Mike Dunleavy told reporters on Monday about the Warriors’ offseason plans as the 2025 NBA Draft nears, and the general manager let it be known that merely attempting to bring one or some of the league’s biggest names to San Francisco will be quite challenging because of Golden State’s financial situation.
“Only because just of our salary structure and the way it works with the amount of money you can use underneath the second apron,” Dunleavy said. “That probably restricts it more than anything for us in terms of pursuing the best roster we can.
“I think we’ll look at stuff. We’ll look at players that we really like that may — we’ve just got to be — it’s just almost impossible for us to add players in the salary range of guys we were looking at last summer since we’ve added Jimmy.”
The Warriors are pretty handcuffed when it comes to pursuing stars.
Entering the 2025-26 NBA season, Golden State has $139.63 million, or 90.2 percent of the salary cap, committed to stars Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green alone. And that’s before calculating a possible contract extension with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
Though the limitations won’t stop Dunleavy and the Warriors from searching. A trademark of the Curry era, Golden State always finds itself tied to the NBA’s brightest stars, whether on the free-agent market or through trade rumors.
“That would be the only limiter,” Dunleavy said about Golden State’s hands being tied after acquiring Butler. “But in terms of finding talent, improving this team, we’re going to look under every rock to try and do that.”
The Warriors’ best option might just be to re-sign Kuminga, as his development paired with improved chemistry probably is the most affordable “upgrade.”
But if there’s one thing Golden State’s vintage free-agent acquisition of Kevin Durant taught Dub Nation and the league, it’s that the Warriors shouldn’t ever be counted out in bids for top players.
The second All-Star Game voting update was released on Monday, and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor remains on track to start at shortstop for the National League -- in what would somehow be just his first All-Star Game appearance as a Met.
Lindor leads all National League shortstops in balloting, with 1,641,053 votes. That is 429,592 ahead of the second-highest vote-getter at shortstop, Mookie Betts of the Dodgers (1,211,461 votes).
Lindor led by 422,085 votes during the first voting update last Monday, so he has increased his advantage.
Elsewhere in voting, Pete Alonso trails Freddie Freeman by about 500,000 votes for the top spot among NL first basemen.
Juan Sotois also on track to reach the second round of voting.
Soto has 1,048,781 votes, making him fifth among NL outfielders.
Phase 1 of voting ends on June 25 at 12 p.m., with the top two vote-getters at each position advancing to Phase 2 of voting (for outfielders, it will be the top six advancing).
The top vote-getter in each league becomes an automatic starter for the game.
As of now, Aaron Judgeand Shohei Ohtani are on track to be the top vote-getters in the American League and National League, respectively.
Aside from Judge, Paul Goldschmidt is the Yankees' other serious candidate in the voting.
Goldschmidt is second in voting at first base, trailing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. by roughly 70,000 votes.
Trevor Zegras has been traded from the Anaheim Ducks to the Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Poehling, the 2025 45th overall pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick.
This comes shortly after Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Anaheim Ducks are in “significant discussions” with multiple teams on a Zegras trade, and the likelihood is growing that the talented he could be traded this week.
Zegras had been linked to the New York Rangers as a potential trade target in the past and it’s unclear if they were one of the multiple teams in significant discussions for Zegras.
Now, instead of landing the young forward, he’ll play in the Metropolitan Division with a Rangers rival for potentially years to come.
The 24-year-old forward would have fit the Rangers’ vision of getting younger and still competing, as the talent is there with Zegras, but it seemed he just needed a change of scenery.
It’s speculated that the Rangers will have a busy offseason in terms of making moves to shake up the roster.
“The Rangers are considering an awful lot of things,” Friedman said. “Like after the season they had last year, there are very few things that are off the table. Chris Drury has got a lot out there and he basically wants to know if you want to talk to them about something, just reach out because he’s gotta know everything that's on the table for him.”
With Zegras off the board, we’ll see who the next domino to fall is.
It's Monday, June 23 and the Cubs (46-31) are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals (42-36). Ben Brown is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Matthew Liberatore for St. Louis.
The Cubs are 3.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers but are just .500 in their last 10 games. They recently dropped their series with the Mariners 2-1. They were outscored 30-20.
The Cardinals have been on a slight hot streak. They have won six of their last 10 games and back-to-back series.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, 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.
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Cubs at the Cardinals
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Cubs (-109), Cardinals (-110)
Spread: Cardinals 1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Cardinals
Pitching matchup for June 23, 2025: Ben Brown vs. Matthew Liberatore
Cubs: Ben Brown, (4-5, 5.57 ERA) Last outing (Milwaukee Brewers, 6/17): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore, (4-6, 4.08 ERA) Last outing (Chicago White Sox, 6/17): 6.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries, and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions, and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Cardinals
The Cardinals have won 4 of their last 5 home games against NL Central teams
Each of the Cubs' last 3 games at the Cardinals have gone over the Total
The Cardinals have failed to cover the Run Line in 6 of their last 7 home games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline, and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cubs 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 Cubs 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 Chicago Cubs at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.
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SAN FRANCISCO – Now that the 2024-25 NBA season officially has come to a close with the Oklahoma City Thunder being crowned champions, everybody’s full attention can turn to the buzz around the draft, free agency and trade rumors.
The first round of the NBA draft takes place Wednesday, followed by the second round on Thursday. The Warriors own just one pick at No. 41 overall this year, and it’s highly unlikely they jump into the first round.
For the Warriors, the offseason is centered around their top pick from four years ago, an enigma of a player that has the fan base pulling one way or the other in a never-ending game of tug o’ war.
Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency will be fascinating to watch. The sides couldn’t agree on a rookie extension last offseason, and now the player and team find themselves at a crossroads of trying to figure out what’s next.
Stay alert. Turn your notifications on. Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy also wants an answer without further delay.
“I think we’re in a good spot with it, honestly,” Dunleavy said Monday at Chase Center. “We have the ability to bring him back. He’s restricted. I think there will be good dialogue. I’d like to figure something out sooner than later. That would be great.”
"I think we're in a good spot with it."
Mike Dunleavy weighs in on Jonathan Kuminga's impending restricted free agency pic.twitter.com/DuTgCHFjJR
“I also acknowledge, with restricted free agency, these things can drag out a little bit and take some time,” Dunleavy continued. “I think we feel pretty comfortable with who JK is as a player and what he can do for our organization. … It’s a main priority going into free agency.”
Free agency doesn’t officially begin until July 6 at 9:01 a.m. PT. However, teams can start negotiating with free agents on June 30, one week from now, at 3 p.m. PT.
Since Kuminga is a restricted free agent, the Warriors can match the terms of any offer he agrees to with another team. They don’t want to lose Kuminga for nothing. They won’t.
Executing a sign-and-trade is an option, and Dunleavy already has shown his creativity as a dealmaker in his tenure as GM. Remember, Klay Thompson didn’t sign with the Dallas Mavericks last offseason. He technically was traded to them by the Warriors as part of a historic six-team sign-and-trade.
The Warriors don’t want to wait this out. Kuminga and his camp likely don’t either. Coming to a resolution in the somewhat immediate future will be best for both parties, Dunleavy believes.
“I think just clarity,” Dunleavy explained. “Roster clarity in terms of what else we need to add in free agency, also what we have to spend in terms of minimums, exceptions, those different types of things. I think the sooner the better for everyone. His sake, too, I believe.
“But like I said, restricted free agency can be a little different, so we may have to be patient.”
Patience might have run out for both Kuminga and the Warriors. There have been times when he has been talked about like the next young star who holds the keys to Golden State raising another banner. There have been stretches where Kuminga is an easy 20-point scorer that nobody can contain.
There also have been longer stretches where it seems like Kuminga forgets who Steph Curry is, and coach Steve Kerr forgets Kuminga is still on the roster. Kuminga didn’t fit alongside Jimmy Butler, and then averaged 24.3 points in the final four playoff games when Curry was sidelined from a strained hamstring.
The Warriors also didn’t win any of those games, and Kuminga was given three DNPs in the Warriors’ first five playoff games.
While the NBA season officially ended Sunday night, the offseason began about 10 hours before the Thunder celebrated their championship when former Warriors star Kevin Durant was traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets. A handful of teams could see Kuminga as a younger fallback option now that Durant has his newest home.
The Brooklyn Nets are known to have ample salary cap space, and Kuminga’s age, as someone who doesn’t turn 23 years old until October, fits their timeline. The Chicago Bulls have shown interest in the past, and Kuminga’s best skills as one of the game’s top athletes are in alignment with how the Bulls play best.
Whatever the Warriors do next outside of their second-round draft pick, everything ends and begins by having the best feel of Kuminga’s market. Dunleavy didn’t mince his words; he didn’t hide from the questions. The Warriors have to finally put an end to the will-they-or-won’t-they of Kuminga.
Relative to preseason expectations, the 2025 season has been a disappointment for the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox entered Monday in fourth place in the American League East standings, six games behind the first-place New York Yankees with a 40-39 record. On the surface, this season looks like more of the same for a club that hasn’t clinched a playoff berth since 2021.
Here’s a look at Boston’s record through its first 79 games of the last four seasons:
2022: 44-35
2023: 40-39
2024: 43-36
2025: 40-39
That’s discouraging, especially if you’re among those who bought into the bounce-back hype after a seemingly successful offseason. This year’s club is three games behind the 2024 club’s pace, and that team defined mediocrity with an 81-81 record.
So, why should we still believe the 2025 Red Sox will be any different?
While we understand the reluctance to buy in, there are several reasons for optimism as we approach the halfway point in the season. Keep reading if you need convincing…
The AL East is still there for the taking
Fourth place isn’t so bad when only six games separate the Red Sox from the first-place Yankees, who have struggled mightily as of late. New York recently lost six consecutive games with three straight shutouts during that stretch. Boston, meanwhile, won four straight series (including a sweep of the Yankees) before dropping two of three against San Francisco over the weekend.
Make no mistake: The American League East remains up for grabs. The Red Sox haven’t been this close to the top of the division at this point in the season since 2021. They were nine games back on June 23 last year.
Boston seemingly won’t have to worry about the Baltimore Orioles, who are a stunning 33-44 after entering the season as a popular World Series pick. The Toronto Blue Jays (41-36) are two games ahead, but they’ve started to come back down to earth after going 11-3 from May 29 to June 11. The Tampa Bay Rays (43-35) are only 3.5 games ahead of the Red Sox despite greatly outperforming their preseason expectations.
The AL East isn’t the powerhouse it used to be, and it’s still on the table for Boston with three months left to play.
In the Wild Card conversation
Of course, the more realistic outcome for the 2025 Red Sox is one of the three AL Wild Card spots. As of Monday, Boston is only a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians (39-37) for the third and final Wild Card berth. The Rays and Blue Jays are first and second in the Wild Card spots, respectively.
There’s no reason the Red Sox shouldn’t remain in the Wild Card mix. The only non-division-leading AL teams with better run differentials than Boston (+15) are the Rays (+70) and Texas Rangers (+16).
The bullpen is much improved
The Red Sox have turned one of their most glaring weaknesses into one of their biggest strengths.
Last year, Boston’s bullpen ranked 24th in MLB with a 4.39 ERA. This season, it ranks sixth with a 3.35 ERA.
Offseason signing Aroldis Chapman has helped the cause with an All-Star-caliber season. The 37-year-old closer has been lights-out, recording a 1.41 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 45 strikeouts and only nine walks over 35 appearances (32 innings).
Garrett Whitlock’s return to a relief role has also paid dividends. The right-hander has a 2.82 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 28 appearances.
Other key contributors include Greg Weissert (2.83 ERA), Justin Wilson (2.08 ERA), and Brennan Bernardino (3.10 ERA). If the Red Sox end their playoff drought, their improved bullpen will be one of the biggest reasons why.
The rotation is heating up at the right time
A month ago, the Red Sox’ starting rotation was the club’s biggest disapointment. It was a disaster after ace Garrett Crochet with no starters stepping up in the No. 2 spot.
That has changed over the last two weeks. Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito have rebounded from their rough starts to the campaign with multiple quality outings in that span. Hunter Dobbins has been a mixed bag, but he has mostly impressed as a rookie unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight.
If Walker Buehler snaps out of his slump, it’ll go a long way toward keeping Boston in postseason contention.
Reinforcements are coming
June has been the Red Sox’ hottest month despite the absence of All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman, who has been out since May 23 due to a quad injury. Bregman looked like an AL MVP candidate before going down, posting 11 homers and 35 RBI with a .938 OPS in 51 games.
According to manager Alex Cora, Bregman’s return feels like it’s going to be “sooner rather than later.” Not only will he bring a much-needed boost to the Rafael Devers-less lineup, but he’ll also solidify Boston’s best possible infield alignment: Bregman at third base, Trevor Story at shortstop, rookie Marcelo Mayer at second, and the Abraham Toro/Romy Gonzalez tandem at first.
Also nearing his return is designated hitter Masataka Yoshida, who has yet to play in a game this season due to offseason shoulder surgery. Cora said Yoshida could begin a rehab assignment soon now that the team’s DH spot is open.
Huge trade deadline ahead
It looks like the fate of the 2025 Red Sox will rest in the hands of chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
Boston hasn’t had a winning record in August since 2019. One could argue the organization’s lackluster trade deadlines have been to blame, especially over the last two seasons.
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In 2023, the Chaim Bloom-led Red Sox acquired only infielder Luis Urias and reliever Mauricio Llovera. Last year, Breslow traded for relievers Luis Garcia and Lucas Sims, catcher Danny Jansen, and veteran left-hander James Paxton.
Garcia and Sims were solid before becoming massive disappointments in Boston. Jansen gave the Red Sox a much-needed right-handed bat, though he wasn’t exactly the slugger many fans had envisioned. Paxton was in the midst of a bounce-back season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he again failed to stay healthy in a Red Sox uniform.
It wasn’t a lack of effort by Breslow, but none of his deadline moves made a meaningful difference as the Red Sox missed the playoffs for a third straight year.
Boston cannot afford to strike out at the trade deadline again. If still in the hunt come late July, Breslow must be willing to make bold, aggressive moves that energize the team for August, September, and potenitally October.
The 2025 Red Sox still have a chance to be different, but their success will almost certainly hinge on the moves they make from now through July 31.
It's a big week for Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios and his amateur scouting staff. They'll gather to make a total of six amateur player selections this Friday and Saturday in the annual NHL Draft.
However, in a strange twist this year, Staios and his team won’t actually be at the draft.
In a classic case of trying to fix something that didn’t appear to be broken, the NHL has made a major change to decentralize the event. In other words, the Senators and the 31 other NHL teams will be staying home to make their selections.
Here's how it's expected to play out.
Staios and his staff will meet somewhere in Ottawa on Friday and Saturday to make their selections remotely. They’ll begin with their first pick at 21st overall, relay that choice to a Senators employee in Los Angeles, and the selection will be announced by a special guest.
That guest could be a current or former player, or a celebrity with ties to the team. That's a trend the Senators may have nudged forward in 2020 when former Jeopardy host, the late Alex Trebek, announced Tim Stützle’s name in a recorded message.
The only exception to this new format will be the New York Islanders’ first overall pick, which Commissioner Gary Bettman will announce.
As for the players, the NHL has invited only the top 50 prospects to attend in person, based on the final rankings from NHL Central Scouting. Other prospects are welcome to go, but they didn't get a formal invitation.
Once the Senators make their first-round pick, the player will be brought into what the league is calling a “virtual hockey house,” complete with Senators branding in the background. There, through a two-way camera setup, the newest Senator will meet Staios and the rest of the staff for the first time, a virtual interaction that may be televised. There may also be a reporter in the room for a quick in-person interview with the player.
The move to this decentralized format was announced earlier this year, but by the time the GM meetings rolled around in March, some general managers had already begun to rethink it. It hasn’t turned out to be the cost-saver many had hoped, raising the possibility this could be a one-and-done experiment.
But it should be an interesting one, and one thing is certain. The incredible, high-tech 2024 Draft presentation at The Sphere in Las Vegas has left Los Angeles with an extremely tough (impossible) act to follow.
Your Handy 2025 Senators Draft Guide
After their splashy 21st overall selection, and barring a trade, Senators fans are in for a long wait before their next pick. Barring a trade, they won’t select again until the final pick of the third round, or 96th overall.
Here's what they have in their draft arsenal and how they acquired each pick:
Round Two:
They don’t have a second-round pick. It was packaged up back in March as part of the Fabian Zetterlund trade.
Round Three
They do have a third-round pick, but it’s not their own. The Sens traded away their original third-rounder last summer as a sweetener to convince the St. Louis Blues to take Mathieu Joseph’s contract off their hands.
The 2025 third-round pick they do have came from the Florida Panthers at last year’s deadline in the Vladimir Tarasenko deal. But its value dropped sharply over the past two months after Florida went on to win another Stanley Cup. So, it’s the final pick of the third round.
Round Four
While the Senators may hold the last pick of the third round, they’ll have the first pick in the fourth—originally belonging to the San Jose Sharks, the NHL’s worst team this season. That gives Ottawa back-to-back picks at 96 and 97.
The fourth-rounder came in the Zetterlund deal. The Senators dealt away their own fourth-round pick last July to the Edmonton Oilers as part of the Roby Jarventie trade, which brought back Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson.
Et cetera
The Senators then have one pick in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds, all their own.
Round one of the NHL Draft is set for this Friday night (June 27th) at 7pm in Los Angeles.
Steve Warne, Site Editor The Hockey News Ottawa (Banner image credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)
It's Monday, June 23 and the Red Sox (40-39) are in Anaheim to take on the Angels (37-40). Walker Buehler is slated to take the mound for Boston against Jack Kochanowicz for Los Angeles.
Despite being 6.0 games behind the New York Yankees, the Red Sox are making ground in the AL East. They have won seven of their last 10 games and start a series against the struggling Angels. An Angels team that has lost six of their last 10 games and is one of the worst batting teams in the MLB.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, 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.
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 Angels
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Red Sox (-125), Angels (+105)
Spread: Red Sox -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at Angels
Pitching matchup for June 23, 2025: Walker Buehler vs. Jack Kochanowicz
Red Sox: Walker Buehler, (5-5, 5.95 ERA) Last outing (Seattle Mariners, 6/17): 3.1 Innings Pitched, 8 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts
Angels: Jack Kochanowicz, (3-8, 5.38 ERA) Last outing (New York Yankees, 6/18): 5.1 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries, and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions, and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Red Sox at Angels
The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 5 series
The Under is 7-3 in the Red Sox's last 10 games
The Angels have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 3.27 units
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 Angels
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 Red Sox and the Angels:
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 Los Angeles Angels at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
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Justin "Regs" Reguly has won the Caps Gaming Heatwave HUT Summer Showcase in NHL 25.
The tournament had five days of qualifying rounds with players using base HUT cards before the 16 top players advanced to a best-of-three playoff bracket.
On his run to the finals he defeated Babs91babs91 2-1, Geimer 2-0, and Erikeu1989 2-0. He then defeated Sauceshow 2-1 in the finals to take home the $1,000 grand prize.
It's Monday, June 23 and the Nationals (32-46) are in San Diego to take on the Padres (42-35). Mitchell Parker is slated to take the mound for Washington against Stephen Kolek for San Diego.
The Padres took down the Kansas City Royals in the series with a 3-2 win yesterday. Randy Vasquez was one of the top performers from the game. He only gave up two runs in 7.0 innings.
The Nationals dropped their previous series against the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1. It was an exciting series that had 41 runs scored.
Despite the National's recent success at the plate, they have lost eight of their last 10 games.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, 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 Nationals at Padres
Date: Monday, June 23, 2025
Time: 9:40PM EST
Site: Petco Park
City: San Diego, CA
Network/Streaming: Padres Television Network, MASN 2
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 Nationals at the Padres
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Nationals (+146), Padres (-175)
Spread: Padres -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Nationals at Padres
Pitching matchup for June 23, 2025: Mitchell Parker vs. Stephen Kolek
Padres: Stephen Kolek, (3-2, 3.59 ERA) Last outing (Los Angeles Dodgers, 6/18): 6.1 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries, and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions, and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Nationals at Padres
The Padres have won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with losing records
The Padres' last 4 home games versus the Nationals have gone over the Total
The Padres have covered in their last 5 games against the Nationals
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 Nationals and the Padres
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 Nationals and the Padres:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Diego Padres on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Mitch Marner and the Vegas Golden Knights continue to be paired together, and once again, Insider Elliotte Friedman had a lot to say when connecting the player and the organization.
“I think there's a lot of people just wondering about, is Vegas the team to beat here? “If you ask most people about Marner and where they think, you know, a lot of people are kind of like, they think, rightly or wrongly, they think that Vegas is the team to beat.”
As it stands, the 28-year-old is still with his hometown team and the team that drafted him fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, but come July. 1, Marner will be free to sign elsewhere. Throughout his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Marner has been praised and cherished as a hometown hero, but he has also been ridiculed and criticized for his playoff performances and the perception that he drained the Maple Leafs for every dollar in his first contract.
Following his entry-level contract, Marner signed a six-year, $10.93-million AAV, making him the third-highest-paid player on the team and resetting the market. In the regular season, Marner was worth every cent, but in the playoffs, the Markham, ON native struggled to live up to his cap hit. In 70 career postseason games, Marner has scored 13 goals and 63 points, but in games 5-7, Marner has zero goals and just seven assists in 20 games.
If Marner signs with the Golden Knights, he would instantly become their highest-paid player, although Jack Eichel could surpass him on his next deal. Some reports have stated that Marner may take his time with the process and doesn't feel pressured to sign on July 1st, which would build up the suspense and could cause a stressful offseason for the Golden Knights front office.
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The Bridgeport Islanders announced they have hired Rocky Thompson as the team's new head coach.
Thompson spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers. Prior to that he spent parts of two season as an associate coach with the San Jose Sharks, one of those seasons was under now Islanders assistant coach Bob Boughner.
The 47-year-old won a Memorial Cup as head coach of the Windsor Spitfires in 2017 and the 2022 Memorial Cup as a consultant with the Saint John's Sea Dogs.
The Calgary, Alta., native was head coach of the AHL's Chicago Wolves from 2017-2020, leading the team to the Calder Cup Finals in 2019. In those three seasons Thompson amassed a record of 113-79-21.
His resume also includes time as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15, and four seasons as an assistant with the AHL's Oklahoma City Barons from 2010-2014.
The @NYIslanders announced today that Rocky Thompson has been named Head Coach of the Bridgeport Islanders. He becomes the 10th Head Coach in team history.
— Bridgeport Islanders (@AHLIslanders) June 23, 2025
In his playing career Thompson recorded 69 points in 566 career AHL games over 11 seasons and zero points and 117 penalty minutes in 25 career NHL games over parts of four seasons.
In one week, NHL free agency opens, and changes are expected for the New Jersey Devils as general manager Tom Fitzgerald looks to provide his coaching staff with an improved roster come September.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe led his team to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs but was eliminated in Game 5 of Round 1 at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Devils' core of Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier remain under contract. Still, Fitzgerald will once again scour both the trade and open market for the right complementary pieces.
Here is everything you need to know about next week:
When Does The NHL Draft & Free Agency Take Place?
The NHL Draft will be held later this week on June 27 and June 28, 2025, and will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.
New Jersey's first-round pick now belongs to the Calgary Flames as the result of the trade that sent goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the Devils in exchange for defenseman Kevin Bahl and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).
The 2025 NHL free agency market will open at noon ET on Tuesday, July 1.
How Much Cap Room Do The Devils Have To Work With?
On June 18, the Devils cleared $3.15 million off the cap by trading veteran Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators.
New Jersey currently has $14,394,167 to work with, and three restricted free agents, including Luke Hughes (21), Cody Glass (26), and Nolan Foote (24).
Which Devils' Players Are Unrestricted Free Agents?
Forwards: Nathan Bastian (27), Justin Dowling (34), Curtis Lazar (30), and Daniel Sprong (28).
Defensemen: Brian Dumoulin (33)
Goaltenders: Jake Allen (34)
What Offseason Moves Have The Devils Made So Far?
Signed forward Arseniy Gritsyuk to a one-year, entry-level contract starting in 2025-26.
Signed forward Lenni Hameenaho to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in 2025-26.
Parted ways with Assistant Coaches Ryan McGill and Chris Taylor.
Pending unrestricted free agent, Tomas Tatar signed overseas in Switzerland.
Added Brad Shaw to coaching staff.
Signed forward Juho Lammikko to a one-year, one-way contract worth $800,000.
Haula was traded to the Predators for defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
With regards to the Devils' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets:
Re-signed forward Nathan Légaré to a one-year, two-way contract.
Defenseman Santeri Hatakka signed a two-year contract with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League.
Forward Filip Engaras signed with Södertälje SK in Sweden.
Parted ways with Head Video Coach Jerry Dineen and Utica Comets Assistant Coach David Cunniff.
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Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been included in England’s squad for the summer tour of Argentina and the US despite a suspension that rules him out of two of the three fixtures.
Feyi-Waboso was sent off after 33 minutes of his first appearance in six months during an England XV’s 26-24 defeat by France at Twickenham on Saturday. He endured a torrid comeback, twice dropping the ball before he was sent to the sin-bin for his clothesline tackle on the French fly-half Antoine Hastoy, his yellow card subsequently upgraded to red.
But any team that finds itself over the luxury tax (and over the first or second apron) needs to watch how it spends money, and that objective isn’t just limited to trades and free agency. It’s a key part of the NBA Draft process, too.
First-round picks are more expensive and their salaries have more guarantees than players taken in the second round. How much of a difference can that make?
Our Celtics insider Chris Forsberg explains.
“Why are second-round picks so valuable to teams like the Celtics that linger above the luxury tax line? First-round picks in the NBA Draft have a predetermined salary slot over four seasons,” Forsberg said, as seen in the video player above.
“And if the Celtics were to utilize the No. 28 pick in this year’s draft, that player would earn as much as $2.8 million in Year 1 and escalate to $5.5 million in Year 4. But second-round picks can now be signed to similar-length deals starting at minimum salaries. They don’t escalate as quickly, and they do not have to be guaranteed for all of the years.
“For teams watching their spending, the difference between picking at spot 30 and 31 can be quite stark. So don’t be surprised if the Celtics consider moving their first-round pick and focus on making selections in Round 2.”
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Duke forward Sion James (14) could be a good 3-and-D option for the Celtics in the second round.
The No. 32 pick is very valuable because it allows the Celtics to take a player with first-round caliber talent, but they don’t have to sign him to a more expensive first-round pick contract.
The increased value of second-round picks is why we see more of them in trades. Teams want these picks.
For example, Kevin Durant was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets on Sunday in a blockbuster deal. Part of the return package for the Suns was five second-round picks. We didn’t see so many second-rounders get dealt five or 10 years ago. But in today’s NBA, they are valuable.
And it makes sense, too. If you look at recent drafts, there’s almost always a couple good players who fall to the second round. Here are some of the best examples:
2020 draft: Xavier Tillman Sr., Isaiah Joe, Tre Jones, Sam Merrill
2021 draft: Herb Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Neemias Queta, Aaron Wiggns
2022 draft: Andrew Nembhard, Max Christie, Jaden Hardy
2023 draft: GG Jackson II, Toumani Camara
2024 draft: Kyle Filipowski, Jaylen Wells, Quinten Post
If the Celtics are on the clock at No. 28 Wednesday night and the player(s) they like might still be available a few picks later in the second round, it would make sense to trade down and acquire the player while reducing the cost of his deal.
It’s a risk, of course. The player might get drafted before Boston goes back on the clock.
But with the current collective bargaining agreement and based on how the luxury tax now works, these are the kinds of decisions teams need to think more about. Saving a couple million dollars can actually have massive implications, especially for teams that are very close to the first or second apron lines.
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images