PICKS & PARLAYS

The UFC co-main event gets underway tonight in Mexico City, with Marlon "Chito" Vera looking to snap a three-fight skid against rising contender David Martinez. He's a significant underdog at +260. Can Chito's veteran durability manufacture an upset, or does Martinez's pace take over? Jack Borovitz breaks down the Vera vs. Martinez 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.

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.

The New Orleans Pelicans (18-42) make the short trip back to Delta Center on Saturday, February 28 for a rematch against the Utah Jazz (18-41), tipping off at 9:30 PM ET, with Lauri Markkanen confirmed out after a practice injury and Keyonte George questionable with an ankle issue that has already cost him six straight games, while Dejounte Murray sits this one out for New Orleans after playing Thursday for the first time since January 2025, as two of the Western Conference's worst teams run it back 48 hours after the Pelicans won 129-118 in this exact building, with the market opening New Orleans as a 6.5 to 7-point road favorite and a total of 245 that sits 12 points above what these rosters actually average together on a given night.

The Portland Trail Blazers (29-31) limp into Spectrum Center to face the Charlotte Hornets (29-31) on Saturday, February 28, tipping off at 1:00 PM ET, with Deni Avdija listed as doubtful for a third straight game due to a back issue and Shaedon Sharpe confirmed out with a stress reaction in his left fibula and Donovan Clingan questionable after missing Portland's last game with an illness, putting a Trail Blazers squad that runs the league's worst turnover rate against a Charlotte team that has transformed into one of the NBA's hottest outfits since the calendar flipped to 2026, now leading the league in net rating since January 1 and covering at the best clip in the Association over the last 20 games. The Hornets open as 7.5-point home favorites in what could easily be a ten-point game the moment the official injury designations drop Saturday morning.