Here’s the Nationals lineup:
Here’s the Guardians lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
Here’s the Nationals lineup:
Here’s the Guardians lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
After and exchange of long-ball offense early and then hanging on to a 3-1 win for the White Sox this Memorial Day. But the big play didn’t come from big bats but from 5´6´´ Rikuu Nishida, playing in his first major league game.
The Sox and Twins traded solo homers by Brooks Lee and Munetaka Murakani (No. 18 on the year, retaking the AL lead) in the first inning. Sox starter Anthony Kay was getting hit hard early, and in the second gave up singles to Orlando Arcia and Ryan Kreidler before facing Minnesota catcher Alex Jackson — in only his second MLB game — who smashed a 107.1 mph liner to right for yet another single.
Enter Nishida:
Nishida’s bullet forced Arcia to slide wide, and Drew Romo stayed alert long enough to make the tag on a second try. The play not only kept the score 1-1 bit prevented Twins start Byron Buxton from coming up with two on.
Romo kept his own heroics going in the bottom of the second after Tristan Peters drew a four-pitch walk off Zebby Matthews.
Romo’s fly to right was only 93.4 mph and 352 feet, barely clearing the fence — but barely counts, and the homer made the score 3-1 Sox, where it would stay.
Kay settled down after that and went six innings, giving up just five hits and walking only one while striking out five. Grant Taylor, Bryan Hudson and Seranthony Domínguez each tossed a scoreless relief inning. The Sox were outhit 7-6, with Chase Meidroth the only batter to double up, but the long balls did the trick.
In addition to the big throw, Nishida got inundated with fly balls to right, catching seven and almost getting another on a dive. Peters didn’t fare so well on a play to center that was generously called a double, after which Colson Montgomery didn’t bother covering third on a foul pop behind the plate. But while that would no doubt have led to opposing runs in recent years, this year it didn’t matter.
The win moves the Sox to 27-26 (yes, really!!) with Shane Burke and Joe Ryan facing off in the second game of this four-game series tomorrow night.
For a while, getting to .500 has been the big issue for the Nats, but now getting over that bar has been the issue. They will have another chance to secure a winning record tonight against the Guardians. The Guardians are a tough opponent, but after winning a series in Atlanta, this team is not scared.
The Nats are making a couple changes to the lineup tonight. With a righty on the mound, Luis Garcia Jr. will be back at first base in favor of Andres Chaparro. Interestingly, Curtis Mead will stay in the lineup for this one. The only other change comes behind the plate, where Drew Millas is giving Keibert Ruiz a breather. PJ Poulin was quickly called up after Jake Irvin’s injury and he will be the opener. Zack Littell will get the bulk of the action.
In the past, the Guardians lineup has been so heavily reliant on Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan. Those two are struggling to varying degrees, but this year the Guardians have more depth in the lineup. Rookies Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana are a big part of that. Angel Martinez and Brayan Roccio have both taken steps forward as well. Tanner Bibee may be 0-6, but he has thrown the ball well this year with a 3.75 ERA. He will be on the mound tonight.
Sign up for a user account and get:
Game Info:
Stadium: Progressive Field
Time: 6:10 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
Heading into Memorial Day, the Nats are an impressive 27-27. They will have the chance to go over .500 in this one. Hopefully they can take advantage of that opportunity this time around. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Padres:
Let’s talk about it.
The Kings had their share of positives and negatives throughout the season. While the positives are easier to bring into the offseason and next season, the negatives make it much more challenging. For the Kings to continue their success in making the playoffs, they may need to adapt their Offensive game, special teams, and Overtime Play.
This was the most apparent issue for the Kings this season, and it was the opposite of how the defence played for the Kings this season. The Kings' goals per game ranked 4th-lowest in the NHL, averaging 2.68. The Kings also scored the 4th-fewest goals in the entire season, with 225. At the same time, the Kings did make changes to help their offence, such as acquiring Artemi Panarin, who became a point-per-game player for the Kings in the short time he spent with them in the regular season.
While this aspect is not the easiest to fix, it is definitely the Kings' priority to improve their offensive game.
The second aspect the Kings could improve on is both the penalty kill and the power play. The power play fits into the offence aspect for the Kings, but it did not generate any additional offence most of the time. The Kings were ranked 28th on the power play and 30th on the penalty kill.
The Kings' power-play percentage was 17%, and the penalty kill was 74%; both need to improve next season. Both of the Kings' special teams need to improve next season, as being near the bottom of the NHL does not allow them to succeed.
The Kings set an NHL record for the most overtime losses in a single season with 19 and tied an NHL record for most overtime games played in a single season with 31. While the Kings did end up making the playoffs due to the points they earned for reaching overtime, if they had won half of those games, their first-round matchup could have been very different, and this is an aspect they need to improve on.
The Kings need to be better in 3-on-3, and they also shouldn't be going to overtime 31 times in an 82-game season. This factor can be altered by the improvements to their offence, which, if they can produce more offence, can lead to more regulation wins.
Overall, the Kings' biggest area for improvement is their offence, and with the addition of Artemi Panarin, they are heading in the right direction. Still, it does not solve the entire problem, and heading into next season, the Kings' biggest focal point for improvement has to be their offensive game, as improvement there can help their play on special teams and in overtime.
An ACL tear robbed the world of “Playoff Jimmy” this spring. Instead, music fans at BottleRock in Napa did get a taste of “Festival Jimmy.”
The Golden State Warriors’ injured star looked spry as he joined Teddy Swims on the Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage at Bottlerock in Napa. He threw peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the crowd, seemingly because it was the Culinary Stage, professed his love for the Bay Area, and even danced to Shaboozey while telling the crowd, “Don’t tell Steve [Kerr]! I got a torn ACL!”
Still, the highlight came when Butler sang a verse of “A Thousand Miles,” the Vanessa Carlton classic that Terry Crews sings in the acclaimed film, “White Chicks.” Butler claimed he’d wanted to sing it since high school, but people didn’t like his voice. That didn’t stop Butler from singing Hootie and the Blowfish in a Michelob Ultra commercial.
He also sang Hall & Oates for Michelob in a commercial that saw him packing for the NBA’s Covid-19 bubble. It’s hard to tell in the low-resolution video, the only one we could find, but it implies that one of the items Butler packed in his single suitcase was his own Miami Heat No. 22 shirsey. Perhaps that was the work uniform for his Big Face Coffee pop-up?
Butler’s musical taste is very eclectic. He discovered country music while a student at Marquette and claims to have written over 60 country songs for a future album, which he envisions taking a “DJ Khaled” role in bringing in multiple other artists. Butler is good friend with Mark Wahlberg, though it’s unclear if that extends to a love for the music of the Funky Bunch.
He’s also not afraid to use music as a weapon. After his Miami Heat dropped a game in overtime in 2023, Butler blasted Nickelback in the locker room, turning the volume way up so Chad Kroeger’s lyrics and voice could punish his teammates for letting him down. Look, it’s possible that Butler’s a fan of the post-grunge Canadian rockers, but it seems more likely that anyone forcing an NBA team to listen to Nickelback is doing it at best as a joke and at worst as malicious ear torture.
It apparently worked, as the 2023 Heat went from the play-in tournament to the NBA Finals, possibly out of fear of a “How You Remind Me” reprise.
Clearly, Butler isn’t letting his rehab bring him down. Just don’t tell his coach about all the dancing.
TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs say forward Max Domi will be out indefinitely after offseason surgery for an undisclosed issue.
The team said Monday the 31-year-old experienced complications following the procedure after playing through the injury during the 2025-26 season.
Toronto said Domi will continue working with the club’s medical staff and will be reevaluated at the start of training camp.
The Winnipeg-born forward had 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) and 95 penalty minutes in 80 regular-season games last season.
Domi signed a four-year, $15 million contract extension with Toronto in June 2024.
Selected 12th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2013 NHL draft, Domi has 486 points (150 goals, 336 assists) in 815 career regular-season games with Arizona, Montreal, Columbus, Carolina, Chicago, Dallas and Toronto.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The Oklahoma City Thunder host the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5, with concerns around OKC's biggest strength — its depth — heading into Tuesday.
Injuries to key guards and underperforming stars have made the Thunder vulnerable to San Antonio’s defensive schemes, as the series is now a best-of-three.
My Spurs vs. Thunder predictions see Game 5 playing much closer than the previous three contests, and my NBA picks are taking the points with the visiting Spurs on May 25.
Injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell have thrown a wrench in the Oklahoma City Thunders’ offense.
.@ShamsCharania provides an injury update on the Thunder's Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell 🏀 pic.twitter.com/71ACPWzxc4
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 25, 2026
Without those guards, OKC lacks reliable ball handlers. That forces Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to play true point guard rather than off the ball, where he’s most dangerous.
The San Antonio Spurs are keeping SGA guessing with pressure but not fully committing to double teams. Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t been able to get into a rhythm, shooting a collective 12-for-32 the past two games.
The rest of the Thunder’s starters aren’t picking up the slack. Meanwhile the Spurs are getting great contributions from their starting five.
Stephen Castle is back in his regular spot with the Spurs’ point guards healthy. Castle has been active on the glass in this series, pulling down five or more boards in each of the first three games.
He had three rebounds on 12 rebounding chances in Game 4, and projections sit as high as six rebounds in OKC on Tuesday.
Victor Wembanyama was much more aggressive on offense in Game 4, specifically from outside. He knocked down 3 of 7 attempts from distance and has made at least two triples in three of the first four games.
San Antonio is being conservative with Wemby on defense — limiting his amount of running around on close outs — in order to save his legs on the offensive end.
Game script says the Spurs are fighting from behind, needing big shots from their big man. Forecasts call for two 3-point makes from Wembanyama.
The Spurs are 10-7 SU and 11-6 ATS as road underdogs on the year. Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Thunder.
| Location | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK |
| Date | Tuesday, May 26, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC/Peacock |
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The New York Knicks face the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight, with the visitors just one win away from the NBA Final.
To help you make your NBA picks, we've looked to our NBA player prop projections for tonight's Game 4.
Afterward, check out our complete Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions for May 25.
| Towns o17.5 points +100 | Harden o18.5 points -105 |
| Hart u12.5 points -110 | Allen o1.5 assists +135 |
| Bridges u15.5 points -125 | Mitchell o3.5 assists -165 |
Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!
Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review!
21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Projection: 20.18 points
As Jon Metler mentioned in our Knicks vs. Cavaliers expert predictions, Karl-Anthony Towns is in a prime position to eclipse this number. His perimeter shooting will set him up for a big game, as Cleveland tries to keep the New York Knicks' guards out of the game.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet KAT Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 11.08 points
Josh Hart had a big Game 2, scoring 26 points, but he took an uncharacteristic 21 shots. Hart will likely hover around 10-12 shots tonight, and he'll fall just short of this number like he did in Game 3.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet hart Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 13.90 points
Mikal Bridges is playing like a man possessed, but our model sees regression tonight. As mentioned, the Cleveland Cavaliers will look to keep N.Y.'s wings quiet, which will limit Bridges' output.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet bridges Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 21.26 points
James Harden has eclipsed this point total in 10 of 17 playoff games thus far, and with the Cavs on the verge of elimination, you know "The Beard" will be chucking. It won't be pretty, but the volume will be there to reach 19 points.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet harden Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 1.63 assists
Our model calls for Jarrett Allen to pick up two dimes tonight. He had three in Game 1, but has had zero since. The Cavaliers will look to rely on him to kick out and hit shooters if the big man can't get anything easy down low.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet allen Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 5.05 assists
With the amount of time Donovan Mitchell has the ball, Over 3.5 assists seems like a gift. He had four in his last outing, and our projections call for five dimes tonight.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet mitchell Now at bet365!/span
| Location | Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH |
| Date | Monday, May 25, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The New York Knicks are in the driver's seat and have a chance to put the Cleveland Cavaliers out to pasture with a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference finals tonight.
Our Knicks vs. Cavaliers same-game parlay expects that to come to fruition, with Mikal Bridges stepping up to show New York's superior depth.
It's all part of our Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks for Monday, May 25.
All members of the New York Knicks' starting five are averaging 14-plus points per game, showing how the team's depth is vastly superior to what the Cleveland Cavaliers are throwing out there in this series.
Cleveland has struggled moving the ball, and New York has effectively isolated the Cavs' big-man duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Without them finding a groove, it's been up to Donovan Mitchell and James Harden to beat the Knicks, and they simply haven't been up to the task.
Game 1 saw 219 points, but that game required overtime. Game 2 went Under this number, and while Game 4 cleared it, the Cavs are exhausted and demoralized.
New York’s stifling defense has dominated this series, and I don’t expect many points from the struggling Cavs. I like this line at 217, but I’ll bet it down to 215.5.
Jalen Brunson is the headliner, but the Knicks have thrived because of their bevy of depth options, including Mikal Bridges.
Bridges has averaged 26.1 PRA across his last eight games, clearing this combo line seven times. Cleveland’s lackluster defense won’t offer much resistance, particularly in transition as he scores and facilitates. I expected this line to be priced at 23.5, making it a solid value play
Get Zak Hanshew's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions for Game 4.
Stay up-to-date with the latest NBA Championship odds for each remaining team, as well as NBA title splits, betting trends, and the previous list of teams that have won the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
See what the current line movement and updates are in the NBA Finals MVP odds race, along with Finals MVP betting trends, favorite analysis, and recent superstars to receive this award.
Never lose track of where each series sits with our live NBA Playoff bracket, as well as the updated prices for each team to win their respective series — round by round.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Jacob Misiorowski doing incredible things has become shockingly routine this season, especially this month. He came into his start today not having allowed a run in four outings covering 24 1/3 innings in May. But he looked as good as he has at any point during that streak today, if not better, before he finally allowed a sole run in the sixth inning. His offense, meanwhile, jumped on Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore early and handed the Brewer pitching staff everything they’d need, and the Brewers took the first game of the first series of the year with their division rivals.
Misiorowski brought the heat in the first inning. His first six pitches were all at least 103 mph. Unfortunately four of them were balls, so Cardinals leadoff hitter JJ Wetherholt reached on a walk. After that, though, Misiorowski didn’t throw another ball in the inning. He struck out Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson on three pitches each before getting Jordan Walker to ground out on the first pitch of the at-bat.
The Brewers also got a leadoff walk after Jackson Chourio worked back from a 1-2 count. Liberatore almost walked Brice Turang, too, but came back to strike him out. Chourio should’ve been the second out when Liberatore threw over to first with Chourio stealing, but Burleson, the first baseman, made a weak throw to second base and Chourio just beat it (on a play that needed to be reviewed in order to make the correct safe call). That turned out to be big, as William Contreras followed with an RBI single and Christian Yelich followed that with his fourth homer of the season. The Brewers handed Misiorowski an early 3-0 lead.
The Cardinals didn’t have any better luck in the second inning. Miz struck out Nolan Gorman, got a groundout from Masyn Winn, and blew away Bryan Torres on three pitches. Blake Perkins struck out to start the bottom of the second. Garrett Mitchell picked up a hit on a grounder up the middle, one which Masyn Winn was surprisingly able to glove despite it hitting the bag at second base, but he wouldn’t have had a throw even if it hadn’t hit the base. After a Joey Ortiz strikeout, Mitchell was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.
Miz looked untouchable in the third. After a first-pitch ball to Pedro Pagés, Miz nearly got an immaculate-inning-minus-one, as he struck out Pagés and Victor Scott II on the next six pitches (including a filthy backdoor curveball on 0-2 to get Scott looking) and then got ahead of Wetherholt 0-2. Misiorowski did end up needing a couple more pitches, but he struck out Wetherholt, too. After walking the leadoff hitter, Misiorowski retired the next nine in a row with seven strikeouts… and needed only 30 pitches to do it.
Liberatore decided to do his best Misiorowski imitation in the bottom of the third, and struck out Chourio, Turang, and Contreras in order. Miz had another 1-2-3 inning with a couple of strikeouts in the fourth—Burleson hit one to the warning track, the first real contact for the Cardinals of the game, but Mitchell caught it without much trouble.
Liberatore continued his strikeout streak by getting Yelich to start the bottom of the fourth, but Andrew Vaughn lined a fastball into the right-field corner for a one-out double. Rengifo followed with a single into center, but Vaughn had to pause to make sure it fell and thus had to hold at third base. Unfortunately Vaughn was caught in a rundown and became the second out on the next pitch when Perkins hit a hard grounder right at the third baseman, Gorman. With runners on first and second and two out, Mitchell battled but struck out looking on a tough slider on the low-outside corner.
Misiorowski picked up his tenth strikeout to start the fifth, then got Winn on a weak groundout to first. Torres nearly got the Cardinals’ first hit with two outs, but Rengifo reached up and snagged his soft line drive to end the inning. Oritz led off the bottom of the inning with a single to left. Chourio hit a ground ball up the middle that was hit a little too softly for Winn to turn two on, so Chourio replaced Ortiz at first base. After Turang struck out looking (Liberatore’s career-high 10th strikeout), Chourio took off for second with Contreras batting—Chourio probably would’ve been out with a good throw, but the throw bounced into center field and Chourio made it to third. Contreras walked a couple pitches later—with first base open, Liberatore didn’t seem all that interested in pitching to him—but Yelich grounded out to second to end the inning.
Pagés, leading off the sixth, finally ended Misiorowski’s no-hit bid with a blooper that landed just out of the reach of Turang in right field. After Scott traded places with Pagés on a fielder’s choice, Wetherholt got the Cards’ first non-cheap hit, with a hard grounder through the right side that put runners on the corners with one out. Suddenly, the Cardinals had the tying run at the plate. A weak grounder from Herrera resulted in the second out but easily scored Scott from third, but a grounder by Burleson ended the inning. St. Louis was on the board, and Misiorwoski’s 29 1/3 inning scoreless streak was over, but the Brewers still had a 3-1 lead.
Liberatore, who crossed 100 pitches in the fifth, was done in the sixth, and his replacement was a lefty making his major-league debut, Brycen Mautz. He was rudely greeted by Vaughn, who lined a single into right, and after Vaughn advanced to second on a wild pitch, Rengifo walked. Perkins put a charge into one but he hit it to the deepest part of the ballpark, and Scott caught it with a leap (that was a little unnecessary, maybe) on the warning track, but Vaughn tagged and got to third. That set up runners on the corners with one out for Mitchell, who blooped one into left that landed just beyond the outsretched glove of the diving Scott. Vaughn scored from third, and Milwaukee still had runners on first and second with one out.
Mautz spiked a curveball with Ortiz at the plate that enabled both runners to advance to scoring position. Ortiz struck out, though—the first of Mautz’s career, and also a big one in the game situation—and Chourio struck out, too. The Brewers did finally get an add-on run, but it definitely felt like they’d left at least one more on the table.
Misiorowski was out for the seventh with 81 pitches on his ledger. He got Walker to fly out to center, then struck out Gorman and Winn to end the inning. The strikeout of Winn was Misiorowski’s 12th of the day, matching a career high, and it put an exclamation point on the end of another brilliant outing for the Brewer ace. He finished his day with one run allowed on two hits and one walk, and he lowered his ERA to 1.83.
Turang walked to start the bottom of the seventh. Contreras flew out to right on a pitch that he clearly thought he should’ve hit over the fence, but Yelich hit a base hit up the middle that was followed by a deep drive by Vaughn that bounced off the warning track in the left-field corner and went over the wall. The ground-rule nature of the double was unfortunate, as Yelich would surely have scored on the play; he tried to score on the next play, when Rengifo hit a medium-deep fly ball to right, and initially appeared to have done so. But on review, Yelich’s lead foot bounced up off the plate as he slid, and he was called out. Milwaukee had added another, though, and led 5-1 heading to the eighth inning.
Aaron Ashby came in to relieve Misiorowski in the eighth. The Cardinals squared him up pretty well, but the Brewers defense did what they needed to, as Torres grounded out to third, Pagés flew out to the warning track, and pinch-hitter José Fermín popped out behind second base.
Mautz pitched was out for a third inning in his debut in the bottom of the eighth against the bottom of the Brewer order. Perkins and Mitchell both grounded out, and Ortiz flew out to center. The Brewers headed to the ninth with a four-run lead.
Ashby didn’t need it. Wetherholt grounded out, Herrera struck out, and Burleson popped out. The Brewers won 5-1.
Misiorowski, as he has been, was the game’s big star. But several Brewers had solid days offensively, too, even if the team couldn’t manage more than five runs: every batter except Perkins reached base today (and even Perkins made solid contact a couple of times), and four Brewers had multiple hits. Yelich had the game’s biggest hit, the first-inning two-run homer, and he also hit a single later on. Vaughn had three hits on the day, including his RBI double. Rengifo added two hits and a walk, and Mitchell had two singles and an RBI.
It was a nice win to start the series against the team closest to them in the NL Central standings. The series continues tomorrow night, with Kyle Harrison taking on Michael McGreevy. That game is at 6:40 p.m.
Well, that stuff about Dylan Cease making his next start? Not so much.
The team has put him on the IL.
“It doesn’t look too terrible, knock on wood. Just trying to be smart and not have it get worse. Don’t know the exact timeline yet, hoping it’s a minimal stay.”
The team hasn’t said who is coming to take his roster spot, but likely a reliever for now and then a starting pitcher when it is Cease’s turn in the rotation again.
And Vlad isn’t in tonight’s lineup. They say he is available off the bench, but I have my doubts.
Tonight’s lineup:
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The Colorado Avalanche will look to stave off elimination with a road win over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday, May 26.
My top Avalanche vs. Golden Knights predictions and NHL picks call for just the opposite with Vegas goalie Carter Hart doing the heavy lifting to sweep Colorado with a low-scoring win in Game 4.
I recommend the Under 6.5 to -130.
The Colorado Avalanche have lost the overall expected goals battle (46.9%). Vegas Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart has been lights-out with a .942 SV% and 4.57 goals saved above expected during the series.
Colorado has only scored four times at 5-on-5, and go-to scorers Nathan MacKinnon (lower body) and Valeri Nichushkin (lower body) are dealing with injuries. Star defenseman Cale Makar is likely at less than 100%, too.
Vegas is allowing the lowest projected goal rate against this postseason, buying into head coach John Tortorella’s defensive system.
Hart’s highlighted excellent play alongside the highlighted postseason-best defense from Vegas pave the way for the Golden Knights pulling off the sweep.
Turning to star center Jack Eichel, he’s recorded three or more shots in eight of 15 postseason games for a rock-solid 7.35 shots per 60 minutes, in addition to a 51.8% shot share at 5-on-5. He’s also ripe for statistical correction in the shots column after converting just three of his 11 attempts into shots (27.3%) the past two games.
Eichel converted 54.3% of his attempts into shots through the first 13 games of the postseason, after all.
The Avalanche have hit the Under in 15 of their last 25 away games (+6.70 Units / 25% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Avalanche vs. Golden Knights.
| Location | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV |
| Date | Tuesday, May 26, 2026 |
| Puck drop | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | CBC, ESPN |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and admit that someone was better than you. Today’s cap is tipped to Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski who overwhelmed the St. Louis Cardinals on Memorial Day Monday as Milwaukee won 5-1.
If you could erase the first inning, Matthew Liberatore had a better-than-average start for the Cardinals. He registered a career-high 10 strikeouts. Unfortunately, the 1st inning did happen and it was a punishing one for Matthew as he gave up a leadoff walk to Jackson Chourio who ended up stealing second base when Liberatore’s pickoff attempt was tardy and he was ruled safe on a successful Brewers challenge. Chourio then scored on a single to left by William Contreras making it 1-0 Brewers. That wasn’t nearly as damaging as what Christian Yelich would do when he slammed a 381 foot opposite field home run giving Milwaukee a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead.
That 3-0 lead felt “insurmountable” because Jacob Misiorowski was dealing. He didn’t allow a St. Louis Cardinals hit for the first 5 innings. The no-hit bid would end in the top of the 6th inning when Pedro Pagés managed a single into short right field. After Victor Scott II reached on a fielder’s choice, JJ Wetherholt smoked a single between first and second base and Victor advanced to third base. Suddenly, the St. Louis Cardinals had the tying run at the plate in Ivan Herrera, but all he was able to manage was a groundout to third which scored Victor Scott II and cut the Milwaukee lead to 3-1. Jacob Misiorowski ended up throwing heat for 7 innings and striking out 12.
Matthew Liberatore’s final stat line for Monday was 5 innings pitched allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits while striking out 10 and walking 2. Brycen Mautz made his Major League debut in the 6th inning and got off to a shaky start allowing a single to Vaughan who advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brycen then walked Rengifo and then gave up a single to Garrett Mitchell which scored Vaughan making it 4-1 Brewers. Mautz finished the bottom of the 6th inning strong, though, with strikeouts of Ortiz and Chourio.
Milwaukee would tack on a run to their lead in the bottom of the 7th inning when Brycen Mautz walked Turang. After getting Contreras to fly out, Yelich singled and then Vaughan hit a ground-rule double scoring Turang and making it 5-1 Brewers. It could have been more, but Christian Yelich gave a clinic on why you don’t slide into home with your lead foot sticking straight up in the air as he was thrown out by Jordan Walker after a successful Cardinals challenge. Kudos to Brycen Mautz for setting the Brewers down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning. Imagine making your Major League debut in a tight 3-1 game against your NL Central Division-leading rival. He should feel good about his first game.
The St. Louis Cardinals will try again on Tuesday night as Michael McGreevy will start for the good guys while Kyle Harrison takes the mound for the villains. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
Former All-Star shortstop Wander Franco was found guilty of sexual and psychological abuse of a 14-year-old girl but will not serve prison time, according to a verdict delivered Monday, May 25 by a three-judge panel in the Dominican Republic and reported by ESPN.
Franco, 25, was facing a second trial after he received a two-year suspended sentence when he was convicted in June 2025 of having an intimate relationship with a 14-year-old girl when Franco was 21. The girl's mother was convicted of trafficking her daughter and received a 10-year prison sentence that was overturned on appeal; prosecutors allege that Franco had paid off the mother.
The mother was once again convicted of trafficking her daughter and again received a 10-year sentence, ESPN reported. Although the outlet reported that the court issued a judicial pardon to Franco, he was still convicted of a crime of moral turpitude, which would prevent Franco from obtaining a visa to work in the USA.
The court's decision will be issued June 16. Franco remains on Major League Baseball's restricted list for failure to report.
"We are aware of today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time," MLB said in a statement.
Both the prosecution and Franco's attorney appealed the first trial's outcome, and according to "Diario Libre," a Dominican Republic newspaper, the state sought a five-year prison sentence, while Franco sought to have the conviction overturned – which would likely be his only hope to continue a major league career.
As he exited the courtroom, Franco expressed relief and hope he might resume his MLB career, unlikely though that may be.
"To my fans, keep supporting me, trust in God, and with faith in God, I'll soon be back (in MLB)," Franco said in a video by Dominican journalist Luis Tomas Rae Barett. "In this process, I learned to never give up and to value family. Value your family, because they will always be there. I've always kept training thanks to my dad. I will continue training and waiting for God's decision."
Franco was in the second year of an 11-year, $182 million contract in 2023 when posts emerged on social media of Franco and the 14-year-old girl. Franco's conviction meant the Rays have not had to pay Franco in the years since, and that's likely to continue.
Franco was named to the American League All-Star team in 2023 and had accumulated 5.4 WAR before he was placed on the restricted list that August. He played his last game on Aug. 12.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wander Franco guilty of sexual abuse of minor in Dominican Republic