Pennant Watch. There’s nothing wrong, in and of itself, with the commemorative gift stand-in captain Bukayo Saka will hand over to his opposite number Koke. But that badge. Come on, man. Stand it next to the time-honoured Victoria Concodria Crescit crest and weep. And that’s before we get to the stratospherically sexy Art Deco A-football-C logo. Ever since that fateful rebrand, Herbert Chapman has been spinning elegantly in his grave, nearly a quarter of a style-free century on.
Atletico Madrid’s offering, however, is a thing of timeless beauty. Enrique Collar would have been proud to hand that over. Arsenal are favourites to go through tonight, but they’ve lost this very important pre-match skirmish.
Chris Devenski was ejected without warning following this pitch in the 6th ⬇️😨 pic.twitter.com/8Fxkt4Xj71
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) May 2, 2026
Though the pitch missed Stewart, multiple umpires determined that the pitch was meant to hit him. Devenski was ejected from the game.
In addition, Pirates manager Don Kelly will serve a one-game suspension for his involvement in the incident.
Stewart has been one of the biggest reasons for the Reds' early surge to a 20-15 record. He is currently slashing .252/.338/.504 with nine home runs in 35 games. That is good for a 129 OPS+, the second-highest of any Red with at least 25 games played this year (Elly de la Cruz, 147).
When will Chris Devenski's suspension begin?
Devenski's suspension will begin May 5 as the Pirates begin a road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kelly will also serve his suspension during the same game.
Sal Stewart's comments on Chris Devenski
Following the May 2 game, Stewart was asked about the incident, to which he said he was glad someone (the umpires) still cared about his safety. He said he was glad the umpires took care of it.
"It was pretty blatantly obvious," Stewart said. He added, "Literally, I have no clue [why]. No one said anything."
"I saw that there was 17 seconds [on the pitch clock], so I just waited a second, you know, called time. Next thing you know, ball was just running through my ribs. I really don't know what happened."
MLB suspensions this year
Since the start of the MLB season, only one other situation has led to suspensions. An early April scuffle between the Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves wound up getting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and slugger Jorge Soler suspended for seven games each.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 03: Chase Burns (26) of the Cincinnati Reds delivers a pitch during an MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 03, 2026 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds righty Chase Burns is fresh off a brilliant outing Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In it he pitched through a career-best 7.0 IP, held the Bucs scoreless, and lowered his season ERA to a tiny 2.20. He owns a 201 ERA+, 1.024 WHIP, and is striking out a wonderful 10.1 batters per 9 innings pitched.
When the stats were tallied by Baseball Reference overnight and run through their supercomputer’s extensive modeling system, it turns out that Burns currently sits atop the National League leaderboard for WAR accrued by pitchers so far in 2026 at 1.8.
It’s a testament to Burns, obviously, who at just 23 years of age seems to be putting all his immense tools together and lead this rotation. It’s also a testament to the Reds themselves, who have spent the entire season so far without ace Hunter Greene and rock-solid starter Nick Lodolo yet still boast a starting pitcher who’s atop the Wins Above Replacement leaderboard in their league.
The fun part is that I feel quite confident that this won’t be the last time we get a leaderboard update that has Burns atop the list in WAR. He’s got every tool needed to completely dominate this sport, and we’re getting an early glimpse of it right now despite him still having just 15 career starts under his belt.
SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 01: (L-R) Emerson Hancock #26, Cole Young #2, Randy Arozarena #56, Dylan Moore #25 and Jorge Polanco #7 of the Seattle Mariners celebrate after a game against the Minnesota Twins at T-Mobile Park on June 1, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I asked y’all in the FEED about who has impressed you so far this season and the LL hive mind did not disappoint! Thanks to everyone who weighed in. Since there were many similar answers, I’m going to start with the top three players that were named and then I’ll break it down a bit more with my Trademarked Mariners Hot Take Ranking System:
Okay let’s break it down by the numbers here.
Your third most popular response for which Mariners starter has impressed you so far is….
A two-way tie between George Kirby and Randy Arozarena!
Two mainstays of the team that had sorta down seasons in 2025, Kirby in particular, but are now off to very positive starts in 2026. Randy is leading the team in fWAR with Kirby right behind him. Kirby is running a HR/9 rate and BABIP in line with his 2022-2024 seasons and is certainly the team’s most reliable starter at this moment given Woo’s recent volatility and Gilbert’s very bad slider issues.
Randy, occasional defensive and base running lapses aside, has quietly been very reliable at the plate. He’s walking more and striking out less than the last 2 seasons and is currently running his highest wRC+ (130) since he joined the Mariners. And occasionally he’ll make a catch like this one:
Next up, your second most popular response for which Mariners starter has impressed you so far is….
Emerson Hancock!
What a blessing our boy Emerson Hancock has been this season. With Bryce Miller out for a still undetermined amount of time, Hancock stepped into the rotation and has pitched like a dad 3 beers deep mowing down 8-year-olds in wiffleball. Just racking up K’s with movement previously thought impossible from this lad. He also got Felix’d for the first time this past Saturday on Randy Johnson number retirement night, chucking 14(!!!) K’s and getting a no-decision, which was all sorts of poetic. Hancock is truly a Mariners starting pitcher now. Welcome to the party, pal.
And now, your most popular response for which Mariners starter has impressed you so far is….
Cole Young!
I need to fill out an apology form for Yung Cole because given what I saw from him last season, I never saw this coming. Perhaps I was too quick to judge, and people smarter than me (Kate, et al) were all aboard the Cole-Train coming into the season and they were right! There have been many games this season so far where I was suddenly only looking forward to Cole Young at-bats because he was the most reliably professional and patient hitter in the lineup many nights. He doesn’t swing out of his shoes, he takes pitches, and he’s hitting for average and slugging .375, too. Delightful!
Now to highlight some other assorted takes!
Poster qrtqrt2 says: “All right. My real take: Rob Refsnyder. Initially I couldn’t warm to him. His name sounded too much like Rob Schneider who I don’t like. And Refsnyder? Sounded like someone jammed referee and John Schnider’s name together. Then he started saying nice things about the fans. And talking about the difficulties adjusting to a platoon role. And hitting home runs. And now he’s just “Ref” to me and I’m rooting for him to become another favorite son on this team on their way to a World Series win.”
Rob Schneider does suck and has never actually been funny. But our guy, Ref? By all accounts he’s a great teammate, nice person, takes the game very seriously, and knows his time in MLB is nearly up and is trying his damnedest to stay afloat. Did you see how the dugout reacted to his home run that only happened because he correctly challenged a pitch? That’s the clearest sign that Ref being an occasional contributor will produce a vibes boost of immense volumes. I rate this take an Iwakuma because there’s a lot of truth here, but he’s ultimately an underdog with an uphill battle.
Poster chicagomariner says: “Yes, Cole — hoorah, Emerson — and Randy has been a rock. But you want a scalding hot take? Julio! He has shaken off the offseason rust quicker than usual, and I predict we’ll get ¡Julio de agosto en mayo!”
Yesssss, Julio Haters are in SHAMBLES as our guy has been quietly smacking the ball all over the field and into the stands. “But what about his declining defense?!?!” Hey. Shut up. He’s still young, he’ll bounce back. A grounder through the 5-hole is unfortunate but very fixable. I rate this take as BRASH because it’ll incense every fan who thinks just because Julio has a “large” contract that he should be hitting like steroids-era McGwire and fielding like early to mid 90’s Ken Griffey, Jr.
Poster wishfuleephus says: “I was impressed by Cole Young in spring training and a believer from then. But I’d like to give some love for Jose Ferrer. After a start with some bad luck, he’s stepped up to be a reliable reliever in middle or even late innings. If Brash goes on the IL, I think it will be Ferrer who takes his place and has been played as Brash’s left-handed role counterpart already.”
This was posted before Brash went on the IL and so Ferrer has definitely seen more higher-leverage spots since then. His bad BABIP luck has unfortunately continued, but I think he will regress to his normal level of production soon. New team, no longer in the NL, no longer pitching for a team no one was watching…it’s all a big adjustment. I rate this take (sadly ironically) as BRASH because while I think Ferrer will get better results going forward, they will not be on the level of Matt Brash and honestly few pitchers are.
All right, thanks for all the participation, friends! I’ll be back with another prompt in the FEED soon. Go Mariners.
(Original Caption) The fans and sports scribes all agree that Joe DiMaggio's one-handed stab of Hank Greenberg's 450 foot drive in the 9th was one of the greatest bits of single handed "robbery" to be applauded at the Yankee Stadium in some time. Hank Greenberg (L) was robbed of a triple at least. Hank, in case you don't know, is the Detroit hitting ace who is second home run hitter in the big leagues.
Six years ago, I embarked on a Star Wars Day tradition, diving into the historical archives to discuss the close relationship between the New York Yankees and arguably the most famous villain in science fiction history, the Evil Empire. That year, I looked at the term itself, and sought to find when it was first used to refer to the baseball team from the Bronx. The following year, I considered the rising payroll parity within the sport and posed the question, “Can the Yankees still claim to be baseball’s Evil Empire?” 2022 saw me complete the trilogy by looking at how the Evil Empire years shaped how people have viewed the sport and how its shadow contributed to the most recent lockout.
After a three-year hiatus, I channeled the spirit of George Lucas and opted to write a prequel, returning once more into the archives to study the history of previous Yankees nicknames. To begin, we looked at the story behind Murderers’ Row, and how either a prison in New York City or a street in Soho created the nickname, which was then applied to power-hitting lineups for New York baseball teams before being enshrined forever as the name for the ‘27 Yankees. Murderers’ Row, however, is not the only nickname to come out of those Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig squads. At some point during this time, the Yankees became known as the Bronx Bombers.
These days, the Bronx Bombers nickname is so intertwined with the New York Yankees that the Wikipedia page “List of baseball team nicknames” does not even cite a source for the Bronx Bombers — something that, technically speaking, isn’t supposed to happen in encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, but occasionally can happen when a particular fact is so well-known that it is considered common knowledge.
Unfortunately, as anyone who has studied history knows, historical facts that are “common knowledge” can be difficult to track down, and the origin of the Bronx Bombers is no exception. The BR Bullpen has the following entry on the term:
The nickname has stuck through the years and is still commonly used in the 21st century.
That’s it: no sources cited, no references, no nothing. On what authority do they say the term dates to the 1920s? While I generally tend to trust the Bullpen, in this instance, their version of events isn’t the only one out there. A website called The Forkball, for example, claims the nickname dates back to a boxing match at Yankee Stadium in 1936, in which boxer Joe “the Brown Bomber” Louis fought. Meanwhile, Frank Thomas, writing for FanGraphs’ The Hardball Times, refused to take a stand on the issue in 2013, saying only “For sure it wasn’t before Yankee Stadium opened in 1923” — because, you know, the team played in Manhattan until then. Writing for The Ithacan (Ithaca College’s student newspaper) back in 2016, Angela Weldon investigated the origins of Ithaca College’s Bomber nickname, dating their nickname to 1938 and suggesting that it may have come when the college’s baseball team “people compared the college team to the New York Yankees.”
Faced with such a disparate set of popular discussions, I did the only thing a historian with access to the New York Times archives can do: head into the archives, and search for “Bronx Bombers.” And the first instance of the newspaper using the term comes from September 30, 1936, in an article about betting on the World Series matchup between the Yankees and the Giants. Within, writer Roscoe McGowen uses the term just once, saying, “Even so, the Bronx Bombers were a jovial lot on the even of hostilities.”
So what we have here is a terminus ante quem for the use of Bronx Bomber in relation to the Yankees. But we can also conclude from this that, even if this is the first use in the Times, this is not the origin of the term. McGowen does not explain the term, and already has it capitalized, suggesting that his audience would have been familiar with the term. If we expand our search from just the New York Times to all historical newspapers from the state of New York (shoutout to Andrew Mearns for having access to that database), we get two earlier uses of the term “Bronx Bomber.” The first, in 1930, refers to a boxer from the Bronx named Al Singer. More interestingly, the second use — on August 7, 1935, in The Glens Falls Times — refers to… Detroit Tigers first baseman Hank Greenberg, who was born in Greenwich Village, attended James Monroe High School on East 172nd St., attended NYU after rejecting a contract offer from the Yankees (who already had Lou Gehrig manning first), and ultimately signed with the Tigers after the Giants opted not to give him a contract.
This would mean that the term predates the Joe Louis fight, but that its first use was unrelated to the Yankees, which ultimately means we can’t disprove the theory, but it does cast some doubt on it. It does, though, make the BR Bullpen account seem unlikely, as it seems hard to believe that, given how the term Murderers’ Row was treated, a nickname associated with those dominant squads would have been transferred to a player who never played for the Yankees.
So where does this leave us? Unfortunately, it seems that we can’t truly find the origin of the Bronx Bomber name, at least using the online databases that I have been able to gain access to. This is, alas, the reality of history as a field: sometimes, the evidence only exists after something comes into existence, not at its moment of creation. We can use the evidence we found to limit the parameters — the term could not have existed before 1923, exists in the baseball world in 1935, may or may not have ties to boxing, and is a known nickname of the Yankees by the 1936 World Series. But to get any more specific than that? Well, if you find anything, by all means, please let us know!
BUFFALO, N.Y. — In between addressing the Sabres’ anemic power play and needing to be better on home ice, coach Lindy Ruff took time to reflect on Buffalo’s rich but relatively ancient playoff history against the Montreal Canadiens.
His memories go back to 1983, when a 23-year-old Ruff was part of a Sabres team that swept Montreal in a best-of-five first-round series.
“The Forum, yeah,” Ruff said, referring to playing in the historic arena that served home to the Canadiens until 1996. “It was in black and white, too,” he said, chuckling.
Everything might seem vintage for the Sabres in rekindling generations-old rivalries after snapping a 14-season playoff drought.
Coming off a six-game elimination of the Bruins in the first round, the Sabres gear up to face Montreal — yet another former Adams Division foe — in a second-round series opening at Buffalo.
No need to dust off the history books. The matchup is less about the past and more reflects a changing of the guard taking place in the Eastern Conference this season.
These Sabres are still new to the postseason, while the Canadiens are making their second straight appearance, but just their fifth in 11 years. Montreal advanced to the second round for just the second time over that span after beating Tampa Bay in Game 7.
Both teams have speed, are flush with youth, finished the regular season ranked among the NHL’s top 10 in scoring, and eager to show they’re Stanley Cup contenders.
“There’s no reason why we can’t make a deep run,” Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle said, following a series-clinching 2-1 win at Tampa Bay. “We have all of the tools in here, and I’m not shocked at all that we’re in this position right now.”
Beating the Lightning with all games decided by one goal was regarded as the next step for a Canadiens team eliminated in five games by Washington a year ago. The Canadiens essentially have been rebuilt from scratch in four years under general manager Kent Hughes.
“Been probably faster than most people expected,” captain Nick Suzuki said of Montreal’s turnaround. “But when you get a lot of great players together with a great system and great leadership, things can turn quickly.”
It took far longer in Buffalo. The Sabres hadn’t made the playoffs since 2010-2011 and hadn’t won a series since 2006-07.
And yet, these upstart and playoff-untested Sabres didn’t deviate from the up-tempo and tenacious style that had them finish the season riding a 39-9-5 surge and win their first Atlantic Division title.
“A pretty damn resilient team. We can manage the emotions of a series,” Ruff said of how the Sabres didn’t falter after losing Games 2 and 5 at home, while winning all three on the road. “Our group did a good job of being able to control the emotions and put games away when it didn’t go our way.”
Tale of the hockey tape
Buffalo and Montreal split their four-game regular-season series, with the Sabres winning two of the three matchups in January just before the Olympic break. The Sabres were 0-5-2 at home against Montreal before a 5-3 win on Jan. 15.
Montreal has a 4-3 playoff series edge over Buffalo. The Sabres won the previous matchup in a four-game sweep of a second-round series in 1998 during Ruff’s first stint as coach. Established in 1970, Buffalo’s franchise playoff debut ended in a first-round six-game loss to Montreal in 1973.
Power-play troubles
The Sabres converted 1 of 24 power-play opportunities against Boston. Their 4.2% conversion rate was tied for 865th out of 897 teams having 20 or more opportunities in a playoff series since 1978, according to Sportradar. Buffalo also went 0 for 22 on the power play over its final seven regular-season games.
Montreal converted 5 of 26 power-play opportunities against Tampa Bay, while allowing the Lightning to convert 5 of 29 chances.
O Canada
Canadiens fans should feel at home in the border city that attracts many fans from southern Ontario.
Sabres fans made headlines during Game 5 of the Boston series by taking over singing `O Canada,’ after performer Cami Clune’s microphone failed. In founding the team, brothers Seymour H. Knox III and Northrup Knox, went with the French version of Sabres for a nickname. They also established a rule that still stands in having both Canadian and U.S. anthems performed no matter the opponent.
Slafkovsky doing OK
Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky said he’s had no ill-effects from being bowled over by a heavy open-ice hit by Lightning defenseman Max Crozier in Game 4. Slafkovsky briefly left the game before being cleared to return after being evaluated for a concussion.
“I think I’m good. I can’t really get much dumber,” said Slafkovsky, who leads the team with three goals in the playoffs. “Yeah, I don’t know what to say. It didn’t really hurt. Just ready to go.”
Sure, the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani, but can they do this? Members of the Savannah Bananas ball club rock a kick line before a 2025 game in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
Chris Clarke had gone the traditional route, pitching for three years at USC after starring at Newbury Park High, then toiling for six more seasons in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system after being a fourth-round draft pick in 2019.
But his big-league dream abruptly became a wake-up call last August when the Cubs released him a week before his wife gave birth to their first child. No more paychecks. No more health insurance.
"It was surreal," Clarke said. "In fact, it was so incredible, I didn't feel anything. My body went numb. There was a moment in the third inning when everybody was screaming. I couldn't hear myself talk."
It was the most people ever crammed into Kyle Field, the nation's fourth-largest college stadium, trailing only Michigan (107,601), Oregon (106,572) and Ohio State (102,780).
Texas A&M is ROCKING hours before the Savannah Bananas and Texas Tailgaters start the game at 8pm ET pic.twitter.com/FoY7ydGuwN
Clarke pitched for the opposing team, the Texas Tailgaters, one of five squads created by Bananas founders Jesse and Emily Cole that serve as touring partners to face the yellow-clad star attraction. All six teams practice at a complex in Savannah, Ga.
The game in College Station attracted the largest crowd in the Bananas' six-year history, and Clarke shined, striking out five in four innings. He also entertained, as all players in the Banana Ball Championship League are cheerfully required to do.
"The amount of joy it brings to fans and even people online, it's really something," Clarke said. "There definitely is a winner and a loser — which holds some weight — but for the most part, fans are there because it's a really good show."
Clarke, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, was the third overall pick in the inaugural Banana Ball draft held in November. Tailgater coaches contacted him beforehand to gauge his interest and he told them, "Pick me."
That level of bold fits right in. Banana Ball is fast-paced, hilarious and maximizes fan engagement. It features innovative rules: Fouls caught by fans count as outs, for example, and batters who walk get to run the bases until all nine defensive players have touched the ball. Choreographed dances, acrobatic tricks, a pitcher on stilts and other antics keep the entertainment flowing.
"I like to think of every game as a stepping stone to the next show," Clarke said. "Whether it goes well or is terrible, we will make it better for next time. Banana Ball is a relaxed culture, so when it comes to the entertainment stuff, there is no fear of failure. We are seeing what works and what doesn't."
Guest stars are frequent and on Saturday, the Bananas sent Texas-grown YouTube sensation Tyler Toney, a member of the sports comedy troupe Dude Perfect, to the plate as a pinch-hitter. Clarke struck him out on four pitches: a called strike, a swinging strike, a ball Clarke purposely launched high into the stands for laughs, then strike three swinging on a cut fastball.
It was a rare humbling moment for Toney, who, with fellow Dude Perfect members Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert, and twins Cory and Coby Cotton, generates more than $20 million annually from YouTube, merchandise and tours.
Clarke had watched Dude Perfect videos religiously when he was at USC and was starstruck to meet them in person.
"Dude Perfect is the reason I failed econ twice," he said. "I watched every single Dude Perfect video. To meet them and shake their hands was fun. It was the only moment in my life where I was a fanboy."
He's also a breadwinner again for his family. The burgeoning popularity of Banana Ball has made the gig more lucrative than playing in the minor leagues.
"I'm making five times as much and playing half the time," Clarke said. "My contract is also for 12 months of the year. In affiliated baseball, it's only six months. So, there's that. I've never met anyone in baseball who has had the luxury to spend time with a newborn child. To come to Banana Ball and actually feel like there is respect, a culture and guidelines, that was something I hadn't experienced."
It is also giving him notoriety. Twenty-five Banana Ball games this year are being streamed on the ESPN app and Disney+, with select games airing across ESPN networks and ABC. The first Bananas broadcast on ABC will take place at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., June 27 and 28. The games have been sold out since October.
Highlights from Saturday's game flooded social media and traditional outlets alike. Family friends and former teammates reached out to Clarke. What was it like pitching in front of 100,000 people? Are you improving your dance moves?
"The entertainment side of it takes pressure off performance," he said. "Performing well is still very much there, but there is a level of relaxation that makes it easier."
Clarke admits he thinks back to USC and the 2019 season, when he posted a stellar earned-run average of 1.03. He also occasionally misses the heightened competition and quest to make the major leagues of affiliated baseball.
He pitched two seasons in triple A and is only 27. Would he leave Banana Ball next year if an MLB team offered him an invite to spring training?
"I'm not in a situation to close any doors," he said. "That's the mindset that got me here. I wanted to investigate Banana Ball and I told them I'd give them a full year for us both to evaluate it. Either way, I think it's a win. Just comes down to what's best for my family."
Meanwhile, more games in packed stadiums await. In addition to a handful in football stadiums against the Bananas, the Tailgaters will play three games a week against other Banana Ball League teams throughout the summer, mostly in minor league baseball stadiums from Tulsa, Okla., to El Paso, Texas, to Nashville, Tenn., to Charlotte, N.C.
Exponentially larger crowds than those venues are accustomed to are a given.
The Boston Red Sox will look to make it two in a row as they continue their road series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
Framber Valdez takes the mound for Detroit, and I’m counting on him to give his team the edge in my Red Sox vs. Tigers predictions below.
Read on to see my full analysis and get my free MLB picks for Tuesday, May 5.
Who will win Red Sox vs Tigers today: Tigers -1.5 (+137)
The Detroit Tigers are struggling with injuries to their pitching staff, but they still have a healthy Framber Valdez to take the mound tonight.
Valdez is a solid 2-1 with a 3.35 ERA so far in his first season in Detroit, and the Tigers are 5-2 in his starts this season.
The Boston Red Sox will use open Jovani Moran tonight. And while that’s fine on the surface, the fact that Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA) will try to pick up the bulk of the innings is concerning given his struggles so far this season.
With a massive advantage on the mound at home, I’m taking Detroit to cover the run line.
COVERS INTEL:The Red Sox are fifth in the majors in batted ground ball percentage at 45.7%, which should play into the hands of Valdez, who has averaged a 61.2% ground ball rate in his career.
Red Sox vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-115)
The Red Sox have struggled to score runs all season long. At 3.86 runs per game, Boston is one of just five teams in the majors averaging less than four runs per contest, and its .671 OPS ranks 27th in the league.
If Valdez can handle his business against the Red Sox, it will come down to Detroit to carry this total. But the Tigers have averaged only 4.28 runs per game over their last seven games, so it’s far from certain they’ll put up huge numbers tonight either.
The total of 8.5 runs is close to correct, but given reason trends, the Under is my play.
Ed Scimia's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 5-10, -5.31 units
Over/Under bets:5-8, -3.43 units
Red Sox vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: Boston +140 | Detroit -155
Run line: Boston +1.5 (148) | Detroit -1.5 (+134)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+105) | Under 8.5 (-116)
Red Sox vs Tigers trend
The Tigers are 4-1 overall in Valdez’s last five starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Tigers.
How to watch Red Sox vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
First pitch
6:40 p.m. ET
TV
NESN, DSN
Red Sox starting pitcher
Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.35 ERA)
Red Sox vs Tigers latest injuries
Red Sox vs Tigers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
While the Pittsburgh Penguins fell to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the playoffs, it is clear that the 2025-26 campaign was a major success for the Pens. After entering the season expected by many to be one of the NHL's worst teams, the Penguins responded by finishing second in the Metropolitan Division standings.
After a strong regular-season, the Penguins should not be afraid to add to their roster during the summer. They should be looking to build off their momentum, and one way they could look to boost their roster is through the trade market.
When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson stands out as a prime potential target for the Penguins.
Robertson is entering the offseason as a restricted free agent, and questions about his future in Dallas have come up because of it. If contract talks between the Stars and Robertson don't go well and he is made available for trade, the Penguins absolutely should consider targeting him.
At 26 years old, Robertson would be a great fit on a Penguins team that is focused on the future. This is because he has several years left in his prime. Furthermore, he would finally give the Penguins their much-needed Jake Guentzel replacement.
Robertson is also coming off a monster season with the Stars, which adds to his appeal. In 82 games this campaign with Dallas, he had 45 goals, 51 assists, 96 points, and a plus-22 rating. With numbers like these, he would be a major pickup for the Penguins.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Penguins end up making a push for Robertson this summer. If they acquired him and locked him up to a long-term extension, it would be game-changing for Pittsburgh.
Manchester City did not choke at Everton to hand Arsenal the advantage but it was another reminder the Premier League’s random qualities are still key
For me Clive, it’s all about the Socratic paradox. The wisest man is the man who knows enough to know he knows nothing. I’ve always said that. Or never said it. Or only said it sometimes. One of those. Either way the Premier League title race could have been designed to prove that, in an age of thundering takes and mega-certainties, nobody actually has any idea what’s going on here.
Manchester City’s draw at Everton on Monday night has already been described as The Moment. Advantage Arsenal. This is the consensus. On Tuesday morning, Rob Earnshaw was asked on Sky Sports if this is “the week the season will be decided” and replied: “ABSOLUTELY,” almost before the question had ended. And while you have to admire Rob Earnshaw’s sense of showmanship, there is still a large chance this might not actually be the case.
NEW YORK — Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Chris Devenski has been suspended for three games and fined for intentionally throwing at Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart, Major League Baseball announced.
Devenski intentionally threw at Stewart in the top of the seventh inning of Pittsburgh’s 17-7 win at PNC Park. He was ejected following the incident.
Pirates manager Don Kelly also was suspended for one game and received an undisclosed fine, MLB senior vice president for on-field operations Michael Hill announced.
Devenski’s suspension is set to start when the Pirates open a road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. If Devenski appeals, the suspension would be put off during that process. His fine was not disclosed.
In 2001, the Cubs were coming off a 97-loss season. The Dodgers were good, but hadn’t made the playoffs in four years.
That was the backdrop to what began as an ordinary Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Cubs, off to a good start that year, entered the day at 17-11, two games in the lead in the NL Central. They had shut out the Dodgers the day before, 4-0, led by seven strong innings by Kevin Tapani. The Dodgers were 17-12, also in first place in the NL West.
And the game was fairly ordinary — for a while. Sammy Sosa and Todd Hundley hit two-run homers in the fourth off Darren Dreifort for a 4-0 lead. The Dodgers were shut out by Julian Tavarez for five innings before future Cub Eric Karros hit an RBI single in the sixth to make it 4-1.
That’s where things stood going to the bottom of the seventh. A perfectly ordinary game…
Damon Buford and current Cubs radio announcer Ron Coomer singled, followed by an RBI single by Eric Young Sr.., making it 5-1. Ricky Gutierrez attempted a sacrifice bunt (remember those?), but wound up safe on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases.
Bill Mueller singled in a pair of runs, now it’s 7-1. RBI hits by Sammy Sosa and Rondell White made it 9-1. Hundley struck out, but Julio Zuleta smashed a three-run homer and the Cubs had an eight-run inning, leading 12-1 heading to the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, Gutierrez hit a one-out double, followed by a walk by Mueller. A comebacker by Sosa to Dodgers pitcher Jose Nuñez was thrown away, with Gutierrez scoring and runners winding up on second and third. Another walk loaded the bases and Hundley struck out.
Now there are two out, the bases loaded and the Cubs with a 13-1 lead.
Cubs pitcher Courtney Duncan walked, forcing in a run. Buford singled in two runs, now it’s 16-1. Another single by Coomer re-loaded the bases again, and Augie Ojeda hit a grounder to third that could have ended the inning, but it was booted by Dodgers third baseman Dave Hansen (another guy who briefly played for the Cubs). Two runs scored on the error, making it 18-1.
A single by Gutierrez, batting for the second time in the inning, scored Coomer to make it 19-1. Mueller walked, loading the bases, and Sosa drew a walk, scoring the 20th run.
The Dodgers went out meekly in the ninth and the Cubs had their 20-1 victory, with back-to-back eight-run innings. Sadly, no extensive highlights survive from this game, though the first minute or so of this highlight video from that day show a few plays from the game:
The Cubs swept that 2001 series against the Dodgers, winning the final game 3-2 on a walkoff hit by Hundley, and eventually led the NL Central by 3.5 games before losing eight in a row later in May. They followed the eight-game losing streak with a 12-game winning streak, going back into first place where they’d stay until mid-August. Their final record of 88-74 was a 23-game improvement over the previous year, but they missed the then-single wild card spot in the NL by five games.
The Cubs’ 20-1 blowout of the Dodgers happened 25 years ago today, Saturday, May 5, 2001.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 01: Cade Denton #31 of the Salt River Rafters throws a pitch during an Arizona Fall League game against the Scottsdale Scorpions at Scottsdale Stadium on November 1, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Original photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images 11/1/2026
The hard-throwing righty had just helped his Oral Roberts Golden Eagles go deep in the 2023 College World Series by posting a 1.83 ERA over 35 appearances and carried a 12.1 SO/9 over 64 innings of work. You might have overlooked both Denton and Oral Roberts as that was the season Paul Skenes took Louisiana State all the way, but the Rockies didn’t, signing him for above slot value and quickly assigning him to their farm system.
He made eight appearances that season: four with the Arizona Complex League following the draft and four with the Low-A Fresno Grizzlies to end the season.
However, Denton seemed to largely fly under the radar during his minor league career and hasn’t been ranked among the organization’s top prospects despite solid results. He spent most of the 2024 season with the Grizzlies, posting a 2.86 ERA in 26 relief appearances, but struck out just 23 batters in 28.1 innings.
Following a late-season promotion to the High-A Spokane Indians, Denton made an additional five appearances. However, he struck out just three batters and had a 7.36 ERA over 7.1 innings.
Denton was assigned again to Spokane for the 2025 season, where he found his footing. A workhorse reliever for the Indians, Denton made 42 appearances and posted a 3.73 ERA with 63 strikeouts over 50.2 innings. He also tallied seven saves. He did struggle somewhat with his command, issuing career high 20 walks for a 3.6 BB/9—a career high tying his metric during his initial four-game stint in Fresno. He also gave up a career high eight home runs.
Once there, Denton quickly stood out. He struck out 18 batters and walked only four over 13 innings of work for the Salt River Rafters. He did allow five earned runs, but all five came in one bad inning that included a grand slam on October 16th. Denton finished the Fall League with a 3.46 ERA due to his combined efforts outside of that outing.
An important part of Denton’s success in Arizona was finding rhythm with his fastball. Delivering out of a low arm slot, Denton’s fastball rides upwards and is at its best when he places it at the top rail with higher velocity—maxing out around 96 MPH. Denton had lost velocity on the pitch in 2024, but during the Fall League, he had regained the velocity and control.
“During the Fall League I finally got [the fastball] to the top of the zone where I wanted it to be. It’s not a four-seam carry fastball, but pitching coaches prior [had said] that it’s a deceptive arm slot,” Denton explained of his success. “So just trying to get that ball to the top of the zone to get whiffs, just trying to keep emphasizing filling up the zone, filling up the top of the zone with the fastball and everything else will keep working the way that it’s supposed to.”
“That was really cool,” Denton said. “After a rough second outing—I think it was—in the Fall League where you go out there and you give up a grand slam. You’re like ‘yeah, pitch [well] the rest of the Fall League, put your name out there.’ [I] didn’t expect to be reliever of the year. There was quite a few guys that that I think were also deserving of that honor, but I was super excited. It was really cool.”
He went on to praise his wife and family for the support and excitement they’ve shown for him.
“My wife was really excited whenever that happened. Those are the moments that you get to share that joy with other people and family and friends and stuff,” he said. “So it was definitely a good fall and definitely a cool award to get.”
Denton has continued to emphasize the importance of family throughout his baseball journey.
“It’s been amazing,” he continued. “I mean, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. They came to probably about every college baseball game I played in, and they were just here for spring training. It’s really cool to just share that with the people that are closest to you and the people that got you to the place you are now. Now you’ve just got to go out and prove it to everybody else.”
Denton joined the big league camp multiple times during spring training and appeared in three Cactus League games as the Rockies tried to grow on the momentum he gained during the fall. He gave up one earned run on one hit—a solo home run—while striking out four batters and walking one over 2.1 innings. Denton also appeared in the Spring Breakout prospect showcase game.
“With the the new the new pitching directors here, pitching staff, there’s a lot of the mental side of the game that I think comes into play [in spring training] where you’re trying to find a way to get into a groove.”
Denton was assigned to the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats to start the season. As he works with the new pitching development staff in the organization, their philosophies remain aligned.
“The philosophy, like I said, it’s ‘fill up the zone to two strikes’ and then then, you know, ‘kill.’ That’s what they said, is ‘Get there and your stuff’s meant to get guys out with two strikes. You’re not trying to generate whiffs as early in counts. You’re trying to get strikes. Whiffs are fine. Whiffs are good. Whiffs will always be okay, but fill up the zone, strike guys out and finish at bats when you can.’”
Once again, the Albuquerque Isotopes managed to split a game series, winning the final three games against the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres). It marked the third time since the six-game format was implemented that Albuquerque won the final three contests to earn a split after losing the initial three games. The Isotopes outscored El Paso 49-18 over the final three games of the series. On Friday, Albuquerque exploded for 26 runs, the most scored in franchise history, as every player recorded at least one hit, an RBI, and a run scored. The following day, they scored 19 runs to win 19-7 after being down 5-0 in the first inning. On the homestand, they ended up batting .332/.433/.484 with 41 strikeouts and 40 walks. Meanwhile, pitching posted a 6.67 ERA, allowing 53 runs (40 earned) on 74 hits with 45 strikeouts and 28 walks.
⬆️ Stock Up:Cole Runnings
Not that his stock needed much more raising, Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) had himself quite the week, earning Player of the Week honors in the Pacific Coast League. During the series against El Paso, Carrigg slashed .583/.615/.875, going 14-for-24 with two doubles, a triple, a homer, eight RBI, and four stolen bases. He led the PCL in runs scored (11) and stolen bases (four), while tying for first in hits (14) and placing third with 21 total bases. This also comes as Carrigg is in the midst of a 24-game on-base streak and a 13-game hitting streak. Last Saturday, he also went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and five RBI, tying career highs in all three categories.
It was an amazing weekend for our bats, and Cole Carrigg led the way! He's been named PCL Player of the Week.
Carrigg was 14-for-24 with four extra-base hits, eight RBI and four steals in the set. His best performance was a four-hit, five-RBI night on Saturday vs. El Paso. pic.twitter.com/6e9FmwfJUM
⬇️ Stock Down:Turbulence on the flight of the Condor
After a hot start out of the gate, Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) has hit a bit of a rougher patch where he isn’t seeing much success at the plate. During the home stand, Condon slashed .150/.393/.150, going 3-for-20 with three RBI. His plate discipline remains impeccable, as he drew six walks and had just five strikeouts and increased his on-base streak to 24 games. In 59 plate appearances at home this season, Condon has just one extra-base hit. Hopefully, Condon can tap back into the damage he can do with his bat and complement the discipline even more.
Upcoming
The Isotopes head to Sugar Land, Texas, to face off against the Space Cowboys (Houston Astros).
The Yard Goats ended up splitting the series against the Reading Fightin’ Phils (Philadelphia Phillies). They were outscored 40-32 including both a 12-6 victory on Sunday, as well as an 11-3 loss on Friday and a 15-5 loss on Thursday.
⬆️ Stock Up:Take a good look, you won’t see it for Long-well!
Aidan Longwell went on an absolute tear this week, going 9-for-23 with three doubles, a triple and three home runs in six games. The first baseman also recorded nine RBI with just one walk and three strikeouts.
In 26 games this season, Longwell is slashing .282/.333/.524 with 11 doubles, one triple, four homers, 20 RBI, six walks and 18 strikeouts. The double lead only Andy Perez (10); he’s tied with Dyan Jorge and Benny Montgomery with one triple apiece; the four homers rank second behind Bryant Betancourt; and the 20 RBI lead the team ahead of Roc Riggio’s (No. 14 PuRP) 16.
Aidan Longwell makes it look wayyyy too easy with his 3RD HR THIS HOMESTAND🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/wBU2zReKTL
⬇️ Stock Down:Pa-checo yourself before you Pa-wrecko yourself
LHP Alberto Pacheco had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad outing this week. He came in to relieve the titular Cade Denton in the third inning of April 30’s contest against the Phils and did not record a single out, but gave up seven earned runs on three hits (though one resulted in a grand slam). He also hit a batter and walked three without any strikeouts.
Upcoming
This week, the Yard Goats will head to Binghamton for a series against the Rumble Ponies (New York Mets).
High-A: Spokane Indians (1-5, 9-18 overall)
The Spokane Indians have struggled so far in 2026, which was reflected in their week against the Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants). Despite having two off days last Monday and Tuesday (which resulted in a Saturday doubleheader), they only managed one win on Friday. Additionally, they were outscored 34-17 (including an 11-0 loss in Game 1 of the doubleheader and an 8-1 loss on Sunday). They did, however, win 7-1 on Friday behind an excellent two-pitcher performance (see below).
⬆️ Stock Up: The Cat-lett is out of the bag
LHP Everett Catlett had an excellent outing this week, earning him Northwest League Pitcher of the Week honors.
Catlett made one appearance on Friday against the Emeralds and absolutely dominated in the 7-1 victory. He threw six innings behind starter Lebarron Johnson Jr., who pitched three innings and only allowed one run on one hit in three innings of work.
Catlett finished the game with six scoreless innings of work, allowing twice as many hits as Johnson Jr. (2) but striking out 11 and only walking one batter. That lowered his ERA from 5.09 to 3.80 in five starts for the Indians.
In his previous start on April 24th, Carlett threw 4.2 innings and allowed one run (a solo homer) on two hits with five walks and seven strikeouts. His stock is definitely climbing!
⬇️ Stock Down:Min Belyeu
Max Belyeu (No. 15 PuRP) struggled this week at the plate, going just 2-for-15 (.133) with one RBI, three walks and 10 strikeouts. He attempted to steal one base, but was caught. Belyeu has struggled in his repeat High-A assignment (though he only played 21 games there last year after the Draft. In 22 games, Belyeu is slashing just .185/.290/.395 with a team-leading 38 strikeouts.
Upcoming
This week, the Indians will welcome to Avista Stadium the Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels).
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (3-3, 15-12 overall)
The Grizzlies equalized the Stockton Ports (Athletics), outscoring their competition 43-33. They started off the week with a bang, shutting out the Ports 10-0. They also had two 9-8 games directly following, one being a win and the other being a loss. They scored nine runs for a third time on Saturday en route to a 9-4 victory.
⬆️ Stock Up:Jolly Holliday
Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) is becoming more comfortable, as was evident this week. The fourth-overall draft pick went 6-for-12 with a double, two home runs (one of which was a grand slam), 11 RBI, eight walks and just three strikeouts.
Not to be outdone, Roldy Brito (No 11 PuRP) also had himself quite a week. He went 8-for-21 with three doubles, two home runs (including a grand slam), seven RBI, three walks and three strikeouts.
Brito flips the script in grand fashion!
Roldy Brito's grand slam regains the lead for the Grizzlies in a back and forth game in Stockton
While the infield soared, the backstop struggled. Matt Klein went just 1-for-16 with a run scored. He also recorded three walks, but struck out five times. Klein is hitting just .156/.304/.313 in 18 games this year.
Upcoming
The Grizzlies will travel to San Jose for a series with the Giants (San Francisco Giants).
The Arizona Complex League kicked off on Saturday, and the ACL Rockies have played two games so far, winning both. They beat the ACL Angels on Saturday 4-0 and the ACL Giants on Monday 4-3.
⬆️ Stock Up:U-got-it, Ronny!
Over two games, 21-year-old Ronny Ugarte had quite the showing! The Venezuelan first baseman went 5-for-7 with a double, a home run and three RBI with zero strikeouts and one stolen base.
⬇️ Stock Down:Garci-oh
On the flip side, 19-year-old Dariel Garcia has yet to record a hit. The Puerto Rican shortstop went hitless (0-for-6) with a walk and two strikeouts.
(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Inspiration.
In the game thread on 1 May, there was some doubt about the sustainability of the Diamondbacks’ performance (16 wins, 14 losses before the game started).The game was close, with the Diamondbacks losing by one run.
For whatever reason, the Diamondbacks are not pitching well in the first inning. With my optimistic viewpoint, I’m confident the problem can be fixed. Perhaps the fix is as simple as using an opener for every game (as suggested in the thread).
The first inning ERAs for Diamondbacks pitchers (3 game minimum, games through 3 May) follow:
Nelson, 12.79 ERA
Soroka, 10.5 ERA
Kelly, 9.0 ERA
Gallen, 6.43 ERA
Rodriguez, 6.00 ERA
Pfaadt, 3.00 ERA
Fixing the first inning pitching would go a long way toward the Diamondbacks reaching a wild card berth into the playoffs. Let’s look at how likely is it that the Diamondbacks will reach the playoffs?
Wins needed to be a wild card – Last 4 seasons.
The following list shows wins needed to gain a NL wild card berth into the playoffs. The list only includes seasons after the playoff format changed.
2022, 87 wins.
2023, 84 wins.
2024, 89 wins.
2025, 83 wins
My conclusion: this season, if the Diamondbacks win 84 games they will have a 50% chance of a wild card; win 87 games they will have a 75% chance of a wild card; and win 89 games they will have a 99% chance of a wild card.
Wins needed to be a wild card – 3 projections.
On 29 April, two projections (Baseball Reference and Baseball Prospectus) showed 86 wins would earn a wild card. The FanGraphs projection showed that 83 wins would do it, but it projected the Diamondbacks with only 82 wins.
How many games will the Diamondbacks win?
My final preseason prediction was that the Diamondbacks will win 85.1 games. That was about the same as my Too Early Win Projection. Based on historic wins needed, 85 wins would give the Diamondbacks slightly over 50% chance of a wild card. However, this season is unusual because the range of possible wins is very wide.
“This season is unusual because of the wide range of possible wins. My view is that the Diamondbacks will win between 81 and 89 games, depending on the health and performances of nearly all Diamondbacks players. Therefore, my confidence that they will reach the playoffs is less than 50%. Nevertheless, there is a realistic chance of reaching the playoffs…. Makakilo, 23 March Round Table
An Alternate way of predicting whether the Diamondbacks will be a wild card.
The team with the most triples in a 3-game series.
Teams with at least 3 stolen bases in a 3-game series.
Teams that win an epic battle.
Teams with at least 9 RBIs in a 3-game series.
Let’s expand that view to regular season games against likely wild card teams. Through 3 May, the Diamondbacks played 3 teams that could be NL wild cards:
2 game series against Padres. 11 hits per game, 1 triple, & 8 RBIs per game indicate that the Diamondbacks could do well as a wild card.
3-game series against the Brewers. 6.7 hits per game, & 3.7 RBIs per game indicate that the Diamondbacks could be average as a wild card.
3-game series against the Cubs. 7.3 hits per game, & 3 RBIs per game indicate that the Diamondbacks could be average as a wild card (despite the Cubs sweeping the series).
Perspective: Sustainable Performance.
Batting is a strength of the Diamondbacks. In games through 3 May, the Diamondbacks 4.55 runs per game ranked 11th in the Majors. Players such as Nolan Arenado seem to be improving during the season.
Pitching sustainability will be boosted by players returning from the injury list.
In 1-run games through 3 May, the Diamondbacks’ 6 wins and 5 losses (39 runs scored and 38 runs allowed) was about average. However, this could improve because my feeling is that the Diamondbacks are at their best in 1-run games.
Leveraged batter run value is encouraging.
A hat tip to Preston Salisbury because in a game thread he made a comment about base runs. That prompted me to look at Baseball Savant and found the following data about batter run value.
In games through 28 April, the Diamondbacks batters created +15 leveraged runs, which was higher than most other NL contenders for wild card berths. Examples were the Cubs (+21), the Padres (+6), Pirates (+3), the Phillies (negative 19), and the Mets (negative 24). The Diamondbacks ranked eighth highest in the Majors.
Summary: Will the Diamondbacks reach a wild card berth into the playoffs?
First inning pitching is a problem. All things considered, my prediction is the Diamondbacks will win 85 games.
Looking at the broad range of possible season wins (81 to 89 games), how well the Diamondbacks play could greatly impact their chances, either negatively of positively. It’s encouraging that the Diamondbacks batters created more leveraged runs than most NL contenders for wild card berths. The Diamondbacks performance may be sustainable for several reasons.
In two of the last four seasons, it only took 84 wins to obtain a NL wild card berth in the playoffs. Three different projections estimate that this season it will take between 83 and 86 wins.
With the problems that the Phillies and Mets have experienced, and with the Diamondbacks [recently] above 500, there is a real chance (about 50%) for the Diamondbacks to reach a wild card berth into the playoffs!
The Padres will likely be a NL wild card. If the Diamondbacks win most of their games against the Padres (they play 11 more times this season) that will be a big step in controlling their destiny.
The New York Knicks scorched the nets at Madison Square Garden in the series opener and take aim at a 2-0 lead when they host the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night.
My same-game parlay for Game 2 of this Eastern Conference semifinal likes the points to keep flowing, along with standout efforts from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Here are my best NBA picks and SGP predictions for 76ers vs. Knicks on May 6.
Our best 76ers vs Knicks SGP for Game 2
SGP leg #1: Over 215
The New York Knicks shot 63% from the floor and scored 137 points in the series opener. While I expect New York’s success to come back to earth, its offense throws a lot at Philadelphia, especially with Joel Embiid limping around on defense.
As for the Philadelphia 76ers, they need to promote pace on offense, and I expect the Sixers to do their share of the scoring in Game 2. This total has jumped only two points from the closing number of 213 O/U in Game 1, leaving a low bar for the Over.
SGP leg #2: Kelly Oubre Over 5.5 rebounds
Kelly Oubre Jr. is averaging six rebounds for the postseason, but his work on the boards surges in this series. Embiid is being drawn away from the rim and isn’t mobile enough to chase down misses.
Oubre had five boards on eight rebounding chances in Game 1, with New York not missing much. There will be more rebounding chances in Game 2, and Oubre is projected for six or more rebounds after pulling down seven in both regular-season meetings with the Knicks.
SGP leg #3: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 18.5 points
Karl-Anthony Towns has served more as a conduit for the Knicks' offense in the playoffs, passing off rather than attacking. However, Philadelphia has to change how they defend KAT.
That means sending smaller players at him up top or sagging off with Embiid. Either way, Towns can find the bottom of the basket, and Game 2 forecasts have him scoring around 22 points.
Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his 76ers vs Knicks predictions for Game 2.
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