PICKS & PARLAYS

The ETSU Buccanneers will take on the Furman Paladins in the SoCon Tournament Championship on Monday night, live on ESPN. Can ETSU avoid the slight upset and take down Furman in a complete season sweep? The Wolf is targeting the top seed in this Furman vs. East Tennessee State prediction for Monday, March 9th in the SoCon Final.

The Women's college basketball SEC Championship will air on Sunday afternoon as the 3rd-ranked Texas Longhorns take on the top ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in Greenville. Can Madison Booker and the Horns keep it close in this tightly-contested rematch? Peter Alexis breaks down the Texas vs. South Carolina prediction for the SEC Championship on Sunday, March 8th.

The Boston Celtics (42-21) visit Rocket Arena on Sunday, March 8 to face the Cleveland Cavaliers (39-24) in an ABC national showcase with genuine East playoff-seeding stakes, tipping off at 1:00 PM ET. Jarrett Allen is out with knee tendinitis, Donovan Mitchell is probable after sitting four straight games with a groin issue, and Jayson Tatum clears the injury report entirely for his first road start since tearing his Achilles last May. Cleveland opened as a slim home favorite, with the line sitting between Cavaliers -1 and -1.5 depending on the book, and the total ranging from 223.5 to 224.5 across books. Two bottom-five pace teams on the floor, the #1 defense in the NBA showing up on the road, and a starting center on the shelf for the home squad: 224.5 is a number bettors should find very interesting.

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.