D'Angelo Russell And Naz Reid Both Starting Friday

Minnesota Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell (quad) and center Naz Reid (wrist) will start Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Neither Reid nor Russell were in any danger of missing this contest, even though Russell was listed as questionable. Both players could be in line for solid performances as the Thunder only have eight active players […]

Alexander Volkov In Need Of A Big Main-Event Win

Alexander Volkov (32-8) will make his 41st professional MMA appearance in Saturday's main event against another very seasoned veteran in Alistair Overeem. Volkov is 2-2 in his last four fights and is in dire need of a big win if he wants to get to the top of the heavyweight picture. Both of these men […]

Ben Simmons Set For Return To Action Saturday

Philadelphia 76ers point guard/small forward Ben Simmons (calf) has been listed as probable to take the floor for Saturday's game against the Nets as he works through a tight left calf. Simmons was held out of the team's most recent matchup, allowing Furkan Korkmaz to enter the starting five, where he played 38 minutes and […]

Aron Baynes Will Play Against Brooklyn

Toronto Raptors center Aron Baynes (groin) will play Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets. Baynes was probable, then downgraded to a game-time decision, but there was no real doubt in his availability. Baynes will likely get the start again and has been seeing a majority of the center minutes ahead of Chris Boucher. This has […]

Alistair Overeem Looking To Win Third Fight In A Row

Saturday's main event will feature another long-tenured UFC veteran, this time in the former of heavyweight Alistair Overeem (47-18). This will mark Overeem's 66th professional MMA appearance, along with numerous professional kickboxing bouts under his belt. Though the 40-year-old striker may have a lot of tread on the tires, he's coming off of a fifth-round […]

Collin Sexton Gets Green Light To Suit Up Friday

Cleveland Cavaliers point/shooting guard Collin Sexton (neck) has been cleared to play in Friday's contest versus Milwaukee despite a previous questionable designation due to a neck ailment. Since a five-game absence related to an ankle injury, Sexton has continued to be an offensive dynamo, averaging 23.6 PPG in nine games upon his return. With two […]

Atlanta Lists Trae Young As Questionable For Saturday

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young (calf) has been deemed questionable to play in Saturday's contest versus the Raptors due to a right calf contusion. Young missed Thursday's game due to the ailment, allowing Rajon Rondo to draw the start. But the veteran shot 0-for-7 from the field in that outing, making him a tricky […]

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander And Luguentz Dort Injuries Not Serious

Oklahoma City Thunder guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (knee) and Luguentz Dort (knee), who are both out Friday, are just day-to-day. Head coach Mark Daigneault noted neither injury was "overly serious" and they were making improvements day by day. This is a sigh of relief for the Thunder who are down to just eight active players Friday […]

Raul Neto Could Return As Soon As Sunday

Washington Wizards point guard Raul Neto (groin) is "getting really close" to playing, per head coach Scott Brooks. Brooks went on to say that Neto could return as early as this Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. This would be great news for Neto, who has missed four straight games with a groin injury. The Wizards […]

Joel Embiid Earns Questionable Tag For Saturday

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) has been listed as questionable to suit up for Saturday's game versus the Nets due to a sore right knee. Embiid's knee issue is a new addition to the injury report, especially in light of the big man's recent back troubles. Should he ultimately be held out, Dwight Howard […]

Damian Lillard, Derrick Jones Jr. On Track To Return Saturday

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (abdominal) and small/power forward Derrick Jones Jr. (foot) are listed as probable to suit up for Saturday's game versus the Knicks. Lillard missed his first contest of the season Thursday due to an abdominal strain, allowing Gary Trent Jr. to start as the de facto PG. Without C.J. […]

Chris Driedger Looks To Continue Point Streak

Florida Panthers goaltender Chris Driedger is the team's starter in Friday's rematch with the Predators, who pulled off a 6-5 overtime victory against the Cats on Thursday. The 26-year-old is yet to suffer a regulation loss this season, as he sits on a 2-0-1 record with a 1.95 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. […]

Aron Baynes Downgraded To Game-Time Decision

Toronto Raptors center Aron Baynes (groin) is now a game-time decision Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets. Baynes seemingly had no issue in playing tonight after being listed as probable to play with a groin strain, but now the Raptors are playing it safe with their big man. If Baynes is eventually ruled out, Chris […]

Martin Jones Set For Sixth Start Of The Season

San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones will be between the pipes on Friday against Anaheim. He looks to produce a big bounce-back performance after allowing five goals on 19 shots and getting pulled in his previous start against Colorado. Jones is 3-2-0 for the season with a 3.91 goals-against average and a .871 save percentage. […]

Payton Pritchard Will Return For Friday’s Contest

Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard (knee) is back in the fold for Friday's game versus the Clippers after a six-game absence due to a sprained MCL. His return coincides with the absence of Jaylen Brown (knee) and Marcus Smart (calf), paving the way for the rookie to potentially see a sizable role among the […]

Filip Zadina Ready To Play Again

Detroit Red Wings winger Filip Zadina looks set to return to the lineup on Friday against Tampa after rejoining practice on Thursday. Zadina, who hasn't played since Jan. 19, managed four games this season before entering the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list with a host of teammates. He has only two points and two shots for […]

Patrick Beverley Out Again On Friday Evening

Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley (knee) will not suit up on Friday night against the Celtics. This will mark the veteran's seventh-straight absence while he continues to deal with a knee issue. In his absence, Reggie Jackson, who was held scoreless on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers throughout 23 minutes of work, should get […]

Andrei Vasilevskiy Likely To Make Ninth Consecutive Start

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will likely make his ninth consecutive start in Friday's matchup with Detroit. He has a very strong 6-1-1 record for the season with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. Vasilevskiy faced only 16 shots in this week's first meeting with Detroit which ended in Tampa's 5-1 […]

Paul George Questionable Against Boston

Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Paul George (foot) is questionable on Friday against Boston. The veteran has been dealing with soreness in his right foot that appears to have stemmed from his 36-point performance against the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. George was a late addition to the injury report, so it wouldn't be a surprise if […]

Jaylen Brown Ruled Out For Friday’s Game

Boston Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown (knee) will not take the floor for Friday's contest against the Clippers, marking his first absence of the year. With Brown's consistent availability, it'll be difficult to ascertain who will be in line to see an increased role on the wing, although Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker should undoubtedly […]

Tuukka Rask Takes On One Of His Favorite Opponents

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask will guard the crease on Friday versus Philadelphia, against whom he has an outstanding 17-2-4 career record. He has managed more wins against only three other teams in his career. Two of Rask's wins over Philly have come in 2020-21, including one this week when he had 22 saves in […]

Theo Maledon Will Miss Friday’s Contest

Oklahoma City Thunder point/shooting guard Theo Maledon has been deemed unavailable for Friday's game against Minnesota due to the league's health and safety protocols. Maledon's absence puts OKC in a perilous position as they'll have just the league minimum of eight players at their disposal, with Hamidou Diallo and Kenrich Williams likely to see whopping […]

Raul Neto Will Sit Out On Friday Night

Washington Wizards guard Raul Neto (groin) will not play on Friday against the Miami Heat. The 28-year-old has missed his previous three games already while working his way back from a groin issue. In his stead, Ish Smith should continue to see an uptick in minutes, serving as relief for Russell Westbrook.

Brian Elliott Starts For Flyers Friday Night

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott will be between the pipes for Friday's matchup with the Bruins. The Moose is looking to stay perfect for the season after amassing a 3-0-0 record with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage. The veteran netminder is in top form, but he will be facing a hot […]

Larry Nance Jr. To Miss Another Game On Friday Night

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (wrist) will not play on Friday against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks. The 28-year-old will miss his third-straight contest while working his way back from a sprained wrist. With Kevin Love (calf) out of the lineup as well, expect Taurean Prince, who had only seven points throughout 28 minutes against […]

Jonathan Schoop Re-Signs With Tigers

The Detroit Tigers re-signed second baseman Jonathan Schoop to a one-year, $4.5 million deal on Friday, according to sources. The 29-year-old hit .278 with eight home runs and a .799 OPS in the shortened 2020 season and will return as the club's primary second baseman in 2021. An All-Star in 2017 with the Orioles when […]

Aron Baynes Likely To Play Against Brooklyn

Toronto Raptors center Aron Baynes (groin) is probable on Friday against the Nets. The 34-year-old has been dealing with the nagging injury, but he should be good to go against a Brooklyn team that has had issues defending underneath the rim. The veteran has played at least 23 minutes in each of his previous four […]

Tap That: Episode #14.5: Kings and Carpenters

Brady Grove hosts the prelims portion for the official RotoBaller MMA podcast, "Tap That", and brings you analysis of each fight and picks for DFS and straight-up wagers. In addition to this podcast, you can catch our team discussing other sports and topics as well. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to […]

Trevor Lawrence To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder), the projected No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, will throw for NFL teams on Feb. 12 instead of taking part in his school's pro day next month. After Feb. 12, he will undergo surgery to fix the labrum in his left (non-throwing shoulder). Doctors are confident that Lawrence […]

Jae Crowder Doubtful For Friday

Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (foot) is listed as doubtful for Friday's game against the Detroit Pistons. He is dealing with right foot soreness, but his X-rays came back clean. It sounds like the team is going to remain cautious here and give Crowder the night off. Dario Saric (ankle) will be sidelined as well […]