PICKS & PARLAYS

The Cleveland Cavaliers (37-24) close out a three-game road trip at Barclays Center against the Brooklyn Nets (15-44) on Sunday, March 1, tipping off at 3:30 PM ET, with Donovan Mitchell confirmed out (groin) and James Harden listed as questionable (fractured thumb), putting a significantly undermanned Cleveland squad on the road against a Brooklyn team that has dropped seven straight and is broadcasting loud and clear that winning is not the priority right now. The Cavs, sitting fourth in the East and nursing a two-game skid of their own, arrive as 11 to 11.5-point favorites in a matchup where the spread number might actually be the least interesting story on the board.

The Detroit Pistons (44-14), first in the Eastern Conference, make a quick trip to Kia Center to face the Orlando Magic (31-27) on Sunday, March 1, tipping off at 6:00 PM ET. With Franz Wagner confirmed out with an ankle sprain and Jalen Suggs questionable after a rough return Thursday, Orlando is banged up heading into this one while Detroit rolls in off a gritty 122-119 overtime win over Cleveland on Friday. The Pistons are laying -5.5 to -6 on the road depending on the book, and this is a matchup where the injury news, the form line, and the spread all point in the same direction.

The New York Knicks (38-22), sitting third in the Eastern Conference, host the San Antonio Spurs (43-16) at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, March 1, tipping off at 1:00 PM ET on ABC, with both squads near full health in a matchup that has "future Finals preview" written all over it. San Antonio arrives riding an 11-game winning streak, the longest active run in the NBA, as the league's hottest team by every meaningful metric over the last ten games, while New York brings a 23-8 home record and one of the most efficient half-court offenses in the league. The Spurs are installed as 1.5-point road favorites, practically a pick'em, and for good reason: six of their last seven meetings with the Knicks have cleared 230 combined points, the total is set at 228.5, and both starting lineups are locked and loaded for what shapes up as the most compelling early afternoon tip of the season.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders will visit the Iowa State Cyclones on February 28th. Can the Red Raiders beat out Big 12 rivals Iowa State and score a huge upset for their ranking? McBets is backing Iowa State to shut down upset talk in this Saturday afternoon matchup.

The Raptors and Wizards and the Pelicans and Jazz are squaring off on Saturday, with RJ Barrett and Toronto looking for a big away win. Jeremiah Fears and the Pelicans visit the Jazz seeking to cash in on the tank-a-thon. McBets is targeting both players in his two game parlay.