PICKS & PARLAYS

Charlotte Hornets, surging into playoff contention at 28-31 and winners of eight straight on the road, travel to face the 15-44 Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday, February 26, tipping off at 7:00 PM ET, with the Hornets riding a 12-3 run since January 22 and a full, healthy roster headlined by LaMelo Ball (19.4 PPG), Brandon Miller (20.6 PPG), and Kon Knueppel (19.3 PPG) rolling into Indianapolis against a Pacers team playing without Pascal Siakam (doubtful, wrist), Aaron Nesmith, and Ivica Zubac while sinking deeper into lottery territory on a four-game skid that includes a 21-point beatdown at the hands of Philadelphia, as Charlotte looks to lock up a ninth consecutive road win and tighten its grip on Eastern Conference playoff positioning with the postseason race entering its critical final stretch.

The Miami Heat, sitting 8th in the Eastern Conference at 31-28, travel to face the 6th-placed Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday, February 26, tipping off at 7:00 PM ET. With the Heat stumbling into Philly on the heels of a 128-117 road loss to Milwaukee and without Nikola Jovic (back) and Terry Rozier (not with team), this matchup pits a dangerous but dinged-up Miami squad against a 76ers team playing at home with two straight wins, Tyrese Maxey averaging 31.6 points over his last five games, and Joel Embiid (knee/shin) listed as probable after dropping 27 points in his return Tuesday, as both franchises battle for playoff seeding with the Eastern Conference postseason picture tightening by the night.

We're looking for big games from both Kon Knueppel and Derik Queen on Thursday, February 26 to cash our NBA best bet and get things rolling as we head into the weekend. McBets breaks down how you should be betting on these two young stars and exactly why he thinks this is a no-brainer.

Celta Vigo hosts PAOK Thessaloniki FC in the second leg of their Europa League tie at Abanca Balaídos on Thursday 26th February at 20:00 GMT. The Spanish side holds a narrow 2-1 aggregate lead from the first leg and will be looking to capitalise on home advantage to secure passage to the next round.

Nottingham Forest welcome Turkish giants Fenerbahce to The City Ground on Thursday, 26th February 2026, for the second leg of their Europa League Last 16 tie, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 UTC. The hosts hold a commanding 3-0 aggregate lead from the first leg and are looking to seal their progression to the quarter-finals, while the visitors face an uphill battle to overturn the significant deficit.