Busy day, huh? The week’s off to an exciting start so far, what with the news about the future of the Braves on TV/streaming, the Braves having their annual Truck Day and our minor league crew getting their preseason prospect rankings underway. Which one was the most exciting part for you so far? The floor is now yours.
Here’s a random clip:
The Oklahoma City Thunder brought some order to the wild west on Sunday with a convincing 121-111 win over the surging Denver Nuggets.
It was just the second victory in five games for OKC, but the fact it came against the Nuggets should put bettors minds at ease. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander set the pace with a game-high 34 points and the Thunder led by as many as 18 points before taking their foot off the gas late in the fourth quarter.
The win improved Oklahoma City’s record to 39-11 and the club continues to be on pace to establish the highest net rating in league history. In fact, OKC is considered to be such a prohibitive favorite that bet365 is now offering a Thunder (+115) vs. the Field (-145) market.
Let’s dive into the latest odds as the new year gets underway.
| Team | |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Boston Celtics | |
| Detroit Pistons | <<+1500>> |
| Houston Rockets | <<+1800>> |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | <<+2200>> |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | <<+3000>> |
| Los Angeles Lakers | <<+4000>> |
The Thunder’s odds have moved from +230 before the season began to +115 today. Rounding out the Top 5 are the Denver Nuggets (+500), New York Knicks (+1400), Boston Celtics (+1500), and San Antonio Spurs (+1500).
Here’s a visual representation of how the NBA championship has odds evolved since June 2025.
Highest ticket percentage
• Nuggets 8.8%
• Thunder 8.7%
• Mavericks 8.2%
Highest handle percentage
• Thunder 17.9%
• Mavericks 16.3%
• Lakers 13.3%
Biggest liability
• Mavericks
• Lakers
• Warriors
Data courtesy of BetMGM.
We turned to the enormous computing power of ChatGPT to find out who the large language model believes will be the last team standing this season. Not surprisingly, it stuck with the defending champs.
Oklahoma City has the cleanest runway to be the best team in 2026: an MVP-caliber engine in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering the heart of his prime, a two-way star wing in Jalen Williams, and a 7-footer in Chet Holmgren whose blend of rim protection, spacing, and feel supercharges modern schemes. That trio already drives elite half-court efficiency and a top-tier defense, and it’s backed by organizational continuity that reliably turns role players into playoff-useful pieces. Holmgren’s strength and timing appear to be fully NBA-hardened, unlocking more switching and fewer help-and-recover compromises, while SGA’s mid-range and foul-drawing remain matchup-proof in May and June.
Depth and optionality push the Thunder over the top. They can win big or small, play five-out without sacrificing rim protection, and toggle between pressure defense and conservative coverages depending on opponent. Crucially, they still have surplus picks and cap flexibility to plug the inevitable holes that show up in a long postseason, whether that’s a second unit scorer, another stretch big, or a specialist wing.
Expect a rotation stacked with plus length, shooting, and decision-making around the core; enough to outlast the West’s heavyweights and finish the job in the Finals.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders told his team about the time he doused baseball broadcaster Tim McCarver with water in October 1992, calling it “wrong” but also saying “God had my back” about it.
Sanders brought up the infamous incident at a recent team meeting in Boulder, as documented by Reach The People Media, one of Sanders’ favored YouTube channels. Sanders told his team it was an example of being able to go back to a “dark place” in your past. He said, “God allows you to go into it so that you can understand who He is and his power and how He can bring you out of nothing and turn it into something.”
Sanders, 58, was playing baseball for the Atlanta Braves when he doused McCarver with tubs of water in the postgame locker room after the Braves won the National League Championship Series that year. He said it was revenge for comments McCarver previously made about Sanders that described Sanders as selfish for leaving the Braves to also play in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. The memory resurfaced for Sanders recently after apparently being asked about it for an upcoming film about Sanders on Netflix.
“My mother had told me this gentleman who just broadcast a game is talking about you real bad,” Sanders told his players. “And, you know, when mama talked to us like that, you act. I’m a Florida boy. Like we act immediately. So after we won the playoffs, I threw two buckets of water, which was wrong. Two buckets of water on him and doused him and doused him and doused him, and dousing them until he, you know, got upset about it. But I was thinking that he should have known his craft.”
He blamed McCarver for not doing his “homework” and not knowing Sanders’ contract with the Braves had been set to expire earlier that summer before he worked out a deal that allowed him to help the baseball team in its playoff push. Instead of being portrayed by McCarver as selfish, he said he thought it should have been portrayed as a “wonderful gesture” by him to continue playing with the team.
After dousing McCarver, the Braves advanced to the World Series to play the Toronto Blue Jays. Sanders played well against the Blue Jays, especially against Blue Jays pitcher David Cone. He suggested his success in that series was proof that God has his back about the McCarver incident. He hit .533 overall in that series with five stolen bases, but the Braves lost in six games.
“That hurt,” Sanders said of McCarver’s comments. “That hurt my mom. That hurt me. But lo and behold, God had my back. Why would I say God had my back? Because the opposing team was the Toronto Blue Jays that we played in the World Series had a pitcher on the team named David Cone. David Cone was a great pitcher. He should be in Hall of Fame. But David Cone, my lifelong average against him was about .600.”
Sanders said he would have been named World Series MVP if the Braves had won.
“But we lost,” Sanders said. “But I wanted to win so bad because that gentleman that was naysaying me (McCarver) would have had to interview me for being the MVP. And that’s what I wanted, but it didn’t happen that way. But we got into it.”
McCarver died in 2023 at age 81. After Sanders doused him with water in 1992, he confronted Sanders. “You’re a real man, Deion,” McCarver told him. “I’ll say that.”
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deion Sanders tells team about Tim McCarver incident in 1992 MLB playoffs
Wichita State transfers have fared well with the Horned Frogs.
One year after former Shocker left-hander Payton Tolle transferred to TCU, right-hander Tommy LaPour left the Shockers for the Horned Frogs. LaPour became an ace for TCU, posting an 8-3 record and a 3.09 ERA with 88 strikeouts and 27 walks over 90.2 innings pitched. LaPour, who was named an All-Big 12 First Team honoree and an NCBWA Second-Team All-American last season, headlines the pitchers back for the TCU baseball team.
While LaPour projects as TCU’s top right-hander, Mason Brassfield returns as the team’s most valuable lefty. As a freshman, Brassfield carved out a significant role, finishing 5-2 with a 4.09 ERA over 17 appearances and seven starts. Brassfield, who ranked second on the team in innings (61.2) last season, will look to fill a void vacated by left-handers Braeden Sloan and Ben Abeldt, who were each selected in the 2025 MLB Draft.
TCU’s pitching staff will look quite different in 2026. The Horned Frogs have lost senior right-hander Louis Rodriguez to an elbow injury, while right-handers Cohen Feser, Kole Klecker, Trey Neumann, Jax Traeger, Carson Cormier, Blake Rogers and Mason Bixby all departed for the transfer portal. Caedmon Parker, who opted to return for 2025 after being drafted in 2024, was drafted again in 2025 and is pursuing his professional career.
One player to watch will be Trever Baumler, a sophomore right-hander and outfielder who ranked sixth on the team with 38 innings thrown last season. Baumler had mixed results on the mound, posting a 6.39 ERA over 13 appearances and eight starts. Another player who could earn more innings is left-hander/utility standout Noah Franco. One of the top freshmen in the Big 12 last season, Franco tossed 12.1 innings last year, making three starts in eight appearances. Franco finished with a 7.30 ERA as well as 18 strikeouts and nine walks.
TCU will deploy a multitude of young arms in 2026. Among those are sophomores Tyler Phenow, Kade Eudy, Nate Stern, Zack James and Kaden Smith. Eudy emerged as a reliable closer in the bullpen, notching a 3.75 ERA and earning a team-high six saves last season. Stern quietly became a consistent option in middle relief, leading the team with a 1.35 ERA on 29 strikeouts and 10 walks over 20 innings. James went 3-0 on the season, threw 20 innings and made four starts, while Smith made 14 relief appearances and finished with a 5.25 ERA last season.
Through the transfer portal, TCU brought in senior left-hander Nolan Johnson (North Dakota State) as well as right-handers Tanner Sagouspe (Cal Poly), Ethan Thomas (Hawaii), Lance Davis (Arkansas) and Walter Quinn (Grand Canyon). Johnson brings a wealth of experience from the Summit League, as he played four seasons at NDSU and was named the Summit League Pitcher of the Year in 2025. At NDSU, Johnson made 21 starts as part of 32 appearances, posting a 9-8 record and a 4.27 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 128.2 career innings pitched.
A senior and an All-Big West Honorable Mention in 2024, Sagouspe compiled 62 career appearances over four years at Cal Poly. Sagouspe was 8-6 with 15 career saves and a 4.06 ERA, racking up 120 strikeouts in 99.2 career innings. Thomas arrives as a redshirt sophomore who spent two years at Hawaii, where he made 18 appearances out of the bullpen in 2025. Thomas posted a 3.60 ERA and struck out 37 batters over 25 innings of work.
Quinn received Second-Team All-WAC honors at Grand Canyon in 2025. The senior started his career on Grand Canyon’s club baseball team and left Grand Canyon in 10th place all-time with 12 career saves. Quinn made 54 appearances over three years, recording a 3.21 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 95.1 innings of work. Davis redshirted last season and will be looking to make his collegiate debut with the Horned Frogs this season.
Rounding out the TCU pitching staff will be true freshman Uli Fernsler, a left-hander and a highly-ranked recruit. Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 70 overall prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft, Fernsler was tabbed a first-team high school All-American and earned Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a senior.
The Seattle Mariners, who have been trying to get St. Louis Cardinals utilityman Brendan Donovan since early November, finally got their man Monday in a three-way trade that included the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Cardinals, who are in a massive rebuild, will receive prized pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje and minor-league outfielder Tai Peete, according to two persons with direct knowledge of the trade. Seattle also is sending young third baseman Ben Williamson to the Tampa Rays for a prospect and a Comp B draft pick. The Rays are sending minor-league outfielder Colton Ledbetter to St. Louis.
The trade has been agreed upon in principle, but the sides are awaiting medical results before it become official.
Donovan, an All-Star last season and Gold Glove winner in 2022 as a utilityman, headlines the package. While scouts are divided about his best position between second base and left field, the reality is that his best position is at the plate. He has a career .282 batting average with a .361 on-base percentage and .411 slugging percentage with 40 homers and 97 doubles with a .772 OPS.
The acquisition of Donovan gives the Mariners five players at the top of the lineup who made the All-Star team in the past two seasons, joining Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena. That group came within eight outs of Seattle’s first World Series appearance ever before falling in ALCS Game 7 to Toronto.
Now, they’ve replaced Jorge Polanco with Donovan, a move that might make them AL favorites in 2026.
For the Cardinals, Donovan represents the last major player to be sent packing in their massive rebuild. They traded ace Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras earlier this winter in separate trades to the Boston Red Sox, and Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenando was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Cijntje, selected with the 15th pick in the 2024 draft, is the best prospect in the trade. He actually throws right-handed and left-handed, but his stuff from the left side isn’t as advanced, and the Mariners were planning to have him pitch exclusively right-handed this spring. Peete was a first-round pick in the 2023 draft.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brendan Donovan goes to Mariners from Cardinals in three-team trade
The Los Angeles Clippers have been one of the best teams in basketball since mid-December — especially at home — and they’ll try to carry that over into February when they open the month against the Philadelphia 76ers.
My Clippers vs. 76ers predictions and NBA picks break down why tonight will be no different.
76ers vs Clippers best bet: Clippers -2 (-110)
The Los Angeles Clippers are an NBA-best 17-4 since mid-December and rank third in net rating during that stretch.
The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t have a bad January either, but their recent wins have come against soft competition, and they rank 26th in defensive rating over the past 10 games.
That means slowing down Kawhi Leonard and James Harden won’t be easy. It’ll be even harder with Joel Embiid banged up and Paul George serving his suspension.
This version of the Clippers has also been a great bet at home, going 10-1 ATS in their last 11 at the Intuit Dome.
One reason the Clippers have been better lately is their offense has become more balanced, and John Collins is a part of that.
He’s averaging 16.3 points over his last 13 games while topping this number of 14.5 nine times over that stretch.
Meanwhile, I expect VJ Edgecombe to go over his point total thanks to some added opportunities with George sidelined for the next little while. Edgecombe has always logged plenty of minutes, but he’ll get more shots up now as well.
Let’s add the big boys, Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard, to go Over their point totals as well, as each has been on a tear in recent outings.
The Clippers have hit the moneyline in 10 of their last 11 home games, good for +10.85 units and a 37% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Clippers.
| Location | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA |
| Date | Monday, February 2, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Peacock |
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — All-Star forward Kevin Durant is not playing for the Houston Rockets on Monday night after spraining his left ankle when he stepped on a fan’s foot during a recent game.
Coach Ime Udoka provided the update about 90 minutes before his team was scheduled to play at the Indiana Pacers, saying Durant “tweaked” the ankle. He provided no timetable for a return.
Durant was named an All-Star reserve Sunday, his 16th All-Star selection. He played nearly 38 1/2 minutes in Saturday’s 111-107 victory over Dallas. Reed Sheppard is expected to replace Durant in the lineup.
Durant has not previously missed a game this season because of injuries. He missed two games in November for personal reasons. The 37-year-old Durant is averaging a team-best 26.2 points per game.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners are in the process of acquiring All-Star infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because the teams hadn’t finalized the trade.
Donovan, 29, was a first-time All-Star last year, when he hit .287 with 10 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .775 OPS. Over a four-year major league career, Donovan has hit .282 with a .772 OPS, 40 home runs and 97 doubles. Donovan also won a utility player Gold Glove as a rookie in 2022.
It was unclear which players would be dealt to the Cardinals or whether other teams are involved. The Seattle Times reported the Tampa Bay Rays are involved in a three-team deal.
Donovan has a $5.8 million, one-year contract, is eligible for arbitration again next winter and is on track to be eligible for free agency after the 2027 World Series.
He could slot into the middle of the Mariners batting order in the way Jorge Polanco did last year. Polanco hit 26 homers, then became a free agent and signed a $40 million, two-year contract with the New York Mets.
Seattle last year came within one win of the franchise’s first World Series appearance.
The Miami Heat just got some good news. Terry Rozier, too.
The franchise had been waiting on a ruling about the contract status of Rozier, whose 2025-26 salary had been placed in escrow after he was arrested Oct. 23 for his alleged role in an insider sports-betting scheme.
But on Monday, Feb. 2, an arbitrator ruled in favor of Rozier and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), dictating that his salary should be paid in full.
“We are pleased with the arbitrator’s ruling and remain committed to ensuring that Terry’s due process rights are protected and that he is afforded the presumption of innocence throughout this process,” an NBPA spokesperson texted USA TODAY Sports.
This carries significant implications for Rozier and the Heat in the trading market.
For one, Rozier is on an expiring deal, which can be attractive to teams that are looking to clear up cap space for the following fiscal year. And since Rozier’s salary is substantial, he suddenly becomes a potential asset that could be used in a trade. So as the Heat remain engaged in conversations with the Milwaukee Bucks over a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, Rozier could eventually become part of that framework or in any other potential deal.
This, in essence, removes any uncertainty that may have been hanging around the Heat front office about its ability to include Rozier in any potential trade package.
If Miami is unable to move Rozier before the Thursday, Feb. 5 trading deadline, he would be on the books through the remainder of the season, and Miami would get a sizable chunk of cap space once his contract expires.
Rozier is in the final season of a four-year deal that pays $26.6 million, per Spotrac.com. The NBA and Heat had been holding Rozier’s salary in escrow, pending the results of the ongoing investigation; Rozier has been away from the Heat since his arrest.
Rozier, 31, pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
Rozier is accused of manipulating his performance during an NBA game to benefit illegal betting. The game took place on Thursday, March 23, 2023, when Rozier was a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
He had averaged 35.3 minutes and 21.1 points per game that season, and entered the night with no injury designation.
He started the game, but played only 9:34 minutes before he left the game with a supposed foot injury. He did not return and would subsequently miss the remaining eight games of the season.
That night, Rozier took just four shot attempts, making two of them, and scored five points, while adding four rebounds and two assists.
According to the indictment, Rozier informed his childhood friend, De’Niro Laster, that he “was going to prematurely remove himself from the game in the first quarter due to a supposed injury and not return to play further.”
Per the indictment, Laster then allegedly sold the information about Rozier’s participation to multiple co-conspirators so that they could place fraudulent wagers.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. called the alleged setup, “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Terry Rozier arbitration ruling affects Miami Heat trade situation
It hasn’t been a great couple of weeks for the Golden State Warriors’ knees. With Jimmy Butler sidelined for the rest of the season after tearing his ACL, the Warriors will face the Philadelphia 76ers without Steph Curry and his sore right knee or Jonathan Kuminga and his bruised left knee.
The 76ers have been rounding into health recently, with Joel Embiid back to playing big minutes and putting up big scoring numbers and Paul George regularly logging 30+ minutes. However, the Warriors might miss Embiid since the Sixers will be on a back-to-back after facing the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night. They will definitely miss Paul George, who received a 25-game suspension from the NBA for violating the league’s Anti-Drug program.
As a result, the Warriors will get to see a lot of their old friend Kelly Oubre, Jr., the stylish swingman averaging 14.2 points. He’s been red-hot from three-point range over his past 10 games, which is a shot the Warriors often seem disinclined to defend. The backcourt duo of All-Star Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe should present a challenge in their speed and athleticism, though they have both been struggling with their shots. In other words, expect them to combine for 12 threes Tuesday night.
Curry is suffering from what the team is calling “runner’s knee.” This author consulted with Dr. WebMD and learned that the condition is known as “patellofemoral pain syndrome” and refers to pain at the front of the knee, sometimes also called “jumper’s knee.” He appeared to hurt it on a drive to the basket for an and-one during the third quarter of the Warriors’ loss to the Detroit Pistons Friday.
The All-Star guard is still considered “day-to-day” (aren’t we all?) but sitting out until Thursday’s road game against the Phoenix Suns would give Curry five full days off. The next possibility would be Saturday’s nationally-televised game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Until the All-Star break, the Warriors get one day off between each of their games.
For Kuminga, this means he won’t take the court again before Thursday’s trade deadline. He’s probably too hurt to play but even if he wasn’t, the Warriors might sit him out just in case a deal develops in the next 72 hours. Or Steve Kerr might prefer to get another extended look at Gui Santos.
Seth “Sethen” Curry remains out with a back injury but is working out on the court and will be re-evaluated Feb. 14.
