Steph Curry, you can be in the NBA. Magic is still cold because he can play any position. If he were a four-man today, he’s cold; he’d be another version of Draymond Green, all these guys that can play point guard [and] forward.”

Teague’s argument is a good one. Though, the retired veteran added that he would take Curry over Johnson in a hypothetical one-on-one matchup.

“Have you ever seen Magic Johnson move? He had no chance in hell guarding Steph Curry,
Teague humorously added. “And Steph’s liable to get 60. I mean, he’s shooting that [3-point shot]; I’ll take my chances with him shooting all 2s.”

Boom.

The Curry-Johnson debate probably will live forever. But Teague’s stance is hard to refute.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Damian Lillard's Trail Blazers return draws one-word Buddy Hield reaction

Damian Lillard's Trail Blazers return draws one-word Buddy Hield reaction originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Buddy Hield had an interesting take on Damian Lillard’s return to the Trail Blazers.

After ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news of Lillard’s three-year, $42 million contract with Portland on social media, the Warriors guard commented, “Real,” on Charania’s Instagram post.

While there had been rumors that Lillard, who grew up in Oakland, could return home to the Bay Area and sign with Golden State, the 35-year-old wound up signing with the team that drafted him.

Lillard faces an arduous path back to the NBA after rupturing his Achilles tendon in April. An injury of that magnitude requires extensive rehab, putting his ability to suit up for Portland during the 2025-2026 NBA season in jeopardy.

The Milwaukee Bucks waived Lillard this offseason, stretching the remainder of the $113 million left on his contract over the next five years, which paved the way for his return to Portland.

Hield and the Warriors held off on making any big moves during the offseason, with the belief that the core of Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Steph Curry can lead the team to another championship.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Manchester United agree deal to buy Bryan Mbeumo for initial £65m

  • Fee for forward could reach £71m with add-ons

  • Mbeumo wanted United despite Spurs interest

Manchester United have agreed a deal worth more than £70m to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. A fee of £65m will be paid up front and a further £6m could follow in add-ons

The Cameroonian, who scored 20 Premier League goals last season, has been a key target for Ruben Amorim. United first made an offer for Mbeumo six weeks ago and had a number of bids rejected. Mbeumo made clear he wanted to move to Old Trafford despite interest at Tottenham from his former head coach Thomas Frank, and personal terms are not thought to be an issue.

Continue reading...

An Early Glance At The Ottawa Senators’ 2026 Free Agent Class

It's safe to say that most of the Ottawa Senators’ 2025 free agent summer homework is done.

They've signed UFAs like Lars Eller and Arthur Kaliyev off the open market, and they've already re-signed most of the free agents they wanted to keep. That list includes Fabian Zetterlund, Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, Tyler Kleven, Nik Matinpalo, and goaltender Leevi Meriläinen.

GM Steve Staios still has a few summer chores down on the farm. RFAs Max Guenette, Xavier Bourgault, Jan Jeník, and Donovan Sebrango all received qualifying offers, so they’ll likely figure something out this summer.

But with several players now eligible for extensions, the class of 2026 will soon creep onto the radar like a daily Ottawa summer thunderstorm.

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Giroux, Cousins, and Meriläinen all signed one-year deals this summer, so their agents will be back at it before long, probably feeling like they just got up from the bargaining table. Giroux and Cousins are probably in one-year mode for the rest of their careers.

Meriläinen, however, is an RFA who has a chance to be in Ottawa for a long time. The young Finn will make $1.05 million this season, a sharp contrast to Linus Ullmark's $8.25 million. Meriläinen only got into 12 games, but he was fantastic, with substantially better numbers than Ullmark and Anton Forsberg. It would be nice if we could check in on the Sens in a parallel universe where Merilainen wasn't sent down to the minors to make room for the outgoing Forsberg.

It will be interesting to see how that all works out this season, and whether Meriläinen will suddenly need to demand more money.

Staios will have to closely monitor the career fuel gauge on his four oldest veterans — Giroux, David Perron, Lars Eller, and Nick Jensen. All of them will be north of 35 and playing this season on expiring deals.

It’s a group that brings some valuable experience, and if the Sens are in the mix for a playoff spot again, as they're expected to be, they’ll surely hold on to them, even at the risk of losing them for nothing in the summer. 

Giroux, Perron, and Eller were all happy to sign here so they may be in the mix again next summer. But what of Jensen, who was traded from the Washington Capitals in the Jakob Chychrun deal? Does he want to be in Ottawa? Will that repaired hip affect his game? We don't have those answers yet, so Jensen's is the 2026 UFA storyline I find most intriguing in Ottawa.

On the RFA side, along with Merilainen, it's Shane Pinto, who's currently eligible to sign his third contract with the Sens since January of last year.

The RFA list includes Pinto, Meriläinen, Kaliyev, Jordan Spence and prospect Stephen Halliday. Lassi Thomson could be an RFA as well, but unless he plays most of the season in Ottawa, he’s more likely looking at Group 6 free agency (UFA).

Still just 23, Pinto was primarily used last season on the third line, saw limited power-play time, and missed 12 games with injury. Yet he still finished fourth in Sens' goal scoring (21). Frankly, he's probably a more impactful player than some of his teammates who are expected to be slotted above him on the depth chart.

There’s also a real chance he could push Dylan Cozens for the second-line center role — and if he does, that would have financial implications. Cozens is locked in at $7.1 million AAV for five more years and will be given every opportunity to succeed at 2C. But if Pinto becomes the 2C, he'll want 2C money. 

One could imagine experimenting with Pinto on the wing to give him more offensive opportunities. That said, his chemistry with Ridly Greig and Michael Amadio last season created one of Ottawa’s most effective lines at both ends of the ice on many nights, so there’s something to be said for not messing with that.

As an aside, even that line is getting expensive at almost $10 million right now, with Pinto about to add to that.

It certainly appears so far that Staios prefers to handle his free agency business during the off-season. But there have been exceptions, like signing Pinto two deals ago when he was coming off his suspension in early 2024, or Ridly Greig in January of this year. Ullmark almost made the list, but he signed his extension on the eve of the 2024-25 season opener.

There's already a lot to think about with the 2026 class, and the whole process is a little like a game of chess. Sure, you have to be focusing on the pieces in front of you and making smart moves. But you always have to be thinking several moves ahead.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News-Ottawa

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NHL Announces Ottawa Senators 2025–26 Regular Season Schedule
Can The Senators Count On Dylan Cozens To Consistently Produce?
Expectations For The Senators' Mount Rushmore Of Old Guys
Sens Development Coach Sam Gagner Says Hockey IQ Is Teachable
Creating The Sens Opening Night Roster Based On Salary

Devils Superstar Jack Hughes Gets Big Praise

New Jersey Devils superstar Jack Hughes had another excellent season in 2024-25. In 62 games with the Metropolitan Division club on the year, he posted 27 goals, 43 assists, and 70 points. It was the fourth season in a row where he averaged over a point per game. 

Now, due to his incredible play over the years, Hughes has received some major praise. In a recent article for NHL.com, Adam Kimelman ranked the 10 best players in the NHL who are under 25. For it, Hughes ranked second on the list, with Ottawa Senators star Tim Stutzle being the only player ahead of him. 

Given how much success Hughes has had early on in his career, it is understandable that he has been ranked so highly by Kimelman. The 2019 first-overall pick has lived up to the hype early on in his career, and he should only get better as he continues to inch closer to his prime years. 

In 368 career NHL games over six seasons, Hughes has recorded 141 goals, 210 assists, and 315 points. His best season so far was in 2022-23, as he set career highs with 43 goals, 56 assists, and 99 points in 78 games. 

Exciting Devils Goalie Prospect Named Among NHL's BestExciting Devils Goalie Prospect Named Among NHL's BestThe New Jersey Devils are currently golden at the goaltender position, as they have veteran Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen on their NHL roster. This veteran duo worked exceptionally well together this past season, and there is no reason to believe that this can't be the case again in 2025-26.

Photo Credit: © Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Reds at Mets Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 18

Its Friday, July 18 and the Reds (50-47) are in Queens to open a series against the Mets (55-42) at Citi Field.

Nick Lodolo is slated to take the mound for Cincinnati against Sean Manaea for New York.

The Mets are a dominant team at home amassing a record of 33-14 this season. No team in baseball has more wins or a better winning percentage at home. As good as they have been at Citi Field, New York still trails Philadelphia by 0.5 games in the National League East.

Cincinnati has work to do in the second half of the season. They sit 7.5 games behind the Cubs in the National League Central. They have won four of their last five games to pull within 2.5 games of a wild card berth.

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 Reds at Mets

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 7:10PM EST
  • Site: Citi Field
  • City: Queens, NY
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNOH, SNY

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 Reds at the Mets

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Reds (+137), Mets (-164)
  • Spread:  Mets -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Mets

  • Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Nick Lodolo vs. Sean Manaea
    • Reds: Nick Lodolo (6-6, 3.38 ERA)
      Last outing: July 10 vs. Miami - 6IP, 0ER, 3H, 0BB, 4Ks
    • Mets: Sean Manaea (0-1, 2.70 ERA)
      Last outing: 7/13 at Kansas City - 3.1IP, 1ER, 5H, 0BB, 7Ks

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 Reds at Mets

  • The Mets have won 4 of their last 5 home games against National League teams
  • 7 of the Reds' last 9 games against National League teams have gone under the Total
  • This is Sean Manaea's 2nd start of the season
  • Pete Alonso homered in the All-Star Game but is just 2-18 (.111) in his last 6 regular season games
  • Juan Soto is 12-42 (.286) in July with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs
  • Elly De La Cruz is 14-44 (.318) in July with 0 HRs and 6 RBIs

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 Reds and the Mets

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 Reds and the Mets:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Mets on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cincinnati Reds 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)
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Daniel Lapin, Ukraine’s next big boxing hope, on Usyk bonds after Russia ‘broke’ early career

Light-heavyweight is a trusted member of Oleksandr Usyk’s camp and hopes to star on Saturday’s Wembley undercard

Daniel Lapin pulls up a video on his phone and, having chatted away for 40 minutes, lets the images do the talking. Or, more accurately, the sounds. It is a scene he captured in the early hours of a Kyiv morning during the spring and what stands out above everything is the awful, incessant, gathering buzz of the Russian-controlled drones that plague Ukraine’s capital almost every night. Sleep is rendered impossible for residents during those attacks, partly due to the sheer noise and in huge degree to the fear that you, or your loved ones, will be struck next. “After a night like that you don’t want to train,” he says. “It can go on five nights in a row. You don’t want anything, you’re just walking around like a zombie.”

On Saturday, though, Lapin will be fully alert to the task at hand. The light-heavyweight is Ukraine’s next boxing hope, his promise and pedigree immense, and his fight against Lewis Edmondson will be a highlight of the undercard before Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois contest their undisputed world heavyweight title bout at Wembley. Lapin has seen Russia’s aggression stall his career on two distinct occasions but is closer than ever to carving out a legend of his own.

Continue reading...

Jaroslav Halák Officially Retires: “I’ll Never Wear The Pads Again”

He hasn’t played a competitive hockey game in more than two years, but Slovak goaltender Jaroslav Halák never officially ended his career … until now.

“I’m done,” he said in a recent interview with Tomáš Prokop of Denník Šport. “I’ll never wear the pads again.”

Halák played 25 games for the New York Rangers in 2022-23 backing up all-star goalie Igor Shesterkin. Since then, there was a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes in the autumn of 2023 that lasted only two weeks. Then in February of 2024 he signed with his hometown club, Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga, but that didn’t lead to any games either.

“We agreed on the last day of the transfer period, which was already a pretty crucial date in the season,” Halák was quoted last summer. “After signing, I evaluated all the pros and cons.”

His last real shot was last summer, when he was hoping to get one final chance to try out for an NHL team.

“Last year I completed summer training,” Halák said. “I wanted to go on the ice in Boston, but when nothing came of it, I told myself it was pointless. After that I didn’t even try anymore. I’m officially ending my career. I would like to thank my family, friends, fans and especially my wife Petra, who has been by my side my entire career.”

Former Knights, Sens Goalie Signs In SlovakiaFormer Knights, Sens Goalie Signs In Slovakia Canadian goaltender Dylan Ferguson, 26, has signed a one-year contract with HK Nitra, the Slovak Extraliga club announced on Thursday.

As recently as two weeks ago, there were rumblings that a Czech team was interested in Halák.

“Maybe there was something, but it went away,” Halák dismissed. “I wanted to stay in America, especially for the kids, since they go to school there and the sports training there is better than in Europe.”

So Halák, who turned 40 in May, won’t play long enough to match the uniform number 41, which he wore for much of his career.

A native of Bratislava, Halák was a ninth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2006 and 2023, he played 581 NHL regular-season games and 39 more in the playoffs for the Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and Rangers.

The defining year of Halák’s career was 2010. That February, he backstopped Slovakia to a fourth-place finish at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, playing all seven of his team’s games while posting a 2.41 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. Then in April and May, he led eighth-seeded Montreal to playoff upsets over Alexander Ovechkin’s Capitals and Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins in the first two rounds.

Slovak Ex-Rangers Goalie Returns To KHLSlovak Ex-Rangers Goalie Returns To KHL Slovak goalie Adam Húska, 28, has signed a one-year contract with Admiral Vladivostok, the KHL club recently announced on social media.

Halák finishes with 295 career NHL wins. He admitted last summer that getting to 300 wins was part of his motivation for wanting to continue, but he’s since backed off that stance.

“It’s been two years and I’ve come to terms with not reaching 300,” he admitted. “Looking back on my career, it’s been a good one. It would have been nicer with 300 wins, but I’ll be happy with 295.”

Now, his focus is primarily on his children. At least two of them are trying to follow in his footsteps.

“Since my son Nathan has been a goalie for three years, I’ve been focusing on him,” said Halák. “This year, my older daughter Inna joined him. Since January, she’s been trying to be a goalie as well.”

Photo © Eric Bolte-Imagn Images.

Another Goalie Moves From NHL To KHLAnother Goalie Moves From NHL To KHL Canadian goaltender Louis Domingue, 33, has signed a one-year contract with Sibir Novosibirsk, the KHL club announced on Thursday.

Brewers at Dodgers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 18

It's Friday, July 18 and the Brewers (56-40) are in Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers (58-39). Quinn Priester is slated to take the mound for Milwaukee against Tyler Glasnow for Los Angeles.

Los Angeles finished with the most wins in the NL with 58 and was one short of tying Detroit's MLB-best 59 first-half wins. The All-Star break couldn't have come quick enough for the Dodgers. Los Angeles lost a season-high seven straight games before winning the past two for a 2-7 record over the last nine.

Milwaukee is arguably the hottest team in the NL right now, but will that continue after the break? The Brewers are one game back of the Cubs for the NL Central lead and in the top spot for the No. 4 seed after ripping off seven consecutive wins to end the first half of the year, including a three-game sweep over the Dodgers.

Let's 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 how to catch first pitch, 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 Brewers at Dodgers

  • Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Time: 10:10PM EST
  • Site: Dodger Stadium
  • City: Los Angeles, CA
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNWI, SNLA

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 Brewers at the Dodgers

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Brewers (+158), Dodgers (-190)
  • Spread:  Dodgers -1.5
  • Total: 10.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Dodgers

Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: Quinn Priester vs. Tyler Glasnow

  • Brewers: Quinn Priester, (7-2, 3.55 ERA)
    Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
  • Dodgers: Tyler Glasnow, (1-0, 3.52 ERA)
    Last outing: 5.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts

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!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Brewers and the Dodgers

Rotoworld Best Bet

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

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

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

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Brewers and the Dodgers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Milwaukee Brewers Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Milwaukee Brewers at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 10.0.

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Dodgers

  • Milwaukee has won seven straight games and went 6-1 ATS in that span
  • Milwaukee is 3-0 on the ML and ATS versus Los Angeles this year
  • Los Angeles is 2-7 on the ML in the past nine games
  • The Dodgers went 5-0 out of the All-Star break last year
  • The Brewers went 4-1 out of the All-Star break last year
  • The Brewers have won the last eight with Priester pitching
  • The Dodgers are 3-3 with Glasnow pitching this season

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!

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)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)