There’s no shortage of sports excitement scheduled for today! There's a fascinating MLB matchup. More importantly, the playoffs continue for both the NBA and the NHL. Here are the biggest North American sporting events taking place on Monday, April 20th, 2026.
MLB
Cincinnati Reds @ Tampa Bay Rays at 6:40 p.m. on MLB.TV.
Two of the hottest teams in baseball begin a three-game series tonight when the 14-8 Reds face off with the 12-9 Rays. Tampa is 7-2 in its last nine outings. Meanwhile, Cincinnati is 5-1 in its last six and just swept the Minnesota Twins. As of this writing, Rhett Lowder is expected to be the Reds' starter, but the Rays have not yet announced a starting pitcher for tonight, according to MLB.com. Regardless of who is on the mound, this is a battle between the fourth- and ninth-best teams in baseball based on record, so this will be worth tuning into.
One question that will be answered: Will the Rays' offense (third in the league in batting average, .259) or the Reds' pitching staff (tied for ninth in opponent batting average, .229) prevail tonight?
NHL
Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
Philly came out on top in the first Battle of Pennsylvania with a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh. Evgeni Malkin did his part for the Penguins, with a goal and an assist in Game One, but two goals late in the third period by the Flyers proved to be too much to overcome. Now, the Pens have a chance to get one back tonight and head to Philadelphia with the series tied 1-1. If they come up short once again, then the conversation will go from a potential playoff series victory for Pittsburgh to trying to avoid a sweep.
One question that will be answered: Will the Penguins' Sidney Crosby turn back the clock and make his presence felt tonight?
Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2.
The Canes bullied the Senators in Game One. They had seven more shots and 18 more hits than Ottawa. On top of that, Carolina blanked the Senators for a 2-0 win. It was an ideal time for goalie Frederik Andersen to record his first shutout of the 2025-26 season! With the series headed back to the capital of Canada on Wednesday, the Sens desperately need to steal a win tonight if they want to have a shot at making this series more competitive on their home turf.
One question that will be answered: Will Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and leading scorer Tim Stutzle combine for at least two points in this game?
Minnesota Wild @ Dallas Stars at 9:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
Man, the Wild embarrassed the Stars in Game One. Minnesota torched Dallas for a 6-1 victory that saw Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger allow five goals on 28 shot attempts for a .821 save percentage. That is the tenth-worst mark of his playoff career, which includes 66 postseason starts. If the Wild win tonight, it will mark the first time in franchise history that the team has started a playoff series with a 2-0 lead. The Stars will obviously be trying to avoid another with Stanley Cup aspirations and the third-best record in the NHL this season.
One question that will be answered: Can Jake Oettinger bounce back and hold the Wild to three goals or fewer?
Anaheim Ducks @ Edmonton Oilers at 10:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
Our final Stanley Cup Playoff matchup signifies the beginning of the Round One series between the Ducks and the Oilers. Both groups should be well-rested since they last played on Thursday. The NHL's top point scorer, Connor McDavid, leads the charge for Edmonton. On the other side, this will be the first career playoff start for former number-two overall pick Leo Carlsson as he looks to provide Anaheim with its first postseason victory in nine years, when the Ducks beat the Nashville Predators in Game Four of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoff Western Conference Finals.
One question that will be answered: Can the Oilers' dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combine for at least three points tonight?
NBA
Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Peacock and NBCSN.
The Cavaliers are looking for a 2-0 lead after they thrashed the Raptors in Game One of their playoff series, 126-113. Though Cleveland was ahead 61-54 at halftime of that game, they outscored Toronto by 16 points in the third quarter on their way to a pretty lopsided win. Guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden were excellent in that contest as they combined for 54 points. After losing the battle in the paint 52-36, the Raptors will need to shore up their frontcourt defense if they want to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole.
One question that will be answered: Will Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combine for at least 50 points for a second consecutive game?
Atlanta Hawks @ New York Knicks at 8:00 p.m. EDT on NBC and Peacock.
After a convincing 113-102 victory in Game One, the Knickerbockers host the Hawks with a 2-0 series lead in their sights. Atlanta needs to play more soundly if they want a shot at winning tonight. Losing the turnover battle and shooting 63% from the free-throw line are two ways to ensure your team struggles in the playoffs. The Hawks also want to do a better job of defending the perimeter because the Knicks connected on 48% of their three-pointers in Game One (12 for 25). Meanwhile, the Knicks just need to stay the course and continue to put the ball in the hands of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, who combined for 53 points in Game One.
One question that will be answered: Can Atlanta hold New York below 40% from beyond the arc?
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets at 10:30 p.m. EDT on NBC and Peacock.
Our final must-watch matchup of the evening pits the Timberwolves against the Nuggets for Game Two of their playoff series. After Denver's lead was cut to two points in the fourth quarter of Game One, the Nuggets closed out the night on a 19-10 run for the eventual 116-105 win. Center Nikola Jokic had a 25-point triple-double, while guard Jamal Murray led all players with 30 points on the evening. Both squads did a pretty poor job with three-point shooting after they combined for 21 makes on 70 attempts for a 30% conversion rate from beyond the arc. Minnesota's Anthony Edwards needs to up his performance, too, after he only recorded 22 points in Game One.
One question that will be answered: Will Anthony Edwards score at least 29 points tonight, since he averaged 28.8 points per game during the regular season (third-most in the NBA)?
