Category: NBA

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The Philadelphia 76ers will continue their fight to avoid the play-in tournament as they visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

Washington has suffered more than a few blowout losses recently, and I’m looking for Philadelphia to add to that by covering tonight in my 76ers vs. Wizards predictions.

Read on to see my full analysis of tonight’s matchup in my free NBA picks for Wednesday, April 1.

76ers vs Wizards prediction

76ers vs Wizards best bet: 76ers -14 (-110)

The Washington Wizards are taking full part in the NBA’s race to the bottom this year, as they are currently tied for the league’s worst record at 17-58. Washington has the league’s worst point differential (-11.4), and have gotten even worse as the season has gone along, losing 19 of their last 20 games.

But Washington isn’t just losing, it’s now getting blown out on a regular basis. In five of their last seven games, the Wizards have lost by at least 19 points. Even with massive spreads of 15.5 and 16.5 points, they’ve failed to cover in either of their last two games.

This isn’t completely unexpected, as the Wizards came into the year planning on developing their young talent. But Washington is now even frequently sitting Tre Johnson late in games, as the 19-year-old has been just a little too good for a team looking to claim the best draft position possible.

The Philadelphia 76ers should have little trouble with a Wizards team that is completely uncompetitive right now.

Philadelphia is enjoying a rare moment in which the team is healthy and available, with Paul George back from his suspension and Tyrese Maxey in the lineup after recovering from his finger injury. With Joel Embiid also in the lineup, Wednesday was the first time in two months that Philly’s big three were on the court together.

The talent gap here is massive, and the Sixers have a lot to play for as they fight for playoff position down the stretch. I’m taking Philadelphia to cover even with a big spread on tonight’s game.

76ers vs Wizards same-game parlay

The Sixers should be able to dominate this game, and I like two of their top players to hit props as part of a big win.

Paul George has jumped right back into the lineup since returning from his suspension, averaging 24.3 ppg in his first three games since rejoining the team, so I like him to hit the Over at 19.5 points tonight.

I’m also taking Tyrese Maxey to grab Over 3.5 rebounds, as he’s averaging 4.2 boards per game this season and is coming off two consecutive games where he grabbed seven rebounds.

76ers vs Wizards SGP

• 76ers -13.5
• Paul George Over 19.5 points
• Tyrese Maxey Over 3.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: Raining 3's in DC

We’re truly going beyond the arc for this parlay, as I’m targeting players on both teams to hit the Over on their three-pointer totals. George and Quentin Grimes have each hit their targets in their last two games for Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, I’m banking on both Bilal Coulibaly – who has made at least two shots from deep in five of his last eight games – and Will Riley (1.7 threes per game in the month of March) to hit their Overs for the Wizards as well.

76ers vs Wizards SGP

• Paul George Over 2.5 threes made
• Quentin Grimes Over 1.5 threes made
• Bilal Coulibaly Over 1.5 threes made
• Will Riley Over 1.5 threes made

76ers vs Wizards odds

• Spread: Philadelphia -14.5 (-110) | Washington +14.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Philadelphia -1200 | Washington +750
• Over/Under: Over 238.5 (-110) | Under 238.5 (-110)

76ers vs Wizards betting trend to know

The 76ers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against the Wizards. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Wizards.

How to watch 76ers vs Wizards

76ers vs Wizards latest injuries

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The Cleveland Charge have had a successful season by any measure. They’ve had multiple call-ups and have improved drastically in the standings as they enter the playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 23-13 record after not making the postseason last season.

Those improvements have come with individual accolades. First, Cleveland Cavaliers two-way player Tristan Enaruna has been named the G League’s Most Improved Player. Second, Charge general manager Liron Fanan has been named G League Basketball Executive of the Year.

Enaruna came into the season not on a two-way deal, but earned his way into that spot thanks in large part to his improvement as an outside shooter. Last season, he was a 29.2% outside shooter. This season, he’s converted 37.2% of his outside looks. This has allowed him to average 20.3 points per game, which is nine more points than he averaged last year.

“This award is a huge testament to the daily work Tristan puts in, how intentional he’s been with his development, and the growing confidence he continues to play with,” head coach Eli Kell-Abrams said in a statement released by the team. “We could not be happier for T and we are excited for him to continue to grow during a long and successful career in this game.”

Fanan has done a great job of identifying talent. She’s overseen six callups this season, including three with the Cavs. Additionally, Fanan has put together a good team that competes every night, no matter who’s in and out of the lineup. That’s incredibly difficult to do given how fast things change in the G League.

“Liron’s leadership and tireless work ethic have been instrumental in building the Cleveland Charge roster and establishing a strong development culture across our basketball ecosystem,” Koby Altman, Cavs’ President of Basketball Operations, said in a statement released by the team. “This recognition is well deserved, and we’re incredibly proud of her — not only for this achievement, but also for becoming the first woman to be named NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year.”

The Charge start their playoff pursuit on Wednesday. They host the Capital City Go-Go in the first round of the G League playoffs at 7:30 PM. The first three rounds of the playoffs are single elimination, while the Finals are a best-of-three series.

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Impact player substitute Sameer Rizvi struck a half-century as Delhi Capitals overcame a top-order order collapse and beat Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in its opening game of the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.

Rizvi anchored Delhi to 145-4 in 17.1 overs with an unbeaten 70 off 47 balls after coming in for Thangarasu Natarajan in the fourth over.

Lucknow had earlier collapsed to 141 all in 18.4 overs after Delhi skipper Axar Patel won the toss on a wicket where fast bowlers found plenty of swing with the new ball.

Delhi ran into early trouble in the chase when it collapsed to 26-4 in the fifth over before Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs (39 not out) of South Africa featured in a match-winning 119-run stand.

“Playing at home, you know the conditions and that helped as my state league takes place here,” Rizvi said. “Stubbs said ‘respect the conditions’ (and) once we were set, we knew we could play our natural game.”

Lokesh Rahul got dismissed on Mohammad Shami’s first ball when he holed out at deep point while going for an extravagant inside shot over the cover, and pace bowler Mohsin Khan found the outside edge of Nitish Rana’s bat.

Fast bowler Prince Yadav then picked up the wickets of Sri Lankan Pathum Nissanka, who skied a mistimed pull to diving wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, and clean bowled Patel of the next ball before Rizvi and Stubbs revived the chase.

Rizvi was the aggressor of the two, hitting four sixes and five boundaries while Stubbs’ 32-ball knock featured three fours and a six.

Earlier, Lucknow struggled from the onset against the pace of Mukesh Kumar (0-17) in the power play while Lungi Ngidi (3-27) and Natarajan (3-29) intelligently varied their pace.

Pant promoted himself as an opener but was run-out in the third over when Kumar couldn’t hold onto a sharp return catch of Mitchell Marsh, but the ball deflected onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Pant out of crease.

“Best way to recover from my dismissal is to ignore it as you can’t control it,” Pant said. "The way we batted, we couldn’t get a partnership for long ... there was enough help with the new ball, but you can’t put pressure on the opposition with 140."

Marsh made 35 off 28 before he holed out to mid-off against Kuldeep Yadav’s (2-31) googly in the 10th over. Ngidi, bowling round the wicket, baffled experienced Nicholas Pooran with a dipping slower ball as the West Indian left-hander tried to flick but missed the line completely and was clean bowled for run-a-ball 8.

Abdul Samad charged briefly and top-scored with 36 off 25 balls before falling to Natarajan in the 18th over as Ngidi polished off the tail quickly with two more slower balls to tailenders Anrich Nortje and Khan.

___

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

MIAMI — Jayson Tatum has no shortage of accolades.

He’s a six-time NBA All-Star. He’s been named to the All-NBA First Team four times in the last five years.

He’s won two Olympic gold medals and, famously, an NBA championship.

And, now, for the first time, he’s a finalist for an award that has nothing to do with how talented a basketball player he is: the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award.

It’s the first time in Tatum’s 9-year NBA career that he’s been nominated for the award, which recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to the team.

“It means a lot being recognized for something like that,” Tatum said at Celtics shootaround on Wednesday morning in Miami.

His nomination is a well-deserved one. For months, Tatum was a vital part of nearly every Celtics practice, film session, and game, staying as close to the team as possible during his Achilles tendon recovery.

“Not being able to be out there with the team is already tough enough,” he told CelticsBlog in October. “But still traveling and being with them during meetings and game[s] and practices and shootarounds, still trying to feel as much a part of the team as I can, I think it really helps my mental health a lot.”

Tatum watched the team exceed expectations from the sidelines, hoving near the top of the Eastern Conference all season while having one of the team’s best offenses and defenses. Realizing that the team had become a legitimate championship contender helped make the difficult decision of whether or not he should return this season a little bit easier.

“A lot of it had to do with where the team was at, and never wanting to take moments in a season for granted, just thinking like, ‘Oh, we’ll be good next year,’” Tatum said last week. “It’s like, I’ve been in the league [a long time], I’ve been fortunate to be on a lot of really good teams. And, you never want to take for granted the opportunity to be on the team that’s contending for a championship.”

As such, before he made his regualr season debut on March 6th, he addressed his teammates, thanking them for playing such inspiring basketball all season long.

“I told these guys before I came back that they were a part of this rehab and a motivating factor for me to get back, just being around the team all season and seeing the way that they competed and attacked the season, the togetherness that they played with — I just told them that I wanted to be a part of that,” Tatum said. “And, early on, when I obviously couldn’t practice and stuff like that, and I was rehabbing and working out, that was in the back of my mind — I wanted clearly, to get out of my situation, but just being around the guys this year really helped me. My mindset, my mental still made me feel I was a part of the team. So, that was big for me.”

Joe Mazzulla, who is coaching Tatum for the fourth year, said he’s seen his star player play with a sense of gratitude since his return.

“He came on the other side of this a better person,” Mazzulla said.

Jayson Tatum also found his Player of the Week selection extra special

Tatum won’t know if he’s officially been selected as the NBA’s best teammate for a few more weeks; he’s one of 12 finalists, a list that also includes former Celtics Marcus Smart, Jeff Green, and Jrue Holiday.

But, he did already win a basketball-related award since coming back: Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

The recognition came after he averaged 25.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game last week, while leading the team to three straight victories.

And, while he’s won Player of the Week a whopping 13 times in his career, this one felt extra special.

“It’s probably the most meaningful one I’ve ever had,” Tatum said. “I remember not that long ago, I couldn’t run, I wasn’t able to play 5-on-5. It was a small stepping stone, but I think being injured has made me appreciate every little thing along the way. It was cool to receive that.”

Tatum credited the entire Celtics coaching staff for helping him get to where he is now. He’s been working especially close with longtime assistant coach Tony Dobbins, who spearheaded his on-court rehab, but is often seen on the floor with Da’Sean Butler, Matt Reynolds, and other members of the coaching staff.

“The entire staff has been unbelievable,” Tatum said. “I haven’t been on any other teams, but I feel like we have, if not the best, one of the best staffs, just from an intentionality standpoint. I can honestly say everybody on our staff cares about their role and trying to give their all to make each of us better and better as a unit. So, the staff as a whole has been very helpful to me, kind of getting me back up to speed and helping me out, getting back on the court.”

Tuesday’s game was the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first chance to showcase their probable playoff starting five this season. And if this game was any indication, that group has some work to do. The Los Angeles Lakers completely ran them out of the building, defeating them 127-113 in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the 14-point margin would have you believe.

The starting five of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen looked rough.

The Cavs were outscored by nine points in the 13 minutes the starters played. They were awful defensively (135.7 defensive rating) and weren’t able to make up for those shortcomings on the other end.

The offense felt stagnant with the two bigs. The guards tried to force the ball inside. This worked as Allen had another impressive game, putting up 18 points on 9-11 shooting, but the shrunken floor also led to turnovers. Mitchell and Harden combined for five giveaways, and the Cavs weren’t able to generate clean outside looks.

It didn’t help that Mobley had no offensive impact. He provided just six points on 2-4 shooting.

This wasn’t a situation where the Cavs’ guards weren’t looking to get him involved. Mobley simply couldn’t take advantage of any of the mismatches he created, which was the exact opposite of his strong showing the night before against the Utah Jazz.

Mobley was able to force mismatches by getting either Austin Reaves or Luka Doncic switched on to him. Instead of punishing them right away, he waited for the help defense to rotate over, and often wasn’t able to find the open man on the perimeter. This stalled out the offense reminiscent of the beginning of the season.

The Cavs are a top-heavy team, especially when they’re down three rotation players in Sam Merrill (hamstring), Dean Wade (ankle), and Jaylon Tyson (toe). They can’t afford to have one of their top players be this invisible on offense if they want to match up against an elite opponent.

Along those same lines, the Cavs aren’t going anywhere if Mitchell isn’t aggressive offensively.

Mitchell’s downhill attacking is his best offensive trait. It’s rare to find a guard of his size who can completely change the game with their rim pressure. He forces defenses to overload to his side, which creates openings for his teammates.

However, when that forcefulness isn’t there, there aren’t many avenues for him to create good offense for himself or others. This came through as Mitchell finished the game with a dreadful 100 offensive rating, which tied Mobley for the worst on the team. He supplied just 10 points on 4-10 shooting with six assists.

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Mitchell did come out of the gates strong. He stole the opening tip from Los Angeles, but LeBron James swatted his layup attempt away. That seemed to take the wind out of his sails, as he tried just one more shot at the rim throughout the next three quarters (the starters didn’t play in the fourth) and had just two free-throw attempts.

It’s not worth making too much of a poor performance on the second night of a back-to-back. Mitchell didn’t have it on Tuesday. Games like this happen. However, it is worth underscoring that even after the Harden move, this offense will only be as good as Mitchell makes it. And when he doesn’t bring the energy, things will look stagnant rather quickly.

The Cavs need their starting offense to be great, considering how bad their defense is.

The perimeter defense was once again poor. There’s no physicality at the point of attack. Los Angeles’s guards were able to get downhill whenever they wanted, which allowed them to create open looks for themselves and their teammates.

The Lakers were efficient in the three best places to score: the rim, the free-throw line, and the three ball. Los Angeles completed 75% of their looks inside (72nd percentile), had a free-throw rate in the 82nd percentile, and knocked down 42.9% of their triples before garbage time (80th percentile).

The Cavs just aren’t making it difficult at any level of the defense. This has been seen in recent weeks against subpar offenses. Now, we saw just how easily an elite offense can carve up this bad Cleveland defense.

Without Dean Wade, the Cavs have no answer for opposing wings.

Doncic was able to put up one of the easiest 42-point, 12-assist games you’ll ever see. He benefited from the Cavs experimenting with playing more drop coverage with their bigs. Doncic used the space Ayton created off screens to step into easy pull-up threes. But he also did plenty of damage just by beating his man off-the-dribble and creating from there.

Strus is a solid defender, but he isn’t someone who’s going to make a bigger and stronger player in Doncic work for his baskets. And for as helpful as Keon Ellis has been defensively, he also doesn’t have the size to really affect bigger wings too much. That leaves Wade as your only good wing defender, which is a red flag considering his injury history and offensive shortcomings.

This issue is exaggerated by the poor guard defense. It’s one thing to have to cover for a weak link on that end. Mobley and Allen are more than capable of doing that. It’s another when three players are overmatched on the perimeter.

This is a major concern for a team that will likely be matching up with either the Atlanta Hawks or the Toronto Raptors in the first round. Neither of those teams has a Luka-level scorer, but both have multiple wings that can hurt you offensively. The Cavs simply don’t have a good answer for guys like Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett.

It’s easy to look ahead to a possible second-round matchup. And while the Cavs should still be able to handle whoever they face in the first round, they won’t be able to do so if the defense is this bad. At least not easily.

The De’Andre Hunter trade looks worse by the day. The Cavs have had a massive hole at the wing since LeBron left for LA back in 2018. Trading for Hunter was supposed to solve that issue. And for a time, it did. Hunter was good last regular season and had some positive moments in the playoffs before things fell apart this season.

Moving on from Hunter at the deadline made sense. And there were reasons to like the move for Dennis Schroder and Ellis. The Cavs needed a backup point guard, Ellis was worth taking a flyer on, and the moves saved them money. However, considering how poorly Schroder has played for the last several weeks and the fact that Ellis hasn’t been able to plug any defensive holes on the wing, that trade isn’t exactly aging great either. And Schroder’s roughly $15 million per year contract for the next two seasons (only $4.35 million is guaranteed for 2027-28) is also looking much less appealing.

I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the Cavs shouldn’t have traded Hunter to the Sacramento Kings. Instead, I’ll just point out that the initial Hunter move was a dud. The ramifications of that deal are still being felt. And, this will likely be a bigger issue this summer when the Cavs presumably try to move on from Schroder’s contract to duck under the second apron.

No one has more NBA wins than LeBron. This was the 1,229th victory that James has been a part of in the regular season and playoffs, which breaks the record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It feels appropriate that James did so against his former team.

The longevity that LeBron has displayed is difficult to put into context, and I’m not going to try to do so here. He’s still playing at an incredibly high level, even if it’s in a secondary role (and sometimes tertiary role) for the first time in his career.

I’ll wrap this up on a positive: Allen was once again great. He was the Cavs’ best player and an absolute force offensively.

Allen had his way with Ayton inside. He did a great job of using his strength and footwork to create easy looks in the paint. The two-man game with him and Harden still looks crisp. And, he was able to score several times off feeds from Mobley, which is encouraging considering the concerns about how the Harden-led offense looks with both bigs on the court.

The Cavs are a better team when they’re getting Allen involved early and often. Even though they lost this game convincingly, it’s good to see that this is still a point of emphasis.

The Boston Celtics, who have already clinched a playoff berth, face the Miami Heat, who are aiming to move in the play-in tournament seeding. Boston is the favorite with a moneyline of -220.0.

How to watch Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat

• Date: Wednesday, April 1

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT

• Where: Kaseya Center, Miami

• TV Channels: ESPN, FDSS

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Boston Celtics: 50-25 (No. 1 in Atlantic Division)

• Miami Heat: 40-36 (No. 3 in Eastern Southeast Division)

Odds

• Spread: Miami Heat +5.5

• Moneyline: Miami Heat +180 / Boston Celtics -220

• Over/Under: 228.5

Regardless of how high you are on Luka Dončić’s recent level of play, it’s probably not high enough.

He has been on a historic, generational run. In March, he had a 60-point performance against the Heat and scored 40 or more points on six different occasions, including the final game of the month, where he had 42 in a win over the Cavs.

When you add up the bevy of baskets Luka had in March, he ended up with 600 points in the month. Only 10 players in NBA history have accomplished this feat.

And specifically in March, Luka is looking up only at Michael Jordan for the most points in the month. Dončić scored 600 exactly while MJ had 676 back in the 1986-87 season. Luka also surpassed the late Kobe Bryant for most points by a Laker in March, topping his 2005-06 efforts by just 22 points.

These aren’t just stat-stuffing performances by Luka. The Lakers faced some stiff competition in March, like the Nuggets, Wolves, Rockets, Knicks, Pistons and Cavs. Thanks to his play, the Lakers went 15-2 in March, their best month as a team since the 1999-00 season, when they went 15-1.

On the final day of March, Luka not only scored 42 points, had 12 assists and went a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line, but also, according to Lakers PR, he became the first player in Lakers history to record 40-plus points and 10 assists with zero turnovers.

That level of production, efficiency and error-free basketball is unheard of, and it’s why, regardless of whether he wins MVP or not this season, his efforts should be appreciated by Lakers fans and the NBA at large.

While a month like Luka just had is rare, he’s been a generational talent from the jump. He concluded March with one more milestone: reaching 15,000 career points. Luka is the sixth-fastest player to join the 15k club.

Lakers fans have been blessed to witness plenty of all-time greats, but what Luka did this March was unprecedented.

Even when taking into account that Dončić is just 27, and entering his prime, it’ll be hard for him to ever top the month he just had as a Laker. He deserves all the adulation one can muster to help explain just how good he’s been.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

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One of the many reasons the final six weeks of the NBA season are often disregarded is that teams with differing interests meet in messy schedule spots.

Both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets played last night. This may be a throwaway game for them, and it certainly is for Milwaukee.

My Bucks vs. Rockets predictions and NBA picks focus on the first-half result for Wednesday, April 1.

Bucks vs Rockets prediction

Bucks vs Rockets best bet: Rockets 1H -10 (-110)

With both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back, let’s ignore what could become a second half of absurd lineups and basketball in name only.

Let’s instead trust Houston to take care of business early. The difference between these two trajectories cannot be overstated at the moment. 

The Bucks managed to shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo to better their unwanted tank. They are starting Jericho Sims and Ryan Rollins.

That is not meant as disrespect to either Sims or Rollins; they would be worthwhile rotation players, but they are not starting-quality.

Meanwhile, the Rockets are tied with the Timberwolves, fighting over the No. 5 and 6 seeds in the Western Conference.

The Rockets have the edge at every position against the Bucks. Is Kyle Kuzma really going to slow down Kevin Durant?

Houston will take advantage of Milwaukee’s ambivalence early, and the second half should become an unpredictable exhibition.

Bucks vs Rockets same-game parlay

Durant is going to dominate tonight. While Myles Turner is a quality defender, he will have his hands full with Alperen Sengun.

That leaves too many possessions with Kyle Kuzma guarding one of the greatest scorers of all time. Durant has cleared this scoring prop in six of his last seven games, snagging at least six rebounds in three of those contests.

Bucks vs Rockets SGP

• Rockets 1H -10
• Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points
• Kevin Durant Over 5.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: Garbage-Time Value

As their legs tire heading into the second half, neither the Bucks nor the Rockets should emphasize defense, and a blowout yields opportunity for garbage-time points from the losing team.

All thoughts point to a backdoor cover and an Over providing value later tonight.

Bucks vs Rockets SGP

• Rockets 1H -10
• Bucks +17.5
• Over 217

Bucks vs Rockets odds

• Spread: Bucks +17.5 (-110) | Rockets -17.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Bucks +1000 | Rockets -2000
• Over/Under: Over 217 (-110) | Under 217 (-110)

Bucks vs Rockets betting trend to know

Houston has only covered the spread in 17 of its last 50 games (-19.30 Units / -35% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs. Rockets.

How to watch Bucks vs Rockets

Bucks vs Rockets latest injuries

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After losing the first three games on their road trip, the New York Knicks have declared Wednesday’s game in Memphis a must-win.

While New York has lost to teams that are a combined .643 on the season, coach Mike Brown and Josh Hart have both criticized the team’s effort.

They get a break against a Memphis team that is ravaged by injury and 1-6 in their last seven. That’s why my Knicks vs. Grizzlies predictions and NBA picks call for a Knicks cover on the road on Wednesday, April 1.

Knicks vs Grizzlies prediction

Knicks vs Grizzlies best bet: Knicks -14.5 (-110)

The New York Knicks have won their last six as double-digit favorites and their last eight have been against teams currently .400 or worse. They’ve only covered in about half of those games, however.

There’s a chance the Knicks will get reinforcements in the lineup though. Landry Shamet, who averages 9.6 points and shoots .388 from three, hasn’t played since suffering a knee contusion March 20. The Knicks are just 1-5 ATS since then. He’s practicing with the team, and there’s a good chance he makes his return in Memphis.

The Memphis Grizzlies have struggled. They’ve lost their last six as double-digit dogs and covered just two of those. Memphis is already without seven players with a combined 133 starts this season who are now out for the year. The Grizzlies are depleted.

Josh Hart said the Knicks were “not trending upwards” on the current road trip. The makeshift Memphis roster should help point New York back in the right direction.

Knicks vs Grizzlies same-game parlay

This game will be a clash of styles. New York plays at the sixth-slowest pace in the league, Memphis at the sixth-fastest. The Grizzlies have gone Over in their last three and four of their last five.

The Knicks have been Under on their road trip, but, again, that’s against strong opponents. They’ve gone Over in three of their last four against teams at the bottom of the standings.

If you’re going to call out your teammates, you’d better lead from the front in the next game. Hart has averaged 17.1 in his last six games, scoring double figures in all of them and 13 or more in five of the six.

Knicks vs Grizzlies SGP

• Knicks -14.5
• Over 228 points
• Josh Hart Over 13.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: An ounce of hope for Grizzlies

Memphis is massively shorthanded but still is going to score several dozen points tonight—maybe even 100. They have to come from somewhere. And shopping among the little-known names that the Grizzlies will be playing can yield some real bargains.

Cedric Coward and Cam Spencer’s season assists averages are higher than their prop cutoffs. Coward has 13 in his last four games, Spencer 22 in his last three.

GG Jackson has emerged as one of the team’s top scoring options with everyone else out. He’s shooting .370 from three as a starter and has multiple threes in three of his last five games.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper has 32 rebounds in his last six games and is averaging 4.7 since the start of February. He’s seen his minutes and production increase as injuries on the roster mounted.

Knicks vs Grizzlies SGP

• Cedric Coward Over 2.5 assists
• GG Jackson Over 1.5 made threes
• Olivier-Maxence Prosper Over 4.5 rebounds
• Cam Spencer Over 5.5 assists

Knicks vs Grizzlies odds

• Spread: New York -14.5 (-110) | Memphis +14.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: New York -1100 | Memphis +700
• Over/Under: Over 228 (-110) | Under 228 (-110)

Knicks vs Grizzlies betting trend to know

The Memphis Grizzlies have hit the Team Total Over in 24 of their last 35 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Grizzlies.

How to watch Knicks vs Grizzlies

Knicks vs Grizzlies latest injuries

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The Utah Jazz are hosting the Denver Nuggets for their second-to-last home game of the season.

The Jazz made a pit-stop in Denver last week, pushing the Nuggets to the wire despite playing with a depleted roster. These last few games of the season offer opportunities for Ace Bailey and Cody Williams to continue their late-season growth. Both have played the best basketball of their young careers as of late. These performances bode well for their ability to contribute to a postseason run for Utah next season.

The Nuggets are effectively playing playoff basketball now. Denver is only a couple of games ahead of dropping to the sixth seed, which would cost them home-court advantage in the first-round. Forward Aaron Gordon has been upgraded to probable after missing a number of games because of a calf injury.

Utah’s injury report looks fairly standard for this point of the season:

How to watch

Who: Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz

When: 7:00 PM MT

Where: The Delta Center – Salt Lake City, Utah

How to watch: Jazz+, KJZZ

Tom Izzo has become synonymous with men's college basketball and Michigan State over the course of his three decades in East Lansing and the Big Ten.

So, would he ever leave the Spartans for say an NBA job?

In an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Wednesday, April 1, the Hall of Fame coach said he had discussed taking an NBA job last year to coach the Phoenix Suns, who are owned by his former Michigan State walk-on, Mat Ishbia. No, this is not an April Fool's joke.

"I've had more than a couple of job offers in the NBA, and looked at one last year with Phoenix. You know my former player, Mat Ishbia, and that was hard," Izzo said. "That was a hard thing to turn down because No. 1, I kind of wanted to go with him ..."

Michigan State HC Tom Izzo reveals he was in talks with the Phoenix #Suns:

"I've had more than a couple job offers in the NBA, looked at one last year with Phoenix – my former player Mat Ishbia. That was hard, that was a hard thing to turn down... we talked seriously about it." pic.twitter.com/kjSIJreIWz

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) April 1, 2026

REQUIRED READING: Is Tom Izzo retiring? Michigan State coach has 'some things to accomplish'

Interrupted by Dan Patrick mid-thought and asked whether the Suns offered him the job, Izzo said, "We talked seriously" about the position.

"... And then No. 2, I have been pretty vocal about it, I don't like what's going on in college athletics," Izzo continued with his original thought. "But by the way, neither do 99.98% of the football and basketball coaches in America. And I think the kids are going to still find out before it is done that it isn't best for them either."

The Suns haven't been the only NBA team to express interest in Izzo, who ranks 20th in career wins among Division I men's college basketball coaches (764) and has eight Final Fours and a national championship on his resume. As alluded to in the clip, the Cleveland Cavaliers, owned by another Michigan State alum, Dan Gilbert, expressed interest in Izzo in the past. That interest from the Cavaliers came in 2010.

As noted by the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, The Athletic reported in February that Ishbia had asked Izzo if he was interested in leaving Michigan State for a job in the NBA, but the understanding was that Izzo didn't take it all that seriously.

Izzo just led the Spartans to their 17th career Sweet 16 appearance in his three-decade tenure, where they fell to No. 2 UConn 67-63 despite a valiant second-half comeback. He's led Michigan State to 28 consecutive trips to the Men's NCAA Tournament, which is the NCAA Division I record for most consecutive March Madness appearances.

Whether it be entertaining another NBA job or continuing to coach at Michigan State, the 71-year-old isn't retiring anytime soon, either. He addressed that topic after the Spartans' loss, which extended the program's Final Four drought to seven years.

"... It's sure as hell not going to be now," Izzo said on Friday, March 27. "I've got some things to accomplish."

He added: "I said a couple years ago that I'll find a way to get back there. We've knocked on the door twice. We haven't gotten back. We'll get back."

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The NBA MVP race is heating up, and for 22-year-old Victor Wembanyama, the time is now. My favorite NBA picks for today include backing Wemby against the Golden State Warriors' pitiful frontcourt.

Read on to find out what other NBA player props I'm betting on for Wednesday, April 1. 

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Pascal Siakam	Over 24.5 points	-115
Nikola Jokic	Over 12.5 rebounds	-110
Victor Wembanyama	Over 36.5 points + rebounds	-112

Prop #1: Pascal Siakam Over 24.5 points

-115 at bet365

Both the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers are terrible defensively and play at a fast pace. They're also eliminated from the playoffs and will likely give even less effort on D, which is why the total is set at a whopping 249.

That has me taking the Over 24.5 points for Indiana's leading scorer Pascal Siakam. The All-Star has been dealing with lingering knee pain, but is probable today.

He's fresh off a 30-point performance against Miami and has dropped 25+ points in five of his last nine games. 

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CHSN | FanDuel SN IN

Prop #2: Nikola Jokic Over 12.5 rebounds

-110 at bet365

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is always filling up the stat sheet, but his work on the glass lately has been especially impressive. The Denver Nuggets center has pulled down at least 14 boards in five straight games and is averaging 16.4 rpg over that span. 

Jokic and the Nuggets are fresh off two days of rest and travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz tonight. Since the start of January, Utah is 26th in the NBA in rebounding rate (48.3%) while playing at the second-fastest pace.

That should lead to plenty of rebounding opportunities for Joker. 

• Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ALT2/KTVD | KJZZ-TV

Prop #3: Victor Wembanyama Over 36.5 points + rebounds

-112 at bet365

The MVP race is heating up, and it's become clear San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama wants it. The 7-foot-4 unicorn is coming off a game against Chicago, where he scored 41 points on a season-high 27 shots while adding 16 boards.

Wemby is averaging 28.2 ppg over the last three weeks and has grabbed at least 15 boards in four straight games.

He has a favorable matchup tonight against the Golden State Warriors, who are weak inside with Kristaps Porzingis, Quinton Post, and Al Horford all injured.

• Time: 10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

FIFA appeared to have technical difficulties when it resumed World Cup ticket sales Wednesday after the 48-team field was finalized.

Soccer's governing body did not say which games and price categories were available.

Some people who clicked on what FIFA called its “last-minute sales phase” when sales opened at 11 a.m. EDT were directed into a queue for "PMA late qualifier supporters sales phase," aimed for a segment of fans for the six nations who earned berths on Tuesday.

FIFA appeared to have lengthy waits to purchase tickets, with people who joined the queue at the start still waiting to get through the queue 90 minutes later.

FIFA did not have an explanation for why the link misdirection occurred but said around noon that the links were working properly.

FIFA also said that not all remaining tickets were being put on sale for the 104 games to be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 and that additional tickets will be released on a rolling basis.

This was the fifth phase of ticket sales following a Visa presale draw from Sept. 10-19, an early ticket draw from Oct. 27-31, a random selection draw from Dec. 11 to Jan. 13 and an unscheduled 48-hour availability in late February.

FIFA said this phase, which will remain open through the tournament, marked the first time a specific seat location could be purchased rather than a request for a ticket in a category.

FIFA is using dynamic pricing for the tournament, which will be played in 11 U.S. cities plus three in Mexico and two in Canada.

For the month-long sales phase after the Dec. 5 draw, tickets were priced at $140 to $8,680. After complaints, FIFA said $60 tickets would be made available to each participating national federation for their most loyal supporters, an amount likely to be 400-700 per team for each match.

“The employment of dynamic ticket pricing for the 2026 FWC starkly contrasts with FIFA’s core mission to promote the accessible and inclusive promotion and development of soccer globally,” 69 Democratic members of Congress wrote in a March 10 letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “Despite host cities’ cooperation in bringing the vision of the largest, most global World Cup in history to fruition, the consequences of dynamic pricing will make the 2026 FWC the most financially exclusionary and inaccessible to date.”

FIFA also has its own resale market, collecting 15% from both the buyer and seller.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Congo, the Czech Republic, Iraq, Sweden and Turkey completed the World Cup field. Fans of teams eliminated Tuesday could attempt to resell tickets they already had purchased, nations that include Italy, Poland, Denmark, Jamaica and Bolivia.

Infantino claimed in January that the amount of ticket requests FIFA had received was the equivalent of “the request for 1,000 years of World Cups at once.”

“This is unique,” he said at the time. “It’s incredible.”

It was unclear if many of those requests were for seats in the lowest-price categories.

Fan groups have voiced concern over the soaring costs for resold tickets and one filed a formal complaint to the European Commission last month.

Infantino defended FIFA's cut of resales, saying the governing body was engaged in a legal commercial activity under U.S. law. Some European countries have laws which can restrict resale by requiring tickets to be sold for face value or only by authorized partners of the event organizers.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer