Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Caleb Wilson hasn’t gotten to go through the NBA Draft combine yet, but there’s already a lot of buzz that he could be drafted top three overall. What wasn’t expected, however, is Yahoo Sports projecting that he could go higher than that. In their latest mock draft, they have Wilson being picked second overall by the Atlanta Hawks.
Is AJ Dybantsa a lock to Chicago? 🔒@KevinOConnor's latest mock draft if the lottery brings us chaos 👀
For the better part of what we will call the NCAA/NBA basketball season, it was largely projected that Wilson would be drafted as the fourth overall pick. But there were moments throughout the 2025-26 UNC season when fans had to start wondering if he could climb even higher. He is one of the better athletes in the draft, has a really high ceiling, and most importantly, he could become one of the better players on a NBA team right now. It is hard to say that about Darryn Peterson, for instance, but it’s understandable to see AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson as interchangeable. But this is the first time Wilson has been projected as a top-two pick to our knowledge, which means this draft could get really interesting for the Georgia native.
“Front office executives around the NBA increasingly believe Wilson could be the second player taken in June’s draft. While his exact spot won’t be clear until after the Draft Lottery, once each pick is determined, some teams value the high-flying North Carolina freshman above the more ground-bound Cam Boozer from Duke. Others view Wilson as having similarly high upside as Kansas guard Darryn Peterson with dramatically lower downsides due to Peterson’s availability concerns.“
It is interesting that O’Connor stated that some teams would value Wilson’s aerial abilities over Boozer’s gravity-shackled game, but it is also not surprising. Objectively speaking, it would make more sense for some teams to take Boozer over Wilson, but there are some NBA teams that do not have a guy that is wired quite like Wilson. Where he is actually drafted will likely depend on what team has one of the top 2-3 picks, but hearing that front office executives are increasingly confident that Wilson can be the second player off the board is huge.
What do you think of Yahoo’s projection? Do you think Wilson could go #2 overall? Do you think there’s a possibility he can go #1 overall? Let us know in the comments below.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 22: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball while being defended by Alex Caruso #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half in Game Two of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on April 22, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA may or may not have an officiating crisis. But it definitely has a crisis of confidence, which is the only kind that matters.
Even in the age of big data and AI-generated LeBron songs, we still do not have a reliable way to track if an NBA game was officiated well. This isn’t automatic balls and strikes; we’re talking about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo’s elbow intentionally struck Al Horford in the head during that poster dunk, if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander initiated contact when his defender stupidly jumped at a pump fake for the 19th time, whether Jaden McDaniels gave Jamal Murray adequate landing space on his shot despite every player jumping different distances when they shoot and McDaniels understandably is not staring at Murray’s feet when he’s shooting a three. That kind of stuff.
So people clamor for accountability. Players freak out, including Devin Booker saying in a press conference that Alex Caruso asked the ref to call a technical on Booker and he just did for some reason? Fans of teams that feel they got jobbed lose it, demanding changes (what changes?), oversight (how?) and to please please please stop allowing Gilgeous-Alexander to magnet-pull himself to a defender and get two free throws!
Whoa…. Devin Booker just WENT OFF on the NBA refs right now in the post game press conference:
"It's definitely something that has to be looked at. I heard (Alex) Caruso tell them to call the tech and he ended up doing it. In my 11 years, I haven't called a ref out by name,… pic.twitter.com/lfc7UBBue5
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) April 23, 2026
But refereeing is such a stupid concept that there is no possibility to improve, only to complicate. Sure, we have Last Two Minutes reports, but those are simply compiled by other referees offering a different interpretation with the assistance of slow-motion replay — or as I like to call them, completely useless since no referee could ever review every single call of the last two minutes in slow-mo in real time lest they want to make the game completely unwatchable.
Refereeing basketball games is not an exact science; in fact, it’s probably not a science at all. When you consider all the contact, all the dust-ups, all the arm-flailing, all the pump-fake magnetism and all the floppity flops, officiating this environment is far closer to oil painting than it is mathematical proofs. Fouls are interpretations of a fluid game in which contact is legal, and referees must use words like “wind-up,” “follow-through,” “incidental,” and “reckless” (what does any of that mean?) to determine if something is a foul, a flagrant, a technical or nothing at all.
In short, there is really no way to officiate a sport where contact is kind of legal. It’s not like football and hockey (which have plenty of officiating problems), where contact is mostly legal and something has to be fairly heinous to result in a foul for being too physical; basketball allows contact to a certain extent. What that extent is has evolved over time, such as throwing elbows, hand checking, the block-charge and more fun stuff we all complain about. All NBA refs are really doing is trying to keep the game safe and reasonably fair; an impossible task, but one they are heroically trusted with anyway.
But teams have exploited the infinite complication of officiating to great effect, notably how pace, size and explosive super-athletes can create impossibly subjective interactions. Gilgeous-Alexander bears the brunt of this criticism, given that he’s likely about to be the league’s back-to-back MVP winner, but he wasn’t even first in free-throw attempts this season. Everyone does it, and I think we really peaked with 2022 Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, for two playoff rounds, barreled into Nikola Vucevic and Grant Williams and whoever else dared to oppose him with impossible speed, power and extreme arm-angles that were always some kind of foul. On who? On Giannis? Who knew.
The root problem is that a shooting foul is the most valuable offensive action in basketball. With league-average shooting percentages, two free throws have an expected point-value of 1.57, while a three-pointer is worth 1.08 points and an at-rim look worth 1.20 points (shoutout to Ian Levy for pointing this out to me; it changed my life). If you can get your free-throw percentage up above average (>78 percent), now we’re really cooking something spicy. Gilgeous-Alexander shoots 88 percent from the line, so by far his best option on every possession is to get to the line.
Like with tanking and the draft lottery, if the NBA’s rules provide a clear best option to succeed, smart players and teams will always figure out how to maximize their return. It’s like when the MLB figured out walks were actually good — whatever macho man mentality (and steroids) sustained the “always swing and swing for power” world died in the darkness wrought by sabermetrics and taking a 3-1 fastball that’s a little high.
The NBA public freaking out about officiating these playoffs doesn’t actually want fewer fouls, they just want fouls to feel like fouls — you know, things that aren’t allowed,rather than the calculated, orchestrated manipulations of a subjective rule set and mathematical reality that they have become. A fix would be a point of emphasis from officials that radically expands the scope of “who initiated contact” and categorically refuse to call fouls when the offensive player visually initiates the interaction.
But we all know how that would end: teams and players would reset, take some time to analyze the situation and then find whatever the new best way to get to the free-throw line is. Short of a literal free-throw quota, an insane idea that would turn the game into gladiatorial combat, teams will figure out how to foul-bait even if foul-baiting is outlawed. But an emphasis against offensive player-initiated defensive fouls would be a good start, given that this is all a visual question anyway — as said before, the total number of fouls has decreased in recent years. We’re solving a crisis of confidence, not an actual crisis.
Sports have their own built-in honor codes that are unique and deeply personal, but not flopping is generally agreed upon as lame by the people of the world. And those same people will shed blood, sweat and tearful Tweets when they believe the sanctity of the game they love is under assault. Maybe it isn’t, but it looks like it is. And keeping up appearances is key.
In New York’s 109-108 loss to the Hawks, there were several moments to note. OG Anunoby emerged with 29 points. The Knicks outscored Atlanta, 56-40, in the paint. But the Hawks shot better from the three-point line (39 percent).
As New York tries to even the series on Saturday night, here are three keys to Game 4...
Absent starters need to come through
New York's starters scored 78 points on Thursday night, but 76 of those points came from the trio of Anunoby,Jalen Brunson (26 points), and Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points). The other two starters -- Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart --combined for just two points in 61 minutes.
Bridges was scoreless in 21 minutes, attempting just three shots. He was also a -26 and had four turnovers, leading to him being benched for much of the second half in favor of Deuce McBride. That turned out to be the right decision as McBride was instrumental in New York’s comeback attempt.
The absent offensive performance was another notable moment in an uneven two-year stretch for Bridges. The external noise around the Knicks trading five first-round picks for Bridges only grows louder after performances like this. Hart had two points on 1-for-9 from the field and he missed all four of his attempts from the three-point line.
Hart and Bridges have made significant contributions defensively in this series, and Hart did have nine rebounds and six assists on Thursday. But both players have played a part in New York’s substandard offensive play. New York will need more from both Bridges and Hart on the offensive end in Game 4.
The next logical step is head coach Mike Brown possibly making a change to the starting lineup. As SNY’s Ian Begley noted, one of the burning questions for Game 4 is if McBride will replace Bridges.
Limiting miscues
Creating turnovers on defense is crucial to the Hawks’ strategy. Not a great halfcourt offense, the Hawks have been able to thrive off playing fast and creating transition scoring opportunities.
As this series has worn on, miscues have become a concern for the Knicks. New York had 11 giveaways in the series opener, followed by 14 in the second game. In Game 3, the Hawks forced a series-high 18 Knicks turnovers and scored 21 points off those errors.
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts to a call against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena / Brett Davis - Imagn Images
Atlanta has athletic finishers like Jalen Johnson and Jonathan Kuminga, who benefited from easy baskets that came from either turnovers or long rebounds. Johnson broke out for his best performance in the series on Thursday with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Kuminga had 21 points off the bench.
Keeping those two players in the halfcourt will be crucial for Game 4. Taking care of the rock is of significant importance, especially when thinking of how each of the last two games have gone.
The plan for Mitchell Robinson
The series was supposed to be made for Robinson. With Atlanta’s diminutive roster, Robinson was expected to dominate off the bench. But so far we’ve seen scant minutes for the seven-footer. Over three games, Robinson is averaging 14.7 minutes.
Two factors seem to be weighing on Robinson’s limited minutes. One is the potential for the Hawks to intentionally foul the notoriously poor free-throw shooter. Brown has also noted that lineups with both Towns and Robinson on the court haven’t been as effective.
When Robinson has played, he hasn’t dominated the offensive glass. Despite Robinson not seeing increased minutes, the Knicks have actually rebounded well on both ends of the floor. New York is sixth among the 16 playoff teams in offensive rebound rate, recovering 33.1 percent of misses, per NBA Stats.
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement has been Mr. Consistent this season, picking up where he left off in October.
He is sitting just one hit shy of the MLB hits lead, and I’ll bet on him closing the gap tonight with another big game at the plate against the Cleveland Guardians.
Read on to see why in my Blue Jays vs. Guardians predictions and free MLB picks for April 24.
Guardians vs Blue Jays predictions
Guardians vs Blue Jays best bet: Ernie Clement O 1.5 total bases (+120)
Ernie Clement has picked up where he left off last postseason, currently sitting one hit shy of the MLB lead, while averaging 1.75 bases per game so far this season
He’s had multiple hits in four of his last five, averaging 2.8 bases per game in that stretch.
Additionally, the pitching matchup favors Clement tonight.
Cleveland Guardians starter Gavin Williams throws a heavy dose of the sweeper to right-handed batters, and it’s gotten him a lot of swing and miss this season.
Clement has just a 17% whiff rate against the sweeper this season, with a .444 average against the pitch.
COVERS INTEL:Clement is hitting .417 with four XBH in five games since being moved into the two-hole of the Jays' lineup.
Guardians vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
Nathan Lukes is starting to swing the bat well after a slow start to the season. He has a hit in four of his last five games with a 1.132 OPS in that stretch.
Lastly, I’ll take Over 1.5 walks for Williams. The Cleveland starter ranks in the 13th percentile in walk rate, averaging 3.4 walks per game this season. The Jays' lineup as a whole owns a combined .410 OBP against him with five walks in just 34 at-bats.
Guardians vs Blue Jays SGP
Ernie Clement Over 1.5 bases
Nathan Lukes Over 0.5 hits
Gavin Williams Over 1.5 walks
img loading="lazy" width="100%" height="null" src="https://img.covers.com/editorial/2026/jaysmlcbp.jpg" alt="Canada’s best price for Jays"
Get the best Jays ML odds at BET99 — every game.
Guardians vs Blue Jays home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+510)
I’ll make this a half-unit wager.
Firstly, if Lenyn Sosa gets a start today and a home-run market pops up for him, I’d sprinkle a little there. He leads the Jays in hard-hit rate and is 4-for-6 with two home runs against Williams in his career.
However, my official home run pick will be Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who owns a 1.319 OPS against Williams himself.
It’s a good matchup for Guerrero, too, as Williams gives up a lot of hard contact with a 48.3% hard-hit rate, while ranking in the 7th percentile in average exit velocity.
Additionally, Williams has given up one home run in four of his five starts this season.
Mike DiStefano's 2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 5-18, -10.35 units
SGPs: 2-21, -13.50 units
HR picks: 4-19 -0.85 units
Guardians vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Cleveland -126 | Toronto +108
Run line: Cleveland -1.5 (+124) | Toronto +1.5 (-160)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)
Guardians vs Blue Jays trend
The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 11 of their last 15 games at home (+6.65 Units / 37% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Guardians vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Friday, April 24, 2026
First pitch
7:07 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet One
Guardians starting pitcher
Gavin Williams (3-1, 2.12 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Max Scherzer (1-2, 7.16 ERA)
Guardians vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Guardians vs Blue Jays weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, right, celebrates with right wing Logan O'Connor after scoring a short-handed goal during Game 3 of their first-round series against the Kings Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Kings coach D.J. Smith gave his team the day off Friday, but he sent his players home with a message: if they don’t show up for work Sunday, they’ll have the rest of the spring and summer off, too.
Players don’t like to call any game a “must-win” because of the pressure it brings, but there’s no other way to look at Sunday’s game for the Kings. After losing the first three games of their best-of-seven playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche, the Kings are one loss away from being eliminating in the first round for a fifth consecutive season.
“Must-win game,” agreed defenseman Drew Doughty, who hasn’t played on a winning team in a playoff series since the Kings last won the Stanley Cup in 2014. “Everyone's going to give everything and we’ve got to win that one. And then hopefully go back to Denver.”
The most recent loss came Thursday when the Avalanche scored two fluky goals on pucks that bounced in off the skates of Kings players and put another one into an empty net in a 4-2 victory that pushed the Kings to the brink of elimination.
“You don’t like the result,” Smith said. “And it’s tough to swallow.”
For Colorado, the best team in the NHL during the regular season, it hasn’t been the most stylish of postseasons. But after a pair of hard-fought 2-1 wins at home, the Avalanche have a chance to sweep a playoff series for the first time since 2022, when they won their last Stanley Cup.
“All the games have been tight. We’re right there,” forward Quinton Byfield said. “Each guy, including myself, we just have to give a little bit more.
“We're doing the right things, we just have to dig in a little bit more."
It’s hard to say how. The Kings’ power play has been good, scoring a goal in each of the three games, and their penalty kill even better, shutting out the top-scoring team in the NHL on nine tries with a man advantage.
The Kings have been physical and fast and goaltender Anton Forsberg has been brilliant in his first career playoff series, making 90 saves in the three games. Yet none of that has paid off with a win.
“Sometimes you play real well for stretches and you don’t get the results. And then you’ll win a game you don’t deserve to win,” Smith said. “Maybe we didn’t stay with it long enough.”
“Those games are over with,” a frustrated Byfield added. “You can’t look back at those games. It’s just on to the next one, that’s our focus.”
Doughty said the Kings need to wear down the Avalanche, something they clearly couldn’t do in the two games played in Denver’s mile-high altitude. They might have a better chance Sunday at sea level.
“I don’t think we’re creating enough Grade-A chances,” he said. “They’re statistically one of the best teams in the neutral zone. So for us to beat them, we’ve got to wear them down in the D zone, make them tired and score goals that way. We haven't done that enough.”
Every team has its kryptonite and for the Kings that appears to be the first round of the playoffs. Over the past dozen seasons, the team has gone 9-27 in the postseason, taking a series to a seventh game just once in six tries. Along the way they’ve changed general mangers twice, changed head coaches five times and even changed their opponents, facing the Avalanche this year after losing four straight series to the Edmonton Oilers.
None of that has changed the results.
Smith, in fact, is an interim coach, having taken over for Jim Hiller with 23 games left in the regular season. He figures to be coaching for his future Sunday since a playoff sweep won’t look good on his resume.
“There’s no quit in there,” Smith said of the Kings’ locker room. “We’ll get reset with practice [Saturday] and I think you’re going to see our best effort.
“Now we’ve got to make a few changes and see if we can spark something.”
If that works, the Kings will be heading back to Denver. If it doesn’t, they’ll be heading home for another long summer.
Jim Furyk is returning as US Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland as the Americans try to get back on track against a European team that has dominated the last three decades, the Associated Press has learned.
Furyk would be the fourth US captain to get a second chance dating to 1979, considered the modern era of the Ryder Cup when continental Europe became part of it.
Who will win Marlins vs Giants today: Marlins moneyline (-108)
The Miami Marlins head into this one having won three of their last four contests, and when Sandy Alcantara is on the hill, they always have a chance to win. The righty has compiled a 2-2 record and 3.06 ERA this season, holding opponents to a .197 average.
While the San Francisco Giants did just take two out of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers, they scored only six runs in total, and the Giants were shut out in the rubber match. Alcantara allowed just two earned runs last time out.
Also, Adrian Houser has struggled immensely this season for San Fran. He owns a 5.40 ERA and a 0-2 record through four starts, with opponents batting .292. Miami has scored 18 runs across its last three road contests as well.
COVERS INTEL:The Marlins are 4-1 in their last five meetings with the Giants, and they swept San Francisco last summer at Oracle Park.
Marlins vs Giants Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 runs (-110)
Three of the last four meetings have cashed the Under, and San Fran just hit the Under in all three contests against the Dodgers at home. They’re 30th in runs scored and 29th in home runs. This offense isn’t thriving, and when Alcantara is on, he’s hard to hit.
While Houser’s 5.40 ERA is concerning, his FIP is sitting at 4.44. He has definitely struggled, but it’s not like getting lit up for six or seven runs each start.
That being said, he has allowed four earned runs in three straight, and the Marlins' offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game.
They will be the ones doing most of the scoring, but it won’t be a high-scoring affair. Miami’s bullpen, which has a 3.13 ERA, will also keep the Giants at bay after Alcantara departs.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 7-5, -1.94 units
Over/Under bets: 7-5, +1.19 units
Marlins vs Giants odds
Moneyline: Marlins -112 | Giants -104
Run line: Marlins -1.5 (+158) | Giants +1.5 (-192)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Marlins vs Giants trend
The Miami Marlins have hit the Moneyline in 26 of their last 45 games (+9.05 Units / 16% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Marlins vs. Giants.
How to watch Marlins vs Giants and game info
Location
Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
Date
Friday, April 24, 2026
First pitch
10:15 p.m. ET
TV
Apple TV+
Marlins starting pitcher
Sandy Alcantara (2-2, 3.06 ERA)
Giants starting pitcher
Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.40 ERA)
Marlins vs Giants latest injuries
Marlins vs Giants weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 22: Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics celebrates after scoring during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on April 22, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning everyone!
Ready for a new series? After taking two of three in Seattle the A’s had an off day to travel to Texas where they’re set to take on the Rangers for three games this weekend. Texas and the Athletics are tied atop the division at 13-12 each. These two squads just saw each other last week when they split a four-game series. One of these two teams will be leading the division by the end of the weekend.
Tonight’s starter for the A’s will be veteran Luis Severino. The Athletics’ Opening Night starter has been up and down over the first month of the season, and more down than up in recent outings. The A’s need more from their expensive staff leader as his 6.20 ERA is way below the expectations this team has for him. Texas will counter Severino with their own veteran right-hander in Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi was pitching like an ace last season before injuries sapped most of his campaign, and it seems that he hasn’t quite gotten back to where he was at that point. Entering tonight’s contest the 36-year-old will carry a 5.06 ERA. It’s fair to expect a lot of runs in the first game of the series.
Saturday evening’s contest features left-hander Jeffrey Springs going up against another lefty in MacKenzie Gore. Springs has been the unquestioned best pitcher for the Athletics over the first month of the season, though he’s coming off a disastrous outing that saw him allow seven earned runs. That was almost double what he’d allowed all year up to that point, and it shot his ERA up from 1.46 to the 3.34 mark he’ll bring into Saturday’s contest. Gore meanwhile is coming into Saturday’s game on a similar trajectory as Springs: a solid start, and most recently had his worst start of the young season. Expect a righty-heavy lineup for this game.
And finally, the series wraps up on Sunday afternoon with a matchup between young right-handers J.T. Ginn and Kumar Rocker. Ginn has been solid in each of his first three starts so far, pitching into the sixth inning in his previous two outings. The team would love to see more of that and Ginn would certainly like to further solidify his spot in the starting rotation. Rocker meanwhile is quietly off to a solid start to his season for the Rangers, pitching to a 3.48 in the early going. This could end up being the rubber match and it’ll feature two of these organizations’ better pitching prospects. The future is here guys.
First pitch tonight is at 5:05 Pacific. Have a great weekend everyone!
Catch up on our April 20-22 series against the Seattle Mariners! The #Athletics slugged six home runs in the series, breaking out in a big way offensively as they took 2 out of 3 & remain atop the AL West.
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 23: Spencer Torkelson #20 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates with teammates at home plate after hitting a walk-off home run in the ninth inning during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Thursday, April 23, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees captured a good win on Thursday against the Red Sox. Cam Schlittler looked great once again, pitching eight innings, and a rally in the seventh on the backs of Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge propelled them to victory. Although the schedule was light around the American League, there were still a couple of games to keep tabs on, so let’s see how it played out.
Detroit Tigers (14-12) 5, Milwaukee Brewers (13-11) 4
In a back-and-forth affair, the Tigers took home a dramatic win on Thursday. In their second consecutive win over the Brewers, Detroit coasted on a solid Tarik Skubal effort in the beginning, before timely hitting late in the game sealed things.
They jumped out to an early lead too, as in the first inning Riley Greene belted a two-run shot to put his guys ahead with just his second long ball of the season.
From there, outside of an RBI double for Gary Sánchez, it was mostly smooth sailing for Skubal and the Tigers. Through the lefty’s first six innings of work, he had allowed just one earned run. In the seventh, however, the two-time Cy Young winner began to run into some trouble. After a pair of singles opened that inning for Milwaukee, a Blake Perkins double tied things up at three, just before David Hamilton’s knock suddenly put them up 4-3.
After spending nearly the entire game in the driver’s seat, the Tigers were now in need of a comeback. Of all people, it was pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones that came through in the clutch to tie things up once again.
With the game knotted up at four, these Central teams headed into the ninth with plenty of potential for drama. Trouble lurked as the Brewers had a couple of runners on with one out, but Detroit’s Brant Hurter (more like rally-hurter, huh?) induced a clutch inning-ending double play to silence the threat.
With a chance to win it the easy way in the ninth, the Tigers cashed in early, as with one out, Spencer Torkelson sent the Motor City fans home happy with a line-drive walk-off homer into the left field seats.
The Rangers coasted to an easy win on Thursday, riding on some early offense and a vintage Jacob deGrom effort on the mound.
The veteran righty and two-time Cy Young Award winner looked sharp for Texas in his fifth start of the season. Across 5.2 innings of work against the Pirates, deGrom allowed just one run on five hits and a walk, racking up an impressive 10 strikeouts along the way.
After a pair of scoreless innings on both sides, the Rangers broke through in the third inning in rather interesting fashion. With Josh Jung on base after a single, Evan Carter circled the bases the old-fashioned way, benefitting from a funky kick in the outfield for an instide-the-park home run.
The exhilarating lap around the bags had them up 2-0, and a Joc Pederson RBI made it three in the next inning. Later in the fourth, Corey Seager broke this one wide open with a towering three-run blast down the right field line to put his Rangers ahead 6-0.
With a sizeable lead in tow, it was smooth-sailing for the Rangers. Oneil Cruz pitched in with a solo homer to get the Pirates on the board, but it wouldn’t be nearly enough. The win puts Texas back above .500 at 13-12.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 21: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks out to bat against the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning at Oracle Park on April 21, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Friendly reminder to all that the Dodgers just lost two to the Rockies, so not all is lost yet
Maybe once or twice a year, Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald said, he will have the sort of outing in which he isn’t sure where the ball is going — and where he has to resort to hoping opposing hitters hit line drives at someone.
“Today,” Sewald said on Thursday, April 23, “was one of those days.”
The Arizona Diamondbacks lost their first series since the opening weekend of the season, dropping the finale to the Chicago White Sox 4-1 at Chase Field on Thursday.
The game was tied 1-1 entering the ninth inning, but Paul Sewald surrendered two walks before Chicago’s Andrew Benintendi crushed a middle-middle fastball deep to right field.
After scoring 11 runs in a win on Wednesday, Arizona failed to score multiple runs for the first time since April 3.
Utility infielder Ildemaro Vargas has been on quite the hot streak to open the season, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
Though no one can expect an OPS of 1.000-plus to continue for the duration of the season, Vargas’ efforts in this series certainly inspire confidence that he is capable of providing an offensive spark at the right moments.
He homered in his final at-bat of game one, then followed that up with back-to-back homers in game three, powering the D-backs to their lone win of the series.
There are ads throughout Chase Field, as there are throughout most MLB stadiums and arenas that house other sports.
But one ad, from one particular company, is causing headaches for the Arizona Diamondbacks and a few other sports franchises. And it happened to have a prominent spot at Chase Field during a memorable time in recent D-backs history.
Sam Blum is a staff writer at the Athletic covering Major League Baseball; he’s investigated this and joined The Show to talk more about it.
With his brain “on autopilot,” Brazobán forgot his instructions and reentered the playing field. Once he crossed the foul line, umpires ruled that Brazobán must face at least one batter, banishing Williams back to the bullpen. After taking a moment to refocus, Brazobán retired Austin Martin before giving way to Williams for the final two outs.
“I felt bad,” Brazobán said. “I was also a little bit embarrassed that I didn’t fully pay attention to what was going on. Sometimes when that happens, something bad can happen. But luckily I was able to go out there, get that out, and everything kind of went the way that it should have been by the end of it.”
On Wednesday night, Ohtani took the mound against the San Francisco Giants. This time, he was also in the lineup as a hitter. While he once again dominated as a pitcher, he struggled at the plate. His numbers when both pitching and hitting since his return suggest Roberts may need to make a difficult decision about using him as a designated hitter on those days.
“Shohei Ohtani’s on-base streak is in danger tonight. He is 0 for 3 with two weak ground outs and a K. Since resuming pitching last season, he has hit .203 (13 for 64) on days when he pitches,” Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett posted.
Vancouver City Council has approved a motion to explore a bid for a Major League Baseball expansion team. But some sports experts say getting — and keeping — an MLB team would not be easy for a city with limited funds and space. (VIDEO)
Nine is divine! It sure wasn’t pretty. But in the end, that doesn’t really matter. The Cubs won their ninth consecutive game. It’s April, and so the two teams the Cubs faced in those nine games understandably have two of the worst records in baseball. For kicks, I pulled up MLB.com’s preseason baseball predictions for 2026. Their pick for the NL East? The Mets. In other choices? The Phillies were listed first. Baseball America? The Mets first followed by the Phillies with both making their playoff prediction. Two of their 10 writers had the Mets in the World Series (at this point, kudos to their one who had the Braves there).
My point is that we don’t know that both teams are bad, though certainly both are in disarray. There’s a lot of baseball to be played. This stretch of wins isn’t nothing. And it also doesn’t guarantee anything for anyone. I do suspect there is some residual value to sweeping a seven-game homestand. That can create some swagger and intimidation for teams coming in later. Is that worth a lot? No. But I also don’t think it’s nothing. I do think a team draws on the things they’ve done before. This team will remember ultimately prevailing even after the Phillies came off of the mat and fought back.
Obviously, it isn’t great that Caleb Thielbar appears to have been injured. It does appear that all four of the anticipated leverage relievers from opening day are now all hurt. Add to that the loss of Cade Horton, arguably the team’s best starter, and it is a scary development. At least in terms of all of those relievers, we expect them all back at some point.
The Cubs have been winning largely on the back of a very productive offense and a very strong defense. You won’t be able to find one stretch of games for any team in the league than the Cubs did. It was so striking that the few times the defense did let down, it was very striking. The seventh inning of this game was almost that way. The bullpen hasn’t had to do much. But today, they didn’t answer the bell when the Cubs needed them. I’m going to imagine that continues to be something they struggle with as they head west for the first time.
The offense, though, was terrific throughout the series. They added 18 more hits on Friday. The Phillies and their fans are likely to wake in a cold sweat remembering just a sea of Cub runners seemingly in every single inning of the series. What’s that old phrase? Who leaves a lot of runners on base? Teams that get a lot of runners on base. By OPS, the Cubs are up to third in the league. By on-base percentage, they now rank first. This series was a lot of that.
The team is getting contributions from so many different players. The crazy thing is that the team shows at No. 1 for OBP. But Nico leads the team with the 25th best OBP. It doesn’t feel congruent. Until you look under the hood. Carson Kelly (.440), Seiya Suzuki (.449), Moisés Ballesteros (.439), and Michael Conforto (.452). None of them would qualify for a batting title. They are 7th, 10th, 9th and 12th in at bats for this team. This coaching staff is doing a good job of putting guys into a position where they can succeed. Right now, when this team spins the wheels on the slot machine, they keep winning.
It’s a lot of fun while it lasts. How about number 10 for good old Ron Santo? Leon Durham was my first love with that number, but in the hearts and minds of Cubs fans, that number is emblematic of the nine time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove and long time partner of Pat Hughes. I’m not old enough to have seen him play, but I do have a favorite piece of Ron Santo trivial knowledge. Ron’s best season by bWAR was in 1967. In a seven year stretch from 1963-1969, that was the only one in which he wasn’t an All-Star. It was also his best finish in MVP voting (fourth).
Three Positives:
Seiya Suzuki was an absolute beast in this game. Three hits, two walks, a homer, and two runs scored.
Michael Busch had only two hits, but he made the most of it with four runs driven in, including a crazy three-run homer off Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez.
This game was really two different games. In the first six innings, the star was Edward Cabrera, who looked like he might go the distance. Your mileage may vary, but I’m going to tip the cap to his excellent six innings of work and not the weird seventh inning.
Hat top to Carson Kelly with two singles, a double and a hit by pitch as well as Moisés Ballesteros with two doubles in two chances. The offense was an abundance of riches.
Game 25, April 23: Cubs 8, Phillies 7 (16-9)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
Billy Goat: Caleb Thielbar (-.429). 0 IP, 2 BF, H, BB, ER
Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.199). 0-5, BB
Kid: Jacob Webb (-.170). 0.1 IP, H, BB
WPA Play of the Game: Adolis Garcia homered off of Thielbar leading off the ninth inning to tie the game. (.341)
*Cubs Play of the Game: Seiya Suzuki’s homer leading off the bottom of the eighth inning. (.266)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 24 Winner: Alex Bregman got 80 of 170 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Nico Hoerner +8.5
Carson Kelly +8
Michael Conforto/Shōta Imanaga +7
Matt Shaw -7
Jacob Webb -10
Pete Crow-Armstrong -13
Up Next: If I’m going to do a bit, I’ll keep running it until it runs out of steam. The Cubs are on a 103.7 win pace. If they play one over for the remainder of the season, they win 85 games. Not too shabby. But it gets tougher here. The two-time defending champion Dodgers are 17-8. Only the Braves have been better at 18-8.
Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.97, 22.2 IP) makes his fifth start of the year. It’s been a mixed bag, but he’s coming off of a terrific start against the Mets (6 IP, 1 ER). We are firmly in the part of the season where the Dodgers start guys I’ve never heard of. 26-year-old Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 5.85, 20 IP) makes his fifth start. He’s also coming off of a pretty good start (2 ER, 5 IP in Colorado). The sixth-round pick of the Dodgers in 2021 (192nd overall) is 12-4 in his career with a 4.04 ERA in 153.2 IP (27 starts, five relief appearances). I’m not yet losing my mind, he’s never faced the Cubs.
BRADENTON, FL - JULY 09: FCL Boston Red Sox shortstop Franklin Arias (18) fields his position during a Florida Complex League game against the FCL Pittsburgh Pirates on July 09, 2024 at Pirate City Complex in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
No Payton Tolle, no problem. Alec Gamboa rolled to a six-strikeout performance that got messed up by a home run ball, but the bullpen held the Mets scoreless the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the WooSox may have stranded 11 men on the night, but they slammed the door through some explosive offense in the late innings, including a single by Nick Sogard to score two and advance a runner via a third Mets error on the night. The Red Sox may have gotten a bit fortunate, but it obviously takes an offense on top of opportunities to win by six runs.
No, you’re not seeing things. Yes, this is getting ridiculous now. Franklin Arias is still only 20, but there is no denying that, after the fourth game in a row with a home run against the Yard Goats (Rockies AA), and sixth in seven games, it’s time to see how the young infielder fares at the next level. In the game itself, Arias’ home run was instrumental; it tied it all up and clinched the Sea Dogs heading to extra innings where they’d later walk Hartford off via a Max Ferguson single. They may have gone 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position, but last night, that was good enough to pull away victorious.
Fourteen strikeouts just wouldn’t be enough to keep Greenville from getting walked off in extras, even when the Drive drew ten walks. The Drive got most of their six runs off of a combination of these walks and the Tourists (Astros High-A) four errors on the night. With just three hits, this game shouldn’t have been even close, especially allowing four runs in the second inning as well as stranding ten runners on the night.
We go from a game that shouldn’t have been close to a game that wasn’t close. The RidgeYaks claimed an early lead by two home runs and never looked back with solid starting pitching from Dylan Brown. By the fourth inning, Salem was leading the Nationals 4-0, and the expected winning percentage never eclipsed back below 90 percent.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 06: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox is greeted in the dugout with a Wally the green monster hat after hitting a one run home run in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Fenway Park on April 06, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Are the Boston Red Sox the league’s most disappointing team through the first four weeks of the season? They are at least in the discussion, alongside a few other clubs that were also expected to compete. And they come to Baltimore this weekend in horrible form, fresh off a sweep at the hands of the rival New York Yankees and losers of five out of their last six.
An area where they have expectedly struggled is offense. The 92 runs they have scored are the second-fewest in the American League and the fifth-fewest in all of MLB. Other categories where they rank near the bottom of baseball: batting average (27th, .223), on-base percentage (26th, .305), slugging percentage (last, .331), and home runs (29th, 14). It’s been tough sledding.
Willson Contreras has done his part for the lineup. He leads the club with four home runs and a 126 wRC+. Wilyer Abreu (119 wRC+), Connor Wong (118 wRC+), and Masataka Yoshida (117 wRC+) have also been good to begin the year. Conversely, the club is hoping for a bit more out of Roman Anthony (97 wRC+), Ceddanne Rafaela (92 wRC+), Marcelo Mayer (71 wRC+), Jarren Duran (57 wRC+), and Trevor Story (35 wRC+), among others.
It’s not as if the pitching has been much better. Their 4.37 team ERA is 19th in MLB, but their 5.19 xERA is all the way down at 29th. There is plenty of blame to go around with the bullpen having a 4.97 xERA while the starters have a 5.37 xERA.
Aroldis Chapman is back as the Boston closer. His 1.17 ERA is good, but his 4.80 xERA is not. That is a product of, for him, a depressed strikeout rate (9.39 K/9). Our old friend Danny Coulombe has had a tough go of it with his 7.11 ERA. That is accompanied by some bad peripherals (5.83 FIP, 5.68 K/9, 4.26 BB/9).
We won’t see Sonny Gray this weekend due to a hamstring strain he suffered a few days ago. It doesn’t sound serious, but he won’t pitch at Camden Yards in this series. Other familiar names that will miss out include first baseman Triston Casas (ruptured patellar tendon), right-handed pitchers Kutter Crawford (flexor irritation) and Johan Oviedo (flexor strain), plus left-handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval (biceps discomfort).
Game 1: Friday, April 24th, 7:05 p.m., MASN
RHP Brandon Young (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Brayan Bello (1-2, 6.75 ERA)
This was supposed to be Dean Kremer’s turn in the rotation, but news came down on Thursday that he would instead be headed to the IL with a quad strain. Brandon Young will be the one to get the call to replace him. The young righty has had himself a nice season so far. He’s got a 1.08 ERA over three Triple-A starts, and threw five shutout innings in his only big league appearance this season (April 6 against the White Sox). Between him, Kremer, and Cade Povich the Orioles have themselves an intriguing and ongoing competition for the fifth spot in the rotation.
Bello is dealing with a whole bunch of bad things happening at once for him. His fastball velocity is down over one mile per hour compared to 2025. At the same time, he is walking 5.79 batters per nine innings, which is only slightly lower than his 6.27 strikeouts per nine, which is the lowest rate of his career. Oh, and on top of that he is allowing 1.45 home runs per nine, one of the worst rates in MLB. It would be very fitting for him to turn it all around against the Orioles this weekend though.
Rogers has had a pair of tougher starts in his last two trips to the mound. He allowed four runs in 4.2 innings against the Diamondbacks on April 14th, and followed that up by allowing six runs over five innings to the Guardians on the 19th. Home runs hurt him in both outings. But nothing has changed about Rogers. He relies on limiting walks and inducing weak contact, which he has continued to do this season. A bounce-back against a struggling Red Sox lineup would be great to see.
Crochet is probably going to be fine, but it seems like he is in the midst of a mechanical change that has not had great results thus far. His arm angle is different, the velocity is down, and hitters are making much more hard contact. Hopefully the Orioles can be a part of the early-season onslaught against the lefty. Crochet allowed five runs over five innings against the Tigers in his last start, which was actually a marked improvement over the 11 runs (10 earned) that he coughed up against the Twins across just 1.2 innings back on April 13.
Game 3: Sunday, April 26th, 1:35 p.m., MASN
RHP Kyle Bradish (1-2, 3.96 ERA) vs. LHP Connelly Early (1-1, 2.88 ERA)
Over his last two starts, Bradish has looked much more like the ace-type that the Orioles were hoping to have in 2026. The box scores aren’t great either (for example, he allowed 10 hits to the Royals on April 20), but the eye test tells you that things are trending in the right direction. His pitch velocities are climbing and exit velocities are diving. If he could bring the walks down just a touch he should be in good shape.
A fifth-round pick in 2023, Early has just nine MLB starts under his belt, but he has had good results! The lefty is yet to allow more than three runs in a start this season. However, many of his peripheral stats are underwhelming. For one, his 5.70 xERA is much bigger than his actual 2.88 ERA. That is a reflection of his diminished strikeout numbers (8.64 K/9) and elevated walks (4.68 BB/9), which seems to be a theme in this Boston pitching staff.
How many games do you think the Orioles will win in this series? Let us know in the comments.
Apr 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) reacts after allowing a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Hello everyone and happy Friday!
With the Mariners kicking off a six-game road trip this evening, how are you feeling about their chances to turn things around against a pair of weaker squads in the Cardinals and Twins?
Check out the latest episode of the Cal Raleigh Show!
Around the league…
Former Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who is facing up to 15 years in prison for obstruction of justice and providing false statements to federal officials, signed a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Canadian Baseball League.
The Rockies already have their tenth win of the season. Compare that to last year…
George Steinbrenner has to be rolling in his grave over this one.
The Yankees now have an alternate uniform. Per MLB, the navy blue batting practice tops are part of the official uniform set and have been approved to be worn in games.
With the availability of Victor Wembanyama (concussion) very much in question, the San Antonio Spurs are in Portland for a pivotal Game 3 tonight as their first round series continues against Deni Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers tied at one game apiece.
A finalist for NBA MVP this season and the league’s top defensive player, Wembanyama did light cardio work with the team before traveling with the Spurs to Portland yesterday. Symptoms are said to have not gotten worse, but no official word on if they lessened or disappeared as the day progressed. Needless to say, the Spurs will not push their franchise cornerstone, but his presence is obviously a difference maker for this young team. The most recent proof of that is found in Game 2. Wembanyama suffered a hard fall in the second quarter and did not return, a departure that allowed Portland to mount a 14-point comeback to steal a road win and even the series.If Wemby is unable to go, the Spurs will lean heavily on De’Aaron Fox and last year’s Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle to carry the offensive load.
The Trail Blazers take the court tonight for their first home playoff game since 2021 with significant momentum following Scoot Henderson’s breakout 31-point performance in Game 2. Portland got their transition game rolling. Deni Avdija, who averaged over 24 points during the regular season, has been a matchup problem for San Antonio's defense, and will continue to be that and more if Wembanyama is missing from the lineup.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings 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 Live: Spurs vs. Trail Blazers
Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Time: 10:30PM EST
Site: Moda Center
City: Portland, OR
Network/Streaming: Prime Video
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Game Odds: Trail Blazers vs. Spurs
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Portland Trail Blazers (+120), San Antonio Spurs (-142)
Spread: Spurs -2.5
Total: 220.5 points
This game opened Spurs -3.5 with the Game Total set at 219.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Trail Blazers vs. Spurs
Portland Trail Blazers
PG Jrue Holiday
SG Scoot Henderson
C Donovan Clingan
SF Deni Avdija
PF Toumani Camara
San Antonio Spurs
PG De’Aaron Fox
SG Devin Vassell
SG Stephon Castle
C Luke Kornet
PF Julian Champagnie
Injury Report: Spurs vs. Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama (concussion) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Jordan McLaughlin (ankle) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
David Jones Garcia (ankle) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard (Achilles) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Spurs vs. Trail Blazers
The Spurs are 33-9 at home this season
The Blazers are 20-24 on the road this season
The Spurs are 46-37-2 ATS this season
Portland is 46-39 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 43 of the Blazers’ 85 games this season (43-42)
The OVER has cashed in 36 of the Spurs’ 85 games this season (36-49)
Luke Kornet scored 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds in 28 minutes in relief of Wembanyama in Game 2
Deni Avdija shot just 5-13 from the field in Game 2
Scoot Henderson’s 31 points included 5-9 from deep
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 5 assists in Game 2
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 NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections 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 Friday’s Spurs and Trail Blazers game IF WEMBANYAMA DOES NOT PLAY:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Blazers on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on Portland +2.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total UNDER 220.5
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
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 NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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