The West has all the drama. A tight race all season long will come down to the final day, with five games in particular impacting the final standings. Here are the games to watch on the final day of the season, with all four taking place simultaneously at 3:30 p.m. Eastern
Clippers at Warriors
This is the biggest and best game of the day — the winner finishes in the top six, the loser falls into the play-in despite racking up 48 or 49 wins.
Both teams come in hot — the Clippers have won seven in a row, the Warriors are 7-2 in their last nine. Both teams have stars proven in clutch moments — Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler for Golden State, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden for Los Angeles. Both teams are playing great defense and have been in the top six in the league since the All-Star break.
For the Clippers, win and they are at least the No. 5 seed (and could get to No. 4 if Denver loses). For the Warriors, this is about avoiding the Play-In Tournament — win and they are the No. 6 seed, lose and they fall to No. 7 and the play-in. These are both older teams, so the week off that comes with a top-six seed matters — old guys need their rest.
The Clippers are 3-0 in the season series so far.
One thought: If the Warriors lose and fall to No. 7, then win the first play-in game (at home against Memphis), they avoid LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Lakers in the first round and instead get the young, athletic but untested Rockets. Golden State might prefer Houston, but not at the price of falling into the play-in.
Nuggets at Rockets
Houston has nothing to play for, they are locked in as the No. 2 seed and are expected to rest key players for this one.
Denver has everything to play for: Win and they are the No. 4 seed, with a week off of rest and then home court in the first round. Lose and they could fall all the way to the No. 7 seed (if the Nuggets lose, they need the Clippers to beat the Warriors, do that and Denver falls no further than No. 6, avoiding the play-in).
Expect Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and company to bring it on a day they know they are playing for a week off.
Utah at Minnesota
Minnesota needs the win and will go with their best players — including Anthony Edwards, who had a technical rescinded from his last game, so he will not be suspended. Utah has been tanking since roughly October and will roll out a borderline G-League lineup for this game.
The Timberwolves should win this game comfortably — do that and they will jump over the loser of the Clippers/Warriors game into a top-six seed (fifth or sixth, depending on other games). There is even a slim chance the Timberwolves get to No. 4 if the Clippers and Nuggets lose. Win and avoid the play-in and get a week off, which is plenty of motivation to take this game seriously.
Mavericks at Grizzlies
Both teams are headed to the Play-In Tournament, but seeding is on the line in this game.
For Memphis, win and there is a slim chance it can move up to the No. 7 seed and host the first-round, but it needs Minnesota to lose to Utah (hence the slim chance).
For Dallas, a win combined with a Phoenix win over Sacramento, and the Mavericks jump to the No. 9 seed and host the first play-in round. The problem with that scenario is the combination of the words “Phoenix” and “win” in the same sentence.
Both teams in this game will be scoreboard watching and could get very motivated if an upset is brewing elsewhere.
Phoenix at Sacramento
It’s simple for Sacramento: Win and it is the No. 9 seed, and the Kings host the first round of the Play-In Tournament. Lose and they run the risk of falling to No. 10 if Dallas beats Memphis.
Phoenix has nothing to play for. The problem for the Suns is that they played like they had nothing to play for all season long.
With just one game separating the Knicks from a first-round meeting with the Detroit Pistons, there’s little time left to improve or innovate on the season. The last 81 games have served as all the preparation they’re going to get before a grueling postseason run through an improved East.
But despite the season nearly being over, plenty of questions remain about this squad, which are sure to be answered in due time. Here are three of the biggest ones as we enter the playoffs.
Can the Knicks shut down the East’s elite?
SNY’s Ian Begley wrote that Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby must step up defensively in the playoffs after struggling against the East’s best all season. New York will get an early test when they take on Cade Cunningham in the first round.
The former No. 1 overall pick has terrorized the Knicks this season to the tune of 30.8 points, five rebounds, and 8.3 assists on 56.3 percent shooting from the field and 52 percent from three. Shutting his offense down would cut the head off the snake for the Pistons, and all but ensure a first-round series victory.
But the defensive questions extend beyond the two wings, as teams will undoubtedly attack New York’s weak points -- Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The two will need to play the best defense of their respective seasons if the Knicks want to make it to a Conference Finals.
The Knicks were average to below average defensively for most of the season until Mitchell Robinson’s return -- it’s possible we see more of him in the playoffs. And if something isn’t working, will head coach Tom Thibodeau be able to adjust?
Will the Knicks make major adjustments?
Fans have long bemoaned the lack of experimentation by Thibodeau, who can stay locked into schemes and rotations long after they’ve done their damage. He believes in making a change only after his team is executing and still falling short, but the postseason doesn’t leave much room for error.
If New York falls behind in a series, will Thibodeau actually throw in a major shake up? Would he start Robinson with Towns, or bench Josh Hart for a shooter, after spending so few regular season minutes playing with these concepts?
He’s proven himself a capable tactician in the past two playoffs, with injuries cratering New York’s chances last year. But with a team that’s likely going to have to forge an identity through this postseason instead of coming in with an established one, he needs to be ready to make big moves before it’s too late.
What is the Knicks identity?
This isn’t the question you normally ask of a contending team going into the playoffs, which isn’t a good sign for the Knicks' chances. Unfortunately they’ve yet to settle on a cohesive or coherent gameplan other than score more points than the other team.
Look back on last year’s team, which knew exactly how it wanted to win games: defend physically, dominate the glass and keep pace and turnovers down to win the possession game, and run the offense through its core engines -- Brunson and Julius Randle, then Isaiah Hartenstein. What does this year’s team want to do?
Early on it seemed clear, blitz teams with their high-passing, high-movement and high-scoring offense, scrapping enough on the other end to give themselves the edge. But the offense devolved into hero ball and low assist rates as the year progressed.
New York regained some of its defensive identity when Robinson returned and Brunson got hurt, but haven’t looked connected in recent games.
The good news is plenty of teams have looked messy in the regular season and even the early parts of the playoffs and figured it out on their way. The 2021 Milwaukee Bucks were a shoe size from firing their coach and ended up winning the championship.
So no matter how many questions are open about these Knicks, they’ll soon find answers in the playoffs. For better or worse, we’re about to discover what this team is.
It’s Sunday, April 13, and the Orlando Magic (41-40) and Atlanta Hawks (39-42) are all set to square off from State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The Magic are currently 19-21 on the road with a point differential of 0, while the Hawks have a 7-3 record in their last ten games at home. Orlando is 2-1 against Atlanta this season and won the most recent matchup, 119-114.
Atlanta and Orlando are locked into the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds of the Eastern Conference, so the two will play on Tuesday night in Orlando. The winner of that game will be the No. 7 seed and play the Celtics in the first round, while the loser will have to play the winner of the No. 9 and No. 10 seed matchup (Chicago/Miami) to see who plays the Cavaliers.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Magic vs. Hawks live today
Date: Sunday, April 13, 2025
Time: 1:00PM EST
Site: State Farm Arena
City: Atlanta, GA
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-dayNBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Magic vs. Hawks
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Magic (+105), Hawks (-125)
Spread: Hawks -1.5
Over/Under: 218 points
That gives the Magic an implied team point total of 108.63, and the Hawks 109.42.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Magic vs. Hawks game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Under:
"Both teams are locked into meeting each other in the play-in tournament, so I have to lean the Under here. These teams met a little over a week ago and combined for 231 points and now that they know they are playing each other, I'd expect neither side to want to show their cards much or tire out the starters. It's under or pass."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Magic & Hawks game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Orlando Magic at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 218.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Magic vs. Hawks on Sunday
The Magic have won their last 7 matchups against divisional opponents
The Magic's last 3 road trips to the Hawks have stayed under the Total
The Magic have covered the Spread in 4 of their last 5 matchups against Eastern Conference Southeast Division opponents
The Magic are 18-21 on the road this season but have won their last 5 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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It’s Sunday, April 13, and the Charlotte Hornets (19-62) and Boston Celtics (60-21) are all set to square off from TD Garden in Boston.
The Hornets are currently 7-33 on the road with a point differential of -9, while the Celtics have an 8-2 record in their last ten games at home. Boston is 3-0 against Charlotte this season with double-digit wins in every meeting.
Boston is firmly in the second seed of the East, while Charlotte holds the second-worst record in the East and the third-worst overall record. Neither team will play its starters for the full amount of minutes and a win or loss doesn't impact either team.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Hornets vs. Celtics live today
Date: Sunday, April 13, 2025
Time: 1:00PM EST
Site: TD Garden
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Hornets vs. Celtics
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Hornets (+569), Celtics (-840)
Spread: Celtics -13
Over/Under: 213 points
That gives the Hornets an implied team point total of 105.53, and the Celtics 112.31.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Hornets vs. Celtics game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Hornets to cover:
"Boston just destroyed Charlotte 130-94 thanks to a massive second half, but I don't see that happening again. All three Celtics wins came by double-digits and after that 36-point win, the spread for this game has moved down. There's no incentive for either side, so I lean Charlotte to cover."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Hornets & Celtics game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Charlotte Hornets at +13.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 213.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Hornets vs. Celtics on Sunday
The Celtics have won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with losing records
The Celtics' last 3 home games versus the Hornets have gone over the Total
The Celtics have covered the Spread in their last 3 home matchups with the Hornets
The Celtics have won 8 of their last 10 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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It’s Sunday, April 13, and the New York Knicks (50-31) and Brooklyn Nets (26-55) are all set to square off from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Knicks are currently 23-17 on the road with a point differential of 4, while the Nets have a 3-7 record in their last ten games at home. New York is 3-0 against Brooklyn this season with wins of 2, 4, and 8 points.
New York is solidified as the No. 3 seed, so they have nothing to play for ahead of this matchup. It's the same case for the Nets who own the fourth-worst record in the East.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Knicks vs. Nets live today
Date: Sunday, April 13, 2025
Time: 1:00PM EST
Site: Barclays Center
City: Brooklyn, NY
Network/Streaming: WLNY
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Knicks vs. Nets
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Knicks (-339), Nets (+269)
Spread: Knicks -8
Over/Under: 213 points
That gives the Knicks an implied team point total of 109.59, and the Nets 105.42.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Knicks vs. Nets game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Nets to cover
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Knicks & Nets game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Knicks on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Knicks at -8.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 213.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Knicks vs. Nets on Sunday
The Knicks are on a 3-game win streak at the Nets
The Nets' last 3 games at home versus the Knicks have stayed under the Total
The Knicks have failed to cover in 22 of their 40 road games this season
The Knicks are on a 3-game win streak at the Nets
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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It’s Sunday, April 13, and the Indiana Pacers (49-32) and Cleveland Cavaliers (63-17) are all set to square off from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
The Pacers are currently 19-20 on the road with a point differential of 2, while the Cavaliers have an 8-2 record in their last ten games at home. Indiana beat Cleveland two games ago, 114-112 and the Pacers own the season series 2-1.
Cleveland is locked into the No. 1 seed, so they will be resting a majority of starters, if not all, while Indiana is soldidly in the No. 4 seed. Indiana tanked the last outing against Orlando to avoid being the No. 3 seed and seeing Boston in the second round, something they will likely do here too.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Pacers vs. Cavaliers live today
Date: Sunday, April 13, 2025
Time: 1:00PM EST
Site: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
City: Cleveland, OH
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Pacers vs. Cavaliers
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Pacers (-188), Cavaliers (+156)
Spread: Pacers -4.5
Over/Under: 227 points
That gives the Pacers an implied team point total of 114.97, and the Cavaliers 112.62.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Pacers vs. Cavaliers game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Cavaliers to cover:
"Indiana's entire gameplan was to get the No. 4 seed to have the home edge over the No. 5 seed and avoid No. 2 Boston in the second round. That has worked to perfection and it was evident in the previous contest versus Orlando. I don't expect Indiana to take this game seriously, while Cleveland can allow their bench players to get some extra shots up in preparation for the postseason. It's Cavs or pass for me."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Pacers & Cavaliers game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Indiana Pacers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Indiana Pacers at -4.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 227.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Pacers vs. Cavaliers on Sunday
The Pacers have won 6 straight matchups against Eastern Conference teams
The Pacers' last 5 road games have gone over the Total
The Cavaliers have covered in 48 of their 80 games this season
The Pacers have won 6 straight matchups against Eastern Conference teams
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
It’s Sunday, April 13, and the Detroit Pistons (44-37) and Milwaukee Bucks (47-34) are all set to square off from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
The Pistons are currently 22-18 on the road with a point differential of 2, while the Bucks have a 5-5 record in their last ten games at home. These squads just met on Friday and Milwaukee won 125-119 to extend the season series to 3-0 in favor of the Bucks.
Both teams are firmly locked into the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds, so there will be no chance the starters play full minutes, or at all in this contest. The Pistons will face the Knicks in the No. 3 versus No. 6 matchup, while Milwaukee and Indiana meet for the No. 4 versus No. 5 series.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Pistons vs. Bucks live today
Date: Sunday, April 13, 2025
Time: 1:00PM EST
Site: Fiserv Forum
City: Milwaukee, WI
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Pistons vs. Bucks
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Pistons (-282), Bucks (+229)
Spread: Pistons -6.5
Over/Under: 224 points
That gives the Pistons an implied team point total of 114.4, and the Bucks 111.01.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Pistons vs. Bucks game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Under in this matchup:
"Neither team has anything to play for and their matchups, plus betting odds are already set for Game 1 of the first round. This will be an Under or pass as the motivation won't be there for much of anybody. The underdog is likely a good bet in all the games today that don't have playoff seeding involved."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Pistons & Bucks game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Detroit Pistons on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Detroit Pistons at -6.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 224.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Pistons vs. Bucks on Sunday
The Bucks have won 3 straight home games
Each of the Bucks' last 3 home games against the Pistons have gone over the Total
The Bucks are 23-18 ATS at home this season
The Bucks have won 4 of their last 5 games at home against divisional opponents
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
It’s Sunday, April 13, and the Chicago Bulls (38-43) and Philadelphia 76ers (24-57) are all set to square off from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
The Bulls are currently 20-20 on the road with a point differential of -2, while the 76ers have a 2-8 record in their last ten games at home. Chicago is 5-1 over the last six games compared to Philly who is 1-13 over the last 14. Philadelphia is 2-1 against Chicago this season but lost by 32 points in the previous meeting.
Chicago's head coach Billy Donovan said he expects his starters to play full minutes here, but I highly doubt that since Chicago is locked into the No. 9 seed. Philadelphia has the third-worst record in the East and fifth-worst record overall, so there's no incentive to win or lose, just pride on the line in the final home game of the year.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Bulls vs. 76ers live today
Date: Sunday, April 13, 2025
Time: 1:00PM EST
Site: Wells Fargo Center
City: Philadelphia, PA
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Bulls vs. 76ers
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Bulls (-472), 76ers (+361)
Spread: Bulls -10
Over/Under: 232 points
That gives the Bulls an implied team point total of 120.13, and the 76ers 114.92.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Bulls vs. 76ers game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Bulls to cover in the first half:
"Whether or not Chicago does play its starters full minutes, the first half would be the better way to back them, but after that, I would solely look at the 76ers to win or cover this game. There is no incentive to win for Chicago as they are locked into the No. 9 seed and unable to move up or down due to tiebreakers. If the starters do play, the first half is the best angle, but the 76ers could be good value to live bet."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Bulls & 76ers game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Chicago Bulls on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago Bulls at -10.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 232.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Bulls vs. 76ers on Sunday
The Bulls have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against Eastern Conference Atlantic Division teams
The Bulls' last 3 games have gone over the Total
The 76ers are 1-4 against the spread in their last 5 games at home
The Bulls have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against Eastern Conference Atlantic Division teams
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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SAN FRANCISCO –The stakes will be high Sunday afternoon when the Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers meet. The incentives are similar and there is a deep mutual familiarity. Yet it’s the nascent unfamiliarity that could prove pivotal.
This is the first time since Dec. 2023, 16 months, that the Warriors will face LA star Kawhi Leonard. This is the first time ever that the Clippers will see Jimmy Butler III as a Warrior.
Each of the two veterans hope to be the difference for his team when the ball goes up at Chase Center. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins with “Warriors Pregame Live” at 11:30 p.m. PT, with tipoff scheduled for 12:30.
“It should be a Game 7 type of vibe,” Stephen Curry says.
Oh, it will be. It is circumstances such as these that led the Warriors to acquire Butler at the Feb. 6 trade deadline. If “Playoff Jimmy” still is a thing, this would be a good time to see it.
The sixth-place Warriors (48-33) are chasing victory because it would lock down the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and a guaranteed playoff berth. A loss would drop them to seventh place and into the play-in tournament. The fifth-place Clippers (49-32) would finish no lower than fifth if they win, but could tumble as low as seventh if they lose.
The Warriors are 0-3 against the Clippers this season, and injury maintenance kept Leonard inactive for all three games. He has been a regular presence since midseason. He has played in 13 of LA’s last 15 games, averaging 25.8 points per game on 54-percent shooting from the field, including 49.2 percent from deep. Leonard is relatively new to Golden State, but he is back to playing at All-Star level.
All three of LA’s wins over Golden State came when Butler was a member of the Miami Heat. The Clippers have not faced Butler at all this season.
“They beat us three times this year,” Draymond Green concedes, “but we’re a new team.”
The Warriors were 25-26 before Butler made his debut, but since have posted a 23-7 record – 23-6 in games including Butler. He is averaging 17.5 points per game, shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 87.8 percent from the line, adding 5.8 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
Can the addition of Butler bring an end to LA’s bullying of the Warriors?
Is Leonard’s availability enough to overcome the progress of the “new” Warriors?
The veteran forwards will see plenty of each other in the regular-season finale, and whoever has the superior individual game puts his team in position to win.
The Warriors on Sunday converted Braxton Key from his two-way contract to a standard NBA contract, filling Golden State’s 15th and final roster spot, the team announced.
His signing makes him eligible for the playoff roster.
The Warriors did weigh options outside of the organization before landing on Key.
Key, 28, is a 6-foot-8 center/power forward who has played 36 games in the NBA over the past four seasons. But it was his dominant play in the G League this season between the Santa Cruz Warriors and San Diego Clippers that impressed many inside Golden State, earning some high praise along the way.
“This dude’s the best player we’ve seen in the G League this year,” Santa Cruz coach Nicholas Kerr said ahead of the Sea Dubs’ game at Chase Center on March 9. “He’s a monster defender. He can get to the rim, and he’s made shots for us so far. You can tell that he’s a gamer, too.”
Kerr’s assessment is full of compliments celebrating a player who was both great for him, and great against him this past season.
It’s what he said next that surprised Key later that day.
“Maybe it’s unfair to Draymond [Green] to compare the two, because Draymond’s a four-time champion and future Hall of Famer – Braxton has some Draymond qualities,” Kerr said.
During halftime of the Warriors’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Green was given his award for being March’s Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month. Key also was honored at halftime that same night by the same person at center court for being the G League’s Defensive Player of the Year. Key became the third player in Santa Cruz history to win the award, joining Aaron Craft and Stefhon Hannah.
“That’s nice,” a smiling Key first said back on March 9 when told of Kerr comparing him to Green.
“I mean, that’s a Hall of Famer, Key continued. “That’s a four-time champ, that’s a Defensive Player of the Year – that’s a lot. That’s big shoes to fill. I’m definitely watching him a lot. I see myself in him for sure. Just the way he plays, and then obviously the selflessness and what he does for the team. Defensively, he’s a beast.”
Key’s locker is directly next to Green’s. It’s not the skill of the fellow small-ball center who is the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner that stood out most to Key when they first shared the court, but his voice.
“The first thing I noticed yesterday at walkthrough was Draymond was talking during the film, saying ‘Let’s do this on that play, or let’s do that on that play’ against the Pistons,” Key said. “Just seeing him be vocal and all that was definitely … it’s not surprising.
“You always hear that about him, but it woke me up.”
In four games against Santa Cruz this season when he was playing for the Clippers’ G League affiliate, Key averaged 19.3 points on 70.5-percent shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocked shots. Then the Warriors swooped him up from San Diego the same day they converted Pat Spencer to an NBA contract on March 5, signing Key to a two-way contract. Key made an immediate impact with Santa Cruz.
That same day, Key scored 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting in his Santa Cruz debut while also having 13 rebounds, one assist, three steals and a block. Key in 11 games with Santa Cruz averaged 22.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He shot 55.4 percent from the field and 45.2 on threes. Between San Diego and Santa Cruz, Key played 33 games in the G League this season and averaged 18.4 points – on 50.5-percent shooting – 9.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
His 130 steals didn’t just lead the G League. They’re the third-most ever for a season in G League history.
When Santa Cruz played the Mexico City Capitanes at Chase Center, in which Golden State head coach Steve Kerr was in attendance, Key scored 19 points (9-of-13 shooting) and added eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. The Warriors coach took notice, too.
“Braxton looks like a real NBA defender,” he said the next day. “He’s quick and athletic, and I think he’s another guy who could step in and play some minutes for us if needed.”
Key has appeared in three games for the Warriors, playing a total of 11 minutes. Fittingly, Key swiped two steals against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the last six minutes and 43 seconds of the Warriors’ blowout win.
The Warriors on Sunday converted Braxton Key from his two-way contract to a standard NBA contract, filling Golden State’s 15th and final roster spot, sources told NBC Sports Bay Area.
His signing makes him eligible for the playoff roster.
The Warriors did weigh options outside of the organization before landing on Key.
Key, 28, is a 6-foot-8 center/power forward who has played 36 games in the NBA over the past four seasons. But it was his dominant play in the G League this season between the Santa Cruz Warriors and San Diego Clippers that impressed many inside Golden State, earning some high praise along the way.
“This dude’s the best player we’ve seen in the G League this year,” Santa Cruz coach Nicholas Kerr said ahead of the Sea Dubs’ game at Chase Center on March 9. “He’s a monster defender. He can get to the rim, and he’s made shots for us so far. You can tell that he’s a gamer, too.”
Kerr’s assessment is full of compliments celebrating a player who was both great for him, and great against him this past season.
It’s what he said next that surprised Key later that day.
“Maybe it’s unfair to Draymond [Green] to compare the two, because Draymond’s a four-time champion and future Hall of Famer – Braxton has some Draymond qualities,” Kerr said.
During halftime of the Warriors’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Green was given his award for being March’s Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month. Key also was honored at halftime that same night by the same person at center court for being the G League’s Defensive Player of the Year. Key became the third player in Santa Cruz history to win the award, joining Aaron Craft and Stefhon Hannah.
“That’s nice,” a smiling Key first said back on March 9 when told of Kerr comparing him to Green.
“I mean, that’s a Hall of Famer, Key continued. “That’s a four-time champ, that’s a Defensive Player of the Year – that’s a lot. That’s big shoes to fill. I’m definitely watching him a lot. I see myself in him for sure. Just the way he plays, and then obviously the selflessness and what he does for the team. Defensively, he’s a beast.”
Key’s locker is directly next to Green’s. It’s not the skill of the fellow small-ball center who is the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner that stood out most to Key when they first shared the court, but his voice.
“The first thing I noticed yesterday at walkthrough was Draymond was talking during the film, saying ‘Let’s do this on that play, or let’s do that on that play’ against the Pistons,” Key said. “Just seeing him be vocal and all that was definitely … it’s not surprising.
“You always hear that about him, but it woke me up.”
In four games against Santa Cruz this season when he was playing for the Clippers’ G League affiliate, Key averaged 19.3 points on 70.5-percent shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocked shots. Then the Warriors swooped him up from San Diego the same day they converted Pat Spencer to an NBA contract on March 5, signing Key to a two-way contract. Key made an immediate impact with Santa Cruz.
That same day, Key scored 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting in his Santa Cruz debut while also having 13 rebounds, one assist, three steals and a block. Key in 11 games with Santa Cruz averaged 22.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He shot 55.4 percent from the field and 45.2 on threes. Between San Diego and Santa Cruz, Key played 33 games in the G League this season and averaged 18.4 points – on 50.5-percent shooting – 9.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
His 130 steals didn’t just lead the G League. They’re the third-most ever for a season in G League history.
When Santa Cruz played the Mexico City Capitanes at Chase Center, in which Golden State head coach Steve Kerr was in attendance, Key scored 19 points (9-of-13 shooting) and added eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. The Warriors coach took notice, too.
“Braxton looks like a real NBA defender,” he said the next day. “He’s quick and athletic, and I think he’s another guy who could step in and play some minutes for us if needed.”
Key has appeared in three games for the Warriors, playing a total of 11 minutes. Fittingly, Key swiped two steals against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the last six minutes and 43 seconds of the Warriors’ blowout win.
Robert Goddin/USA TODAY Images Perhaps USC's biggest deficiency last season was a lack of size in the frontcourt. Well, the Trojans have certainly addressed that.USC added a commitment from 7-foot-3 Youngstown State transfer Gabe Dynes on Saturday.
Thank you for turning down $70 million from the Lakers to stay at UConn. Thank you for walking away from Hollywood to hang out in Storrs. Thank you for doing the unthinkable to a team desperate for the impossible.
Thank you for the rejection, because it was the beginning of a rebirth.
Lakers coach JJ Redick, talking with guards Luka Doncic and Gabe Vincent, has been able to get stars and role players to accept his and the coaching staff's plan for the team. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Trade of the year.
Can everyone now admit that hiring JJ Redick instead of Hurley last summer has been the most important development in transforming an ordinary team into a potential champion?
Acquiring Luke Doncic was great, but it is Redick who has seamlessly integrated him into the offense.
The renewed inspiration of LeBron James has been impressive, but it’s been based on respect for Redick’s voice and his vision.
With disarming honesty, unrelenting passion and unvarnished empathy, Redick has guided the Lakers through early-season embarrassments, bonded them through midseason roster changes and now has raised their intensity just in time for a deep spring run.
“As a team, I feel like we can win a championship, to be honest with you,” said Reaves after the Lakers’ third-seed-clinching win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. “The reason of that is, I know that everybody in the locker room believes that and has also bought into whatever your role is to help us do that.”
That belief comes from coaching, from Redick down through his top assistants, Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan, a powerful veteran braintrust that smartly and constantly connects.
“That’s why I give this coaching staff a lot of credit,” said Reaves. “They come in, they planted their system and they held guys accountable to what they asked them to do and everybody bought into that.”
The head of sales is, of course, Redick, this group curated with his cool mix of brains and humanity that has turned a team into something more closely resembling a family.
He has cried, he has scowled, he has scolded and he has unconditionally supported, and that’s just in the news conferences.
He has, honestly, made more of an impact in one season of coaching than in 15 years in uniform. On Friday I had to ask him, was coaching actually more rewarding than playing?
Lakers coach JJ Redick recounts that he and his family lost their rental house in the deadly Palisades fire during a news conference at the team's training facility on Jan. 10. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
“Yes” he quickly said.
“Why?” I asked.
“So I’ve been trying to figure that out for the last six months, I'm not sure,” he said. “But I will say, I think anybody that was around me as a player knows how much I enjoyed the job every day and knows how grateful I was to be in the NBA every day and very grateful to have a 15-year career. I like this more.”
So the flashy former scorer has more fun guiding players than shooting over them, and who knew?
Not me. While I’m now praising him as a great hire, I must acknowledge that I was once among the loudest to fight it.
When the offer was made to Hurley to replace the fired Darvin Ham last spring, I loved the idea. I loved Hurley. I pictured the two-time NCAA defending champion lighting a fire, changing the culture, bringing his East Coast toughness to the soft confines of El Segundo.
Redick was the only other serious candidate at the time, and that I didn’t love. He had never coached anywhere beyond youth league, he had never won a championship as a sharpshooter, and he was currently best known as a TV analyst and the co-host of a podcast with LeBron James. He wasn’t qualified beyond being LeBron’s buddy, and hiring him would be a mistake that would set the franchise up for more wasted years.
I was ready to welcome Hurley, writing, “No brainer. No question. No more looking. If the Lakers really think they can get him, they need to go get him.”
Then in the early days of June, Hurley stunningly turned them down, convinced by his wife, Andrea, to stay on the East Coast and pushed by his fighter’s instinct to attempt a UConn three-peat.
A couple of weeks later, the Lakers hired Redick, and most of the basketball world shuddered.
“So now it’s painfully clear that JJ doesn’t stand for Just Joking,” I wrote at the time. “So now this is real. Real unusual. Real unsettling. Real unfortunate.”
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers general manager, saw it differently
“It was just really important to us as we made this hire to find a head coach that could sit across the table from some of the smartest and best players in the world,” Pelinka said at the time. “This is the stage for those players to be able to relate to, coach, hold them accountable, lead them, inspire them. And we felt like JJ was very unique in holding all those qualities to do that.”
JJ Redick, right, laughs as Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka addresses the media during a news conference to introduce Redick as the new Lakers coach. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
It turns out, and not for the first time with this unusually special team, Pelinka was right and I was wrong.
First, this season Hurley was a walking distraction at UConn, his angry sideline antics constantly grabbing the headlines and making one wonder how long would he have lasted with the Lakers before completely melting down?
Meanwhile, Redick was immediately establishing himself here with basketball smarts and superstar relatability. Barely a month into the season, he aced his first test after the Lakers endured a two-game stretch of horrible performances, getting blown out in Minnesota and Miami, the latter a 41-point loss.
“I'm embarrassed; we're all embarrassed,” he said after the Heat defeat. “It's not a game that I thought we had the right fight, the right professionalism. … There has to be some ownership on the court and I'll take all the ownership in the world. This is my team and I lead it and I'm embarrassed. But I can't physically get us organized. I can't physically be into the basketball. … I'm not blaming players … I own this, but we’re going to need some ownership on the court as well.”
In that one locker-room speech dressed as a news-conference answer, he showed his players that this cool persona can be tough and unafraid, and then he took it a step further. It was around this time he had a chat with LeBron, and the team’s most important player bought in and everyone soon followed.
A December that began with the blowouts ended with D’Angelo Russell being blown out to Brooklyn to mark the second evolution of the team. This change, besides featuring the arrival of the underrated steal of the season — Dorian Finney-Smith! — also resulted in a new bond between Redick and Reaves.
With the frustrating Russell gone, Redick became the first Lakers coach to fully entrust Reaves with the role as the team’s third option. Reaves has since played so well, that grouping of LeBron, Luka and Austin has now become one of the NBA’s Big Three.
Lakers coach JJ Redick, center, has guided the team deftly this season along with top assistants Scott Brooks, left, and Nate McMillan. (Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press)
Friday night, after casually scoring 23, Reaves glowed when I specifically asked about the impact of the new coach.
“Huge,” said Reaves. “When the Lakers hired him … I knew his IQ of the game, but obviously there was all the talks about, you know, he’s never coached at any type of high level or anything like that. Since Day 1, he’s been super professional, super locked into one goal, that’s getting the team to buy into what the coaching staff wants. He’s been huge in what he’s done, I can’t give him enough credit for what he’s done for me and the team, happy to go to war for him any day.”
With the new calendar year came new, unimaginable challenges, and Redick handled every issue as if calmly sinking a game-winning trey.
His entire team culture was upended with the trading of Anthony Davis for Doncic? In his biggest win of the season, Redick somehow convinced two superstars and one budding star to each adjust their roles.
In the beginning, many worried that the players would ignore him because he had no coaching credibility. But as the season progressed it became clear, Redick is so basketball bright and communication savvy, the players couldn’t help but listen.
Nearly a year ago, much of the basketball world was pouring cold water over the idea that JJ Redick could be a successful NBA coach.
Lakers coach JJ Redick embraces guard Luka Doncic after he substituted for him during his 45-point effort in Dallas. (Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
On Friday night, after their win over the Houston Rockets gave them 50 victories for only the second time in 14 seasons, that cold water was administered over his head in the locker room by his players in celebration.
Approximately eight ice buckets worth.
“I just want to apologize to Kathy (Montoya, Lakers vice president of game operations and entertainment), hopefully in the next nine days the $17,000 in damage to the carpet we can get fixed,” Redick said.
On the contrary, it’s been several years since the ground under the Lakers shoes has looked so lush and felt so solid.
“It’s a credit to our players … they’ve all participated in a winning culture,” said Redick.
A JJ Redick culture. A realistically championship culture.
Boston is the betting favorite to repeat as champion, but the Celtics' path to the mountaintop will be much more treacherous this season. Cleveland is a legitimate threat in the East, and looming in the West is a difficult matchup in Oklahoma City and a couple of other dangerous teams. If the Celtics are going to have another parade, they have little margin for error.
Last year's Finals MVP has been dealing with a bone bruise in his knee for some time, but it appeared to be causing him more pain recently. He didn't play much in the second half or overtime of the Celtics' win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. He then sat out Thursday's loss to the Orlando Magic, ending any chance of him playing in the 65 games required to be eligible for postseason awards.
Kristaps Porzingis summed up the situation well to ESPN.
"He's a tough dude," Porzingis said. "He always preaches his warrior mindset. He lives by it. But to what extent do we need that right now? Maybe he needs to take care of it and make sure he's going to be ready for the most important moment. I think we need to encourage him to make sure he does everything he needs to prepare to get it healthy and to prepare for what's going to come."
Brown is averaging 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game this season. His value to Boston jumps up in the playoffs as teams load up on Jayson Tatum, Brown's scoring and shot creation become critical — it is why he was both Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP last season.
Boston is going to need that version of Brown if they want to dance with the Larry O'Brien Trophy again.
