PICKS & PARLAYS

The Orlando Magic (34-28), fresh off a 27-point demolition of Minnesota on Saturday, travel to Fiserv Forum to face the Milwaukee Bucks (27-35) on Sunday, March 8, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET, with Franz Wagner confirmed out with an ankle injury, Anthony Black day-to-day with a quad contusion, and Giannis Antetokounmpo still working through a minutes restriction just three games into his return from a 15-game calf absence. Orlando opened as a 3.5-point road favorite, the total sits at 219.5, and both teams are running on the second night of a back-to-back. The spread tells you the talent gap; the calendar tells you this one stays sloppy.

The Charlotte Hornets (32-32) roll into Mortgage Matchup Center to face the Phoenix Suns (36-27) Sunday night, tipping off at 10:00 PM ET with the Hornets installed as 4.5-point road favorites and the total sitting at 218.5. Charlotte just had its six-game win streak snapped by Miami on Friday, but that road winning streak is a different story entirely, sitting at ten straight, the longest active streak in the league. Phoenix survived the Pelicans by two points that same night and now turns around at home, still missing Dillon Brooks (hand), Mark Williams (foot), and Jordan Goodwin (calf), with Royce O'Neale listed as questionable. Both clubs have playoff seeding on the brain. The handicap still leans Hornets.

The Houston Rockets (39-23, 3rd in the West) travel to Frost Bank Center on Sunday to close out the regular season series against the San Antonio Spurs (46-17, 2nd in the West), tipping off at 8:00 PM ET in a nationally televised Southwest Division game with playoff seeding genuinely at stake. Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson come in fresh off a 106-99 win over Portland on Friday, while Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs finished a 25-point comeback against the Clippers to win 116-112 in what their own star described as leaving "zero left" physically. San Antonio opened as a 5-point favorite and has ticked up to -5.5 at most books, with the total sitting at 222.5. Sengun averages 20.2 points and 5.4 assists across nine career matchups with Wemby, and the season series sits at 2-1 Spurs heading into the fourth and final regular season meeting.

The Washington Wizards (16-46), carrying a seven-game losing streak and a 5-24 road record that ranks among the league's worst, travel to Smoothie King Center to face the New Orleans Pelicans (20-44) on Sunday, March 8, tipping off at 7:00 PM ET. Trae Young suits up for just his second game as a Wizard, still shaking off ten weeks of rehab rust after logging 12 points and six assists on a 19-minute restriction in his Thursday debut against Utah. Anthony Davis (finger, season), Kyshawn George (elbow), Jamir Watkins (foot), D'Angelo Russell (non-injury related), Tristan Vukcevic (thigh), and Cam Whitmore (shoulder, season) all remain out for Washington. New Orleans returns home from a six-game road swing with Zion Williamson healthy after playing through his right ankle sprain in Friday's loss at Phoenix, and Trey Murphy III carrying a career-high 21.9 points per game and three straight outings at 21 or more. The Pelicans opened as 9.5-point home favorites, total sitting at 242.5, in what projects as a matchup between two bottom-ten defenses with a significant talent advantage sitting at home.

The Dallas Mavericks (21-42), sitting on a six-game losing streak and their fourth road game in five days, visit Scotiabank Arena to face the Toronto Raptors (35-27) on Sunday, March 8, tipping off at 6:00 PM ET, with Cooper Flagg listed as questionable due to a left midfoot sprain and both Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II confirmed out. This is a matchup between a Toronto team fighting for playoff seeding in the East and a Mavs squad that has won twice in their last 18 games, running on empty through a brutal stretch of road basketball with a rookie star who re-aggravated his foot injury on the floor at TD Garden just 24 hours ago. The Raptors opened as 10-to-10.5-point home favorites depending on the book, and the total sits at 228.5, setting up a number that asks both teams to score above what either has actually done in weeks.