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 Milwaukee Bucks (26-32), clinging to the Eastern Conference play-in conversation, visit United Center on Sunday, March 1, to face a Chicago Bulls (24-36) roster that just went 0-11 in February, traded away Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu at the deadline, and currently has six players sitting out, all in the same breath. Giannis Antetokounmpo remains out for Milwaukee with a right calf strain, but Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. have been carrying the Bucks through the Giannis absence, going a combined 8-2 in their last ten with a backcourt that is legitimately cooking. The line sits at Bucks -3.5 (-105), and this is about as clean a fade-the-tank setup as you'll find on the Sunday slate.

The UFC main event will get underway tonight in Mexico City, headlined by Brandon Moreno facing off against Lone'er Kavanagh. Moreno enters as the -198 favorite, but can the short-notice Kavanagh pull the upset in his first five-round fight? Jack Borovitz breaks down this Brandon Moreno vs. Lone'er Kavanagh best bet for UFC Fight Night 268.

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.