June 2025

There were 1,837 posts published in June 2025 (this is page 129 of 184).

West Virginia baseball transfer portal tracker

With the regular season over, the transfer portal is heating up around the country, incuding at West Virginia.

Multiple players have put their name into the portal, which is a database that allows schools to contact them regarding a transfer, and WVSports.com will track it. It’s important to note that because a player is listed in the portal does not mean that they have to transfer out of the program, just that schools can contact them.

Transferred to West Virginia:

Matt Ineich — INF

Ineich was a true freshman at Ohio this past season where he hit .387 with three home runs and 25 RBIs. He played in only 36 games, while he started all of them, primarily playing second base. Ineich is a Michigan native and only had 11 strikeouts all season. He was second in the MAC in batting average, and his .467 on-base percentage was among the best in the conference as well. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Owen Puk — RHP

Puk was a redshirt junior this past season, making 13 appearances on the mound for Florida International. He struck out 51 batters over 40.1 innings while holding opponents to a .224 batting average. His fastball reaches the upper 90s, and he had a 4-1 record with a 4.91 ERA this past season. His brother AJ Puk, is a current pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Chansen Cole — RHP

Cole was a freshman at Newberry College this past season, a Division II school. He pitched just under 90 innings this year, finishing with 97 strikeouts and 21 walks. He is a native of South Carolina, and he pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of his 14 starts except for one.

He had a 15-strikeout game in a six-inning performance back in February this season. He also allowed only seven home runs all season.

Paul Schoenfeld — OF

Schoenfeld is an outfielder from the Division II ranks, playing at Colorado Mesa University. He is an outfielder who started 56 games this season. In those games, he had 94 hits, not recording a hit in only four games. He hit .420 on the season and had nine home runs and 19 stolen bases to go with 55 runs batted in.

He started his career in the junior college ranks, attending Butler Community College. He has spent three seasons at Colorado Mesa, and has hit above .400 in each of the last two seasons.

Transferred from West Virginia: 

Jorge Valdes — OF

Valdes was a freshman this past season, mostly being utilized in different roles off the bench. He played in 38 total games this season, including two of the three games during WVU’s regional run.

Valdes is entering before West Virginia travels to face LSU in the Super Regionals. He hit .158 in 19 at-bats this season, coming on late in games for his speed and defensive ability. He is originally from Canada, and he bats from the left side. The decision for Valdes to enter the portal was confirmed to WVSports.Com.

Michael Perazza — OF

Perazza was a sophomore at WVU this past season, playing in 21 games and starting 10 of them. He is a left-handed bat, hitting .233 this season with one home run, five RBIs, and six runs scored this season.

Perazza also started 15 games for the Mountaineers last season and is a Florida native.

Alex Marot — INF/UTL

Marot was a redshirt-freshman this past season, after he did not play in 2024. This season, he started six games, appearing in 17 total. He hit .273 with six RBIs and four runs scored. He is from Rhode Island originally.

Aiden Cody — RHP

Cody was a freshman this past season, but redshirted for medical reasons, having surgery in February. He did not play in a game for WVU, and is a right-handed pitcher from New Jersey. Perfect Game ranked him the 22nd-best player in the state when he was a senior in high school.

Carlos Caraballo— RHP

Caraballo is a right-handed pitcher from Pennsylvania, and he was a freshman at WVU this past season. He did not appear in a game, who was ranked the 28th-best player overall in the state of Pennsylvania by Perfect Game in the Class of 2024.

Joe Fredericks — LHP

Fredericks was a sophomore pitcher at WVU this past season, who has two years of eligibility remaining. In 2024, he appeared in 18 games, tossing 16.0 total innings. This past season, he made four appearances, tossing 2.0 total innings. Fredericks is a native of Virginia.

Aidan Smith — RHP

Smith has announced his intention to enter the transfer portal, but is not yet listed in the transfer portal database. Smith is a right-handed pitcher from Maryland who was a sophomore this past season. In two seasons, he appeared in four total games, including one appearance this season.

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Rangers discussed Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller in trade talks at 2025 Combine: report

It’s shaping up to be another busy offseason for the Rangers. 

GM Chris Drury discussed young defenseman K’Andre Miller and winger Alexis Lafreniere in trade talks with several teams at last week’s NHL Combine, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. 

Brooks notes that it’s starting to feel inevitable Miller will be moved at some point this summer, whether it be via a trade or another club decides put in an offer sheet if he isn’t shipped out of town before July 1. 

The 25-year-old is an impending RFA with arbitration rights. 

Miller has led the team in even-strength ice time each of the past three seasons, but he struggled mightily on both ends last year — setting career-worst marks with 97 giveaways and a 0 +/- rating. 

If the Rangers do decide to move on from the 25-year-old, Brooks mentions that they could look to flip Lafreniere in a deal for his replacement on the left-side —  an area where the team is currently lacking depth. 

The former first overall pick was a topic of “several conversations” at the Combine. 

Lafreniere showed flashes of reaching his star potential early on last season, but after signing his seven-year contract extension his play ultimately dipped on both ends of the ice. 

He picked up his physicality as he found different ways to contribute, but simply was not good enough all-around — finishing with just 17 goals, 28 assists, and an ugly -13 rating.  

Both players are still young and possess a good amount of upside, which could potentially be tapped into with new head coach Mike Sullivan in town, but they may not receive the opportunity to find out.

Blue Jays’ John Schneider Announces Max Scherzer News Before Cardinals Game

Blue Jays’ John Schneider Announces Max Scherzer News Before Cardinals Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Despite a rocky start to the season, the Toronto Blue Jays have found their rhythm and are firmly in the AL East picture once again. They currently have a 35-30 record and are just 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the division. 

Toronto has also won 10 of their last 13 games and will look to continue their hot streak on Monday night as they kick off a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Despite their solid campaign, the Blue Jays have not been at full health. Pitcher Max Scherzer, who signed a one-year, $15.5 million contract with the team in the offseason, has been on the injured list since March. However, ahead of their game against the Cardinals, Blue Jays manager John Schneider provided a big update on the 40-year-old.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31)© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Scherzer left his first outing with the Blue Jays after just three innings and was placed on the 15-day IL due to right thumb inflammation. In May, the team moved him to the 60-day IL. 

Though Scherzer has not played since March, it seems that he is making progress. According to Schneider, via Blue Jays report Keegan Matheson, Scherzer is set to make a rehab start for the AAA Buffalo Bisons on Friday and will likely need at least one more rehab outing after. 

“Max Scherzer is on track to make a rehab start Friday for the AAA Buffalo Bisons,” Matheson wrote on X. “After that, he’ll need at least one more rehab outing, John Schneider says.”

In his pitching debut for the Blue Jays, Scherzer allowed three hits and two earned runs while recording one strikeout. Though his best days are behind him, the St. Louis native still provides a lot of value for Toronto, who will hope that he can make his return as soon as possible.

Related: Blue Jays Receive Major Daulton Varsho News

Related: Blue Jays Announce Move for Former Phillies Pitcher

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

The Washington Commanders are fully committed maximizing the early years of Jayden Daniels’ career evidenced in their aggressive pursuit of star talent through the last few months.

The Washington Commanders are fully committed maximizing the early years of Jayden Daniels’ career evidenced in their aggressive pursuit of star talent through the last few months. originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Jayden Daniels proved earlier than most rookie quarterbacks that he was ready for the biggest stages in the in the NFL. The Washington Commanders broke a decades long conference championship game drought in Year 1, accomplishing feat thought impossible at the start of the season. 

Nonetheless, the Commanders are now viewed among the contenders in the NFC. Washington has not settled on the satisfaction of their new image. Instead, they have responded with some big time moves this offseason. 

The Commanders were proactive in the trade market, bringing in two elite that directly impact Daniels’ development. Their moves for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil encompass what Bleacher Report labeled an all-in haul, slotting in at No. 2 in their rankings of the NFL’s biggest offseason moves. 

“After their surprise run to the NFC Championship Game last year, the Washington Commanders shoved their chips to the middle of the table this offseason with the trades for wide receiver Deebo Samuel and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. 

“Samuel gives them a sizable upgrade at wideout opposite Terry McLaurin, while Tunsil is one of the better blindside protectors in the league.”

Those were not the only two roster decisions they made over the last few months, but they set the tone for the vision of the franchise through the coming years. 

Since Daniels proved he can have the Commanders in the thick of contention now, it makes most sense to capitalize on the cap flexibility in the present to add pieces before the quarterback signs what could end up being a record-breaking deal down the line. 

Granted, this vision coming together does rely on the Commanders locking down McLaurin’s contract extension, an issue currently undermining the excitement of the 2025 campaign. 

Assuming cooler heads prevail there, however, Washington will not only threat to contend next season. They are positioned to become  a perennial threat to the title for the foreseeable future. 

Related: Commanders Signing Rumors Swirl on Packers Cut Pro Bowler Jaire Alexander

Related: Jayden Daniels ‘Holding Commanders To A Standard’ With Super Bowl Goals

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Brent Venables Turns Heads with ‘Horns Down’ Recruiting Picture

Brent Venables Turns Heads with ‘Horns Down’ Recruiting Picture originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables turned heads with a prominent “horns down” gesture in his latest recruitment photo. The picture, taken with Braxton Lindsey, was released after quarterback John Mateer and Bowe Bentley caught some heat from Longhorns fans for their own “horns down” photo earlier on June 8.  

Venables’ photo was shared by On3 Recruits in a social media post. On3 wrote, “Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables puts the ‘horns down’ with ATH Braxton Lindsey.” 

Of course, Longhorns fans were unhappy with the picture, while Sooners fans celebrated the picture.

“DAMN RIGHT,” a Sooners fan wrote in reply. 

“Rivalries will never die,” wrote Joel Norris of Pigskin Frenzy. 

© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

However, a Longhorn replied, “Lame as hell.” They added, “lol yall identity is anti horns it’s weak.”

A Longhorn asked X’s AI Grok, “adjust this picture to make their hand signs go up instead of down.” Grok replied by simply sharing the same horns down photo. They replied, “You suck at your job, grok.” 

 An OU fan wrote, “Will never understand how this hand signal gets Texas fans so emotional.” 

Lindsey has not yet made a commitment to a team. However, the Sooners are predicted to land the 4-star linebacker. On Sunday evening, SoonerScoop and On3 both predicted that Lindsey would go with the Sooners. 

Sooners Wire reported that Lindsey has 24 offers and has narrowed them down to Oklahoma, Miami, Arkansas, and Missouri. 

As for Lindsey, he reshared the photo on X with a laughing emoji when another person wrote, “Lil bro really doing it out here man.”  

Related: Brent Venables Reveals How Much OU Football Players Make from NIL

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Mets Notes: Ronny Mauricio impressing on both sides of ball, Luisangel Acuña’s role

Here are some notes from Mets manager Carlos Mendoza following this weekend’s three-game sweep in Colorado…

Mauricio strong on both sides of ball

We knew what Ronny Mauricio was capable of offensively.

The young slugger had been tearing the cover off the ball since making his return to Triple-A — hitting an incredible .515 with a double, three homers, four stolen bases, eight RBI, and a 1.382 OPS in just nine games. 

After a bit of a slow start at the plate, he’s carried that success over to the big-league level — reaching base seven times with a homer and a double during the three-game weekend series in Colorado. 

But the skipper has also been impressed with what he’s seen defensively, as Mauricio has made three appearances at the hot corner and one at second base (and the most recent at DH) over his first five big-league appearances this season. 

“He’s been really good,” Mendoza said. “A guy that came up as a shortstop, you know the actions and the hands are going to be there — but the arm has been pretty impressive too. He made a throw yesterday that I was like wow, looking at Sarbaugh it was like that kid’s special.

“There’s a lot of tools there and we’ve seen that overall. And it’s not easy because he missed a whole year last year and here we are asking him to play short, third, second — but the guys in the minors prepared him and he’s going a good job.”

Jeff McNeil on a tear

McNeil was square in the middle of Sunday’s commanding victory as well, lifting two of the team’s six homers on the afternoon to continue his red-hot stretch at the plate.

He also ripped a leadoff double in the top of the seventh, giving him a three-hit day.

The sweet-swinging lefty now has knocks in nine of his last 10 games and he’s batting an impressive .324 with three doubles, four home runs, seven RBI, and a 1.096 OPS over that span. 

He’s quickly lifted his OPS to a strong .888 over 33 games since returning from the IL.

“It’s really good when he’s driving the ball the ball like that,” Mendoza said. “There’s a lot of different versions of Jeff, but this version is the one that we’re looking for and it’s the one that he wants to be.”

Acuña’s decreasing role 

With the Mets receiving that type of production from McNeil, Brett Baty‘s hot stretch in May, and now Mauricio’s arrival it’s led to Luisangel Acuña seeing less and less playing time.

The 23-year-old also hasn’t helped himself — hitting just .190 with one extra base-hit and a .235 on-base percentage in 63 at-bats since taking home NL Rookie of the Month honors in April.

Eight of those at-bats have come since the calendar flipped to June, and he has just one hit to show for it.

Still, the skipper says the team will continue to find ways to utilize his skillset and he expects he’ll be back in the lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against Washington southpaw Mackenzie Gore. 

“There’s a good chance we’ll see him against the lefty,” Mendoza said. “And we’ll continue to work the balance. What’s best for the team, what’s best for the player, his development — he continues to help us win baseball games, and we’ll continue putting him in positions.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the Mets handle things moving forward with their infield/DH mix.

NBA Trade Rumors Roundup: Knicks’ path to Antetokounmpo long and winding, might they return to Durant talks?

Teams ideally want to have any deals lined up before the NBA draft in a few weeks, which has the NBA trade rumor mill speeding up daily.

Knicks’ path to Antetokounmpo

Of course the Knicks are interested in trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. If he decides it’s time to move on from Milwaukee (a decision likely to come closer to the NBA draft), 29 other teams are going to call Bucks GM Jon Horst and kick the tires on a deal.

There is a hypothetical path for the Knicks to land Antetokounmpo, but it’s a long and winding one: New York hires Jason Kidd away from Dallas, then Antetokounmpo tells the Bucks he only wants to be traded to the Knicks to reunite with his former coach and still friend Kidd, then the sides work out a deal.

Good luck with that.

First, Dallas needs to give New York permission to speak with Kidd, which is no lock. One source told NBC Sports that approval was unlikely, and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reported the “expectation” is that the Knicks would deny the request.

That said, Kidd and the Knicks share a “mutual intrigue,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported. Kidd did not like being out in front of the Luka Doncic trade (can you blame him?), Edwards reported. Is that frustration enough to leave coaching Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving (out much of next season recovering from a torn ACL), and Anthony Davis? Even if the Mavericks give permission for the talks and Kidd agrees to go to New York, he is still under contract with the Mavericks, which means the sides need to figure out what draft compensation to send back to Dallas in this deal (typically a first-round pick). The Knicks are not exactly flush with future picks.

Even if the Knicks land Kidd, Antetokounmpo then would have to decide he wants a trade out of Milwaukee — something other teams are increasingly convinced may not happen, or if it does he won’t hit the open market for a bidding war. Other front offices are very much in a “wait and see” mode while making a “Plan B” if he is not available, a handful of league sources have told NBC Sports.

The Knicks need Antetokounmpo to decide he wants a trade and only to New York (to play with Jalen Brunson and Kidd). There is a rumor that New York is putting together a massive offer for Antetokounmpo, but what is that going to look like? A Karl-Anthony Towns-based trade could be constructed (KAT and Giannis make within half a million of each other) with a third team, but if the Bucks move on from Giannis they are going to rebuild and will want a massive haul of picks and younger players, not a Towns-based package. The Knicks don’t really have young players and picks to offer, while other teams do (including that team across the bridge in Brooklyn). Finding a trade that gets Antetokounmpo to Madison Square Garden and makes sense for the Bucks is… challenging. To put it kindly.

Still, this rumor persists and is not going away.

Durant to the Knicks? It’s complicated, too

Assuming the Antetokounmpo dream is just that, the Knicks would have interest in Kevin Durant — they made an offer for him at the trade deadline but it went nowhere, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

Is this a trade the Suns would want? Again, the easy Knicks trade for Durant involves Towns (they have similar salaries, although a third team would be brought in), but the well connected John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 says the Suns would want a trade to be based around one of the Knicks’ wings, OG Anunoby or Mikal Bridges. For a Knicks team looking to add depth for next season that could be complicated, but that would be the path to a deal.

Durant to Raptors?

If Antetokounmpo becomes available by trade, the Toronto Raptors are a team to watch. They want him and there is some level of mutual interest from the Greek Freak, something we have reported before.

But what if Antetokounmpo doesn’t hit the open market? Then expect the Raptors to pivot and be one of the teams in the Durant trade market, something Marc Stein reported at The Stein Line.

“The Raptors, furthermore, would figure to have a more realistic shot at assembling a competitive trade offer for Durant compared to the mammoth offers that the Bucks would inevitably seek for Antetokounmpo’s services.”

Cavaliers “open minded” about Garland trade?

If one thing was clear in the Cavaliers’ second-round loss to the Pacers, it was how much Darius Garland means to Cleveland’s offense and the team’s title chances. He played in just three games against the Pacers and was clearly slowed by the toe injury he tried to play through (he shot 34.2% for the series, 16.7% from 3). The Cavaliers needed him healthy to have a chance against the Pacers.

Which makes the idea that the Cavaliers would trade Garland a strange one. Add in Garland undergoing surgery to repair that toe injury, which likely has him out for the start of next season, and a Garland trade seems to be an even longer shot.

However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said it’s possible on ESPN Cleveland.

A number of teams, including Orlando (where he would be a fantastic fit) are reportedly interested.

The Cavaliers won 64 games and may believe it will be a more wide-open East next season, following the Jayson Tatum injury in Boston. The Cavs may think, “If we run it back and stay healthy this time, we can make the Finals.” However, if a big enough trade presented itself (Antetokounmpo?) and that was the price, then Cleveland would have to consider including Garland in the deal. Also, the Cavaliers will be into the second apron next season and ownership could look to trim some money from the bottom line.

Most likely though, Garland is a Cavalier next season.

Suns want to trade Beal

Another note from Gambadoro in Arizona, the Suns would like to trade Bradley Beal this summer but, just like at the deadline, the combination of his no-trade clause and the fact he is owed $110.8 million over two more years may make that impossible.

Don’t be surprised if Beal gets a fair amount of run for new coach Jordan Ott at the start of next season, as they try to rebuild his trade value.

Spurs open to trading No. 14 pick

As if the San Antonio Spurs haven’t had enough lottery luck in recent years, they jumped up to get the No. 2 pick in this year’s NBA draft. The expectation in league circles is that the Spurs will not trade that pick and will use it to select Rutgers’ point guard Dylan Harper, forming a talented but crowded backcourt with De’Aaron Fox (who will receive an extension this summer) and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle. It would take an Antetokounmpo-level trade for them to give up the No. 2 pick.

The Spurs also hold the No. 14 pick and are open to packaging that pick with a player to acquire someone who can help the team start winning now, reports Kevin O’Connor at Yahoo Sports. It would be a smart move by San Antonio, the question is who is that wing player (the team is pretty set at guard and center)?

• Another draft note: Look for the Thunder (picks 15 and 24) and the Nets (8, 19, 26 and 27) to try and package those picks to move up in the draft, reports Jake Fischer at The Stein Line.

Celtics taking Jrue Holiday calls

This isn’t a surprise — we know Boston is trying to trim payroll heading into a largely Tatum-less next season and Jrue Holiday was one of the names mentioned as on his way out — but the Celtics are listening to calls, reports Fischer.

There are a lot of playoff teams Holiday would help, but at age 35 next season, and owed three years and $104 million, the market for him may not be as robust as the Celtics hope.

Yankees at Royals: 5 things to watch and series predictions | June 10-12

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees and Royals play a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium starting on Tuesday at 7:40 p.m.

5 things to watch

NY’s early season sweep

Even with Carlos Carrasco starting the opener and a rusty Clarke Schmidt making his season debut, the Yanks rolled through Kansas City earlier this season. 

New York put up four runs in all three games, and they held the Royals to only five runs total as they easily secured the three-game series sweep. 

Carrasco provided five strong innings to kick off the series, Jasson Dominguez delivered a three-run knock in the middle game, and then Aaron Judge came through with a go-ahead homer late in the finale.  

They’ll look for much of the same, this time on the road. 

The Yanks, of course, are coming off a disappointing three-game home series loss to the Red Sox but they still hold a 4.5 game lead on the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.

Kansas City has the unfortunate fate of being stuck in the same division of the surging Detroit Tigers — they currently sit in fourth and are 1.5 games back of the Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot. 

Max is back. 

Max Fried suffered his first rough outing of the season against the Dodgers, allowing six runs on eight hits across five innings of work in a series opening loss.

It didn’t take the left-hander long to return to his dominant form, though.  

Fried bounced back tremendously his last time out — allowing just three baserunners as he cruised through six shutout innings in a win over the Guardians during Thursday’s series finale.

He’s now won eight of his first 13 contests in pinstripes, pitching to a stellar 1.78 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. 

The southpaw has stepped in masterfully for the Bombers with ace Gerrit Cole sidelined, and continues making a strong case to potentially be the All-Star Game starter for the AL.

He’ll look to keep that rolling against rookie Noah Cameron in the opening match of this three-game set.

AL Player of the Month vs. AL Pitcher of the Month

The middle game of this set brings an intriguing matchup of two of baseball’s best to this point. 

With Kris Bubic taking the mound in the middle game for the Royals, the American League Pitcher of the Month will have his opportunity to face-off with the AL Player of the Month, Aaron Judge.

Bubic has been one of the most unexpected risers this season and he was spectacular last month — allowing just two earned runs while striking out 33 batters in 32.1 innings of work over five outings. 

He carried that success over to his first June start, giving up just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine in a tough-luck loss to the Tigers.

Jun 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / © John Jones-Imagn Images

And we know what Judge has done during his historic start to the season.

With a pair of opposite-field homers during Sunday’s series finale loss to the Red Sox, the star outfielder is now hitting an incredible .396 with a .493 on-base percentage and 1.264 OPS on the year.

In a relatively small sample size, Judge has gotten the best of the matchup of the two thus far — hitting .571 with a two-run homer over seven career at-bats against the 27-year-old southpaw.

First look at baseball’s next young star

The Royals added another huge big to their lineup last week, calling up top prospect Jac Caglianone. 

Caglianone was selected out of Florida with the sixth overall pick in last years draft and he quickly established himself as one of the top young talents in the minor leagues. 

The sweet-swinging lefty produced nine doubles, 15 homers, 56 RBI, and a .982 OPS in just 50 games between Double-A and Triple-A before receiving the call. 

He had gotten off to a bit of a slow start at the plate but has been hitting the ball with authority and finally saw the results on Sunday — recording four knocks during the series finale victory over the White Sox. 

He became the first Royal since Bo Jackson (Sept. 1986) to put together a four-hit showing within their first six MLB contests — some seriously strong company. 

Caglianone will certainly be looking to do more damage in his first games at Kauffman Stadium.  

Watch out for the Pasquatch 

Royals slugger Vinnie Pasquantino was off to a bit of a slow start the last time the Yanks saw him — but he’s on an absolute tear right now.

The 27-year-old was handed AL Player of the Week honors on Monday evening.

He hit an even .500 (13-for-26) with two homers, seven RBI, a double, a walk, four runs scored, a .769 slugging percentage and a .536 on-base percentage in six games against the Cardinals and White Sox.

Pasquantino is now riding a nine-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 24 straight — the longest stretch by a Royal since Nicky Lopez in 2021.

It’ll be up to Fried, Clarke Schmidt, and Will Warren to keep him in check.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Aaron Judge.

The Captain has 14 homers and a 1.066 OPS in 40 career games against the Royals.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Max Fried.

Coming off back-to-back losses, the Yanks need Fried to pitch like the ace he’s been.

Which Royals player will be a thorn in the Yanks’ side?

Bobby Witt Jr.

The star SS loves to see the pinstripes coming, and he’s hitting .345 over his last seven games.

Pacers vs. Thunder Game 3 Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for June 11

On Wednesday, June 11, the Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) and Indiana Pacers (50-32) are all set to square off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City rolled Indiana in Game 2, 123-107 behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s 34 points, plus 34 more from Jalen Williams (19) and Chet Holmgren (15).

The series heads back to Indiana tied at 1-1 and the Pacers will need more than an all-around effort from its starting five after every starter scored in double-figures for Game 2.

Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 17 points and 6 assists, while Pascal Siakam led Indiana in rebounding with 7.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch 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.

Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

Game details & how to watch Thunder vs. Pacers live today

  • Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
  • Time: 8:30PM EST
  • Site: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
  • City: Indianapolis, IN
  • Network/Streaming: ESPN / ABC

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 NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Thunder vs. Pacers

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Odds: Thunder (-218), Pacers (+180)
  • Spread: Thunder -5.5
  • Over/Under: 228.5 points

That gives the Thunder an implied team point total of 116.5, and the Pacers 111.5.

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Wednesday’s Thunder vs. Pacers game

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the value on long shots in the series assist leader market:

“As someone who has a Jalen Williams ticket at +6500 odds, I am pulling for him as he is +1300 to +2000 at most markets for the NBA Finals series assist leader.

This is a five-player race with Tyrese Haliburton (-200) leading he charge at 12 assists. Behind him with 11 is Williams (+1300) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+155). With 10 assists is Andrew Nembhard (+5000) and T.J. McConnell (+7500).

The value on Williams and Nembhard is worth betting and so is McConnell after Haliburton shows signs of an injury or some pain in the post-game presser of Game 2.

If Haliburton misses anytime, then there is value on Nembhard and McConnell in this market, so I think taking anyone but Haliburton or SGA is the smart move.”

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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 today’s Thunder & Pacers game:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Oklahoma City Thunder at -5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 228.5.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Thunder vs. Pacers on Wednesday

  • Oklahoma City is 1-2 on the ML and 2-1 ATS in Game 3’s this postseason
  • Indiana is 0-3 on the ML and ATS in Game 3’s this postseason
  • The O/U is 1-1 in the series so far
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s 72 points is the most through a players first two NBA Finals games in history
  • Isaiah Hartenstein and Pascal Siakam are tied for the series lead in rebounds (17) and are +140 and +145 to finish as the leader
  • Aaron Nesmith leads the series in three-pointers made (7) and is +135 to finish as the leader
  • Andrew Nembhard leads the series in assists (14) and is +5000 to finish as the leader

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!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

– Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
– Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
– Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
– Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)