Braves at Phillies Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 28

It's Thursday, August 28 and the Braves (61-72) are in Philadelphia to take on the Phillies (76-57). Cal Quantrill is slated to take the mound for Atlanta against Aaron Nola for Philadelphia.

The Phillies own the season series 5-4 over the Braves and this four-game set will be the final of the year between the two teams. Philadelphia has lost the past three games, a sweep via the Mets, while the Braves have stayed hot with two straight wins and 23 runs in the process (13-5 over the last 18 games).

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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

Game details & how to watch Braves at Phillies

  • Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025
  • Time: 6:45PM EST
  • Site: Citizens Bank Park
  • City: Philadelphia, PA
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNSO, NBCSP, 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 Braves at the Phillies

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Braves (+161), Phillies (-194)
  • Spread:  Phillies -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Braves at Phillies

  • Pitching matchup for August 28, 2025: Cal Quantrill vs. Aaron Nola
    • Braves: Cal Quantrill, (4-11, 5.50 ERA)
      Last outing: 5.79 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 5 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
    • Phillies: Aaron Nola, (2-7, 6.52 ERA)
      Last outing: 3.00 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 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!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Braves at Phillies

  • The Phillies are 5-4 versus the Braves this season
  • Atlanta is 10-3 over the past 13 games
  • Philadelphia is 0-3 over the last 3 games
  • Michael Harris II is hitting .320 in August with 8 home runs
  • With Aaron Nola on the mound for the Phillies the Under is 7-4 (64%) this season
  • With Aaron Nola as the starter the Phillies have covered in 3 straight NL East matchups
  • The Phillies have won 3 straight matchups against the Braves with Aaron Nola opening

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 Braves and the Phillies

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 Braves and the Phillies:

  • 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 Atlanta Braves at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play 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.

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Yankees at White Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, stats for August 28

It's Thursday, August 28 and the Yankees (73-60) are in Chicago to take on the White Sox (48-85). Will Warren is slated to take the mound for New York against Davis Martin for Chicago.

This is the first of a four-game series between the Yankees and White Sox, plus the first of two series remaining this season. New York has won four consecutive games since entering this matchup and are hot at 9-3 in the last 12. On the other hand, Chicago has dropped two straight and nine of the past 13.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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

Game details & how to watch Yankees at White Sox

  • Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025
  • Time: 7:40PM EST
  • Site: Rate Field
  • City: Chicago, IL
  • Network/Streaming: YES, 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 Yankees at the White Sox

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Yankees (-195), White Sox (+161)
  • Spread:  Yankees -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Yankees at White Sox

  • Pitching matchup for August 28, 2025: Will Warren vs. Davis Martin
    • Yankees: Will Warren, (7-6, 4.47 ERA)
      Last outing: 11.25 ERA, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
    • White Sox: Davis Martin, (5-9, 3.93 ERA)
      Last outing: 3.60 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 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!

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

  • New York is 4-0 in the past 4 games and 9-3 in the last 12
  • Chicago is 0-2 in the past 2 games and 4-9 over the last 13
  • Trent Grisham has 3 homers in the last 4 games
  • Ryan McMahon is hitting .154 in August (10/65)
  • The Over is 4-1 in the Yankees' last 5 matchups against American League teams
  • The White Sox have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 1.65 units
  • The Yankees have won 6 straight road games

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

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

  • 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 Chicago White Sox 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.

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Marlins at Mets Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 28

It's Thursday, August 28 and the Marlins (62-71) are in Queens to take on the Mets (72-61). Adam Mazur is slated to take the mound for Miami against Clay Holmes for New York.

The Mets are coming off a sweep over the Phillies and are 5-1 over the last six games, while the Marlins were outscored 23-3 in the last two versus the Braves. On the season, New York has won four out of six games ahead of this four-game series.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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

Game details & how to watch Marlins at Mets

  • Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025
  • Time: 7:10PM EST
  • Site: Citi Field
  • City: Queens, NY
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNFL, SNY, 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 Marlins at the Mets

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Marlins (+184), Mets (-220)
  • Spread:  Mets -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Marlins at Mets

  • Pitching matchup for August 28, 2025: Adam Mazur vs. Clay Holmes
    • Marlins: Adam Mazur, (0-1, 6.35 ERA)
      Last outing: 6.35 ERA, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
    • Mets: Clay Holmes, (11-6, 3.60 ERA)
      Last outing: 2.84 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 4 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 Marlins at Mets

  • New York is 4-2 versus Miami this year
  • Miami is 4-6 in the last 10 games
  • New York is 3-0 in the last 3 and 5-1 in the past 6
  • Mark Ventios has a hit in 10 straight games (15/38)
  • Francisco Lindor is hitting .350 in August (35/100)
  • The Over is 4-1 in the Mets' last 5 matchups against NL East teams
  • The Marlins have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 2.76 units
  • The Mets have won 4 of their last 5 divisional matchups

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 Marlins and the Mets

Rotoworld Best Bet

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

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

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

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday’s game between the Marlins and the Mets:

  • 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 Miami Marlins 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)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

46 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #46

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 46 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today we look at the history of jersey #46. 

Let's take a look.

Tim Jackman - 2003-04 - Jackman was drafted by the Blue Jackets 2nd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. 

Jackman made his debut in December of 2003 after spending the previous year, and the start of the 2003 season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. 

After playing just 19 career NHL games with Columbus, Jackman was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on October 8, 2005. Jackman went on to play 12 NHL seasons and 483 games. He played 288 AHL games and had 138 points for five different teams. Jackman retired in 2023. 

After retiring, Jackman moved into coaching, where he would coach for Minnesota State Univ. (Mankato) as an Assistant, and for Northstar Christian Academy at different levels. 

Filip Novák - 2006-07 - Novák was picked in the second round of the 2000 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers. He is described as "an offensive defenseman. He can pass and move the puck very well and is a good skater. He needs to make the simple play more, though, and not try to force things."

On August 8, 2006, Novák signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets as an unrestricted free agent. During the 05-06 season, Novák would spend most of the season playing for the Syracuse Crunch, appearing in 67 games and scoring 37 points as a defenseman. He would only play in six games for Columbus and collected zero points. 

Novák left North America to play in his home country of Czechia. He would remain in Europe until he retired in 2018. 

Tomáš Káňa - 2009-10 - Káňa was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2006 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues. 

On December 8, 2009, Tomas was traded by St. Louis, along with Brendan Bell, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Pascal Pelletier. After coming to Columbus, he was sent to Syracuse where he would play 50 games for the Crunch and total 28 points. He also played 11 games for the Alaska Aces of the ECHL and collect 6 points in 11 games. 

Káňa was called up by Columbus after having a very good year in Syracuse and would play in six games for the Blue Jackets and total 2 points. 

After playing the 2010-11 season for the Springfield Falcons, he left North America for Europe. He has played in various leagues in different countries ever since. He is signed to play for HK Opava in Czechia's 3rd-tier league in 25-26. 

Dean Kukan - 2015-22 - Kukan is undrafted out of Volketswil, Switzerland. 

Dean Kukan made his NHL debut in March of 2016 after playing the majority of the season with the Lake Erie Monsters. After playing in 8 games near the end of the season, he was sent back to Lake Erie and would help the Monsters win their first ever Calder Cup. He had 5 points in 17 playoff games. 

Kukan would bounce up and down between Columbus and Cleveland until 2022. He would play a total of 153 games for the CBJ and total 30 points. Where he excelled was in the minors though. He played in 142 games for Lake Erie/Cleveland and total 59 points as a fairly skilled two-way defenseman.

After the 2022 season, Kukan made the decision to return to Europe. He returned to his home country of Switzerland to play for his original club, the ZSC Lions on a five-year contract. 

Kukan is also routinely chosen to represent the Swiss in international competitions. He played in the 2025 IIHF Worlds where he scored 9 points in 10 games.  

Joona Luoto - 2022-23 - Luoto is undrafted out of Tampere, Finland.

Joona Luoto was signed by the Blue Jackets in June of 2022 as a free agent. Before signing in Columbus, he had played in the Winnipeg Jets organization in 2019-20. 

A Finn playing for the Jets and Blue Jackets. Sound Familiar? Well, it should, because Luoto and fellow Finn, CBJ, and Jet Patrik Laine are good friends. They also hail from the same town in Finland. There were rumors that former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen signed him to make Laine more comfortable in Columbus. 

Luoto would wind up playing 45 games for Cleveland, scoring 14 goals and totaling 25 points. He played a total of seven games for the CBJ and had 1 point, a goal.

Luoto returned to Europe in 23-24 and signed on to play for SC Bern of the Swiss National League. He is signed on to play for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League and is an assistant Captain. 

With 46 days left until opening night at NWA, fans are starting to get a tad restless. There's been very little news the last month or so besides small signings here and there. The RFAs are signed, there are no UFAs, so it's almost time to get down to business. 

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story. 

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Oilers Potential New Goalie PTO Target

Carter Hart (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

EDMONTON – You need good goaltending to win.

The Edmonton Oilers know this first-hand. They have seen Sergei Bobrovsky elevate his game for the Florida Panthers when it matters most in the playoffs.

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

And the Oilers have seen what it’s like to have your goaltending come up short. To that end, the Oilers might have a new goaltending target to consider on a PTO.

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The 2 Mutts Podcast has published a new report on Carter Hart. The report, which was posted on X, gives an update on what Hart has been doing since the conclusion of the Hockey Canada trial.

“Speaking to a few NHL players over the last few days who have been on the ice with Carter Hart here in Edmonton this summer,” the post begins. “(They) say he looks great & he’s very focused on returning to the NHL & Hart believes he is able to help a team out.” 

The report also states that “at least four organizations” have said they will bring him in on a PTO if the NHL clears him. Could the Oilers be one of those teams?

Hart last played in the 2023-24 season. The 27-year-old recorded 12 wins, one shutout, a 2.80 goals against average (GAA), and a .906 save percentage (SV%) in 26 games played.

We wait to see how the rest of the offseason plays out and if the Oilers offer Hart a new opportunity.

Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

Lakers brass shows up at EuroBasket 2025 in Poland, watch Luka Doncic's Slovenia team lose

Rob Pelinka, Luka Doncic, and Jeanie Buss are seen in Katowice, Poland, on August 27, 2025.
Rob Pelinka, Luka Doncic, and Jeanie Buss at the Slovenian national basketball team training session ahead of the FIBA EuroBasket in Katowice, Poland, on Wednesday. (Marcin Golba / Associated Press)

A raucous crowd filled the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland, today when the Polish national team hosted Slovenia in a first-round FIBA EuroBasket 2025 game.

But Slovenia star Luka Doncic had at least a few familiar folks rooting him on. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, general manager Rob Pelinka and others from Los Angeles made the 6,000-mile, 12-hour flight to support the cornerstone of the Lakers' future.

“We just wanted to make a statement to Luka that we support what he does for his country," Pelinka told Dan Woike of the Athletic in Poland before the game. "That’s really important to the Lakers when we have a player that’s the face of our franchise, just to show that support for him. And it’s just great to see him with his teammates, interacting, having fun."

Turned out the game might not have been too fun for Doncic and Slovenia, which lost to Poland 105-95. Doncic led all scorers with 34 points, including 14 in the first quarter. He finished with nine assists, five steals and four rebounds.

Doncic became the first player to combine 30-plus points, five or more assists and five or more steals in a single EuroBasket game. Also, his 17 free throws were the most by any EuroBasket player since 2005, when Juan Carlos Navarro made 18 against Croatia.

Still, the play circulating on social media is Doncic getting assessed with a technical foul after tossing up a long, one-handed three-point attempt to try to draw a foul.

Doncic, acquired in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks for center Anthony Davis on Feb. 1, signed a three-year, $165-million contract extension with the Lakers on Aug. 2. The five-time All-NBA guard has averaged 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists a game during his seven-year career.

Read more:Luka Doncic takes a jab at Mavericks while showing off his revenge body

Poland, which upset Slovenia in the EuroBasket 2022 quarterfinals, has three stars in Aleksander Balcerowski, Jordan Loyd and Mateusz Ponitka. Slovenia was missing several key players — Josh Nebo, Vlatko Čančar, Jaka Blažič and Zoran Dragić — putting pressure on Doncic to carry the team.

The tournament brings together Europe’s top national teams. Besides Doncic, NBA stars participating include Kristaps Porziņģis, Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun. Doncic is determined to continue representing his country in international competition.

"It's an easy choice," he told Woike. "I always want to represent my country. Always did. No matter what."

Doncic, 26, is in the best physical condition of his career. He spent the summer in Croatia working out twice a day and adhering to a gluten-free, low-sugar, high-protein diet.

Read more:Gilbert Arenas rebrands podcast with an NFL focus and Skip Bayless as a partner

"He is in great shape, really committed to working hard this summer, and to be able to watch that in person was worth flying over the ocean to come be with him,” Pelinka said.

Pelinka and Buss were joined on the trip to Poland by Kurt Rambis, Linda Rambis and director of player performance and health Leroy Sims.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Cubs at Giants Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 28

It's Thursday, August 28 and the Cubs (76-57) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (65-68). Shota Imanaga is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Logan Webb for San Francisco.

The Giants are rolling as they have won four straight games over the Cubs and Brewers as they climb back to .500. Chicago attempts to get back in the win column by avoiding a sweep in San Francisco. The Cubs haven't lost three consecutive games since July 22-24.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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

Game details & how to watch Cubs at Giants

  • Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025
  • Time: 3:45PM EST
  • Site: Oracle Park
  • City: San Francisco, CA
  • Network/Streaming: MARQ, 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 Cubs at the Giants

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Cubs (+101), Giants (-121)
  • Spread:  Giants -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Giants

  • Pitching matchup for August 28, 2025: Shota Imanaga vs. Logan Webb
    • Cubs: Shota Imanaga, (8-6, 3.03 ERA)
      Last outing: 2.57 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
    • Giants: Logan Webb, (12-9, 3.13 ERA)
      Last outing: 1.50 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 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 Cubs at Giants

  • The Giants are 4-0 in the last 4 games
  • The Giants are 4-1 versus the Cubs this season
  • The Cubs are 0-2 in the last 2 games but 3-2 in the past 5
  • This season the Giants pitcher Logan Webb has an ERA of 3.14
  • The Giants have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 1.56 units
  • The Cubs have won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with losing records

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 Cubs 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 Cubs and the Giants:

  • 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 Chicago Cubs 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)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Canadiens: Newhook Looking For Success At Faceoff Dot

On Wednesday, Quartexx Hockey shared a reel in which Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook could be seen working on his faceoff skills alongside San Jose Sharks’ Will Smith under the watchful eye of former Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron.

Bergeron, who retired at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, has a career faceoff win percentage of 57.9%. In the last three years of his career, he consistently exceeded the 6% mark and was recognized as one of the best faceoff men in the NHL. The former center, who will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2026, has a wealth of experience to share.

Canadiens Are Improving, Even Virtually
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What does Newhook's work on his faceoffs indicate? Could it mean that he’ll be playing at center this upcoming season? Sure, it could mean that, or it could also mean that this is one aspect of his game he wants to improve, or that the team has asked him to work on it, just like it did with Zachary Bolduc when he was acquired from the St. Louis Blues.

When Kent Hughes was introduced to the press as the Canadiens’ new GM, he made a point of saying that he firmly believes that players can continually improve. That reaching the NHL doesn’t mean that you’re done learning, just that you’ve reached a certain level, adding that he made a point of ensuring his clients with Quartexx would keep on polishing their game and improving. It appears that his former business is still operating, even though Hughes is no longer involved.

When the Habs brass hired Martin St-Louis as their coach, a man who had played the game at the highest level during his 16-season career in the NHL but was a peewee coach at the time, it was clear that they were hiring a man who could teach, and that’s undoubtedly what he has done so far and continues to do. He spent a lot of time developing Cole Caufield into a more well-rounded player, not just a sniper. He helped Brendan Gallagher change his game, picking his battles and learning to pick his spots, and transformed Josh Anderson into a penalty kill specialist.

That approach not only benefits the team in the now, but it also raises the value of a payer on the open market; it’s about seeing the big picture. Hughes also stated in the same press conference that he wasn’t one to buy high and sell low; helping his players reach new levels is just another way to ensure that he doesn’t have to sell at a low price.

It’s a possibility that Newhook has been given a heads-up that he’d have to play at center, but it’s just as strong a possibility that Quartexx is helping their players improve by getting them some ice time with one of the best in the business. One way or another, this will benefit the Canadiens, as Newhook’s success rate in the faceoff department is far from satisfactory at 41.8%.


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Isanders Bo Horvat 'Feels Great & Ready To Go' After Rehabbing From World Championship Injury

New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat was one of the handful of players to come down to the Matt Martin Hockey Academy at Northwell Ice Center last week.

A Decade Of Giving Back: Matt Martin’s Hockey Academy Hits 10-Year MilestoneA Decade Of Giving Back: Matt Martin’s Hockey Academy Hits 10-Year MilestoneEAST MEADOW, NY -- After a 16-year NHL career, Matt Martin is hanging up his skates and stepping into a new role as special assistant to general manager Mathieu Darche for the 2025-26 season.

Horvat spoke with Islanders reporter Rachel Luscher about several topics, including his opportunity to attend Hockey Canada's Orientation Camp, which is currently underway, and what he knows about newcomer Jonathan Drouin. He also shared his excitement for training camp and more. 

Catching Up with Bo Horvat | New York IslandersCatching Up with Bo Horvat | New York IslandersExclusive interview with Bo Horvat on his Olympic camp invite, offseason training, connection to Jonathan Drouin and more

One thing he touched on was how he was feeling after sustaining an ankle injury at the 2025 World Championships back in May. 

“I feel great,” Horvat told Luscher. “I feel back to normal and ready to go for the season. I’ve been skating all summer; nothing has changed there [...] The whole experience was great. The guys were phenomenal, and we had a really good group of guys and a lot of good hockey players on that team. That was pretty fun to play with a guy like [Nathan MacKinnon]. It was a great experience.”

Horvat is the sole member of the organization to receive an invitation to the orientation as Hockey Canada prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. 

With Mathew Barzal sustaining two long-term injuries last season, which limited him to 30 games, the Islanders will need both to be healthy if the Islanders want to get back into the playoffs after missing this past season. 

Mathew Barzal On Islanders Winning Draft Lottery & His Initial Thoughts On Matthew Schaefer Mathew Barzal On Islanders Winning Draft Lottery & His Initial Thoughts On Matthew Schaefer Winning the draft lottery takes luck, but every eventual Stanley Cup champion gets a good bounce along their route to immortality. The New York Islanders had a 3.5% chance of winning the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, and the balls popped in their favor.

Barzal, who had a minor procedure on his knee after sustaining an injury following a blocked shot on Feb 1 in Tampa, will be ready to go for camp, as well. 

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Dodgers draft pick Sam Horn is also competing for Missouri's starting quarterback job

Thursday might be an off-day for the Dodgers.

But for their most intriguing recent draft pick, it’s also the opening day of a different kind of season.

In the 17th round of last month’s MLB draft, the Dodgers took a flier on University of Missouri pitcher Sam Horn, a 6-foot-4 right-hander with a big fastball, a promising slider and an athletic, projectable build.

Like most late-round prospects hoping to become a diamond in the rough, Horn came with questions. He pitched just 15 innings in his college career after undergoing Tommy John surgery as a sophomore. His limited body of work led to a wide range of scouting opinions.

In Horn’s case, however, the biggest unknowns had nothing to do with his potential as a pitcher.

Read more:Shaikin: How Shohei Ohtani turned the Dodgers into a global entertainment gateway

Because, starting Thursday night, he will also be under center as quarterback for Missouri’s football team.

Horn is not only a two-sport athlete, but someone still undecided on whether his future will be on a mound or the gridiron. As a quarterback, he was a four-star recruit in Missouri’s 2022 signing class. And this fall, he has been locked in a battle with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, jockeying for first-string signal-caller duties at an SEC program coming off a 10-win season.

When Missouri opens its 2025 football schedule Thursday night against Central Arkansas, Pribula will play the first half, and Horn will play the second half. As for the rest of the season, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz has yet to hand either player all the keys to the offense.

“I think both quarterbacks have done an excellent job of doing the things that we’ve asked them to do, and there wasn’t enough separation that I felt like there was a clear-cut starter,” Drinkwitz told reporters this week. “And so the next-best evaluation is in a live football game to see how guys respond, not only to preparation and a game plan, but also respond to a crowd, also respond to being tackled and being hit.”

It’s a QB battle that Dodgers officials have followed with fascination throughout Missouri’s fall camp.

Already, the club has signed Horn to a baseball contract with an almost $500,000 signing bonus (well above the norm for the 525th overall pick).

The question now is whether he ever ends up playing for them.

“We’re pleasantly hoping he does,” Dodgers vice president of baseball operations Billy Gasparino said this week. “We think there’s a whole window of opportunity to get him much better, and quickly.”

Once upon a time, the Dodgers viewed Horn as one of college baseball’s better pitching prospects. Even in a limited sample size as a freshman in 2023, Gasparino said the team evaluated him as having potential future first-round talent.

“He’s a tremendous athlete,” said Gasparino, the longtime point man for the Dodgers’ draft operations. “He has really good arm action. I think that part was very elite.”

By the time Horn actually became draft-eligible this summer, though, uncertainties about his future made his scouting process unique.

All along, Horn signaled to MLB teams that he wanted to play football this fall. As a redshirt junior, he will have another season of eligibility in football next year as well. Gasparino said the narrative around Horn, who is originally from Lawrenceville, Ga., is that “baseball is his first love.”

“But,” Gasparino added, “he definitely seemed split on what he wanted to do going forward.”

This is not the first recent example of the Dodgers drafting a power-conference college quarterback.

Two years ago, they used their final 20th-round selection in the 2023 draft on then-Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, a former two-sport star at St. John Bosco. Uiagalelei, however, never signed with the team. As a highly touted five-star talent with NFL aspirations, he never made the switch to baseball either, his draft rights with the Dodgers lapsing after he transferred to Florida State for the 2024 football season.

Horn’s situation appears to be different. Unlike Uiagalelei (who never actually pitched collegiately), he spent the last three years on Missouri’s baseball team. And if he doesn’t win the starting quarterback job with the Tigers football squad this fall, his odds of reporting to the Dodgers next spring figure to be much more realistic.

That’s why, as Missouri’s QB battle has unfolded this preseason, Gasparino scoured Missouri recruiting site message boards and local news outlets, looking for any indication of which way the program was leaning.

“The coach is going to give nothing,” Gasparino said jokingly. “So you kind of have to go on the message boards, and to the local writers, to figure out, ‘All right, who is winning? What is going on?’ It’s been kind of a hard read.”

Read more:Shohei Ohtani leaves pitching start because of cramping, Dodgers go on to lose to Reds

Leading up to the draft, Horn’s situation also required extra scouting legwork. The Dodgers dusted off his old freshman year and high school evaluations, after he pitched just 10 ⅔ innings in Missouri’s spring baseball season coming off his Tommy John procedure. They also reached out to NFL scouting departments and college football recruiters, “just to figure out how talented he was at football,” Gasparino said.

The Dodgers do have downside protection if Horn ultimately decides to stick with the football, with Gasparino noting that “to actually get his signing bonus, he has to come to us.”

But in the meantime, they’ll be keeping a close eye on Missouri’s football season — starting with Thursday night’s opener in which Horn is slated to see the field.

“Definitely gonna be watching,” Gasparino said. “I mean, I guess first, it’s like, don’t get hurt. But also just hoping that the right answer becomes very clear on what he should do sport-wise … Of course, we’d be disappointed if it’s not baseball. But would hate another year of in-between.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

What we learned as Willy Adames homers twice in Giants' walk-off win over Cubs

What we learned as Willy Adames homers twice in Giants' walk-off win over Cubs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — After Wednesday night’s win, Matt Chapman was asked a couple of times about 2026. Chapman said repeatedly that the focus is simply “on tomorrow.”

Right now, “tomorrow” is bringing a lot of wins for the Giants, who know what the math says but want to try and make things interesting anyway. Their 4-3 walk-off win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday clinched a sweep and marked their fifth straight victory, bringing their record to 66-68.

The latest positive day at Oracle Park ended when Jung Hoo Lee lined a single to right with two on in the bottom of the ninth. It was the 10th walk-off win this season but the first of the second half. 

The game was somewhat of a pitcher’s duel between Logan Webb and Shota Imanaga, although the ball can fly on warm day games at Oracle Park, and the two combined to give up four homers. Both pitched through the seventh and left with the game tied 3-all. 

The Cubs thought they would take the lead in the top of the eighth, but Casey Schmitt made a leaping grab of a liner and doubled off the runner on second, who was easily going to score the go-ahead run. With a runner on first and one out in the top of the ninth, Lee made a sliding grab to rob Pete Crow-Armstrong of a rally-extending single.

Here are the takeaways from a thrilling Giants’ win:

Can It Actually Happen?

It has been 21 years since the last 30-homer season by a Giant, and early on, it seemed impossible for Adames to even think about it. His Giants career got off to a brutal start, but with his latest two-homer game, he put himself in position to make an actual run at ending the drought. 

Adames took Imanaga deep twice, with the first one giving the Giants a lead in the first inning and the second one tying the game in the bottom of the sixth. He now has 24 homers with 28 games left.

If over the final month he simply matches his August — eight homers — or July — seven homers — he’ll get it done. Thursday’s game was his fourth this season and second in the last six days with multiple homers. He became the first Giants shortstop since Travis Jackson in 1929 to have four multi-homer games in one season. 

Mr. 200

Webb is eager to reach 200 strikeouts for the first time, but he also is well on his way to another 200-inning season, and unless he’s shut down at some point, he should pretty easily win the NL innings crown for a third straight season. 

Webb allowed three runs in seven innings Thursday, getting to 173 2/3 on the season. The only other players in the NL with 160-plus innings are Cy Young frontrunners Christopher Sanchez (162 1/3) and Paul Skenes (161). Webb is also four outs ahead of Garrett Crochet for the MLB lead overall. 

They’re Going Streaking

Adames’ first homer gave the Giants a blast in 11 consecutive games, their longest streak since September of a magical 2021 season. They’ve hit 22 homers over the 11 games and have gotten back-to-back multi-homer games from cornerstone players (Rafael Devers did it Wednesday).

Devers had a different kind of run going early in the game, reaching on a walk and a single to start his day. Over two games, he reached base in seven consecutive plate appearances.

With a single in the fifth, Lee reached base for the 22nd time in 24 games this month. Add it all up and the Giants have a lot of reasons to be more optimistic about the lineup’s long-term future than they were a few weeks ago.

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US Open tennis 2025: Swiatek and Osaka through, Sinner in action on day five – as it happened

Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner move into round three, likewise Naomi Osaka, Lorenzo Musetti and Andrey Rublev

Goffin has broken back against Musetti and they’re now 4-4 in set one. On Grandstand, Rublev is giving Boyer all he can handle, forcing break points that he can’t quite convert. Oh, and Swiatek survives break point to lead Lamens 3-0, I don’t imagine this match will detain us all that long.

Also a set up are Sakkari, 6-3 against Bondar; Alexandrova, 6-2 1-1 against Wang; and Kalinskaya, 6-1 1-1 against Putitnseva. Meanwhile, Swiatek breaks Lamens for 2-0, already looking monstrous; it’ll take something significant to beat her here, but both Gauff, her potential semi-final opponent, and Sabalenka, the defending champ and no 1 seed, are capable of that.

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Notes and thoughts on Texas men’s basketball official roster drop

Yesterday, the official roster for the 2025-26 season dropped for Texas men’s basketball, outlining the players fans will see take the floor on November 4 against Duke in Charlotte to start off the non-conference slate. [Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY and get the BEST Longhorns coverage!] There are eight players likely to be in […]

Chris Froome to undergo surgery after breaking his back during training crash

  • Four-time Tour de France winner stable in Toulon hospital

  • Scans showed five broken ribs and vertebrae fracture

Chris Froome has been airlifted to hospital after suffering a collapsed lung and breaking his back and five ribs during a serious crash while training in France.

The four-time Tour de France winner’s team confirmed that Froome would undergo surgery in Toulon on Thursday after the incident which took place on Wednesday. It said that the 40-year-old was now stable, and that no one else had been involved in the crash.

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A bigger Super League is not the only change coming rugby league’s way | Gavin Willacy

The Challenge Cup, Magic Weekend, international calendar and women’s game will look different next year

By No Helmets Required

Super League is going to look different next season. The big news is that the division is likely to expand to 14 teams, but that’s not the only change coming for fans. A review into the sport led by Nigel Wood has suggested various new ideas, with Magic Weekend, the Challenge Cup, international fixtures, the Championship, women’s and wheelchair games all affected. Now that the report has been digested, we have a fuller picture of how the sport will shape up in 2026.

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