Expert Basketball Picks and Previews

The Golden State Warriors head to State Farm Arena on Saturday night for an 8:00 PM matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, and this game matters for both sides in very different ways. Golden State comes in at 33-37, sitting 10th in the Western Conference and still trying to stay afloat in the play-in race. Atlanta is 38-32, seventh in the

The Miami Heat head to Toyota Center on Saturday night for a game that matters to both conferences, even if the pressure is a little different on each side. Miami is 38-32 and sitting eighth in the East, so every result still matters in that crowded play-in and top-six race. Houston is 42-27 and fourth in the West, trying to

The Milwaukee Bucks head to the Mortgage Matchup Center on Saturday night for a 10:00 PM tip against the Phoenix Suns in a game that feels more urgent for Phoenix, even if neither side is arriving in good form. Milwaukee is 28-41 and sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference after back-to-back losses, while Phoenix is 39-31, seventh in the West,

The Oklahoma City Thunder head to Capital One Arena on Saturday for a 5:00 p.m. ET matchup with the Washington Wizards, and this one looks lopsided on the surface for good reason. Oklahoma City is 55-15, sitting atop the West and carrying a 10-game winning streak into the weekend. Washington is buried near the bottom of the East and has

The Cleveland Cavaliers head to Smoothie King Center on Saturday night looking to finish a perfect three-game road trip, and the timing matters. Cleveland is 43-27, sitting fourth in the East and still chasing better playoff positioning, while New Orleans is 25-46 and out of the real postseason picture even though it has been one of the league’s tougher home

The Los Angeles Lakers head to Kia Center on Saturday night looking for a ninth straight win, and they bring the hottest offense in the matchup with them. Los Angeles is 45-25 and up to third in the Western Conference after winning 11 of its last 12 games. Orlando is 38-31, sitting sixth in the East, but the margin is

The NCAA Tournament opens Friday afternoon with a very live 7-vs-10 matchup, as the Santa Clara Broncos face the Kentucky Wildcats at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Tipoff is set for 12:15 PM ET on CBS. Santa Clara enters at 26-8 after a strong run through the West Coast Conference, while Kentucky comes in at 21-13 out of the SEC.

The NCAA Tournament opens a very interesting 5-vs-12 game on Friday afternoon when the Akron Zips meet the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Amalie Arena in Tampa. Tipoff is set for 12:40 PM ET on truTV, and this matchup has some real upset buzz around it. Akron comes in at 29-5 as the Mid-American Conference champion and has been one

The NCAA Tournament opens a West Region mismatch on paper, but that is what makes these 1 vs 16 games interesting for bettors. LIU heads to Viejas Arena in San Diego on Friday for a 1:35 PM ET tip on TNT after putting together a 24-10 season and winning its way out of the Northeast Conference. Arizona comes in as