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Phillies at Blue Jays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 5

Its Thursday, June 5 and the Phillies (37-24) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (32-29).

Jesús Luzardo is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against Chris Bassitt for Toronto.

The Jays evened the series at one game apiece with a 2-1 win last night. Alejandro Kirk singled to center in the bottom of the ninth and drove in Vlad Guerrero Jr. with the winning run.

Lets dive into today's 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 Phillies at Blue Jays

  • Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
  • Time: 3:07PM EST
  • Site: Rogers Centre
  • City: Toronto, ON
  • Network/Streaming: NBCSP, Sportsnet

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

Odds for the Phillies at the Blue Jays

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Phillies (-125), Blue Jays (+105)
  • Spread:  Phillies -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Blue Jays

  • Pitching matchup for June 5, 2025: Jesús Luzardo vs. Chris Bassitt
    • Phillies: Jesús Luzardo (5-1, 3.58 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/31 vs. Milwaukee - 3.1IP, 12ER, 12H, 3BB, 4Ks
    • Blue Jays: Chris Bassitt (5-3, 3.80 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/30 vs. A's - 5.0IP, 5ER, 7H, 2BB, 6Ks

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

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

  • The Phillies have won 4 of their last 5 games against AL East teams
  • Blue Jays' pitcher Chris Bassitt has an ERA of 3.81 this season
  • The Blue Jays have covered in 4 of their last 5 games with Chris Bassitt as starting pitcher to return 3.31 units
  • George Springer is 1-9 through 3 games in June

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 today’s game between the Phillies 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 Thursday's game between the Phillies and the Blue Jays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Toronto Blue Jays 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)
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Pacers embrace underdog role in 2025 NBA Finals

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City is a historic favorite in the NBA Finals. The Thunder are -9.5 point favorites to win Game 1 and -700 to win the series, according to our partners at BetMGM. Good luck finding a pundit who picked Indiana to win the series.

The Pacers are good with that. They have fully embraced their underdog role.

"If we were to win a championship, I don't want to win any other way," Tyrese Haliburton said on the eve of Game 1. "I don't want to go around or over. I want to go through. You want to go through the best team, the best challenge. This is the best challenge. This is the best team in the NBA. It's been the best team in the NBA all year."

Oklahoma City has been the NBA's best all season, winning 68 games with a historic +12.7 net rating — more than 10 points better than Indiana. The Thunder charged through the "varsity" Western Conference to reach the NBA Finals.

Which is why nobody is giving the Pacers much of a chance. However, to a man, Indiana players feel like they have been here before.

"I feel like that's been the norm for us throughout the playoffs," T.J. McConnell said. "That's okay. We're not really worried about the external noise. We know what we have to do to win. We have to do it together. Anything outside of that we're not concerning ourselves with."

"I don't think we expect anyone to pick us. It's been that way the whole playoffs, the whole season," Pascal Siakam said, echoing the same idea. "Think nothing for us changes. We just continue to be ourselves, focus on us. It's always been us against everyone. Doesn't change."
Indiana enters the Finals with confidence, having seen a team that plays like Oklahoma City every single day in practice. The Thunder will not surprise the Pacers.

"The fact that they play similar to us, I mean, we've been seeing that every day since training camp, you know what I mean?" Myles Turner said.

Pacers fans and even players may feel overlooked, but they are used to that.

"I don't think any of us care how overlooked we are," Andrew Nembhard said. I don't think we pay attention to what media thinks about what our projections are going to be. We have a close-knit group and we look inward. We believe in ourselves."

At every step, the Pacers have proved the doubters wrong. They believe they can do that one more time.

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Royals at Cardinals Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 5

It's Thursday, June 5, and the Royals (32-29) are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals (33-27). Cole Ragans is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Matthew Liberatore for St. Louis.

Yesterday's matchup between the two was postponed due to inclement weather in the area. Today will be a doubleheader.

The Royals need to get something going in this series. They are in fourth place in the AL Central and 8.0 games back from the first-place Detroit Tigers. They have lost six of their last 10 and hope to build on their 10-7 Tuesday win.

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 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 Royals at Cardinals

  • Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
  • Time: 7:45PM EST
  • Site: Busch Stadium
  • City: St. Louis, MO
  • Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City

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 Royals at the Cardinals

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Royals (-102), Cardinals (-117)
  • Spread:  Cardinals 1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Royals at Cardinals

  • Pitching matchup for June 5, 2025: Cole Ragans vs. Matthew Liberatore
    • Royals: Cole Ragans, (2-3, 4.53 ERA)
      Last outing (St. Louis Cardinals, 5/16): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
    • Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore, (3-4, 3.08 ERA)
      Last outing (Texas Rangers, 5/30): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 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!

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

  • The Cardinals are 6-4 in their last 10 games
  • Each of the Royals' last 3 games at the Cardinals have gone over the Total
  • The Royals have covered the Run Line in 10 of their last 12 road games against the Cardinals

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 Royals and the Cardinals

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 Thursday's game between the Royals and the Cardinals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the St. Louis Cardinals on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Kansas City Royals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

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

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

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

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ICYMI in Mets Land: Juan Soto is shuffling again; Mark Vientos injury update

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Wednesday, in case you missed it...

Posted on

Tigers at White Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 5

Its Thursday, June 5 and the Tigers (41-22) are in Chicago to take on the White Sox (19-43).

Casey Mize is slated to take the mound for Detroit against Sean Burke for Chicago.

The Tigers have won two of the first three games of this series following last night's 5-4 win. Riley Greene went 3-5 and drove in two runs as Detroit won their 41st game of the season. Chase Meidroth went 3-4 in the loss for the Sox.

Lets dive into this afternoon's matchup and find a sweat or two.

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

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

Game details & how to watch Tigers at White Sox

  • Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
  • Time: 2:10PM EST
  • Site: Rate Field
  • City: Chicago, IL
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNDT, CHSN

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

Odds for the Tigers at the White Sox

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Tigers (-218), White Sox (+180)
  • Spread:  Tigers -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Tigers at White Sox

  • Pitching matchup for June 5, 2025: Casey Mize vs. Sean Burke
    • Tigers: Casey Mize (6-1, 2.82 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/30 at Kansas City - 3.1IP, 3ER, 8H, 2BB, 4Ks
    • White Sox: Sean Burke (3-6, 4.20 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/30 at Baltimore - 6IP, 2ER, 5H, 1BB, 6Ks

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Tigers at White Sox

  • The Tigers have won 4 of their last 5 series
  • Each of the White Sox's last 3 home games against the Tigers have gone over the Total
  • The White Sox are showing a profit of 2.22 units on the Run Line in their last 5 games at Rate Field
  • Riley Greene is enjoying a modest 4-game hitting streak with 8 hits in 16ABs (.500) in June

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

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

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 Thursday's game between the Tigers and the White Sox:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Detroit Tigers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the 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)
Posted on

Padres at Giants prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 5

It's Thursday, June 5 and the Padres (35-25) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (34-28). Dylan Cease is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Robbie Ray for San Francisco.

The Padres had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 6-5 loss to the Giants yesterday. San Diego took the first meeting, so this will be the rubber match between the two featuring two of the best pitchers they have to offer.

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 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 Padres at Giants

  • Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
  • Time: 3:45PM EST
  • Site: Oracle Park
  • City: San Francisco, CA
  • Network/Streaming: SDPA, NBCSBA

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 Padres at the Giants

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Padres (+106), Giants (-126)
  • Spread:  Giants -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Giants

  • Pitching matchup for June 5, 2025: Dylan Cease vs. Robbie Ray
    • Padres: Dylan Cease, (1-4, 4.67 ERA)
      Last outing: 4.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 6 Strikeouts
    • Giants: Robbie Ray, (7-1, 2.43 ERA)
      Last outing: 7.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Run Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 9 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 Padres and the Giants

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 Thursday’s game between the Padres and the Giants:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Francisco Giants on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Diego Padres at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Giants

  • The Giants have won 12 of their last 20 home games
  • The Under is 4-1 in the Giants' last 5 games
  • The Giants are 10-2 in Ray's 12 starts, but 1-2 in the last three games

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

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)
Posted on

Royals at Cardinals Game 2 prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends, and stats for June 5

Its Thursday, June 5 and the Royals (32-29) are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals (33-27) for a doubleheader following last night's rainout.

Cole Ragans is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Matthew Liberatore for St. Louis in Game 2.

The series opened Tuesday with a 10-7 Royals' win. Bobby Witt Jr. drove in four to pace the offense which overcame an awful start from Michael Lorenzen who allowed seven runs in just 2.2 innings.

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 Royals at Cardinals - Game 2

  • Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
  • Time: 7:45PM EST
  • Site: Busch Stadium
  • City: St. Louis, MO
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNKC, FDSNMW

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 Royals at the Cardinals - Game 2

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Royals (-102), Cardinals (-117)
  • Spread:  Cardinals 1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Royals at Cardinals - Game 2

  • Pitching matchup for June 5, 2025: Cole Ragans vs. Matthew Liberatore
    • Royals: Cole Ragans (2-3, 4.53 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/16 vs. St. Louis - 5IP, 4ER, 5H, 0BB, 7Ks
    • Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore (3-4, 3.08 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/30 at Texas - 5IP, 4ER, 7H, 1BB, 5Ks

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Royals at Cardinals - Game 2

  • The Cardinals are showing a 129% return on investment at home on the Money Line
  • Each of the Royals' last 3 games in St. Louis have gone over the Total
  • The Royals have covered the Run Line in 10 of their last 12 road games against the Cardinals
  • Bobby Witt Jr. is 3-8 to open June after closing May with just 2 hits in his final 18 ABs

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 Royals and the Cardinals

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 Thursday's Game 2 between the Royals and the Cardinals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the St. Louis Cardinals on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Kansas City Royals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

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

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

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

Mets at Dodgers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 5

It's Thursday, June 5 and the Mets (39-23) are in Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers (37-25). David Peterson is slated to take the mound for New York against Landon Knack for Los Angeles.

The Mets earned another victory over the Dodgers yesterday, 6-1, giving New York the season edge 4-2 with today being the final matchup. New York is 5-1 over the last six games and 9-2 in the past 11 outings.

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 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 Mets at Dodgers

  • Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
  • Time: 4:10PM EST
  • Site: Dodger Stadium
  • City: Los Angeles, CA
  • Network/Streaming: SNY, SNLA, 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 Mets at the Dodgers

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Mets (+106), Dodgers (-124)
  • Spread:  Dodgers -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Mets at Dodgers

  • Pitching matchup for June 5, 2025: David Peterson vs. Landon Knack
    • Mets: David Peterson, (4-2, 2.69 ERA)
      Last outing: 5.2 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Run Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 5 Strikeouts
    • Dodgers: Landon Knack, (3-2, 4.59 ERA)
      Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Run Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 6 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 Mets 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 Thursday’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Mets at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

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 Mets at Dodgers

  • The Mets have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against NL West teams
  • The Under is 4-1 in the Dodgers' last 5 matchups against National League teams
  • The Dodgers have failed to cover the Run Line in 5 of their last 7 games

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

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)
Posted on

Royals at Cardinals Game 1 prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends, and stats for June 5

Its Thursday, June 5 and the Royals (32-29) are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals (33-27) in a day/night doubleheader following yesterday's rainout.

Let's talk about Game 1. Noah Cameron is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Miles Mikolas for St. Louis.

The Royals opened the series with a 10-7 win. The ten runs were the most KC scored since a 10-0 win on May 8. Savor the moment Royals' fans as this is a team that is the third-worst in baseball producing only 204 runs on the season. Only Colorado and Pittsburgh have scored fewer runs.

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 Royals at Cardinals - Game 1

  • Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
  • Time: 1:45PM EST
  • Site: Busch Stadium
  • City: St. Louis, MO
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNKC, FDSNMW

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 Royals at the Cardinals - Game 1

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Royals (+110), Cardinals (-131)
  • Spread:  Cardinals -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Royals at Cardinals - Game 1

  • Pitching matchup for June 5, 2025: Noah Cameron vs. Miles Mikolas
    • Royals: Noah Cameron (2-1, 1.05 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/28 vs. Cincinnati - 6.1IP, 1ER, 6H, 2BB, 2Ks
    • Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.90 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/28 at Baltimore - 4IP, 4ER, 9H, 0BB, 3Ks

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 Royals at Cardinals - Game 1

  • Willson Contreras is riding a modest 4-game hitting streak (4-15)
  • Salvador Perez is 4-9 to open June
  • St. Louis is 6-4 over their last 10 games to keep pace in the NL Central sitting 4.5 games behind the Cubs
  • Kansas City is 4-6 over their last 10 games to drop 8 games behind Detroit in the AL Central

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 today’s Game 1 between the Royals and the Cardinals

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 Thursday's game between the Royals and the Cardinals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the St. Louis Cardinals on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the St. Louis Cardinals 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)
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New Queen’s tournament to offer equal prize money for women by 2029

  • LTA hopes profit from new venture will bridge gap

  • 2025 prize pot at £1.042m for women; £2.12m for men

The LTA has pledged to secure equal prize money for the new women’s tennis tournament held at Queen’s and the mixed event in Eastbourne by 2029 at the latest.

Women’s tennis will return to The Queen’s Club in Baron’s Court, London for the first time in more than 50 years next week in the form of a WTA 500 event, one week before the annual men’s ATP 500 event at Queen’s. The player list includes Madison Keys, Elena Rybakina, Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter.

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Times, they are a changin’: Thunder vs. Pacers Finals highlights generational change sweeping NBA

OKLAHOMA CITY — Neither Oklahoma City nor Indiana played on Christmas Day.

The prime-time Christmas Day slot was given to soon-to-be 40-year-old LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, facing off against the soon-to-be 37-year-old Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, the league's older and more established brands. Over the course of one of the NBA's biggest showcase days, other over-30 stars such as Joel Embiid, Paul George and Kevin Durant were in the spotlight.

Spots in the NBA's brightest playoff spotlight are earned, not given. All of those veteran stars are on vacation and these NBA Finals — and the 2025 playoffs in general — have highlighted a wave of generational change that has washed across the league.

The faces of the league are changing, and they are much younger.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP and his Oklahoma City Thunder — the youngest team in the NBA this season, with Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams still on their rookie deals — are the team to beat. Tyrese Haliburton just turned 25, which is the average age for the Pacers this season.

For the NBA — and its broadcast and marketing partners — this is something that should be embraced and celebrated. These NBA Finals are not about market size and ratings, it's about the stars of the next generation rising up and taking their place, all while playing high-level, entertaining basketball.

"I understand that there would be concern for how many people would watch because they're smaller markets," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of the pearl clutching by some around these NBA Finals. "But if we're celebrating the game and we're putting game above all, which is one of the things that Adam Silver said when he became commissioner, then it really shouldn't matter. It really shouldn't matter."

Embracing a new generation

It's not just SGA and Hali.

LeBron and Curry were eliminated from the playoffs by 23-year-old Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Out West, Edwards will be challenged in the coming years by 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama and his Spurs, and more immediately by 22-year-olds Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun with the Houston Rockets.

This shift started last season when then 25-year-old Luka Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals but fell to then 26-year-old Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. The change just didn't feel as sweeping because we had seen those young stars on the biggest stages for a few years, and because those teams played a more traditional style.

These playoffs have felt different, and a large part of that is due to changes in roster construction and the way the Thunder and Pacers play.

Oklahoma City and Indiana are not heliocentric teams built around their stars pounding the ball into the ground and simply hunting mismatches; these are teams where Haliburton and Gilgeous-Alexander are conductors of offenses where everyone eats. These teams are more balanced, more egalitarian.

That is the direction the NBA is headed, especially in an era where the tax aprons are flattening out the talent base. We have seen it coming in Denver, where Nikola Jokić is the center of everything, but it works because of his incredible passing skills, which lift up Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr., among many other role players. It's a balanced attack built around their star.

The NBA's latest CBA and its incredibly punishing second tax apron means the era of simply stockpiling stars is over (just ask Phoenix). Teams will have to be built more like Indiana, where they have an All-NBA star in Haliburton, but GM Kevin Pritchard built a roster of role players around him who are a hand-in-glove fit with the style of play that works best for said star.

"Things are changing. The roster construction seems to be evolving in a slightly different direction, if not a pretty significantly different direction," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said on the eve of the NBA Finals. "There are always going to be stars. Identifying with teams may become more of a significant thing than just the star aspect of it."

Players thrive in new style

Talk to the players in the NBA Finals, and to a man they say enjoying a modern style of play matters far more to them than the discussion around market size and ratings that seem to dominate some corners of the NBA conversation. These players have embraced playing in Oklahoma City and Indianapolis.

"I always compare it to, like, a small local high school football team being really good, and the city around them kind of gathers around them," the Thunder's Jalen Williams said. "That's how Oklahoma is. But it's with that with the whole state. Everywhere we go, I've been met with love since I've been out here. It's a really cool experience."

"I definitely think it's good for the NBA," OKC's Aaron Wiggins said of the smaller markets in the NBA Finals. "Kind of shows that you can build regardless of where you are from within. Obviously, both of our teams didn't necessarily get superstars in the offseason or anything. Kind of drafted and built within. You find pieces that fit in the offseason.

"It just kind of goes to show with the right personnel, with trust, the right development, you can get anywhere you want to get. We're two teams that are kind of proving that this year."

And they are two teams proving that a new generation of stars has taken over the NBA — and that's a good thing.

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Astros at Pirates Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 5

It's Thursday, June 5 and the Astros (33-28) are in Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates (23-39). Framber Valdez is slated to take the mound for Houston against Mitch Keller for Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh took Game 2, 3-0 yesterday, a day after Houston won 3-0 in Game 1, so the series is split. The Pirates are going for the seventh two-game winning steak of the season today (tied for longest of the season).

Houston has won five straight starts with Valdez on the mound. He is coming off a complete game performance that earned him the win over the Rays (3 hits, 1 ER).

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 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 Astros at Pirates

  • Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
  • Time: 6:40PM EST
  • Site: PNC Park
  • City: Pittsburgh, PA
  • Network/Streaming: SCHN, SNP

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 Astros at the Pirates

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Astros (-161), Pirates (+135)
  • Spread:  Astros -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Astros at Pirates

  • Pitching matchup for June 5, 2025: Framber Valdez vs. Mitch Keller
    • Astros: Framber Valdez, (5-4, 3.12 ERA)
      Last outing: 9.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Run Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 9 Strikeouts
    • Pirates: Mitch Keller, (1-7, 3.73 ERA)
      Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 1 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 Astros and the Pirates

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 Thursday’s game between the Astros and the Pirates:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Houston Astros on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Pittsburgh Pirates at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Astros at Pirates

  • The Astros have won 7 of their last 10 games
  • With Mitch Keller as the opener 4 of the Pirates' last 5 games have gone under the Total
  • The Astros are 5-0 in the last five Valdez starts

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)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Bristol tap into class divide in bid to shock ‘posh’ rivals and title favourites Bath

Unsung inside centre James Williams typifies Bears’ graft in emotional build-up to Friday’s Premiership semi-final against their bitter foes

When the Rugby Football Union launched its rebrand of the Championship last month, Henry Pollock was put front and centre, made the poster boy by virtue of his five loan appearances for Bedford Blues. You can hardly blame the union for trying to capitalise on the hype but there are better examples of players who epitomise the strengths of the second tier.

None more so than James Williams, Bristol’s inside-centre who at 28 has taken the road less travelled to the Premiership semi-finals. Williams began his career at Birmingham Moseley in National League One before moving to Hartpury. He joined Worcester in 2018 but managed just one appearance, signed with Sale a year later and appeared just three times and when Covid hit he was released by the Sharks.

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How important is home-court advantage in the NBA Finals?

How important is home-court advantage in the NBA Finals? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The 2025 NBA Finals will start in Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center on Thursday for Game 1 off this year’s Finals. The two franchises had different paths to the championship stage, but the Thunder’s regular season dominance earned them home-court advantage in the series.

How exactly does the NBA determine where the Finals begin? Here’s a glimpse at how home court works for the NBA Finals, as well as how important it is in determining a champion:

How is home-court advantage determined in the NBA Finals?

Unlike the first three rounds of the playoffs, where home-court advantage is granted based on seeding, the team with the better regular season record gets it in the NBA Finals. 

This year, the Thunder have the advantage in both seeding and record. They earned the West’s No. 1 seed with a 68-14 regular season record, while the Pacers were the East’s No. 4 seed with their 50-32 record.

In most cases, the team with the higher seed also has the better record. Since 2008, only two teams have started the Finals on the road despite being the higher seed. In 2019, the 57-25 Golden State Warriors were the No. 1 seed in the West but had to play Game 1 of the Finals in Toronto against the 58-24 Raptors, who entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 2 seed. Three years later, the No. 3 Warriors went 53-29 during the regular season and the No. 2 Boston Celtics went 51-31, so home court was granted to Golden State.

While the method for determining home-court advantage differs in the Finals, the series layout is consistent through all four rounds of the playoffs. The team that hosts Game 1 also hosts Games 2, 5 and 7. The team that begins the series on the road hosts Games 3, 4 and 6.

How often does the team with home-court advantage win the NBA Finals?

It definitely helps to have home-court advantage in the NBA Finals.

Excluding the Orlando bubble in 2020, 56 of the 77 teams with home-court advantage in the NBA Finals went on to win the championship — including last year’s Celtics.

How often does the home team win Game 1 in the NBA Finals?

Home-court advantage plays an even bigger role at the start of the Finals.

Fifty-nine of the 77 teams that began the series at home won Game 1, good for a .766 win percentage.

How often does the home team win Game 7 in the NBA Finals?

Home court has a similar effect on Game 7s in the Finals as it does Game 1s.

Of the 19 Game 7s in Finals history, the home team came out on top 15 times (.789 win percentage). The Celtics (1969 and 1974), Washington Bullets (1978) and Cavaliers (2016) are the only teams to ever win a Finals Game 7 on the road.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article was published in June 2024.

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How important is home-court advantage in the NBA Finals?

How important is home-court advantage in the NBA Finals? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The 2025 NBA Finals will start in Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center on Thursday for Game 1 off this year’s Finals. The two franchises had different paths to the championship stage, but the Thunder’s regular season dominance earned them home-court advantage in the series.

How exactly does the NBA determine where the Finals begin? Here’s a glimpse at how home court works for the NBA Finals, as well as how important it is in determining a champion:

How is home-court advantage determined in the NBA Finals?

Unlike the first three rounds of the playoffs, where home-court advantage is granted based on seeding, the team with the better regular season record gets it in the NBA Finals. 

This year, the Thunder have the advantage in both seeding and record. They earned the West’s No. 1 seed with a 68-14 regular season record, while the Pacers were the East’s No. 4 seed with their 50-32 record.

In most cases, the team with the higher seed also has the better record. Since 2008, only two teams have started the Finals on the road despite being the higher seed. In 2019, the 57-25 Golden State Warriors were the No. 1 seed in the West but had to play Game 1 of the Finals in Toronto against the 58-24 Raptors, who entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 2 seed. Three years later, the No. 3 Warriors went 53-29 during the regular season and the No. 2 Boston Celtics went 51-31, so home court was granted to Golden State.

While the method for determining home-court advantage differs in the Finals, the series layout is consistent through all four rounds of the playoffs. The team that hosts Game 1 also hosts Games 2, 5 and 7. The team that begins the series on the road hosts Games 3, 4 and 6.

How often does the team with home-court advantage win the NBA Finals?

It definitely helps to have home-court advantage in the NBA Finals.

Excluding the Orlando bubble in 2020, 56 of the 77 teams with home-court advantage in the NBA Finals went on to win the championship — including last year’s Celtics.

How often does the home team win Game 1 in the NBA Finals?

Home-court advantage plays an even bigger role at the start of the Finals.

Fifty-nine of the 77 teams that began the series at home won Game 1, good for a .766 win percentage.

How often does the home team win Game 7 in the NBA Finals?

Home court has a similar effect on Game 7s in the Finals as it does Game 1s.

Of the 19 Game 7s in Finals history, the home team came out on top 15 times (.789 win percentage). The Celtics (1969 and 1974), Washington Bullets (1978) and Cavaliers (2016) are the only teams to ever win a Finals Game 7 on the road.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article was published in June 2024.