Expert Basketball Picks and Previews

The NCAA Tournament opens Thursday night with Kennesaw State drawing one of the tougher first-round assignments on the board. The 14-seed Owls, 21-13 overall after a strong Conference USA tournament run, meet No. 3 seed Gonzaga at the Moda Center in Portland, with tip set for 10:00 PM ET on TBS. Gonzaga enters at 30-3, ranked No. 12 in the

The Idaho Vandals and Houston Cougars meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, with tipoff set for 10:10 PM ET on truT. Idaho comes in as the No. 15 seed at 21-14 after a strong finish to reach the bracket, while Houston enters as the No. 2 seed at

The NCAA Tournament opens Thursday night with Howard meeting top-seeded Michigan at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, with tipoff set for 7:10 PM ET on CBS. Howard comes in as the 16 seed after a strong season and a First Four win over UMBC on Tuesday, while Michigan enters as the Midwest Region’s 1 seed with a 31-3 record and a

Texas is back on the floor quickly after surviving the First Four, and now the Longhorns head into this West Region matchup against BYU on Thursday night at the Marriott Center in Provo. Tip is set for 7:25 PM ET, with BYU laying 2.5 points and the total sitting at 159.5. Texas comes in as the 11 seed at 18-14,

The Oklahoma City Thunder head to Barclays Center on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, for a 7:30 PM matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Oklahoma City enters this game at 54-15 and sitting comfortably atop the Western Conference, while Brooklyn is 17-51 and buried near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. On the surface, this looks like one of the biggest

Lehigh and Prairie View A&M meet in the First Four on Wednesday night at UD Arena in Dayton, with tipoff set for 6:40 PM ET on truTV. Both teams enter as 16 seeds in the South Region, so this is not just a play-in game. It is a real shot at moving on, extending the season, and earning a date

A classic rivalry takes center stage tonight at TD Garden as the Golden State Warriors visit the Boston Celtics. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 PM tipoff and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Boston currently holds the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a strong 45-23 record, while Golden State is fighting for its postseason life, sitting

The Portland Trail Blazers head to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, for a 7:30 PM matchup against the Indiana Pacers. Portland comes into this game at 33-36 and is still fighting to stay firmly in the Western Conference play-in picture. Indiana, meanwhile, has had a miserable season at 15-54 and enters this contest on a 10-game losing streak.

The Toronto Raptors travel to the United Center on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, for an 8:00 PM matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Toronto enters this game at 38-29 and is sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference, while Chicago is 28-40 and trying to climb back into relevance after a difficult stretch. The Raptors have won two straight and look like