Jimmy Butler has made Steph Curry’s life much easier on the court, but the NBA star believes he and his Warriors teammate still can do a better job.
Butler spoke to reporters in the Warriors’ locker room after Golden State’s 114-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday at Chase Center, and in response to Steve Kerr saying postgame that Curry is “exhausted,” agreed with his coach’s sentiment and challenged himself and his teammates to do a better job at “protecting” the 37-year-old Curry.
“It’s OK to be tired,” Butler said. “And that’s on myself and that’s on us as a unit to pick up the slack for him. As everyone wants to think he is superhuman, he is not. He is our leader and we must protect him at all times, I will tell you that. That’s on myself, for sure, but everybody else to make sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing and give my man a break.”
Jimmy Butler when asked about Steph Curry’s fatigue
“That’s on myself and that’s on us as a unit to pick up the slack for him…He’s our leader and we must protect him.” pic.twitter.com/L9GWnkuRqT
What can Butler and his Warriors teammates do to help Curry? Well, they can start by not turning the ball over 20 times, like they did in Monday’s loss to Denver.
“Make sure we don’t turn the ball over, one,” Butler stated. “Make sure we get a good shot on goal and execute. I think whenever you execute and get the ball where it needs to go, that’s [mine and Draymond Green’s] job more than anybody’s, his job is a lot easier.”
The Warriors are an eye-popping 14-2 in games Butler has played in since the blockbuster trade on Feb. 5, but despite Golden State and Curry’s overwhelming success since, the Warriors still can do a better job of keeping Curry fresh and energized throughout the stretch run of the 2024-25 NBA regular season and potentially into the playoffs.
TOKYO — Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw five strong innings, Shohei Ohtani had two hits and scored twice, and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 on Tuesday in Major League Baseball's season opener at the Tokyo Dome.
Playing in front of their home country, Yamamoto and Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga both pitched well in the first all-Japanese starting pitching matchup on opening day in MLB history. Imanaga threw four scoreless innings, allowing no hits but walking four.
The Dodgers jumped on Cubs reliever Ben Brown (0-1) in the fifth, scoring three runs, partly because of a throwing error by second baseman Jon Berti. Tommy Edman and Will Smith had RBI singles.
Ohtani was part of the rally, delivering a hard-hit single through the right side. He finished 2 for 5 at the plate, including a double to lead off the ninth, eventually scoring another run.
Yamamoto (1-0) gave up one run on three hits and a walk, striking out four. Tanner Scott earned his first save.
Chicago's Miguel Amaya drove in Dansby Swanson with a two-out double that made it 1-0 in the second. The Cubs didn't have a hit after the third.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was scratched before the game because of left rib discomfort. Shortstop Mookie Betts will miss both games in Japan because of an illness.
Ohtani's single was the first hit of the game for the Dodgers, helping start a rally that would turn the game in their favor.
Yamamoto, Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius and Blake Treinen combined to retire 16 batters in a row from the third to the eighth innings. The streak ended when Treinen hit Berti with a pitch with one out in the eighth.
Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki will make his MLB debut for the Dodgers while left-hander Justin Steele takes the mound for the Cubs on Wednesday night for the final game in Tokyo.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani goes back to the dugout after scoring on a throwing error by the Cubs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
For all the memorable cultural experiences they enjoyed off the field, and all their eye-opening revelations they about the club’s growing popularity here in Japan, the baseball side of the Dodgers’ season-opening trip to Tokyo hadn’t gotten off to the most seamless of starts.
Mookie Betts was ruled out of action after arriving in Tokyo battling a stomach virus, and eventually forced to make an early return home to Los Angeles on Monday night after losing almost 15 pounds.
Freddie Freeman was scratched from the opening-day lineup shortly before first pitch Tuesday night, after experiencing discomfort in the same left rib where he suffered broken cartilage during last year’s postseason.
And, after getting shut out in a Sunday exhibition against a Japanese team at the Tokyo Dome, the Dodgers began their season without a hit for the first four innings against Chicago Cubs ace and star Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga, twice coming up empty in innings they drew two walks.
But then, the defending World Series champions started doing exactly what their nearly $400-million roster was built to do.
They worked counts, strung together hits and manufactured runs. They leaned on dominant starting pitching, then a revolving door of reliable arms out of the bullpen. They absorbed an early one-run deficit and flipped it in a matter of moments in the fifth inning.
By the end of the night, it amounted to an auspicious start to a season of ambitious expectations, the Dodgers beating the Cubs 4-1 before a pro-Dodgers crowd on the other side of the globe.
“It was really cool,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “It’s always cool to experience different baseball cultures. I know we get a little spoiled playing at Dodger Stadium and our atmosphere is always amazing. But it’s just fun to experience different cultures.”
This week’s trip always was destined to be about more than just playing baseball. It was a culmination of sorts in the Dodgers’ pursuit to “paint Japan blue,” and an opportunity to showcase the sport at large at a time the influence of Japanese players in the majors seemingly is at an all-time high.
“I don’t think that there was a Japanese baseball player in Japan that didn’t watch this game tonight,” manager Dave Roberts said.
The Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto squared off against Imanaga in the first all-Japanese opening-day pitching matchup in major league history, giving up just one run in five strong innings while striking out four and averaging almost 97 mph with his fastball.
Another highly anticipated pitching plan awaits in Wednesday’s finale, when Roki Sasaki will make his big league debut barely two months removed from his offseason signing with the Dodgers.
And then there was Shohei Ohtani, who had cameras following his every move during pregame ceremonies and caused a hush to fall over the sold-out crowd when he came to the plate for the first time.
“I usually don’t get nervous hitting,” Ohtani said in Japanese afterward.
But in that at-bat, he acknowledged, “I was nervous for the first time in a while.”
Determined not to walk, Ohtani took a big swing that resulted in a game-opening ground out, setting the tone for Imanaga’s dominant but shortened four-inning start.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani singles in the fifth inning for the team's first hit of the game against the Cubs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Once Imanaga left the game, however, Ohtani played a key role in the Dodgers’ three-run rally in the fifth. He hit a one-out single, the Dodgers’ first hit, that preceded Tommy Edman’s game-tying single. Ohtani then scored the go-ahead run on an errant throw from Cubs second baseman Jon Berti on a potential double play.
Ohtani contributed again in the ninth, roping a double into the right-field corner before scoring an insurance run on Teoscar Hernández’s single.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Shohei nervous,” Roberts said. “But one thing I did notice is how emotional he got during the Japanese national anthem. That was really something that was very telling, how emotional he was.”
Once the Dodgers took the lead, however, cruising the rest of the way behind a dominant bullpen performance punctuated by offseason signing Tanner Scott’s first save with the club, Ohtani seemed to loosen up in the dugout, laughing with teammates and soaking in the scene.
“That’s who he is,” Muncy said. “There’s no moment that’s too big for that guy. He hasn’t changed who he is. He’s a really cool guy to be a teammate with. He’s going to be talked about probably when he’s done as being the greatest baseball player ever and he doesn’t act like it. He just likes to have fun in that dugout.”
Someone who was having less fun being stuck in the dugout: Freeman, who said he “felt something” in his ribs during his last round of batting practice, leading to a pregame meeting with Roberts, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes in which they decided it was best to play it safe and sit the reigning World Series most valuable player.
“I got out-ruled,” Freeman joked. “It’s OK. It was probably smart. It’s obviously way better than last year. Last year I needed help getting to my car that first day [I got hurt]. I can walk. I can take deep breaths. Just felt a little something in my rib, and with it being the first game, we didn’t want it to be something lingering.”
Freeman said he has a 75% chance of playing Wednesday, assuming his rib doesn't bother him again during pregame activities. He added that the team’s head physician, Neal ElAttrache, told him the sensation might just have been the result of scar-tissue buildup where his old injury healed, perhaps coinciding with his increased cage work in recent days (Freeman was the only Dodgers position player to hit during Monday’s off-day workout).
“I thought we made the right decision not playing him tonight, and we’ll see how he comes in tomorrow,” Roberts said. “So right now, I’m not too concerned.”
So goes things for the Dodgers. They’ve weathered their first bouts of adversity on the field. They’ve embraced a trip that has put them on an international stage. And on Tuesday they did it while also starting their season with a thorough victory, setting up the opportunity for a two-game sweep.
“How the fans were into the game tonight was just really cool, really fun, really enjoyed it,” Muncy said. “They’re here to watch good baseball and I think they’re enjoying it just as much as we are.”
Unfortunately, not every player who plays for the Red Wings can stay with the Red Wings.
This summer, the Red Wings have to decide on several players at multiple levels of competition within the organization. So, let’s look at every expiring contract in the Red Wings' books.
The towering Elmer Soderblom has risen through the ranks of the Red Wings depth chart since his recall. He started the year in the AHL and now finds himself deployed on the top line in Detroit. He has spent 39 minutes on a line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
His combination of skill and size makes him a player that the Red Wings will want to keep around for a very long time.
Jonatan Berggren
Jonatan Berggren has been up and down so far this year. Unfortunately, the young forward has been a healthy scratch for the past two games. He will need to turn things around if he wants to stick around long-term.
Albert Johansson
One of the bright spots of the season has been the emergence of two young defenders; Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson. This is the young Swede’s first taste of NHL hockey. After 44 games, the results have been incredibly positive.
The 24-year-old has been paired with Edvinsson for 63 percent of his total ice time this season. The duo have done great, having fewer goals scored on them than they score, even if they have allowed more chances and shots than they have taken.
The Red Wings’ Minor League RFA’s
Antti Tuomisto might not be on a lot of Red Wings’ fans radars, but the right-handed defender has had a solid year. He has been the most productive player on the backend of the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The 6-foot-5 and 210 lb Finnish defender has 24 points in 55 games, which is the seventh-most points on the Griffins.
Cross Hanas hasn’t been as productive, with only 17 points in 54 games this year. The winger has picked up his production of late, with four points in his last six games.
Eemil Viro is 2020 draft class defender playing for the Griffins. He will need a new AHL contract, as he is not ready to make the jump to the NHL. However, it’s possible that the Red Wings move on come July 1st.
Gage Alexander is a 6-foot-6 goaltender playing in the ECHL. He’s only played five games for the Reading Royals, but he has a 4-1 record, 2.81 goals against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage (SV%).
Unless Kane feels like shifting his priorities, he will likely sign another one-year deal with the Red Wings once July 1st comes up on the calendar.
Craig Smith
The newest Red Wings forward Craig Smith does a lot of things that coaches like. He might not set the scoreboard ablaze, but a veteran coach in Todd McLellan might really like having a player like him around. There’s a good chance the Red Wings find a way to sneak him in on a two-to-three year deal in the summer.
Tyler Motte
Depth forwards come and go, and Tyler Motte is no exception. If the Red Wings really like him and his character, I could see him coming back on a one-year contract. Otherwise, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Jeff Petry
File Jeff Petry under the category of most likely to not be re-signed by the Red Wings. The combination of injury history and decline of play make it unlikely that Petry gets offered another contract by the Red Wings. Tuomisto or Anton Johansson could be two internal candidates to replace him in the NHL next season.
William Lagesson
William Lagesson is another depth player who could find themselves looking for work with another team come July 1st. He’s spent time both in the AHL and NHL this season. He’s a solid third pairing 29-year-old defender who doesn’t bring anything to the table that the Red Wings don’t already have with prospects who are ready to make the jump to the AHL.
Alex Lyon
The Red Wings goaltending situation will be a top storyline to follow during the summer. Cam Talbot, Petr Mrazek, and Alex Lyon are all tending twine for the Red Wings for the remainder of the year. However, the fascinating development of acquiring Mrazek could signal the end of Lyon’s tenure with the team. Talbot and Mrazek are signed until the end of the 2025-26 season.
The Minor League UFA’s
The Red Wings have a mixed bag of minor-league UFA’s to make decisions on in the summer: Timothy Gettinger, Joe Snively, Brogan Rafferty, and Jack Campbell.
Snively leads the Griffins with 39 points in 60 games. He spent six years with the Hershey Bears before joining the Griffins. As long as he is happy with his situation, playing another year in the AHL seems like a safe bet.
Gettinger and Rafferty are depth players for the Griffins. Depending on their plans, them returning to the team next season seems like a coin toss.
Campbell is an interesting case for the Red Wings. He has had his struggles, as his admittance to the NHLPA Players Assistance program earlier this season suggests, but when he plays well, he can be lights out.
It’s tough to pinpoint what kind of goaltender Campbell is at this stage of his career. If the Red Wings are willing to keep him on board, being the veteran presence in net for the Griffins might be his best chance at playing.
Red Savage brings intangibles in addition to skill, while Liam Dower Nilsson has a lot of skill. Those two could have a contract offered to them. I’m less sure about Sam Stange.
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The Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched five innings of one-run ball on Tuesday against the Cubs at the Tokyo Dome. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
When Roki Sasaki signed with the Dodgers, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman revealed that one of Sasaki’s goals was to become the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young Award.
Another pitcher on the Dodgers could steal that distinction from Sasaki, and the most likely candidate might not even be Shohei Ohtani.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto could beat his two countrymen to the honor, and considering how he pitched in the Dodgers’ season-opening 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome, who’s to say he won’t?
“If he can do that, obviously health [permitting], I see no reason why he won’t be in the Cy Young conversation,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
This wasn’t the pitcher who looked unsure of himself over an up-and-down regular season last year. This was the pitcher who was an October hero.
Yamamoto touched 98 mph with his fastball. He baited hitters with splitters that looked like strikes but weren’t. He limited the Cubs to one run and three hits over five innings.
The performance confirmed what Dodgers players and coaches said in spring training: The 26-year-old Yamamoto returned for his second major league season a different pitcher.
“You know he’s electric when his teammates that are professional pitchers are telling you, ‘Hey, Doc, watch him,’” team physician Neal ElAttrache told Jack Harris and me on The Times’ video podcast Dodgers Debate.
ElAttrache said he complimented rehabilitating veteran Clayton Kershaw after a recent long-toss session, and Kershaw told him, “You want to see something special, watch Yamamoto do this.”
Yamamoto pointed to an improved feel for his pitching mechanics as to why he’s looked the way he has.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto flashed enormous potential during Tuesday's Tokyo Series opener against the Cubs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“I threw with a good center of gravity, good balance,” Yamamoto said in Japanese. “I wasn’t trying to throw with greater strength than usual, but I thought I was able to throw pitches to which my strength was transferred.”
What made him special Tuesday night was what he did with those pitches.
“Last year to this year, the confidence, the conviction that he has in throwing the fastball in the strike zone, he’s much more convicted,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers’ postseason run that ended with a World Series championship is why, according to Yamamoto.
“What I experienced in that month really made me confident,” Yamamoto said. “If I do this, I’ll get hit. If I feel like this and do this, I’ll be able to hold them. I didn’t have a precise feel for that last season, but I gained that sense in October.”
His average fastball velocity was 96.8 mph against the Cubs, up from his season average of 95.5 last year, according to Major League Baseball’s Statcast system.
The fastball alone troubled the Cubs. Throw in his splitter and they had little to no chance.
“His splits were outstanding tonight,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “They’re 93, 94 on the split-finger. It’s a pitch that you hope to get a couple of free ones on because they’re out of the zone. But he threw so many competitive splits. It’s a really tough pitch to lay off.”
The uncertainty with Yamamoto pertains to whether he can stay healthy. He was sidelined for nearly three months last year because of shoulder problems.
“He had the kind of injury that if you catch it early, you can prevent it from going south,” ElAttrache said. “When that injury goes south, it can be pretty significant.
“When we explained to him what we needed to do and why, he wasn’t happy about sitting for that length of time. He was constantly saying that he felt good enough to come back, but he went along with it.
“I think that you see how he played towards the end of the season. He was really important for us.”
Yamamoto had a disastrous postseason debut, giving up five runs in three innings to the San Diego Padres in the opening game of the National League Division Series. However, counting his victory in Game 5 of that series, he went 2-0 with a 1.72 earned-run average over his next three playoff starts.
“I feel that’s connected to the confidence I have when I take the mound [now],” Yamamoto said.
Standing 5 feet 10, Yamamoto doesn’t have the physical frame of either Ohtani or Sasaki. He doesn’t throw as hard. But he could be a better pitcher than either of them, and that could earn him his own place in history.
While the Villanova quartet of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Donte DiVincenzo never got their chance at an NBA reunion with the New York Knicks on the court, the former Wildcats have reunited again. All four players participated in a hil
It’s Tuesday, March 18, and the Brooklyn Nets (23-45) and Boston Celtics (49-19) are all set to square off from TD Garden in Boston.
The Nets are currently 12-23 on the road with a point differential of -6, while the Celtics have a 7-3 record in their last ten games at home. Boston is 3-0 against Brooklyn this season with wins of 4, 24, and 2 points.
The Celtics are 7-1 in the last eight games and won the past two, while the Nets are coming off a win that makes them 1-3 over the previous four games.
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 Nets vs. Celtics live today
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Time: 7:30PM EST
Site: TD Garden
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming: NBA TV
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 Nets vs. Celtics
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Odds: Nets (+559), Celtics (-826)
Spread: Celtics -13.5
Over/Under: 215.5 points
That gives the Nets an implied team point total of 101.98, and the Celtics 115.02.
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 Tuesday’s Nets vs. Celtics game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Celtics to cover against the Nets:
"As someone who needed Boston -10.5 on Saturday to cash a six-leg parlay, I am running it back on the Celtics here. The line has grown out in their favor after Brooklyn covered the previous meeting and lost 115-113. The Nets played the following night then had Monday off, while Boston's been off the entire time. This is a Celtics or pass spot."
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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 Nets & Celtics game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Boston Celtics on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brooklyn Nets at +13.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 218.
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Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Nets vs. Celtics on Tuesday
The Celtics have won 4 of their last 5 games at home against divisional opponents
5 of the Nets' last 6 road matchups against the Celtics have stayed under the Total
The Nets have covered in 5 of their last 7 matchups against divisional opponents
The Celtics have won 7 straight 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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Sacramento is signing 25-year-old Stockton Kings forward Terry Taylor to a 10-day contract, his agent confirmed to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday morning. The team later made the signing official.
In 28 games (18 starts) with Stockton, Taylor is averaging 17.6 points on 46.2-percent shooting from the field and 39.9 percent from 3-point range on 5.3 attempts per game, with 8.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 34.3 minutes.
The Sacramento Kings are signing forward Terry Taylor to a 10-day contract out of their NBA G League affiliate Stockton, his agent Darrell Comer tells ESPN. Taylor has averaged 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists for Stockton.
Just last week, he had a season-high 33 points with 11 rebounds in Stockton’s 126-113 loss to the San Diego Clippers, and he has had a recent hot stretch in the month of March.
Terry Taylor erupted for a season-high 3⃣3⃣ points, posting a double-double with 1⃣1⃣ rebounds! The @StocktonKings player sunk 12 shots with 56% FGM. 👏 pic.twitter.com/l48W2DypkE
After going undrafted in 2021, Taylor signed with the Indiana Pacers but was waived on Oct. 15. He later signed with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants as an affiliate player, where he averaged 19.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in 11 games.
On Dec. 15, 2021, Taylor signed a two-way contract with Indiana, splitting his time between the Pacers and the Mad Ants, and on April 7, the Pacers converted his two-way contract into a standard one.
In 2023, Taylor was waived by the Pacers and signed a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls that was later converted to a standard contract. However, he was waived by Chicago on April 4, 2024.
Sacramento signed Taylor last September but waived him shortly after. He then joined its G League affiliate in Stockton. He now will get a chance to help a playoff-hungry team stay afloat in the Western Conference for a difficult stretch of basketball.
It’s Tuesday, March 18, and the Atlanta Hawks (32-36) and Charlotte Hornets (17-50) are all set to square off from Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
The Hawks are currently 15-18 on the road with a point differential of -3, while the Hornets have a 2-8 record in their last ten games at home. Atlanta is 3-0 this season against Charlotte with wins of 3, 5, and 13 points.
Charlotte is 3-11 since the All-Star break, but 3-2 in the last five games. Atlanta has lost the past two games after four straight wins and is 6-7 since the break.
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 Hawks vs. Hornets live today
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Time: 3:00PM EST
Site: Spectrum Center
City: Charlotte, NC
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 Hawks vs. Hornets
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Odds: Hawks (-253), Hornets (+206)
Spread: Hawks -6.5
Over/Under: 236 points
That gives the Hawks an implied team point total of 120.33, and the Hornets 116.94.
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Expert picks & predictions for Tuesday’s Hawks vs. Hornets game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Hornets to cover against the Hawks:
"This is the fourth and final meeting between the two teams and with the Hawks winning all three meetings, this is the only time I'd be willing to back the Hornets. Charlotte has won three of the past five games, so they are more competitive recently than the last two meetings at least. These teams just met on Wednesday and Atlanta won by 13 and covered with the Under hitting. I lean Charlotte ATS and the Over this time around."
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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 Hawks & Hornets game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Atlanta Hawks on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Charlotte Hornets at +6.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 236.
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 Hawks vs. Hornets on Tuesday
The Hornets have lost 7 of their last 10 games
The Under is 4-1 in the Hornets' last 5 matchups against divisional opponents
The Hornets have failed to cover in 4 of their last 5 matchups against Eastern Conference Southeast Division teams
Betting the Hawks on the Money Line in all games this season would have shown a 113% return on investment
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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While there are plenty of WNBA-bound players who will undoubtedly star in the NCAA tournament, we shouldn't overlook the younger players who will be powering their teams through March Madness.
Sean Lynn will be joined by five victorious Gloucester-Hartpury players in joining up with Wales’ Guinness Women’s Six Nations squad this week after securing an historic hat-trick of Professional Women’s Rugby titles at the weekend. The new Wales Women’s head coach masterminded a ‘three-peat’ for the Circus as they hit back from a 19-5 deficit […]