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The NBA picks up where March Madness left off with a whopping 10 games on the schedule to tip of a new week.

That means an endless supply of player props to bet on, and I’ve found my three favorite, including Jalen Johnson bullying the Grizz on the glass, while we double up with Amen Thompson.

Those and more NBA picks for Monday, March 23, below.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Jalen Johnson	Over 10.5 rebounds	+105
Amen Thompson	double-double	+235
Kristaps Porzingis	Over 15.5 points	-115

Prop #1: Jalen Johnson Over 10.5 rebounds

+105 at bet365

Injuries have ravaged the Memphis Grizzlies, which means we’ve been riding with Ty Jerome points props. But books have caught on, so it's time to pivot. 

The Grizz have had no presence on the glass, ranking dead last in rebounding rate and surrendering the second-most opponent rebounds per game since the All-Star game.

So, let’s keep it simple for tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. Jalen Johnson is one of the best rebounders in the NBA, averaging 10.4 per game. 

His rebounding total tonight is 10.5, and he has topped that number in two of his last three games.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FDSN Southeast-Memphis, FDSN Southeast-Atlanta

Prop #2: Amen Thompson double-double

+235 at bet365

The Houston Rockets’ Amen Thompson has been an absolute beast on the boards lately. He’s hauling down a whopping 9.6 rebounds per game over his last 12 games, and I’m betting he keeps that up tonight against the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls are already looking ahead to next season and aren’t showing much defense or effort on the glass. Chicago ranks 21st in rebounding rate and 28th in opponent rebounds per game since the All-Star break.

Thompson has grabbed 10 or more rebounds seven times over these 12 games and in four of his last five, making a double-double at this price a great bet.

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SCHN, CHSN

Prop #3: Kristaps Porzingis Over 15.5 points

-115 at bet365

The Dallas Mavericks might be the only team in the NBA with less interior presence than the Golden State Warriors.

The Mavs are a young roster going through growing pains, but they’ll need to get bigger in the future because they rank dead last in opponent points in the paint.

Luckily for the Dubs, Kristaps Porzingis is expected to return after a minor back injury he suffered vs. the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

Porzingis had scored 17 or more points in three of his four games before that. With a point total of just 15.5, I love the Over.

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock

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.

Tyler Kolek showed out in two different arenas on Sunday.

In G-League duty, he erupted for 42 points — going 9-for-14 from 3-point range — along with 11 assists in the Westchester Knicks’ 141-131 win over the Greensboro Swarm. He was then recalled by the Knicks and bolted for Madison Square Garden, where he was available for the Knicks’ 145-113 rout of the Wizards.

As the blowout grew, the Garden crowd chanted “We want Kolek” during the fourth quarter. And coach Mike Brown eventually obliged. Kolek played the last five minutes and put on a show, scoring 11 points and drilling three 3s.

“That’s an amazing feat,” coach Mike Brown said. “To play in a G-League game in the afternoon and come play in an NBA game, it’s gotta be a weird feeling. But these guys are pro athletes, they do a great job taking care of their bodies and our performance group does a good job with them in that area too. For them to be able to do that, to me, is an amazing thing.

“And then the group came out and I thought they played well. It was fun to see Tyler hit some shots and hear the crowd cheering his name.”

“Tyler Ko-lek, Tyler Ko-lek” chants rang around MSG as a fun exclamation point for an easy Knicks win. Kolek posed with a sign in the Knicks locker room that had 53 written on it after the game, representing his combined point output from the two games.

“It’s tough,” Jalen Brunson said of Kolek. “He was able to play well down there and then came here and continued it. That’s just him being professional, that’s him being himself. We have a lot of guys on this team that are very high character, very good work ethic and he’s one of them.

“That’s just who he is.”

Pacome Dadiet also pulled double duty, scoring 32 points in Westchester before getting some garbage time minutes for the Knicks at night.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

Brown said that Landry Shamet, who missed Sunday’s game due to knee soreness, “banged” his knee during the Knicks’ win over the Nets on Friday. He’s still being evaluated.

With a Knicks win and Celtics loss, the Knicks are now just a ½ game out of the No. 2 seed in the East.

“Honestly, I’m not even looking at the standings,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “I didn’t even know that. I’m just focused on this locker room and this team. We can’t control Boston losing, Detroit losing.”

The Knicks demolished the Wiz Kiz on Sunday, capping a week that has New York just half-a-game behind Boston in the standings.

On top of that, Tyler Kolek made history, scoring 53 points on a single day playing for two professional teams in New York and Westchester.

Here’s the latest from your favorite people in the NBA universe.

Mike Brown

On his preferred playoff rotation depth:

“For me, I like to play 9 or 9.5 guys — 10 if you can. It gets hard because we have guys on our roster willing to play 34 minutes. When you have multiple guys, four or five guys, who are worthy of that, it makes it a little harder to give other guys extended minutes. I’ve felt we’ve tried to do a good job of giving our young guys an opportunity to play and other guys an opportunity to play.”

On keeping rotational players ready:

“Being with Steve Kerr, one of the things they used to do is start someone different every once in a while, someone who might not have played in three or four games. The only rhyme or reason they did it is to let them know that they have to be ready. Your number can be called at anytime. I liked that, but I didn’t go quite that route. I do like the fact that guys can think, ‘Oh, OK. My number can be called at any time, so I have to stay ready.’ It’s not just lip service. It can happen because they saw it happen. I threw Diawara out there a couple of times as a rookie. Doing that keeps guys engaged and on their toes, especially when guys are handling their minutes as professionals, which all of our guys have done.”

On the improved start to the game against Washington:

“We talked about it. Our biggest thing is making our opponent feel us and we did a better job in that area. I thought we did a nice job moving the ball and trying to take the right shots. I thought overall, it was a lot better than what we’ve done in a couple of games.”

On avoiding overreaction to bad game stretches:

“There was a time when we were struggling, I think in the third quarter, coming out of halftime. Two games ago, we were great. Against Indiana, we were great. I’m not gonna lie, I don’t remember who we played before that. Against Golden State, we stunk. I don’t know who we played before that. So you try to prepare your guys and not overreact to struggles that you may have that could be short-term or temporary. So we’re not to a point where I’m gonna try to do something out of the box with the guys. They are a veteran group and like I said, we’ve struggled in other areas throughout the course of the year before. So I’m gonna keep doing what we’re doing and in due time, if we need to change this or change that I’m definitely not opposed to it, as all you guys know, from our players to our staff, I’m not opposed to somebody else saying ‘hey, let’s do this instead of that.’”

On seeding and home-court advantage:

“The higher the seed, the better, mainly because the fans at MSG are awesome and playing in this environment during that time, you couldn’t ask for anything better. But at the end of the day, if we truly believe that we are THAT team, it truly don’t matter where we got to go and who we got to face.”

Jalen Brunson

On playing the Knicks way early against the Wizards:

“I think we came out and we played our style. They had a decent run where they tied the game back up, but after that we got the lead, played well with the lead and didn’t look back after that.”

On Jose Alvarado’s bench energy:

“It helps the team no matter what. You kind of wish he was on the court, because he’s a little bit quieter than on the bench. He does so much for this team on and off the court. It’s constant energy. Kind of regardless of how he’s playing, he always has the energy. That’s a skill, that’s a skill that makes someone last in the league a long time. It’s great to have him.”

Josh Hart

On the comparisons to Andre Iguodala:

“Andre is extremely talented, definitely was a better player in this league than I am. But we can be like an older version of Andre. Older, less athletic, scoring version of Andre. But it’s cool, Andre is someone who is highly respected for everything he’s done for the game. So it was cool.”

On finding pride in doing the dirty work and connecting his teammates:

“I take a lot of pride in it. Especially right now, you just look at numbers and you don’t understand the process of the game. A lot of people think you can just throw five guys in that score X amount of points, and that’s how it’s gonna be. But that’s not always what it is, situations are different. So for me, especially in that starting group, I’m a guy that’s gonna connect the dots, a guy that’s gonna try to be unselfish, get other guys involved, get other guys flowing in good rhythm. I think that gets overlooked, but for me, I take pride in it.”

Mitchell Robinson

On the need to have better starts after the Brooklyn scare:

“We just got to come in ready to go. We can’t take that one like we did this one to start the game. Come out and be prepared to go on Sunday.”

Mikal Bridges

On needing better team starts after escaping the Nets game alive:

“We just got to come out better. That’s pretty much it. We got to be better as a team.”

Jose Alvarado

On the MSG introduction when he started with Brunson out:

“It’s really emotional. If you watched the video of me when they said the starting five and they said me, I pointed to my parents. It’s just something I know where they sit at, I’m always going to look for them and it’s just cool to have them at the game all the time now. New Orleans was pretty tough because they lived out here. So now they can come to every game they want.”

On playing in Brooklyn as a Knick:

“It’s cool. It’s just cool all the time to play with a Knicks jersey on. But obviously playing at Brooklyn, playing against Brooklyn pretty special. Being a kid from down the street, I was raised probably 10 minutes down the street from Barclays Center. It got expensive. My grandma still lives there, my dad’s mom. She lives in the projects right there down the street from Fort Greene. She still lives there. So me and my dad, we go visit. We could walk there. I just remember it being a train station. Obviously, it got developed to a nice city area.”

On not imagining playing for the Knicks:

“I didn’t really think of it like that. I didn’t think none of this. I didn’t think I was going to be playing for the Knicks.”

On energy becoming his NBA skill:

“I didn’t think that growing up. But as I got closer, into college and going into my NBA career, it keeps me in the NBA. That’s one of the reasons I got to the NBA and it separates me from being just in the NBA if that makes sense. I just figured out that’s what God blessed me with, and I’ve just got to do it at a high level.”

On Brunson and Hart teasing him:

“They headaches. They’re good people. They’re great guys. We’ve just got a relationship, they think they can say whatever. But it’s all love and fun. Those guys are great.”

For the Long Island Nets, not much is going right at this moment. With the Brooklyn Nets having the three two-ways, Malachi Smith and the remaining Flatbush 4, Long Island has been left with slim pickings and a four-game losing streak.

However, a stroke of luck did favor them Sunday evening. Despite coming up just short against the Capital City Go-Go in Capital City, the Long Island squad is heading back to the G-League playoffs! A combination of other scores around the league helped the Nets back in.

At the moment, they’ve got the seventh seed in the post-season and would play the second seed, the Greensboro Swarm, in North Carolina likely on March 31. Other than the Finals, all the league playoff matches are single elimination, aka win or go home…

The last time Long Island made it this far came two years ago when they got all the way to the conference finals before losing to the Maine Celtics. The team saw a major turnaround this season with the likes of the Flatbush 5’s Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, and Nolan Traore, and the three Brooklyn two-way stars – Chaney Johnson, EJ Liddell and Tyson Etienne – leading the charge to get them in this spot.

Now, the question is how many of their three two-ways and 10-day Malachi Smith will be available for the post-season. With Brooklyn losing players to injury one after another, will they send any of the four players back? Indeed, Brooklyn has to make a decision Monday on what to do with Smith who’s initial 10-day runs out. If they renew him, he’ll be with the big club through March 31. If they don’t, he would presumably return to Nassau Coliseum.

Sunday’s game was promising building block game for all five of Long Island’s new starters. After going down 46-23 after the first quarter, Long Island entered the fourth quarter down by ten. Long Island tied the game to force overtime but missed all of its shots in the extended session, as it fell to the Go-Go by seven, 127-120.

Leading the way in this one was second-year Long Island player, Trevon Scott. Scott finished having arguably his best shooting game of the season, connecting on 10 of his 16 tries, including shooting 40% from deep, for a total of 22 points. He also had seven rebounds and two assists to go with it. He was one of just three Nets starters to score over 20 points in this game.

The 6’9” 29-year-old has been one of the team’s stalwarts for the entire season working with the Flatbush 5 and other young players and playing in all but one of Long Island’s games, 46 in all. Scott who hasn’t played in the NBA since 2022 and then only two games with the Cavaliers is a basketball vagabond. He’s played in the G League as well as the French, Canadian and Puerto Rican leagues.

Other normally bench players got big minutes with the two-ways and Smith with Brooklyn. Very promising with the playoffs right around the corner.

Hunter Cattoor, 6’3” 25-year-old point guard, put together a career night, finishing with 21 points. He connected on eight of his 14 tries, including going five-for-nine from deep. Cattoor also had six rebounds, four assists, and a game-leading three steals. This may have been Cattoor’s best all-around showing that we’ve ever seen from him.

David Muoka once again got the start at the center position. Muoka flirted with a double-double after he connected on 10 of his 14 tries for 20 points and hauled in nine boards. Since being named a starter, we’ve seen Muoka show a different and more complete side of himself. He also had two steals and a game-leading three blocks, playing the big-man role.

Terry Roberts flirted with a triple-double, numbers we saw him put up quite often at the end of last season when Killian Hayes first got called up to Brooklyn. Roberts finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists. He also had two steals while playing a clean game and finishing with zero turnovers. However, shooting was a bit of an issue for Roberts, as he connected on just four of his 13 tries. including missing both his tries from deep.

Dre Davis was the fifth and final starter for Long Island on Sunday. Davis, the Seton Hall and Ole Miss product was coming off a career-high of 25 points. The 24-year-old 6’6” wing finished with 15 points on Sunday and had four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block but missed all six of his 3-point attempts and turned the ball over four times, the most on the team.

One of the biggest difference makers for Long Island on Sunday came off the bench as Javon Freeman-Liberty once again shined. He finished with 15 points, connecting on four of his eight tries, including shooting 25% from deep. He also forced overtime for Long Island as he connected on both of his tries from the foul line to tie the game at 120 with 15 seconds left. Freeman-Liberty also had four rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Next Up

The Long Island Nets (18-15) return to the court on Tuesday, as they match up with their cross-town rivals, the Westchester Knicks. Long Island looks to get back in the win column after dropping its last four games, with the playoffs quickly approaching. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN+ and the Gotham Sports app.

• Boxscore: Capital City Go-Go 127, Long Island Nets 120 (OT) – G League
• Game Highlights: Capital City Go-Go 127, Long Island Nets 120 (Video) – G League

Creighton men's basketball coach Greg McDermott's legendary career is coming to its close.

Monday, both McDermott and Creighton officials announced his impending retirement after 16 seasons leading the Bluejays program, during which time he became the school's all-time leader in wins.

McDermott will finish this season with the Bluejays, who are in the College Basketball Crown tournament after not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.

Simultaneously with the announcement of McDermott's exit, Creighton announced that coaching veteran Alan Huss will take over the program. Huss had been named head-coach-in-waiting a year ago when he returned to Creighton.

“It has been an incredible honor to lead the Creighton men’s basketball program for the past 16 years,” McDermott said in the school's release. “I’m very proud of the young men that have proudly worn the Bluejay uniform and represented our program in a first-class manner. Witnessing their growth and development on and off the playing floor was especially gratifying. “I’m deeply grateful for the support of my family, our players, coaching staff and support staff, as well as the presidents, athletic directors, and all the University and athletic administrators. The support of the Omaha community consistently packing our arena with 17,000 fans has created many fond memories. While this chapter of my career comes to a close, my love and respect for the Bluejays will never fade. I look forward to the continued success of Bluejay basketball under the leadership of Alan Huss."

Taking over at Creighton in 2010 after four seasons leading the Iowa State program, McDermott had a 23-win debut season for the Bluejays and by Year 2 made the first of three consecutive and 10 overall NCAA Tournament appearances.

Creighton under McDermott five times made the NCAA's Round of 32, as well as three Sweet 16 appearances and one trip to the Elite Eight.

He amassed 365 of his 645 career wins during his time atop Creighton, which is scheduled to play Rutgers in the College Basketball Crown event on April 2.

A former Creighton player in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Huss returned to his alma mater -- where he previously served eight seasons as McDermott's top assistant -- last spring after a three-year run at the helm of the High Point basketball program. Huss also served as an assistant coach at New Mexico and was a head coach in the prep ranks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Greg McDermott stepping down after 16 years at Creighton

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek has parted company with her coach after her shock first round elimination at the Miami Open, she said on Monday.

In a post on Instagram, the world No. 3 announced her split from Wim Fissette, who she had worked with since 2024 and claimed her first Wimbledon title with last year.

Swiatek, who has won six Grand Slam titles, said she'd “decided to take a different path.”

“I’m grateful for his support, experience, and everything we achieved together — including one of my biggest dreams in sport.”

The 24-year-old from Poland was beaten in three sets by world No. 50 Magda Linette in Miami last week. The defeat ended her run of 73 straight opening-round wins on tour.

“Miami was challenging for me. I feel disappointment, bitterness and responsibility for my performance on the court of course,” she said.

Swiatek said the rest of her team would remain unchanged.

“I know there are many questions, but l’ll let you know what’s next at the right time. I’m taking a moment to take care of myself, process this experience, and prepare for a new chapter,” she said.

Fissette has worked with a long list of top players that includes Naomi Osaka, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka.

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In tonight's Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks matchup, all eyes shift to Brandin Podziemski with Stephen Curry still sidelined.

The increased workload has clearly taken a toll, but this is the exact type of spot to buy back in. Dallas doesn’t offer the same defensive resistance Golden State has been dealing with, giving Podziemski a much softer runway offensively.

Our Warriors vs. Mavericks predictions and NBA picks expect a response here — and with volume still on his side, the value points toward Podziemski clearing his scoring number on March 23.

Warriors vs Mavericks prediction

Warriors vs Mavericks best bet: Brandin Podziemski Over 14.5 points (-120)

Brandin Podziemski is mired in a shooting slump, firing at 28.6% the past four games. He’s topped 10 points only once in that span after averaging just shy of 20 points in the first seven games of the month.

A lineup of stingy opponents has worn down the Golden State Warriors guard, with five of the past six contests coming against Top-11 defenses. The Dallas Mavericks, however, are a welcome break. The Mavs are 25th in defensive rating since the All-Star break.

Podziemski is getting the minutes and touches to top his scoring total, and most projections are flirting with 16 points.

Warriors vs Mavericks same-game parlay

Game models have the Warriors winning and covering this short spread.

Podziemski isn’t just playing to secure his spot on this roster going forward, but with one year left on his rookie deal, now is the optimal time to re-sign for bigger money. Before this four-game slump, he scored 16 or more points in 10 of 14 games.

Cooper Flagg is putting the finishing touches on a stellar rookie season. However, he’s stuck in his own shooting skid. The No. 1-overall pick is hitting 42% from the field in his last three games, respectively scoring 21, 17, and 18 points in those outings. Projections have him as low as 18.7 points.

Warriors vs Mavericks SGP

• Warriors -2
• Brandin Podziemski Over 14.5 points
• Cooper Flagg Under 21.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Giving the nod to Pods

Podziemski hasn’t lost the support of head coach Steve Kerr, who is taking a long look at him at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. The Mavericks don’t push back much, and his assist projections are around five dimes.

Warriors vs Mavericks SGP

• Warriors -2
• Over 230.5
• Brandin Podziemski Over 14.5 points
• Brandin Podziemski Over 4.5 assists

Warriors vs Mavericks odds

• Spread: Warriors -2 (-110) | Mavericks +2 (-110)
• Moneyline: Warriors -130 | Mavericks +110
• Over/Under: Over 230.5 (-110) | Under 230.5 (-110)

Warriors vs Mavericks betting trend to know

The Golden State Warriors have gone Over the total in 28 of their last 45 games (+9.30 Units/19% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Mavericks.

How to watch Warriors vs Mavericks

Warriors vs Mavericks latest injuries

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NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP) — Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider will start the season on the injured list because of a strained oblique, the team announced Monday.

Strider had been scheduled to start in Monday's spring training finale against Pittsburgh before being scratched. Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters the team is hopeful Strider will miss only a couple of weeks.

The 27-year-old Strider is aiming to take another step forward now that he's two years removed from right elbow surgery. Strider missed most of 2024 and returned to the majors last year, going 7-14 with a 4.45 ERA in 23 starts.

He went 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in 8 1/3 innings of work in spring training for the Braves as he tries to regain the form he showed in 2023, when the All-Star led the majors with 20 victories and 281 strikeouts.

The injury is the latest setback for Atlanta's pitching staff, which already has seen starters Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep placed on the 60-day injured list following elbow surgery.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The Dallas Mavericks lost another game Saturday night, a 138-131 defeat in overtime to the Los Angeles Clippers. Dallas has lost 11 straight home games and sits at 23-48 on the season.

It’s been this way for most of the season. Dallas hung around in the play-in race for a few weeks, but eventually everyone realized the better path was to try and secure a higher draft position — and they’re doing that well. Dallas’ success in losing has propelled them to the 6th-best odds to secure the No. 1 overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.

This phenomenon is nothing new. Philadelphia fans went through this for years with their “Trust the Process” era and Utah this season has been in total freefall, often sitting out their best players late in games to secure losses. Washington traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis this trade deadline, but was in no rush to put either of them on the floor as they also look to secure premium draft positioning.

The game is the game, and I’m not here to propose a solution for this problem. There are hundreds of articles, podcasts, television clips, and more on the internet that claim to have the answer to the league’s tanking problem, which has now ballooned to nine of the league’s 30 teams actively trying to lose games for the last six weeks of the season.

But at the same time, I can’t sit back and pretend this doesn’t bother me. I’m a diehard Mavericks fan and have been since I was four years old. I’ve watched this team win 67 regular season games just to lose in the first round. I’ve watched Luka Dončić go down swinging in epic fashion in back-to-back heartbreaking losses to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2020 and 2021 — and then I watched this team trade that superstar to one of our most bitter rivals.

This team has put me through hell at times, but this season feels different. Maybe it’s the haze of the post-Luka trade, maybe it’s just a part of getting older, but this has been the hardest season of Mavericks basketball I’ve watched in my lifetime.

Even in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, when the team decided to shut it down towards the end of those seasons to try and improve draft positioning, it was still fun to watch the games. I could lie to myself about a Harrison Barnes masterclass or a Dennis Smith Jr. highlight reel.

Now, I watch the games knowing I’m going to get a few good stretches out of Cooper Flagg and then the rest of the game is filled with guys that probably won’t be here two years from now.

We went from NBA Finals games to draft boards. 20 months ago, we were three wins away from basketball immortality. Now, our biggest day of the year isn’t even a game day, it’s a chance to watch an NBA official draw ping pong balls out of a machine.

And don’t get me wrong, if Dallas can defy the odds again and jump up to No. 1, I’ll be ecstatic — but it won’t make the last year any easier. Sports is supposed to bring a community together, and right now, I feel farther than ever from the MFFL community I’ve come to know and love over the last 20 years, and that sucks.

I still try to watch every game, and I still find myself growing attached to the guys that do go out there every night and give it their all. Naji Marshall has turned into one of my favorite players because I know I’m watching his best every night.

And maybe a few Kyrie Irving games would make this suck a little less — having our best player on the sideline during this stretch has made it feel even more unbearable, but I find myself struggling to find a reason to be excited about this team. The thrill of playoff games at AAC and deep runs at a title have been replaced with studying NBA lottery odds, praying the math gods can bless us again.

I think it’s important to document these things from a fan’s perspective. I love this team, and this article is not meant to disparage the team in any way. The Mavericks are doing the only thing they can do. Struggling to win 36 games just to miss the play-in and have an even worse draft pick would be ridiculous.

I just miss feeling excited about this team. I miss turning on the TV and rooting for wins. Rooting for losses is hard, and it’s made me start watching less games. Maybe a Flagg-Darryn Peterson duo can bring me back. Hell, a Flagg-Kyrie combo will probably pique my interest next year. I’m a sucker for this team, but this season has sucked, and I thought someone should document that perspective of this season. Basketball isn’t supposed to be about strategic losing and ping pong balls; it’s supposed to be about winning, and every season we go through with those objectives flipped is another season we lose fans instead of gaining them.

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The red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder will be looking for yet another victory against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at Xfinity Mobile Arena. 

My Thunder vs. 76ers predictions expect a blowout in favor of OKC, which has dominated Philly in recent memory. 

Read more in my NBA picks for Monday, March 23. 

Thunder vs 76ers prediction

Thunder vs 76ers best bet: Thunder -15.5 (-110)

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the best team in the Association, and a clear favorite to win the championship again. They head into tonight’s contest in the midst of an 11-game winning streak.

The Thunder just covered the 15-point spread in back-to-back games against the Nets and Wizards. They’ve also won by an average of 24.6 points against the Philadelphia 76ers across the last three meetings. 

Philadelphia is still without Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George. OKC ranks in the Top 5 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, meaning a shorthanded Sixers squad doesn't stand a chance to compete. 

Thunder vs 76ers same-game parlay

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.6 points per game, ranking second behind only Luka Doncic. He’s cashed the Over in two of his last three appearances, dropping 40 points in each contest. 

SGA had 27 earlier in the campaign against Philly, and he’s averaging 30.3 PPG in March so far. 

Chet Holmgren went nuclear earlier this season vs. the Sixers, scoring 29 points. He’s hit the Over in points in three of his last four, posting 18 points in Saturday’s blowout win over the Wizards.

Thunder vs 76ers SGP

• Thunder -15.5
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 29.5 points
• Chet Holmgren Over 16.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: The Thunder Rolls

Isaiah Hartenstein is one of the best passing bigs in the league. He’s averaging 3.8 dimes per night, and he’s cashed the Over in two straight, notching 18 assists in that span. 

Jalen Williams returns tonight after nearly a month sidelined due to injury. He will see a smaller workload as OKC eases him back in, but the Santa Clara product is averaging 17.5 points and 5.4 dimes this season. Even with limited minutes, he will still hit the 20 combo.

Thunder vs 76ers SGP

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 29.5 points
• Chet Holmgren Over 16.5 points
• Isaiah Hartenstein Over 3.5 assists
• Jalen Williams Over 19.5 points + assists

Thunder vs 76ers odds

• Spread: Thunder -15.5 (-110) | 76ers +15.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Thunder -1100 | 76ers +700
• Over/Under: Over 225 (-110) | Under 225 (-110)

Thunder vs 76ers betting trend to know

The Oklahoma City Thunder have covered the 1Q Spread in 18 of their last 25 away games (+9.90 Units / 34% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. 76ers.

How to watch Thunder vs 76ers

Thunder vs 76ers latest injuries

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