Teams battling for playoff positioning meet when the Los Angeles Clippers meet the Golden State Warriors in a key NBA Pacific Division matchup on Monday night. Los Angeles is coming off a 137-117 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, while Golden State dropped a 129-101 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. The Clippers (28-31), who are 18-18 against conference opponents, are 13-18 on the road this season. The Warriors (31-29), who are 21-18 against Western Conference foes, are 19-12 on their home court. Darius Garland is set to make his Clippers debut after being acquired in January from the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors will be without Stephen Curry (knee), Will Richard (ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness).

Tipoff from Chase Center in San Francisco is set for 10 p.m. ET. The Warriors lead the all-time series 139-103, but the teams have split a pair of games so far this season. The Clippers are a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Clippers vs. Warriors odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 2165.5. Before making any Clippers vs. Warriors picks, check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets if your first $5+ bet wins:

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered Week 19 on a sizzling 38-18 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has simulated Clippers vs. Warriors 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Warriors vs. Clippers:

New users can also target the latest Underdog promo code CBSSPORTS2, good for $75 in fantasy bonus entries when you play $5 in select states.

Top Clippers vs. Warriors predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Clippers vs. Warriors, SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (215.5). The Over has hit in four of the last five Los Angeles games, and in six of the past seven Golden State games. The Clippers are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games. The Warriors, meanwhile, are 3-7 ATS in their last 10.

The SportsLine model is projecting the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard to score 24.7 points on average and be one of five Los Angeles players to score 10.4 or more points. The Warriors’ De’Anthony Melton, meanwhile, is projected to have 18.8 points as seven Golden State players score 10.4 points or more. The teams are projected to combine for 228 points as the Over hits nearly 70% of the time.

How to make Warriors vs. Clippers picks

The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks. 

So who wins Warriors vs. Clippers, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Clippers vs. Warriors spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.

Two-time Olympic medal-winning Indian badminton star P V Sindhu, who was stranded in Dubai due to closure of airspace in the Gulf region, has returned to the country after pulling out of the All England Championships in Birmingham.

Sindhu posted on X to announce that she is back in the city.

“Back home in Bangalore and safe. The last few days have been intense and uncertain, but I’m truly grateful to be back to my house,” she posted.

“A heartfelt thank you to the incredible ground teams, Dubai authorities, airport staff, immigration, and every single person who stepped up and took such good care of us during a very difficult time. The empathy and professionalism meant more than words can say.

“For now, it’s time to rest, reset, and figure out the next steps,” she added.

The former world champion was on her way to Birmingham via Dubai, when she was stranded after the flight operations were suspended in the Gulf region following the US and Israeli bombing of Iran.

Iran subsequently retaliated, hitting Dubai as well.

“Moments like these remind you how fragile normal life really is,” she had posted on February 28 while revealing some details of her ordeal, which included an explosion near her place of stay.

She had described the experience as “extremely tense and scary moment” for her and her team, including Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria are gearing up for a four-nation tournament during the March international break, and they, alongside EFL Championship side Hull City, have received a major lift in preparations with the return of defender Semi Ajayi.

Ajayi featured prominently for Nigeria at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, playing six matches before sustaining a hamstring injury in the third-place game against Egypt. The 32-year-old has been sidelined since January 17, but he is now set to rejoin Hull City and potentially the Super Eagles squad this week.

Hull City, currently fifth in the EFL Championship and three points shy of second-placed Middlesbrough, are chasing a first top-flight promotion in nine years. They face fourth-placed Ipswich Town tomorrow, and Ajayi’s return comes at a crucial stage. Hull’s assistant coach described his comeback as a significant boost for the team.

“We’re fine, we’ve got a couple of bumps and niggles from the weekend,” Dean Holden said. “Everyone’s come through unscathed, and we’ll welcome Semi back into the squad, which is a big boost for us. He’s been out for a decent amount of time since that AFCON game. He hasn’t had a lot of training, but trained again this morning, looks fine, and he’ll come back in, so that’s a huge positive for us.”

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles, under Eric Chelle, are set to face Iran, Jordan, and Costa Rica in the upcoming tournament. Concerns over recent missile strikes in Iran have raised questions about the competition going ahead, but Ajayi’s return would provide much-needed experience for younger players should he be included in the squad.

For Hull City, having a player of Ajayi’s Premier League experience is crucial to guide a relatively young squad through the remaining 12 games of the Championship season. His last appearance for the Tigers came in early December, meaning tomorrow’s clash against Ipswich will mark the end of a three-month absence.

Ajayi’s comeback is a timely boost for both club and country, offering leadership, stability, and experience at a key point in the season.

Inclement weather might spice up proceedings in the Verry Elleegant Stakes, however trainer Chris Waller intends to disregard forecasts until race day.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts a spectrum of rain amounts this week, from just 4mm to nearly 60mm.

Star mare and dominant favourite Autumn Glow has proven versatile on different surfaces, including heavy 10 going in August’s Toy Show Quality (1100m), but her effectiveness there in a Group 1 is yet to be tested.

Waller is keeping track conditions out of his mind presently.

“I’ll worry about it Saturday morning,” Waller said.

“If you worry about it before then, you start bringing things in that you have no control over and you can lose sight of other things. Yes, it’s a factor. But as long as it’s safe, she will be running.

“They’ve got the tracks in Sydney pretty good at the moment . . . There will be room for a bit of rain.”

Unbeaten in nine races, Autumn Glow has emerged as a major force, convincingly beating fellow stable runners Aeliana and Lindermann in the Apollo Stakes (1400m) on her latest outing after moving to weight-for-age.

Those two will line up against her once more in the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) over Randwick’s track on Saturday, potentially improving with the step up in trip.

“They’re a bit more comfortable at the distance,” Waller said.

“But it’s hard to quantify, Autumn Glow might be better too.”

Waller boasts a strong record with seven wins from the last 10 runnings, four achieved by Winx from 2016-2019, and public confidence is high in Autumn Glow continuing the streak at $1.30 in early betting.

Discover premier betting sites with the keenest racing odds for the Verry Elleegant Stakes.

The final edition of the Bulldogs-Gaels-led WCC Tournament could end up being predictable—as usual—though there could be some surprises in store as well.

The top three in the league have separated themselves, but other teams are hoping to write their legacies this March.

For now, Santa Clara is the storyline.

If I had to pick one surprise team, it would be Oregon State. The other mid-tier teams have cooled off considerably.

Whatever happens, I’m here for it.

Here are the top three things to watch at this year’s WCC Tournament.

The Broncos are around the Top 40 mark for predictive metrics and resume, which indicates that they should be in the field.

Santa Clara’s top three scorers are Christian Hammond, Elijah Mahi, and Allen Graves. Hammond is their leading scorer, averaging 15.9 points per game.

Bukky Oboye is their best defensive player with 20 blocks and 16 steals this year.

SCU will likely open the WCC Tourney against Pacific or Seattle U, but Loyola Marymount and San Diego are still in the mix.

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If the Broncos lose their first game of the tournament, they’ll probably be eliminated from the dance.

They should be alright, due to their varied scoring options, but this is that month.

Warley doesn’t have flashy numbers. He’s only averaging 7.1 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game. But he’s a defensive terror leading the team with 1.6 steals per contest.

He and Tyon Grant-Foster can shut down most perimeter players in the country.

Warley does all the little things that get overlooked, but they were felt in Moraga. Without him, the Gaels ate the Zags in the second half.

And this is with Paulius Murauskas playing poorly.

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Seattle U’s coming in a bit hot, so they could prove another team to watch. But their three-game winning streak has come against the worst teams in the conference.

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And the Cougs? They don’t know how to play basketball anymore.

The reason the Beavers can make a run is that Wayne Tinkle, who OSU will not retain for next season, can have some fun.

He can run any scheme, he can play anyone, and they’re the No. 4 seed, so they’d only have to pull two upsets.

Tinkle could’ve walked away, but he chose to stick by his team like a man.

Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.

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With a beefy $21.3 million cap number in 2026, Minnesota Vikings playmaker T.J. Hockenson is on tap to be the NFL’s most expensive tight end. Now, according to recent reporting, Hockenson might accept a pay reduction to remain with the club,

If no deal emerges, Minnesota can pivot to a restructure, trade, or release to clear cap space.

NFL free agency kicks off in one week, and if Hockenson doesn’t rework his deal, well, the Vikings would need a new TE1.

A Hockenson Pay Cut May Make Sense For Both Sides

It’s roster change season in the NFL.

Report: Hockenson Willing to Take Less Money

The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis weighed in on Minnesota’s free-agency lay of the land on Monday, mentioning Hockenson’s would-be salary reduction.

“The Vikings are prepared to make difficult decisions to alleviate their salary-cap concerns. Don’t expect a big-name free-agent splurge like last year. The Vikings are $40-plus million over the cap, and while that isn’t dire, it is significant. Pay cuts: Minnesota wants to lower the cap number for tight end T.J. Hockenson. He is amenable to lowering it, but the outcome is largely a matter of how low the Vikings want to go,” he wrote.

Until the observation, many believed Hockenson would be traded, released, or asked to restructure the deal — the latter of which would not involve a pay decrease. But a paycut is apparently in play.

The Adam Thielen Situation in 2023

The Hockenson situation in 2026 is reminiscent of Adam Thielen in 2023. The Vikings had handed Thielen a generous contract extension in 2019 — that he deserved — but by the 2023 offseason, his cap hit proved to be too ginormous for Minnesota’s budget. The team approached Thielen about a paycut, he declined, and later signed with the Carolina Panthers, where he stuck around for two seasons before landing back with the Vikings in the summer of 2025 via trade.

Three offseasons later, Hockenson carries a similar outlook. If he doesn’t oblige the paycut, the Vikings can either restructure his deal (backload the big cap hit to the future with void years), explore a trade, or cut him loose — like Thielen in 2023.

It all depends on how low Hockenson will go to remain Minnesota’s TE1.

Our Kyle Joudry noted last week, “Rather, look toward a restructure for T.J. Hockenson. Pursuing the maximum savings would mean surpassing $9.4 million in added room for 2026. The cost of doing business is less cap space in the future, but that’s a problem for a different day. If Hockenson can be very good in 2026, then finding a way to make the cap charges work is the way forward.”

“If, in theory, a competent passer gets added (or, better yet, McCarthy turns into one), then the Vikings may be able to unleash a talent like T.J. Hockenson. Indeed, that’s the central question Minnesota is seeking to answer: can Mr. Hockenson be excellent in the future? That’s what’s interesting and pivotal.”

Hockenson’s 2025 Campaign

Hockenson’s 2025 box score tells one story, but the game film revealed another.

While he finished with 51 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns, the quarterback situation was unstable. J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer all took snaps, preventing the passing game from finding consistency and limiting the production of everyone except Jalen Nailor.

Furthermore, Hockenson’s role shifted significantly. Minnesota’s offensive line struggled throughout the year due to injuries and inconsistent play. As a result, Kevin O’Connell adjusted the game plan, acknowledging midseason that Hockenson was blocking more frequently. He essentially became an additional lineman, providing extra protection and reinforcing the edges.

Even with Christian Darrisaw’s return from an ACL injury in September, the line never fully solidified, and Hockenson continued to fill gaps. Thus, his receiving numbers declined, leading some fans to believe his performance was deteriorating.

However, Hockenson is turning 29 this year and retains his route-running skills, exceptional catch radius, and ability to dominate the middle of the field. If he returns to a primary receiving role, his production should rebound accordingly — if the Vikings find stable quarterback production in 2026.

The TEs in Addition to Hockenson

Along with Hockenson, Minnesota has these tight ends under contract in 2026

• Josh Oliver
• Gavin Bartholomew
• Ben Yurosek
• Bryson Nesbit

None of these combatants would be tapped on the shoulder for TE1 duty, barring an amazingly bizarre upward ascent at training camp, meaning Minnesota would have to scour free agency for a replacement like Isaiah Likely, Darren Waller, or Cade Otton, to name a few.

The early section of April’s draft will also feature Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq and Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, both of whom performed marvelously at the NFL Combine last week.

The Hockenson verdict should be made public within a week or so. He basically has to decide if the paycut from Minnesota would be more or less than what he’d command on the open market.

The world heavyweight title thriller between champion Fabio Wardley and challenger Daniel Dubois edges ever close. Ahead of the contest, Tony Bellew has weighed in with his verdict.

Wardley promised fans a high level first defence after he was promoted from interim to full champion due to Oleksandr Usyk vacating the belt. He has delivered on that by accepting the challenge of Dubois, who poses one of the biggest knockout risks in the division despite coming off a loss to the Ukrainian.

Speaking on First Round TV, former world champion Bellew rejected the idea that the more schooled challenger is the fuller package, saying Ipswich’s Wardley has more in his arsenal and backing him to prove that on the night.

“Brilliant fight … People keep saying this thing that Daniel Dubois is a better boxer than Fabio Wardley, I actually don’t think he is. I think Fabio has more strings to his bow. I think there’s more things that he can do. I think his defence is better.

“Don’t get me wrong, the one thing Daniel can do better is if he just goes for pure aggression and power, then of course I think Daniel is better skilled in that department. But, as an all-round fighter, I think Fabio is better and I think he’ll show it on the night.”

In terms of strategy, Bellew laid out how he would tackle Dubois, who stopped Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua in 2024.

“Daniel Dubois is a confidence fighter. The more confident he is, the better he is. If you can strip that confidence back within the first round – stiff jabs, make him question himself, put it on him in short spaces. Don’t be exchanging with him within the first couple of rounds. I’d be shooting from quite far out with the jab and looking to nail him when he rushes in. I think by the end of round two, he’ll be questioning himself.”

On the power debate, Bellew warned Wardley that Dubois is dangerous early.

“I think Daniel Dubois might hit harder with the one shot, but I think Fabio carries his power better and he definitely carries it later.

“He’s quite predictable Daniel and he’s easy to hit, so you’ve got to take advantage. But, as I said before, another side of that coin is he’s super, super dangerous when he lands. Especially in the early rounds. You’ve got to take that away.”

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The fight takes place at Manchester’s Co-op Live on May 9.