Perhaps the most intriguing storyline heading into the final week of the NBA regular season, aside from who is eligible for postseason awards, is the race to avoid the play-in tournament.
The race in the Eastern Conference is really intriguing, as the battle for the No. 5 and 6 seeds is heating up, with six teams separated by just 3 1/2 games going into play on Tuesday, April 7.
Here is a look at the current playoff picture: Each of these teams is a lock for at least the play-in tournament. Records through April 7.
5. Atlanta Hawks (45-34)
Remaining schedule: at Cleveland (Wednesday, April 8), vs. Cleveland (Friday, April 10), at Miami (Sunday, April 12)
Magic number to clinch at least No. 5 seed: 3
Magic number to clinch at least No. 6 seed: 2
6. Toronto Raptors (43-35)
Remaining schedule: vs. Miami (Tuesday, April 7), vs. Miami (Thursday, April 9), at New York (Friday, April 10), vs. Brooklyn (Sunday, April 12)
Magic number to clinch at least No. 6 seed: 4; doesn't control destiny for No. 5 seed.
7. Philadelphia 76ers (43-36)
Remaining schedule: at Houston (Thursday, April 9), at Indiana (Friday, April 10), vs. Milwaukee (Sunday, April 12)
Magic number to clinch at least No. 8 seed: 3; doesn't control destiny for No. 5, 6 or 7 seed.
8. Charlotte Hornets (43-36)
Remaining schedule: at Boston (Tuesday, April 7), vs. Detroit (Friday, April 10), at New York (Sunday, April 12)
Magic number to clinch at No. 8 seed: 3; doesn't control destiny for No. 5, 6 or 7 seed.
9. Orlando Magic (43-36)
Remaining schedule: vs. Minnesota (Wednesday, April 8), at Chicago (Friday, April 10), at Boston (Sunday, April 12)
Magic number to clinch at least No. 9 seed: 2; doesn't control destiny for No. 5, 6, 7 or 8 seed.
10. Miami Heat (41-37)
Remaining schedule: at Toronto (Tuesday, April 7), at Toronto (Thursday, April 9), at Washington (Friday, April 10), vs. Atlanta (Sunday, April 12)
Doesn't control destiny for No. 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 seed
Already eliminated
Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 6: Keldon Johnson #3, Devin Vassell #24, and Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs huddle up after the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 6, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I guess it’s a useful exercise, as we tiptoe ever closer to the promised land, to take one more quick glance at the abyss.
A Victor Wembanyama injury, short term, long term, chronic, you name it, is the proverbial other shoe waiting to drop. It’s not an anchor that weighs the franchise down, and it’s not an albatross slung around its neck. It’s just something that’s there. Existing in the space. A situation that every single person associated with this franchise is keenly aware of, and knows we might eventually have to reckon with.
The availability of our tall Frenchman isn’t just a variable, it’s the variable. It changes everything about everything. When he is at full strength, the world of possibilities is completely open to us. Every game is winnable. Every season could end in a title. I watched Victor Wembanyama for the first time in person last year and immediately came here and wrote a column about how the Spurs franchise might someday rival Real Madrid as a global brand. Like, right? That’s crazy. But look me in the eyes and tell me Victor isn’t going to try to get it there. The point is, when we have access to a generational beam of light like Victor, our kingdom simply becomes everything the light touches.
But that’s not really how best laid plans work, is it?
When Victor isn’t part of the equation, everything shifts a little. The possibilities on the map start to shrink. That confident “every game is winnable” feeling gets quietly replaced by something more like “okay, let’s see.” You stop thinking about winning titles and start thinking about making playoff runs. Putting up a good fight. Things become a bit less lofty. More grounded. More real. Maybe we aren’t the next Real Madrid, just the same plucky small-market underdogs we’ve always been. It’s fine. Good. Nice, even. Things don’t become dark, but there’s more shade than there used to be.
The broadcast kept replaying the collision over and over, and I couldn’t help but sit with that feeling for a moment. Really let it burrow into my brain and hang out there. It’s a jarring thing to be confronted with, you know? The fun. The party. The wins. The expectations. This freight train we’re all riding right now, this new era of Spurs basketball barreling toward something real, can get derailed so very quickly.
And as I sat there in my funk, confronting my own mortality, plotting which British WWI poem would serve as a nice opener for this column, a funny thing continued to play out on the court.
The Spurs didn’t really skip a beat. They made the necessary adjustments to accommodate the 7’6″ hole in the lineup and then continued to do what they’ve done all season. They played hard and pushed the pace. They were physical. They moved the ball and found the open man. Stephon Castle went from tossing lobs to Wemby to tossing the same lobs to Luke Kornet with such nonchalance that I almost wondered if he even knew about the injury that was causing my entire worldview to come crashing down.
It was fun. I had fun watching them just keep the Sixers at bay. Keldon getting in the paint like a bull in a china shop, howling after a layup. Dylan Harper quietly morphing into an assassin from three, never mind the wrong-foot finishes at the rim like he’s been doing it for a decade. Fox filling every hole. Castle being a superstar. Devin providing runs exactly when we need them.
You can’t help but marvel. The performance we saw in the second half was from as complete a team as we’ve seen grace the court in San Antonio in a long, long time. Which is a funny thing to say about a team that was missing its best player.
We don’t say it out loud very often, because obviously. But there are going to be stretches without him. Maybe a playoff game. Maybe a season. Maybe more? That’s just a reality of how the league works. How life works. It’s not something you plan for, it’s an impact you brace for once the sirens go off.
And yet. He is everything to this franchise. He has to be. You can’t play scared when it comes to building around someone like Victor. When he’s out there, he blots out the sun. He bends the whole operation toward himself just by existing on the floor. Every defensive scheme in the league has to account for him. Every possession has an extra dimension. The ceiling becomes genuinely limitless in a way that it isn’t for almost any other team on the planet.
Maybe I’m high off the good vibes from a win. Maybe this season has rocked me out of my pessimism cave just enough to see the light. Maybe I’m just getting old. But last night was a crystal clear demonstration of something important.
Victor might be everything, but he can’t literally be everything.
The Spurs being this good without him on the floor isn’t some consolation prize. It’s a result of the work that’s been put in. It’s the foundation those best laid plans actually built. It’s what happens when you keep pounding on that rock. He’s only everything because everything else works. He needs all of it as much as it needs him. He’s not everything despite the team.
He’s everything because of it.
Takeaways
Hey, 60 wins! How about that?
Stephon Castle turning into a triple-double machine is such an interesting development this season. It makes sense, his game has always been about doing all the little things, but man, I didn’t dare to dream he’d be doing all of them at this level. I expect him to find the open man. I expect him to grab that board. I expect those soft little mid-range jumpers to fall. The only thing I don’t know is what I’m supposed to expect next.
I almost don’t want to talk about Dylan Harper too much because I don’t want to jinx it. That said, it was fun watching him go toe to toe with VJ Edgecombe last night. Edgecombe is a blast. Still pretty glad we’ve got Dylan.
I’ve read enough about Joel Embiid to have a deep well of sympathy for him as a person. There’s a version of his career that reads as one of the more tragic arcs in league history. I mean, we talk about existential stress around the health and availability of our superstar big man, and what we’re describing is basically the Joel Embiid experience. I feel for him. I feel for Sixers fans. Truly.
I absolutely abhor watching him play basketball.
If you caught the broadcast, you heard them mention it, but just in case you didn’t, Spurs play-by-play man Jacob Tobey performed the national anthem before the game on Native American Heritage Night. It was a pretty cool moment. We’re racking up cool moments down here in San Antonio this year! It’s our whole thing!
WWL Post Game Press Conference
What British WWI poems do you think you were circling before the Spurs brought you back into the light?
Oh, I don’t know. There’s so many to choose from when you’re trying to find something about the bleakness of existence within the walls we’ve constructed around us.
Of course. That totally normal feeling we all get watching basketball.
Right. I had a whole plan where I was going to try and recreate “Break of Day in the Trenches” by Isaac Rosenberg and see if maybe the bitter irony of our haunting reality might translate into the Modern NBA landscape.
Isn’t that the one where the soldier talks to a rat?
Yeah, and like, the rat doesn’t care if we’re British or German, Spurs fan or Sixer fan. He sees us for what we are. Meat. Bones. A future home for the poppies.
And this is what you felt, watching Victor walk off the court holding his ribs.
Pretty close, yeah. War is hell. The slog of the NBA season? Not far from it. We spend it down here in the trenches, alive, but just so. We’re showered with indignities and horrors constantly, the false hope of a new dawn only serving to remind us that to be alive only means we haven’t managed to escape.
Wow, uh, thank god the Spurs played well in the second half I guess.
Yeah, maybe I’ll save poetry corner for the off season.
TORONTO — Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk is scheduled for surgery Tuesday to repair his left thumb, which was fractured by a foul tip in a loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Manager John Schneider said the two-time All-Star is expected to be sidelined at least three weeks, and maybe as many as six.
Kirk left Friday’s game in the 10th inning after his thumb was dislocated and fractured by a foul tip from Chicago’s Austin Hays.
Kirk went on the 10-day injured list the following day, with catcher Brandon Valenzuela recalled from Triple-A Buffalo.
A strong defensive catcher, Kirk hit .282 last season with career-highs of 15 homers and 76 RBIs.
“What he can do on both sides of the ball is pretty unique,” Schneider said before a 14-2 loss to the Dodgers, Toronto’s fifth straight.
Kirk, 27, played for Mexico at the World Baseball Classic.
Kirk was a first-time All-Star in 2022 and made the AL team again in 2025. He was also a Silver Slugger in 2022, when he hit .285 with 14 homers and 63 RBIs.
Jake Sanderson is enjoying the best offensive season of his career, producing at a 63-point pace over 82 games.
He had a two-point night the last time these teams played, and my Lightning vs. Senators predictions and NHL picks expect another quality performance on Tuesday, April 7.
Lightning vs Senators prediction
Lightning vs Senators best bet: Jake Sanderson Over 0.5 points (-130)
Jake Sanderson has hit the scoresheet in 11 of his last 14 home dates, recording 15 points in total.
He’s in a great spot to produce against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are in the latter half of a road back-to-back and expected to start Jonas Johansson in goal.
Johansson owns a .886 SV% on the season and has conceded 11.4 goals more than expected over his last 10 starts, worst in the NHL.
Sanderson also has a great track record against the Bolts, picking up a point in eight of the last 10 meetings.
Lightning vs Senators same-game parlay
Tim Stutzle recorded three shots on goal in both meetings with the Lightning this season while combining for a healthy 11 shot attempts. He has registered 2+ shots in six of his last seven, and will continue to be heavily relied upon as the Ottawa Senators push for a playoff spot.
The Senators are tied for third in wins over the last 25 games. They are in good form and have a clear rest advantage.
Tampa Bay is playing its third game in four nights against a Senators team that hasn’t traveled in April.
Lightning vs Senators SGP
Jake Sanderson Over 0.5 points
Tim Stutzle Over 1.5 shots on goal
Senators moneyline
Lightning vs Senators odds
Moneyline: Tampa Bay +110 | Ottawa -130
Puck line: Tampa Bay +1.5 (-215) | Ottawa -1.5 (+175)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-105) | Under 6.5 (-115)
Lightning vs Senators trend
Jake Sanderson has totaled nine points over his past five home dates against Tampa Bay. Find more NHL betting trends for Lightning vs. Senators.
How to watch Lightning vs Senators
Location
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
Date
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
The Spot, RDS2
Lightning vs Senators latest injuries
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ORLANDO, FLORIDA - APRIL 06: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic dunks the ball against Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter at Kia Center on April 06, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Philadelphia 76ers suffered a disappointing defeat on Monday night to a San Antonio Spurs club that lost star Victor Wembanyama to a rib injury midway through the game. The loss moved Philadelphia out of a tie with Toronto and down into the seventh seed, which would mean an entry in the Play-In Tournament rather than an automatic postseason berth.
Unfortunately, that result wasn’t the only one Monday not to go the Sixers’ way as we enter the home stretch of the 2025-26 NBA regular season. Behind 31 points from Paolo Banchero, Orlando defeated the top-seeded Pistons, 123-107. The Magic now share an identical 43-36 record with the Sixers, with Charlotte joining them in a three-way tie. A silver lining for Sixers fans is that the Sixers currently hold the tiebreaker within that grouping; the difference between seventh and ninth is vast given the Play-In Tournament structure.
One game that did go Philadelphia’s way on Monday was Atlanta narrowly losing to the Knicks at home, 108-105. With the Sixers losing, though, they are still two games back of the Hawks with three to play. With Atlanta holding the tiebreaker, the Hawks are very likely out of reach.
Highlighted above are the games of note tonight. Toronto hosts Miami, and Sixers fans should be rooting for the Heat there, even though that would draw Miami slightly closer to Philadelphia. The reward for moving back up into sixth place is too great to entertain other alternatives. Charlotte is on the road in Boston in a nationally televised affair, so we find ourselves in the extremely dystopian position of rooting for the Celtics.
The Sixers aren’t back on the court until Thursday in Houston. Let’s hope tonight’s contests go their way.
Tonight's Coast 2 Coast Tuesday features two exciting matchups. First, at 8 PM ET, the Charlotte Hornets head to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics. Then, at 11:00 PM ET, it's the Houston Rockets vs Phoenix Suns. Live coverage begins with NBA Showtime at 7:00 PM ET on Peacock. See below for additional information on how to watch each game. Follow all of the NBA action on NBCSN and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
After starting the season 16-28, it didn't look like the Hornets would be any closer to ending their nine-season playoff drought—the longest in the NBA. But the Hornets have turned their season around, going 27-8 since January 22.
Charlotte currently sits eighth in the Eastern Conference, in Play-In Tournament position, with three games remaining.
Kon Knueppel, the fourth overall pick out of Duke in last year's draft, has had an impactful rookie season, leading the league with 265 shots made from three-point range. LaMelo Ball is second in the league with 255 3-point field goals.
Together with Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate, the Hornets boast the highest net rating (+28.5) of any five-man lineup since 2007-2008.
The Hornets look to make their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Boston, currently second in the Eastern Conference, has already clinched a playoff spot. With Jaylen Brown's dominant play and a healthy Jayson Tatum back in the lineup, the Celtics are chasing their 19th NBA title, which would extend their record for most championships in league history.
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. Sunday Night Basketball coverage will also be available on NBC and Peacock. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule:
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The 2025-26 season has been a tough one for Montreal Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault. Due to his struggles, the 29-year-old has lost the Canadiens' No. 1 goalie job, and questions about his long-term future have come up because of it.
In 25 appearances this season with the Canadiens, Montembeault has a 10-8-4 record, a 3.43 goals-against average, and an .872 save percentage. This is after he had a 31-24-7 record, a 2.82 goals-against average, and a .902 save percentage this past season with Montreal.
Montembeault was also assigned to the Laval Rocket on an AHL conditioning loan back in December, where he had a 0-2-0 record and a .904 save percentage in two appearances.
While this season has not gone to plan for Montembeault, his past success will make him an interesting bounce-back candidate to watch next season.
However, Montembeault has now landed some praise. The Canadiens' netminder was given the No. 1 spot on The Athletic's goalie mask power rankings, and it is hard to disagree with their take. Montembeault's snake mask is an incredible look.
Joey Daccord (Seattle Kraken), John Gibson (Detroit Red Wings), Scott Wedgewood (Colorado Avalanche), and Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars) were ranked behind Montembeault in The Athletic's goalie mask rankings. While they all have great masks, there is no question that Montembeault's mask is the coolest.
Nov 15, 2007 - Chicago, Illinois, USA - Group photo of players in the American League All-Star game in 1933. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
Oral Hildebrand’s baseball story feels almost too perfect for its era. Disney could easily turn it into a coming-of-age summer classic.
Born in Indianapolis in 1907, his journey to the Yankees did not begin under bright lights. It started in the kind of Midwestern setting that shaped so many ballplayers of his generation, where imagination and a patch of open, mostly flat land could become a ballpark by afternoon. By the time Hildebrand hung up his cleats, that grounded beginning had turned into a 10-year major league career, capped by joining the Yankees for the final two seasons of his professional life and winning a World Series.
Oral Clyde Hildebrand Born: April 7, 1907 (Indianapolis, IN) Died: September 8, 1977 (Southport, IN) Yankees Tenure: 1939-40
The roots of that journey began on the family farm outside Indianapolis.
Long before Butler, before Cleveland, and before the Bronx, Hildebrand’s early mornings were spent milking cows, hauling water, and tossing hay bales, the kind of repetitive, strength-building work that quietly shaped both his body and his discipline. Somewhere between the barn chores and the open fields, he began to realize his future was not meant to stay rooted in the barnyard.
The same strong arm that could sling feed and stack hay kept finding a more natural purpose on the diamond. That arm turned him into a star pitcher at Southport High School, but the road forward was hardly smooth. After graduating, Hildebrand remained on the farm for two years because he simply did not have the money to attend college.
Then came the break that changed everything.
A summer job in a machine shop, paired with extra money earned pitching weekend games for the Indianapolis Power and Light Company team, finally gave him the chance to move forward. That team happened to be owned by Norman Perry, who also owned the Indianapolis Indians, a connection that would quietly shape the next chapter of Hildebrand’s life.
With money finally in hand, the Indiana kid stayed close to home and enrolled at Butler University. Hildebrand was far more than just a pitcher there. He was also the center on Butler’s 1928-29 national championship basketball team, a reminder of how naturally athletic he was. But his Butler story took a turn when it was discovered that, under the alias “Roy Hilden,” he had been pitching for a semipro team in Brazil, Indiana, earning $40 a game.
That side hustle cost him his eligibility. Ruled ineligible by Butler’s Faculty Committee on Athletics, Hildebrand took the most logical next step and signed with Perry’s Indianapolis professional team. It proved to be the turning point that officially pushed him toward the majors.
In 1931, the Cleveland Indians acquired Hildebrand, and he soon made his major league debut. His Cleveland years formed the backbone of his career. In 1933, he put together one of the finest seasons by an American League starter that year. Hildebrand won 16 games, led the league with six shutouts, earned a selection to the first-ever All-Star Game at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, and even tossed a one-hitter in a game that lasted only 82 minutes.
From 1933 through 1936, he became exactly what every good pitching staff needs: durable, dependable, and capable of eating up innings.
That reliability made him a valuable trade piece.
On January 17, 1937, Cleveland sent Hildebrand, Bill Knickerbocker, and Joe Vosmik to the St. Louis Browns. His stop in St. Louis never quite matched the peak of his Cleveland years, but he remained a veteran arm who continued to log meaningful innings, even as both the team and his numbers trended in the wrong direction.
Then came the move that changed how his career would be remembered. On October 26, 1938, the Browns traded Hildebrand and Buster Mills to the Yankees. What could have easily been just another late-career transaction instead became the defining turn of his journey. The veteran pitcher who had once dreamed of wearing pinstripes finally got his chance.
By the time Hildebrand arrived in the Bronx in 1939, the Yankees were already baseball’s standard. For a veteran entering the final chapters of his career, it represented the perfect chance to put the cherry on top. And he absolutely made the most of it. Hildebrand went 10-4 with a 3.33 ERA in 1939, giving the Yankees meaningful innings on a 106-win championship team. Perhaps the most historic game he started came on April 30, 1939, a cloudy afternoon that unknowingly would become the final game of Lou Gehrig’s legendary streak.
Then came October.
In the 1939 World Series against Cincinnati, Hildebrand took the ball in Game 4 and delivered four shutout innings, helping close out the sweep and secure the championship. For a player who had openly said he wanted to join the Yankees because of their winning tradition, there could not have been a better first season in the Bronx.
His own words say it best:
“I always wanted to be with the Yankees. When I was with the Indians, and later with the Browns, Joe McCarthy was just another manager of a rival team, in my estimation. Still, I always admired the way he ran his team, and I hoped someday I would be playing for him.”
A few days later, Hildebrand was involved in a car accident that left him with injuries to his hands and arms. He recovered enough to return in 1940, pitching in 13 relief appearances and going 1-1 in what became the final season of his major league career.
That 1939 championship became the perfect cherry on top of a decade-long journey that stretched from Indianapolis farm life to Cleveland success, through St. Louis, and finally to baseball immortality’s most famous stage. His career totals, 83 wins across 10 seasons, reflect a pitcher who kept finding ways to contribute at every stop.
But like so many of your favorite birthday pieces, it is the path that makes Oral Hildebrand memorable.
From the barnyard to the ballpark in the Bronx, his story remains one of the cleaner, more satisfying journeys in Yankees history.
Happy birthday, Oral Hildebrand. Or maybe, just for legends’ sake, Roy Hilden.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series he
SAN DIEGO, CA — Nineteen regulation wins. That's the number that tells the story of the Los Angeles Kings' 2025-26 season better than anything else.
According to Sportsnet Stats, the Kings are clinging to a playoff spot despite recording just 19 regulation wins this year, the fewest for a playoff-bound team since the 1987-88 Toronto Maple Leafs, nearly four decades ago. That's not a flattering comparison. That Leafs team missed the playoffs the very next season.
Kings are currently in a playoff spot with 19 regulation wins.
The last team to make the playoffs in an 80+ game season with 20 regulation wins of fewer was the 1987-88 Maple Leafs
For a franchise riding the final year of Anze Kopitar's legendary career, this season has been a far cry from the send-off anyone had in mind.
The Kings have scored just 211 goals this season while allowing 236, carrying a minus-25 goal differential that doesn't belong to a playoff team by any conventional measure. They have survived not because of dominance, but because the Pacific Division has been anything but. Connor McDavid himself called it a "pillow fight," as Pacific teams have repeatedly gone winless on the same nights, with Eastern Conference also-rans outperforming some of the West's supposed contenders.ESPN
And yet, here they are, still in. But still very much in danger.
With 83 points through 77 games and just five remaining, Los Angeles has no margin for error. And here's the cruelest twist of all: even if the Kings were to win out, they are not guaranteed a playoff spot. The San Jose Sharks are right on their heels and carry a massive edge in regulation wins, 25 to Los Angeles' 19. Under NHL tiebreaker rules, if two teams finish level on points, regulation wins are the very first tiebreaker applied. In other words, if the Kings and Sharks end the year tied, San Jose wins that battle by six regulation wins. Six.
Fortunately for the Kings, the road to getting in is layered with pillows, so to speak.
On paper, two games against Vancouver and one against Calgary represent winnable matchups to close things out, though the Flames game comes on the road, where Los Angeles has struggled in the Saddledome. Those contests are manageable. But the schedule also includes a Saturday date against the Edmonton Oilers, the team that has knocked the Kings out of the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. Los Angeles was eliminated by Edmonton in six games last season, five in 2024, six in 2023, and seven in 2022. Now, of all times, Los Angeles needs a win against that same team just to stay alive in the regular season. The Oilers are almost certainly not going to play the Kings in the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year, but an opportunity is materializing to massively dent their playoff aspirations.
And if they do survive, if the Kings navigate this gauntlet, hold off San Jose, and scrape into the postseason, what awaits them? In all likelihood, a date with the Colorado Avalanche, who became the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season and made history by recording only two regulation losses through their first 40 games. Colorado currently sits at 50-16-10, leading the league in goals scored with 287 while allowing just 196. They are not a flawed giant waiting to be slain. They are the class of the NHL.
For those who prescribe nostalgia, stop right here. This is not 2012. That Kings team, an eighth seed, was an underperforming juggernaut that caught fire at exactly the right moment, opening all four series 3-0 on their way to the franchise's first Stanley Cup. There was latent talent waiting to be unleashed. This version of the Kings is not hiding anything. What you see is what you get: a minus-25 goal differential team with 19 regulation wins, with a poorly constructed backend, a starter who hasn’t been the same since injury, running out of time, running out of runway, and potentially running headlong into the best team in hockey.
And I do respect a last hurrah for Kopitar.
But don’t make the mistake of not concluding that this is an extremely poor construct of a roster.
This is Kopitar's final season, and the aftermath will be met with boundless curiosity from those inside and outside the organization. The hope was that Los Angeles would honor his farewell with a genuine run. Instead, the Kings find themselves in a position where winning every remaining game might still not be enough, and even if it is, the reward might be the hardest possible path forward.
The 1987-88 Maple Leafs are their only peers in this dubious historical footnote. Sometimes that's all a team can hang onto, the fact that they're still here. For now, at least, the Kings are still here.
The New York Mets open a homestand against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday afternoon, and both teams are looking to stay hot in chilly NYC.
My Diamondbacks vs. Mets predictions and MLB picks for April 7 are calling for the Mets to keep it going with a home cover in a low-scoring affair.
Who will win Diamondbacks vs Mets today: Mets -1.5 (+145)
The New York Mets will once again not have Juan Soto, who strained his calf on Friday and is on the injured list. However, the Mets scored at least five runs in each of the three games they took at San Francisco over the weekend without Soto.
The Arizona Diamondbacks also enter on a streak, going 5-2 straight-up in the last seven and covering the run line in seven of the last nine.
I believe pitching will make the difference today.
New York has allowed the fourth-fewest runs in MLB and start Freddy Peralta against Arizona, which is averaging just 3.5 runs a game.
Zac Gallen has been up-and-down in two starts this year, and the D-backs bullpen is 28th in ERA (6.50).
COVERS INTEL: After striking out 9.4 batters per nine innings over his career, Gallen struck out just 5.1 per nine in spring training, and is at 3.6 per nine in two regular season starts in 2026.
Diamondbacks vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 7 (-105)
Eventually, replacing a six-time Silver Slugger like Soto with Jared Young, Carson Benge, or Brett Baty will catch up with the Mets. This offense may come back to earth, especially with Francisco Lindor (two extra base hits in 48 AB) slumping.
Arizona has seen everyone except Corbin Carroll mired in early-season slumps.
The Mets start last season's NL wins leader in Peralta, while the D-Backs start former All-Star Zac Gallen. Even with the earlier start, the air will be crisp and cold, so it's not the ideal hitting environment.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 2-4, -2.64 units
Over/Under bets: 4-6, -2.15 units
Diamondbacks vs Mets odds
Moneyline: Arizona +130 | New York -155
Run line: Arizona +1.5 | New York -1.5
Over/Under: Over 7 | Under 7
Diamondbacks vs Mets trend
The Mets have covered the F5 run line in 44 of their last 78 games at home (+7.00 Units / 7% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Mets.
How to watch Diamondbacks vs Mets and game info
Location
Citi Field, Queens, NY
Date
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
ARID, SNY
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60 ERA)
Mets starting pitcher
Freddy Peralta (1-0, 4.35 ERA)
Diamondbacks vs Mets latest injuries
Diamondbacks vs Mets weather
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As the Pittsburgh Pirates get into the swing of the MLB season, fans can catch all of Paul Skenes' strikeouts, Ryan O'Hearn's home runs and the double plays without ever leaving the couch.
With two games already out of the way this week and four ahead, there are several ways to tune in to Pittsburgh's Major League Baseball games from afar. Whether you're a diehard fan or a casual viewer, here are all your options for catching a Pirates game this week.
The Pirates will have an evening game at home on Tuesday, April 7, then games in the afternoon for the rest of the week.
Tuesday, April 7, 6:40 p.m. ET vs. San Diego Padres
Wednesday, April 8, 12:35 p.m. ET vs. San Diego Padres
Friday, April 10, 2:20 p.m. ET at Chicago Cubs
Saturday, April 11, 2:20 p.m. ET at Chicago Cubs
Sunday, April 12, 2:20 p.m. ET at Chicago Cubs
What teams are the Pittsburgh Pirates playing?
The Pirates have two more home games this week and an off day before three away games over the weekend.
After finishing a series against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, April 5, they welcomed the San Diego Padres on Monday, April 6. Pittsburgh has an off day before a three-game series in Chicago against the Cubs starting on Friday, April 10.
Tickets for Pirates games can be purchased on MLB's website. Discounts are available for groups and events like Education Days, and the team has several Pup Nights during the season where dogs are welcome to the games.
Following a dominant 14-2 victory in the series opener, the Dodgers look to extend their winning streak to five games while the Blue Jays seek to snap their five-game losing streak when these two teams take the field tonight in Toronto in Game 2 of their three-game series.
The Dodgers smacked five home runs last night including a pair by Dalton Rushing and Justin Wrobleski allowed but a single run over five innings to secure his first win of the season. Max Scherzer lasted two innings for the Jays giving up a couple of hits and a pair of runs in taking the loss.
Runs may be at more of a premium tonight as the pitching matchup features Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers and Kevin Gausman for the Blue Jays. Gausman has looked elite despite Toronto's team struggles, striking out 21 batters over his first 12 innings this season. Yamamoto, the 2025 World Series MVP, takes the mound looking to earn his second win and lower his 3.00 ERA in the process.
The Dodgers’ offense has been historically good of late scoring 47 runs during this four-game winning streak. Shohei Ohtani has led the assault on opposing pitchers collecting a pair of hits in each of the past four games (8-21). The Blue Jays have yet to win in April primarily because they simply are not hitting. Toronto has scored 10 runs in their last five outings.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and the opener of this three-game series 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 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.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Time: 7:07PM EST
Site: Rogers Centre
City: Toronto, Ontario
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, TBS, Sportsnet, Sportsnet LA
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.
The Latest Odds: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Dodgers (-149), Blue Jays (+123)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (+113) / Blue Jays +1.5 (-136)
Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman Season Totals: 12.0 IP, 0-0, 0.75 ERA, 0.25 WHIP, 21K, 0 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
Freddie Freeman has hit safely in 6 straight games (8-26)
Teoscar Hernandez has hit safely in 6 straight games (11-24)
Andy Pages has hit safely in 7 straight games (16-28)
George Springer is 2-18 in April
Andres Gimenez is 1-19 in April
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: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are 2-8 on the Run Line this season
The Dodgers are 6-4 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 6 times in the Dodgers’ 10 games this season (6-4)
The OVER has cashed 5 times in the Jays’ first 10 games (5-5)
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: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
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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 Tuesday’s game between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Dodgers on the Run Line.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 8.0.
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Sportsbooks are struggling to handicap one of the best Rookie of the Year races in NBA history, thanks to the excellence of Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg.
Flagg is currently the odds-on favorite at major sportsbooks, despite Knueppel, his roommate at Duke, claiming a massive lead as recently as Sunday.
Key Takeaways
Odds flipped to Flagg after two huge games, despite a recent poll among voters favoring Knueppel.
Last year’s Rookie of the Year winner (Stephon Castle) was picked fourth, just like Knueppel.
The Charlotte Hornets face three top-five defenses to close their season.
Knueppel was a strong favorite to take home the NBA’s award for the most impressive first-timer in the league. That was compounded Friday when ESPN shared a straw poll of 100 league media members conducted Monday through Wednesday last week.
The results showed that Knueppel received 80 first-place, 19 second-place, and one third-place vote, resulting in 458 total points. Flagg received 20 first-place votes, 79 seconds, and one third, for 338 points, only 74% of his college teammate’s total. Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe was third with 98 points.
The results of the poll empowered DraftKings to shorten Knueppel’s odds from -250 on April 1 to -300 two days later when the results were released.
Knueppel became an even larger favorite (-330) on Sunday morning, despite Flagg becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 points (51) on a Friday night loss to the Orlando Magic. Those odds gave him an implied 76.7% chance to win the award, while Flagg’s +230 odds translated to a 30.3% probability.
Everything changed on Monday, one day after Flagg followed his 51-point explosion with 45 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in a nationally televised matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. He flipped to a -200 (66.7% chance) favorite at DraftKings overnight, and Knueppel ballooned to +140 (41.7% chance).
Rookie of the Year Odds movement for Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel over the past 2 weeks:
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) April 6, 2026
The total instability in the Rookie of the Year odds leaves everything to play for during the final week of the regular season. The Dallas Mavericks still have four games remaining, while the Charlotte Hornets will play three.
Flagg, Knueppel can’t shake each other
The back-and-forth between the former Duke Blue Devils isn’t anything new. The pair took turns jostling for position on the board, although Knueppel truly hit his stride during Flagg’s near-monthlong absence from Feb. 10 through March 5.
There are strong merits to both players’ cases. Flagg averaged 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, putting him on pace to become the fourth rookie since the NBA-ABA merger to average 20/6/4, joining Luka Doncic, Michael Jordan, and Larry Bird.
He’s also had several individual moments of history, such as only being 19 years and 103 days old when he dropped his first 50-piece.
Knueppel put up a stat line of 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while already establishing himself as a historically efficient shooter. Even more impressively, he produced his 48/43/86 shooting splits while leading the NBA in made threes (265) at the time of writing, having already set the rookie record for made threes in a season.
He also started all but one game for the Hornets amid their remarkable franchise turnaround, helping to lead them to a 27-8 record since Jan. 22 that was the second-best mark in the league during that span.
Although the team record does not normally factor into the Rookie of the Year race, the Hornets only need to win one more game to have their best season as a franchise since 2015-16.
Kon Knueppel breaks the Charlotte Hornets franchise record for 3PM in a single season 🔥
▪️ KON KNUEPPEL: 261+ ▪️ Kemba Walker: 260 ▪️ Jason Richardson: 243
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) April 3, 2026
The final days ahead
Everything about the ongoing NBA Rookie of the Year race has made it clear that the race won’t be over until the winner is officially announced. Even the sportsbooks have had an uncharacteristically difficult time staying on top of the oscillating battle.
Flagg and the Mavericks finish their season by facing the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. Those teams rank 18th, 10th, third, and 23rd in defensive rating, respectively, giving Flagg a varying degree of difficulty to bolster his final numbers.
Knueppel and the Hornets have a tough finish to the year, with matchups against the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and New York Knicks, who rank third, fourth, and fifth in defensive rating.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros hits a game-tying, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was an inning Joe Espada, Ryan Weiss, and (most surprisingly) Jeremy Pena would like to forget.
All things considered, things were going about as well as could possibly be hoped for the Houston Astros through the first four innings of Monday’s game.
They built a 3-0 lead through the first four innings thanks to back to back doubles by Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, and then an RBI single by Christian Walker to account for a pair of first inning runs.
Spot starter Cody Bolton had put up four straight zeros in an emergency fill-in role, taking the place of the injured Hunter Brown.
Unfortunately, there was a fifth inning. It was one that the Astros would like to forget, especially the manager, the shortstop, and the pitcher who came on in relief who wants to start.
Bolton, who had allowed only 2 hits and 1 walk through 4 innings while striking out 5, had given the Astros more than they could have expected. Joe Espada chose to roll the dice and send him back out for the 5th instead of going to Ryan Weiss for a clean start of an inning. It would be a mistake.
A tiring Bolton surrendered a leadoff single, and then a questionable walk (the first pitch was a strike but called a ball by home plate umpire Nestor Ceja. The Astros did not challenge.) After a sacrifice bunt moved runners to 2nd and 3rd, Espada then summoned Weiss to come into a situation he isn’t used to – men on base mid-inning.
Weiss has primarily worked a s a starter, and as a reliever come in to clean innings. This was Espada’s second miscalculation of the inning. It would only get worse from here.
Weiss would walk Kyle Karros to load the bases. A 2-run single by Edouard Julien would draw the Rockies with a run at 3-2.
Weiss would then seem to settle in, getting Mickey Moniak to pop up with Correa making a terrific catch against the netting for out number two. He would then get Hunter Goodman to ground to short for what should have been the third out.
Should have been.
Unfortunately for Weiss and the Astros, Pena seemed to misread the ball off the bat. His initial step was the wrong direction. What should have been a routine ground out became an RBI single and now the game was tied. The Rockies still has runners on the corners with 2 out.
The next batter was Troy Johnston. Weiss induced a soft grounder up the middle that Pena waited for behind the bag instead of charging. The ball hit the second base bag and caromed over Pena’s head. It would wind up scored a double and an RBI, and the Rockies would take a 4-3 lead.
T.J Rumfield would clear the bases with a 2-run triple to left center field that Jake Meyers (who was shaded to right center) couldn’t run down, and then over ran the ball. Joey Loperfido, backing up the play from left, had to field the ball and throw it in. It was now 6-3 Rockies.
Willi Castro would follow with an RBI single and the nightmare inning continued, it was now 7-3 Colorado.
Brenton Doyle would then ground to short to seemingly end the inning, but Pena dropped the ball for an error, and everyone was safe.
It was the third time Weiss should have been out of the inning.
This inning should've ended five batters ago. Ryan Weiss has gotten three inning-ending ground balls.
Jake McCarthy would walk to load the bases before a single by Karros would drive in the Rockies 8th run of the inning. Julien would fly to left to finally end the nightmare, but not before the Rockies turned a 3-0 deficit into an 8-3 lead.
The Astros would try to claw their way back into the game. In the top of the 6th, they had bases loaded and only one out. A sacrifice fly by Loperfido would make it an 8-4 game, but that’s all the Astros would get.
In the bottom of the inning, Johnston would take an inside sweeper off the plate from Weiss 407 feet to right for a solo homer, and a 9-4 Colorado lead.
In the top of the 7th, a one-out double by Pena and a two-out single by Altuve would generate a run, making it a 9-5 game.
In the 8th, Walker would lead off with a base hit, and Smith would follow with a double, giving the Astros two runners in scoring position with no out. An RBI groundout by Loperfido would make the score 9-6 and push Smith to 3rd. Yainer Diaz would follow with a single to drive in Cam to make it 9-7.
A Meyers double would give the Astros 2 runners in scoring position again, this time with one out, but they would fail to cash in. Pena would fly out to right. Yordan Alvarez was intentionally walked, and then Altuve would ground out to end the inning.
Juan Mejia would get the Astros 1-2-3 in the 9th to earn his first Save of the season and second save of his career.
Houston fell to 6-5 with the loss.
The Astros look to get back in the win column Tuesday with Mike Burrows on the mound, opposed by the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 06: Tyler Stephenson #37 of the Cincinnati Reds rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins in the eighth inning of the game at loanDepot park on April 06, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You know the story of the 2025 Cincinnati Reds. They found a way to keep their record just above the .500 mark, slipped into the playoffs as the final Wild Card in the National League, and were promptly bounced in two games by the future World Series champs.
They got their on the backs of their pitching – namely, their starting rotation, which was stellar all year long. Their offense, though, was simply lackluster at best. A guy who played on a bum thigh and slugged .373 with 4 homers over his final 83 games (360 PA) still managed to lead the team in homers.
Looking back at the statcast data for that club, you’ll find that the numbers backed up what we all watched. It never looked like the Reds hit the ball hard, and they certainly didn’t hit the ball over the fence much. Per statcast, only two teams hit the ball softer in terms of average exit velocity, the Reds mark of 88.6 mph worsted only by Cleveland and Houston. Their 99.2 EV50 was also second to last, their number of balls hit over 95 mph third worst.
We all hoped 2026 would be different. Cincinnati, too, certainly hoped so, and went out and added Eugenio Suarez to help bring some much needed thump. They also knew Elly De La Cruz would have a more healthy thigh to begin this year, while the likes of Tyler Stephenson and Matt McLain would be further removed from debilitating oblique problems. Plus, there’d be Sal Stewart in the lineup from the get-go, and we all know Sal smokes the ball as often as anyone.
So far, the evolution of Cincinnati’s offense into a more powerful one looks to be working.
In the extremely small sample size that is the season’s first 10 games, the Reds rank 4th in average exit velocity so far at 90.7 mph. That’s a jump of over 2 mph off last year’s dismal mark, and their 100.2 mph EV50 ranks 5th in the game. Individually, each of Stephenson (95.2 mph avg, 10th overall), De La Cruz (95.0 mph, 12th), and Stewart (93.8 mph, 28th) rank in the Top 30 in the game, and only the Kansas City Royals can make a claim of having three of their hitters all ranked that high.
The runs have yet to come, but the process seems to be impactful already.
The Cincinnati Reds are once again hitting the crud out of the ball.
Kurt Helin
COVERS INTEL: After striking out 9.4 batters per nine innings over his career, Gallen struck out just 5.1 per nine in spring training, and is at 3.6 per nine in two regular season starts in 2026.
