Michigan commitment Peter Bourque is rated the No. 6 QB in the nation and No. 75 player in the 2027, class per 247Sports composite rankings.
Five NHL All-Rookie Team Oddities
By Sal Barry, Puck Culture and In The Cards writer
Since 1982-83, the Professional Hockey Writers Association has selected an NHL all-rookie team, comprised of six of the best first-year players. Along the way, there have been some interesting selections – and a notable omission.
1. We Three Kings
Luc Robitaille, Jimmy Carson, Steve Duchesne (1987)
Two players from the same NHL club have been named to an all-rookie team several times. Brock Faber and Marco Rossi of Minnesota were the most recent teammates to achieve this when both were named to the 2024 team.
But only once have three players from the same team received this honor. It happened when left winger Luc Robitaille, center Jimmy Carson and defenseman Steve Duchesne of the Los Angeles Kings were named to the 1987 all-rookie team. Robitaille also won Calder Trophy honors as the league’s top rookie.
2. Rocket Rejected
Pavel Bure (1992)
Usually, the player who wins the Calder Trophy is also named to the all-rookie team. But Pavel Bure was an inadvertent snub. Although he got the most votes for the Calder Trophy in 1992, ‘The Russian Rocket’ was not selected for the all-rookie team. He had split the season between playing left wing and right wing, so Bure’s votes were also divided among the positions.
Tony Amonte ended up with the most votes at right wing, while Gilbert Dionne won the most votes for left wing.
For 1993, the rule was changed so that voters chose two wingers and a center. Two years after that, votes went to the best three rookie forwards regardless of position.
3. Eagle Takes Flight
Ed Belfour (1991)
Sometimes, the top rookie picks up another award in the same season. Tony Esposito won the Calder and Vezina Trophies in 1970. Tom Barrasso repeated this feat in 1984.
However, only one time has a freshman won three awards.
Ed Belfour accomplished it for his stellar rookie season in 1990-91, when he led NHL goalies in games played, wins, goals against average and save percentage. Belfour was awarded the Calder, Vezina, and Jennings Trophies. He was also named a first-team all-star.
4. Old Flame
Sergei Makarov (1990)
Former Russian star Sergei Makarov led rookies in scoring during 1989-90, when he scored 86 points for the Calgary Flames. He also happened to be 31 years old. Makarov was 12 years older than Mike Modano – who finished second in rookie scoring – and had 13 years of prior pro experience in the Soviet League.
Despite being over a decade older than his peers, Makarov was still considered a rookie by NHL standards. He won the Calder Trophy and was named to the all-rookie team in 1990, becoming the oldest NHLer to accomplish each feat. The following season, the NHL deemed that only players 25 and younger could be eligible for rookie honors.
5. Two-Time Teamers
Jamie Storr (1998 & 1999) and Jake Allen (2013 & 2015)
Two players have been named to the all-rookie team twice – and both were goalies.
Jamie Storr played 17 games with the Kings in 1997-98, posting a 2.22 GAA and two shutouts, which landed him on the 1998 all-rookie team. Since Storr played in fewer than 25 games that season, he was still considered a rookie the following year. In 28 games during 1998-99, Storr posted a 2.40 GAA and four shutouts to win all-rookie team honors for a second time.
Fifteen years later, Jake Allen of the St. Louis Blues accomplished the same feat – though in non-consecutive seasons. Allen played 15 games in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, earning nine wins and one shutout, resulting in his first all-rookie-team nod. Two seasons later, Allen posted a 22-7-4 record, including four shutouts, and he gained all-rookie-team honors again in 2015.
This article appeared in our 2025 Champions issue. Our cover story focuses on the 2025 Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers, specifically the elite play of defenseman Seth Jones, along with a recap of each game of the Cup final. We also include features on Sharks center Will Smith and Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans. In addition, we give our list of the top 10 moments from the 2024-25 NHL season.
You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.
Rockies at Cardinals Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends and stats for August 11
Its Monday, August 11 and the Rockies (30-87) are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals (60-59).
Chase Dollander is slated to take the mound for Colorado for the first time since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque against Miles Mikolas for St. Louis. (Dollander has been in the minors for the past month.)
The Cardinals start the week feeling pretty good having taken two of three from both the Dodgers and the Cubs in the past week. Yesterday they knocked off the Cubs, 3-2. Sonny Gray was sharp allowing just two runs (one earned) over seven innings to earn his eleventh win of the season. The offense was efficient tallying just four hits but scoring three times. Pedro Pages had the big blast with his eighth home run of the season in the third inning.
Colorado has now lost seven straight following a lost weekend in Arizona. The Diamondbacks hammered the Rockies outscoring them 25-12 over the course of the three-game series. That bludgeoning came on the hells of being outscored 45-6 in their series against Toronto. It should come as no surprise that the Game Total UNDER has cashed just once this month in Rockies' games.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the 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 Rockies at Cardinals
- Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
- Time: 7:45PM EST
- Site: Busch Stadium
- City: St. Louis, MO
- Network/Streaming: COLR, FDSNMW
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Rockies at the Cardinals
The latest odds as of Monday:
- Moneyline: Rockies (+182), Cardinals (-221)
- Spread: Cardinals -1.5
- Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rockies at Cardinals
- Pitching matchup for August 11, 2025: Chase Dollander vs. Miles Mikolas
- Rockies: Chase Dollander (2-9, 6.68 ERA)
Last outing: July 6 vs. White Sox - 7.36 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts - Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (6-9, 5.11 ERA)
Last outing: August 5 at Dodgers - 15.00 ERA, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 1 Strikeouts
- Rockies: Chase Dollander (2-9, 6.68 ERA)
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 Rockies at Cardinals
- The Rockies have lost 8 of their last 10 games
- The Under is 44-30-3 in the Rockies' games against National League teams this season
- Willson Contreras was 2-8 (.250) in the weekend series against the Cubs
- Alec Burleson is 5-15 (.333) over his last 4 games
- Brenton Doyle is enjoying a 5-game hitting streak (7-19)
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 Rockies and the Cardinals
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Rockies and the Cardinals:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the St. Louis Cardinals on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies 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
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- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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Penguins Prospect Should Become Important Piece
Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Ville Koivunen certainly left a strong first impression during his full professional season in North America this past campaign.
Koivunen spent the bulk of the season in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and undoubtedly made a big impact. In 63 games with the AHL squad in 2024-25, he recorded 21 goals, 35 assists, and 56 points. With numbers like these, he demonstrated his offensive upside.
Koivunen also ended the regular-season at the NHL level with Pittsburgh, and it could not have gone much better for the 2021 second-round pick. In eight games with Pittsburgh, he recorded seven assists. This included him ending the season on a five-game point streak, where he posted six assists over that span.
Overall, Koivunen has shown early on that he has the potential to become a solid NHL forward, and he certainly could take a major step forward in his development next season because of it. When looking at the Penguins' current group, he has a strong chance of playing in their middle six and getting power-play time. This could end up benefiting a young and skilled player like Koivunen tremendously.
It is going to be very interesting to see what kind of season Koivunen can put together for the Penguins in 2025-26. If he continues to trend in the right direction, he could cement himself as a big part of Pittsburgh's roster moving forward.
Penguins Have Interesting Goalie Battle To WatchWith it now being the middle of August, NHL training camps are not too far away, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are gearing up for an interesting one. After bringing in several new players this off-season, there will be plenty of players fighting for spots on their NHL roster. Yankees vs. Twins: 5 things to watch and series predictions | Aug. 11-13
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees and Minnesota Twins play a three-game series at Yankee Stadium starting on Monday night...
Preview
Who has the ninth?
Even after their deadline additions, the late innings remain an adventure for the Yanks.
Devin Williams has been brutal during his first season in the Big Apple, and his struggles continued into this weekend as he blew a save opportunity against the Astros.
"I'm not making pitches, it's pretty simple, I stink right now," Williams said following the loss.
Williams is 17-for-20 in save opportunities on the year, but he has an ugly 5.73 ERA.
And one day later it was David Bednar who was handed the ball in the late innings -- he blew a save chance of his own, but the offense picked him up and he ended up taking home the victory.
The righty has struck out 10 batters in six innings since being acquired from Pittsburgh.
It’ll be interesting to see who Aaron Boone decides to turn to if a save opportunity should arise during this three-game set in the Bronx.
The AL playoff race
The Yanks appeared to be a lock for the playoffs earlier this season, but their recent struggles have made that future a bit murkier.
They currently sit in third place in the AL East, behind the Blue Jays and Red Sox.
The Bombers do remain in possession of the third Wild Card spot in the American League, but their lead has been trimmed all the way down to just 0.5 game over the Guardians.
Minnesota sold heavily prior to the deadline, but even they remain in the mix just 5.5 back.
Losers in seven of their last 10, the Yanks have to get going again if they hope to make some noise this year.
"Obviously, we're feeling it right now and we know we have to be better," Boone said Sunday. "We know we have a much higher standard for ourselves and expectations -- at the same time, we're in control of this.
"I wholeheartedly believe we are going to get rolling and turn this thing around. When it does, you start to really build that next layer of confidence where guys are kind of feeding off each other. It's all just talk right now, but that's how I feel about it. We've got to go do it."
Can Carlos Rodon tighten things up?
Rodon has been spectacular for the most part this season, but he’s hit a bit of a rough patch of late.
The southpaw has struggled to get the ball over the plate consistently, issuing at least three free passes in five of his last seven outings.
He’s pitched to a subpar 4.50 ERA and 1.42 WHIP over that span.
When the Yanks were rolling Rodon and Max Fried were leading the way atop the rotation.
They’ll need the both of them to turn things around if they hope to make some noise down the stretch -- starting with Rodon’s outing in the middle game on Tuesday night.
Minnesota's rookie is red hot
The Twins were big-time sellers ahead of the deadline, which has created opportunities for some of their young talent.
One of those players receiving an extended look down the stretch is Luke Keaschall.
The rookie slugger has been on an absolute heater since returning to the big leagues earlier this month, posting a .455 average and 10 RBI across just five games.
He finished 3-for-5 on Sunday against the Royals, including a walk-off two-run homer.
“The guy’s special, this guy's young,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told Patrick Donnelly of MLB.com on Sunday. “He’s going to play a long time in this game -- you’re getting a chance to see a young player who is really doing it before our eyes.”
With Byron Buxton sidelined, Minnesota’s offense isn’t exactly loaded with talent, but the red hot Keaschall is certainly one to keep an eye on during this three-game set.
Buxton's expected back
Speaking of Buxton, the Yanks may have to contend with him in this one after all.
The All-Star outfielder has been sidelined since July 29 with a rib injury, but Baldelli said that he is expected to return at some point during this series.
Buxton resumed hitting early last week and appears to have bypassed a potential rehab assignment, completing all the tests put in place by the training staff.
Getting him back into the mix certainly is a huge boost for this Twins offense.
Prior to the injury he was enjoying a tremendous campaign with 23 homers, 17 stolen bases, 59 RBI, and a .905 OPS through 85 games.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Aaron Judge
Judge has struggled a bit since returning from the IL, it's only a matter of time before he gets going.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Cam Schlittler
Schlittler has held opponents to three runs or fewer in each of his five outings thus far.
Which Twins player will be a thorn in Yankees' side?
Royce Lewis
Lewis has struggled this year, but it's not too long ago he was one of the games rising young stars.
New additions have Liverpool looking rejuvenated in attack, and withered in defense | Jonathan Wilson
It was only the Community Shield, but issues from pre-season popped up again for Arne Slot in Liverpool’s loss on penalties to Crystal Palace
It was the Community Shield, and that should not be forgotten. There isn’t anybody who has been watching English football for any period of time who hasn’t made the mistake of taking too seriously a conclusion drawn in the midst of the traditional curtain-raiser, giddy on the sight of Wembley in its pomp and the return of competitive club football from the summer wilderness.
Any analysis has to be tempered. Teams are always works in progress, evolving and developing, but that is never truer than in early August with new signings adapting to their teammates and surroundings, and others shaking the summer from their legs. Things will change. But after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and subsequent defeat on penalties in the Community Shield, it can be said with a degree of certainty that their new signings have gelled better at the front of the pitch than the back.
Continue reading...Former Wild Prospect Signs With AHL's Laval Rocket
The Minnesota Wild did not qualify defenseman Ryan O'Rourke following his fourth season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Iowa Wild.
O'Rourke, 23, had spent the last four years playing in the Wild's organization. He has recorded six goals, 34 assists and 40 points in 229 career AHL games.
The Wild selected O'Rourke with the 39th pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He recorded two goals and 12 points in 59 games last season for the Iowa Wild and was a minus-eight. The season before he had three goals, 12 points and was a minus-30.
The 6-foot-1 defenseman was not qualified by the Wild and entered free agency. He signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. They are the Montreal Canadiens' AHL affiliate.
Other Wild News
Where Wild's Zeev Buium Ranks In Calder Trophy VotingMinnesota Wild rookie defenseman Zeev Buium burst onto the scene in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round. He had just finished his sophomore season at the University of Denver where he was up for the NCAA's Hobey Baker Award as the top player in College Hockey.
Minnesota Wild Potential PTO Candidate: Victor OlofssonThe 2025-26 season is just a few months away. Training camp for the Minnesota Wild will begin in just over a month from now. Wild hockey will be here before we know it.
Where Wild's Kirill Kaprizov Ranks Among Wingers In The NHLThe NHL Network is putting together some lists of the top players in the NHL among different positions before the 2025-26 season starts. They just dropped the top-20 wingers in the NHL list. Warriors announce preseason Jimmy Butler-Buddy Hield bobblehead giveaway
Warriors announce preseason Jimmy Butler-Buddy Hield bobblehead giveaway originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
If it hadn’t been done already, Jimmy Butler and Buddy Hield’s frenemyship is being immortalized for good.
On Monday, as is customary every year, the Warriors revealed the unique bobblehead giveaways to the first 10,000 fans entering Chase Center throughout the 2025 NBA preseason.
And, of course, Butler and Hield’s “Best Buddies” bobblehead stands out, scheduled to be handed out on Oct. 17 when the Warriors host the Los Angeles Clippers.
Since Butler arrived in the Bay Area at the NBA trade deadline last season, his comical chemistry with teammate Hield has made headlines more than once.
As a result, the pair has hilariously established itself as the iconic duo Dub Nation never knew it needed.
Before the Butler-Hield bobblehead giveaway, on Oct. 8 ahead of a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State also will give out a Steph Curry bobblehead, commemorating the star guard’s 2025 Kia NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP award.
Given it’s the first of its kind and the lore behind it, Butler and Hield’s bobblehead will send Dub Nation running to the arena come mid-October.
On This Date In 2020: Joonas Korpisalo Makes History
On August 11, 2020 the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning started their first round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fans of the CBJ were hoping that the Jackets could pull off another huge upset against the Lightning.
Long story short, the Lightning would go on to get their revenge by beating the Blue Jackets 4-1 in the series. But game one is something that no one will soon forget.
Columbus and Tampa played the 4th longest game in NHL history. The game lasted 150 minutes and 27 seconds, or 6 hours and 13 minutes in real time. The game started at 3 PM and ended at 9:22 PM. The game would end in the 5th overtime when Brayden Point scored his second of the game to put the Lightning up 1-0 in the series.
But for CBJ fans, it was watching Joonas Korpisalo that made it the most exciting. The young Finnish goalie would take the loss, but would set an NHL playoff record for most saves in a game with 85 saves. That record still stands today.
The Lightning pumped 88 shots at Korpisalo, which included 12 or more shots in 6 of the periods, and 14 shots in four of the periods. The Lightning were trying their hardest to bury the Blue Jackets all game, but Korpisalo just wouldn't let it happen.
The Jackets would lose the game and series, and send Columbus off into a rebuild, but Jackets fans always look back at this game will pride and will always cheer for Joonas Korpisalo.
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More From THN Columbus
64 Days Until Opening Night At Nationwide ArenaThere have only been two players wear the #64 for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Unfortunately for Columbus, neither one of them made a significant impact for Columbus. Cleveland is a different story, however.
An Early Look At The Blue Jackets' 2025-26 Projected Opening Night RosterWe've officially entered the last month of the calendar that doesn't have NHL games in it. We are only a bit over a month away from the start of 2025 NHL training camp and then preseason. Because of that, I thought it would be fun to take an early look at what the Columbus Blue Jackets' projected opening night lineup could look like.
Former Monsters Forward Rumored To Be Signing In KHLFormer Monsters forward Rocco Grimaldi is rumored to be joining SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.
Cleveland has cut AL Central deficit from 15 1/2 games to 6. The record divisional comeback is 14
It’s been a tough few weeks for the Cleveland Guardians — except on the field.
Star closer Emmanuel Clase joined teammate Luis Ortiz in being placed on leave as part of an investigation into sports betting. Then the front office traded away former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber as he neared a return from Tommy John surgery — not exactly the type of move a team makes when it fancies itself a contender.
And yet, the Guardians have won nine of their last 11, even after a loss Sunday to the Chicago White Sox. They are a half-game behind the New York Yankees for the final wild card in the American League.
After losing to Detroit on July 6 — just over a month ago — the Guardians had dropped 10 in a row and trailed the AL Central-leading Tigers by 15 1/2 games. That lead is now six. If Cleveland actually catches Detroit and wins the division, it would be the biggest comeback in the divisional play era.
Here are the largest comebacks to date, according to Sportradar.
1978 New York Yankees (14 games): New York won the AL East thanks to Bucky Dent’s homer in a one-game playoff at Fenway Park, and although this was a painful episode in Red Sox history, the Yankees won this more than Boston lost it. New York went 30-9 to finish the regular season. After stumbling in early September, the Red Sox later won eight in a row to force the playoff.
1995 Seattle Mariners (13 games): After a win on Aug. 2, the California Angels led Seattle by 13 in the AL West and Texas by 11. Then the Angels went 22-34 the rest of the way while the Mariners were 36-20. When the teams met in a one-game playoff, it was a 9-1 blowout in Seattle’s favor, and although wild cards were in the playoffs for the first time, California couldn’t even salvage one of those.
2012 Oakland Athletics (13 games): Fresh off two straight pennants, the Texas Rangers led the Angels by 6 1/2 and the A’s by 13 at the end of June. But Oakland went 33-13 down the stretch, forcing the Rangers to settle for a wild card.
1973 New York Mets (12 1/2 games): Tug McGraw’s famous phrase — “Ya gotta believe!” — was a rallying cry of this comeback. New York was 12 1/2 back in early July and still in last place in late August, but the Mets took a weak NL East with an 82-79 record and then beat Cincinnati to win the pennant.
2006 Minnesota Twins (12 1/2 games): Detroit was 35-14 and led the Twins by over a dozen games, but there was enough time left for Minnesota to edge the Tigers in the AL Central when Detroit dropped five in a row to end the regular season. Although there are similarities between 2006 and this year, the good news for the Tigers is that they did make the World Series that season as a wild card.
Trivia time
Which team did the Red Sox a momentary favor by routing the Yankees 9-2 to help force that playoff game in 1978?
Line of the week
Shea Langeliers had five hits — including three solo homers — for the Athletics a 16-7 win over Washington on Tuesday night. Langeliers became the fourth catcher with two three-homer games, joining Johnny Bench, Gary Carter and Travis d’Arnaud.
Comeback of the week
The New York Mets led Milwaukee 5-0 in the fourth inning Sunday, but nobody who has watched those two teams recently should have been shocked when the Brewers chipped away and eventually won 7-6 on a solo homer by Isaac Collins in the bottom of the ninth.
Milwaukee, which had a win probability of 7.1% in the fourth according to Baseball Savant, has won nine in a row to take a five-game lead over the Phillies and Blue Jays for baseball’s best record. The Mets, on the other hand, have dropped seven straight and lead Cincinnati by only 1 1/2 games for the National League’s final wild card.
Trivia answer
Cleveland, which won just 69 games that season.
Pick Six: College football coaches on the hot seat entering 2025
With rising expectations in competitive conferences, money flowing directly to players and unforgiving fan bases, the pressure has never been higher across college football.
Diamondbacks at Rangers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends and stats for August 11
Its Monday, August 11 and the Diamondbacks (57-61) are in Arlington to begin a series against the Rangers (60-59).
Ryne Nelson is slated to take the mound for Arizona against Nathan Eovaldi for Texas.
The Diamondbacks swept a three-game series over the weekend against the Rockies. Arizona scored 25 runs in the series. Yesterday, they scored eight runs in the fifth inning as part of a 13-6 win. In that fifth inning, Arizona collected a franchise-record nine consecutive hits.
The Rangers were swept over the weekend in a three-game series against the Phillies in Arlington. As has been the case for much of the season, the Texas attack did not show up. The offense managed just five runs for the entire weekend. Yesterday, they got to Zack Wheeler for a couple in the first inning but failed to score again in a 4-2 loss.
Lets dive into the opener of this 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 the 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 Diamondbacks at Rangers
- Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
- Time: 8:05PM EST
- Site: Globe Life Field
- City: Arlington, TX
- Network/Streaming: ARID, RSN
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 Diamondbacks at the Rangers
The latest odds as of Monday:
- Moneyline: Diamondbacks (+137), Rangers (-163)
- Spread: Rangers -1.5
- Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Diamondbacks at Rangers
- Pitching matchup for August 11, 2025: Ryne Nelson vs. Nathan Eovaldi
- Diamondbacks: Ryne Nelson (6-3, 3.20 ERA)
Last outing: August 5 vs. San Diego - 3.18 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts - Rangers: Nathan Eovaldi (10-3, 1.38 ERA)
Last outing: August 5 vs. Yankees - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 1 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
- Diamondbacks: Ryne Nelson (6-3, 3.20 ERA)
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 Diamondbacks at Rangers
- Betting the Rangers on the Money Line is up 3.15 units when Nathan Eovaldi starts
- Nathan Eovaldi has an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP of 0.77 this season
- The Rangers have covered in 12 of their last 14 games with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound
- Nathan Eovaldi has struck out at lease 5 hitters in 5 of his last 6 starts
- Marcus Semien saw his 4-game hitting streak (4-14) snapped yesterday
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 Diamondbacks and the Rangers
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 Monday's game between the Diamondbacks and the Rangers:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Texas Rangers on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Arizona Diamondbacks 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)
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- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Analysis: Do the Nashville Predators have issues signing players to the 'right' contracts?
For the second time in less than a week, the Nashville Predators players' contracts have come under scrutiny again by The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn.
After saying that Nic Hague and Brady Skjei had two of the worst contracts in the NHL, Luszczyszyn ranked the Predators 30th out of 32 in the NHL's contract efficiency rankings.
"No team is expected to spend more for less than the Predators, whose total surplus value comes in at minus-$63 million," Luszczyszyn wrote.
Age is the main problem he cited, claiming that the Predators are taking big bets on players who are older and have failed to produce this past season. To his credit, "big splash signings" like Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault didn't pan out last season.
The Predators signed Stamkos to a 4-year, $32 million contract, meaning that Stamkos will be pushing 40 by the time the contract expires. After taking a 28-point dip last season from the previous, he needs a bounce-back year, or this signing could be a bust.
Stamkos is a player of his generation, but the dip in production could be signaling the twilight of his career. A four-year contract looked safe enough, but the Predators could see themselves shelling out money to a past-their-prime superstar.
It could also be a similar situation for Marchessault. Nashville essentially took the bait that Vegas didn't. Marchessault wanted a five-year contract, but the Golden Knights passed due to Marchessault's age, 38, by the time it had expired.
With a similar mindset to signing Stamkos, the Predators weren't worried about the ladder end of the contract and gave Marchessault his 5-year, $27.5 million contract. This season, he took a 13-point dip in production.
Skjei was signed on in the expectation that he was going to supplement Josi's scoring on the back end. Since the 2021-22 season, his production has spiked, but again, Nashville offered a lengthy contract to an older player, 7 years for $49 million.
While 33 points is solid, it was a 14-point decline. Heading into a long contract, again, the Predators need a bounce-back year from Josi or they could see themselves dealing with a lengthy contract with a aging player.
Then you have the two additions on defense that were supposed to "fix" the unit: Nicolas Hague and Nick Perbix.
Perbix is a little bit more understandable. A 2-year, $5.5 million contract for a defenseman producing about 20 points a season isn't awful. They want to get more out of him, but he isn't going to be a superstar out of the game.
The contract issues arise again with Hague's contract and their intentions. The Predators gave him a 4 year, $22 million contract, expecting him to be in Nashville's top four. He's never had that role in his entire career.
Hague hasn't scored more than 17 points in a season, played in Vegas' bottom pairing nearly every season and had the lowest plus/minus in the Golden Knights' defensive corps last season. It's an acquisition that makes no sense.
There are also all the players the Predators claimed off waivers late last season, seemingly out of desperation.
Andreas Englund, Jordan Oesterle and Jakub Vrana were all claimed off waivers last season, and the Predators kept two. Englund and Oesterle are both in the final year of a $775,000 contract.
They don't have substantial financial hits, but neither brings much to the table. Englund racks up the penalty minutes, and Oesterle hasn't really contributed at all statistically. The Predators will likely put them back on waivers or trade them, but any intentions of keeping them in the lineup shouldn't really be justified.
One of the less popular conversations that Luszczyszyn mentioned was about goaltender Juuse Saros. He is still one of the top Finnish goalies in the league, but struggled substantially last season.
He had a 2.97 goals against average and a .896 save percentage, the lowest of his career as a full-time NHL goaltender. Saros' GAA has risen over the last four seasons and is going to need a bounce-back season in order to get into the conversation as one of the best goalies in the league.
Saros is in the first year of a gigantic 8 year, $61.92 million contract. He will be 38 by the end of it.
The Predators appear to be counting on players in their early to mid-30s experiencing a resurgence, which is typically when their play declines, and essentially locking them in until retirement.
On the bright side, the Predators' strengths have come in drafting and building their prospects. There are numerous prospects, most of whom are yet to enter the Predators system, that have a ton of upside. Managing that pool well will pay off in the future.
However, at the same time, the Predators are still figuring out the right contract for Luke Evangelista. Although there's still time to secure Evangelista a new contract, it's concerning that one hasn't been drafted yet.
Following the same pattern as their recent signings, general manager Barry Trotz stated that Evangelista's representation disliked the original contract term, which was likely longer than expected.
The big question that Luszczyszyn is bringing forward is whether the Predators are signing the right players to the right contracts. That answer looks like it's a no.
Red Sox at Astros prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 11
Its Monday, August 11 and the Red Sox (65-54) are in Houston to open a series against the Astros (66-52).
Garrett Crochet is slated to take the mound for Boston against Cristian Javier for Houston. This is Javier's first start since returning from elbow surgery in May of 2024.
These teams met at the beginning of the month in Boston and the Red Sox swept the series outscoring the Astros 15-5. Boston has since lost their last two but still sit just four games behind the Blue Jays in the Amercian League East. Houston's mediocre August (4-5) coupled with Seattle's surge (8-1) this month have combined to see the Astros' lead in the American League West dwindle to just 0.5 games. Needless to say, this is a series with massive ramifications.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the 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 & how to watch Red Sox at Astros
- Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
- Time: 8:10PM EST
- Site: Minute Maid Park
- City: Houston, TX
- Network/Streaming: NESN, SCHN
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 Red Sox at the Astros
The latest odds as of Monday:
- Moneyline: Red Sox (-173), Astros (+144)
- Spread: Red Sox -1.5
- Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at Astros
- Pitching matchup for August 11, 2025: Garrett Crochet vs. Cristian Javier
- Red Sox: Garrett Crochet (13-4, 2.25 ERA)
Last outing: August 5 vs. Kansas City - 2.57 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts - Astros: Cristian Javier (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Last outing: This is Javier's first appearance since May of 2024 (elbow)
- Red Sox: Garrett Crochet (13-4, 2.25 ERA)
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 Red Sox at Astros
- The Red Sox have won 7 of their last 10 games
- Rookie Roman Anthony is 8-28 (.286) in August
- Trevor Story was 1-12 over the weekend against the Padres but is hitting .333 in August (11-33)
- Christian Walker is 6-21 (.285) over his last 5 games
- Carlos Correa is riding an 8-game hitting streak (15-33)
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 Red Sox and the Astros
Rotoworld Best Bet
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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 Monday's game between the Red Sox and the Astros:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Boston Red Sox on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Houston Astros at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.
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Mets vs. Braves: 5 things to watch and series predictions | Aug. 12-14
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Braves play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.
5 things to watch
The quest for 253
Pete Alonso officially etched his name into the Mets record books on Saturday.
The big man lifted his 252nd career home run in the second inning against the Brewers, tying Darryl Strawberry’s all-time franchise mark.
That leaves him just one away from standing alone as the Mets’ HR king.
Alonso has been swinging a hot bat of late after a bit of a cold stretch, producing three of his 26 homers and 10 RBI over his last seven games.
He’s gone deep 15 times in 95 career games against the Braves.
He has one against Tuesday's starter Spencer Strider, and one against Thursday's starter Bryce Elder.
Mets fans are certainly hoping Alonso can make some history back in the home ballpark.
When will the losing streak end?
The Mets’ brutal stretch of baseball continues.
New York led the Brewers by five runs after four innings on Sunday afternoon, but ended up being walked off on Isaac Collins’ solo shot leading off the bottom of the ninth.
That sent the Mets packing with back-to-back series sweeps, their seventh consecutive loss, and their 11th loss in their last 12 games.
They now find their lead for the third National League Wild Card slot trimmed all the way down to just 1.5 games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds.
In the NL East they are 5.5 games back of the Phillies, who have won seven of their last 10.
Now the Mets have to contend with the rival Braves, who are coming off a commanding road series victory over the Miami Marlins.
Can Kodai Senga finally get into a groove?
Senga’s rough stretch since returning from the IL continued into this weekend.
The right-hander worked his way through four scoreless innings to start Friday’s series opener, but the Brewers were able to make him pay for a fielding error in the fifth.
He allowed a game-tying homer to Brice Turang a few pitches later and never recovered, as he was pulled with a final line of three runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks over just 4.1 innings of work.
Even when he was in control he wasn’t particularly dominant, recording just two whiffs and a season-low of two strikeouts on the night.
While the error hurt, Senga’s command issues are ultimately what plagued him again -- he’s now issued at least three free passes in each of his last four outings.
The Mets are 3-1 over that span, but he's pitched to an ugly 6.61 ERA.
If New York hopes to turn this thing around, they'll need him to get back on track.
Atlanta’s surging young star
Not much has gone right for the Braves this season, but they may've found themselves their next young star.
Rookie catcher Drake Baldwin continues to produce for Atlanta’s up-and-down offense.
Baldwin is coming off a tremendous weekend in which he torched the Marlins’ pitching staff, putting together three multi-hit showings while driving in a total of 10 runs.
That’s the most RBIs produced by a Braves rookie in a single series since 1966.
The 24-year-old has himself square in the middle of the NL Rookie of the Year conversation, hitting .289 with 13 homers and 51 RBI through 86 games.
He has three RBI and a .850 OPS in six games against the Mets.
Welcome back, Cookie!
With their rotation decimated by injuries, Atlanta added Carlos Carrasco in a deal with the Yankees ahead of the deadline.
Carrasco had a bit of an up-and-down start to the season in New York’s rotation, and he ended up being DFA’d in early June.
After clearing waivers accepted an assignment to the minors and pitched well, posting a 3.27 ERA across 11 Triple-A appearances.
The 38-year-old has been subpar for the most part since landing in Atlanta, giving up nine earned runs in just 11.2 innings of work over his first two outings with the club.
This will be his first Citi Field start since he finished his time with the club in 2023.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Soto went deep twice this weekend, and is hitting .307 over his last seven games.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Kodai Senga
Senga's been shaky thus far, but it's time for him to step up.
Which Braves player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Marcell Ozuna
Ozuna has been a Met killer, and is hitting a scorching .368 over his last seven games.