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The Green Bay Packers are beginning a new era after trading away franchise legend Aaron Rodgers this offseason. Jordan Love has the chance to establish himself as the new quarterback in Green Bay, but the Packers are adding someone who could compete to be his backup. Per KPRC2, the Packers are expected to sign former Birmingham Stallions quarterback and 2023 USFL MVP Alex McGough after a successful workout.

The Stallions repeated as USFL champions this summer, and their quarterback was a big reason why. McGough completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 2,104 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions in the regular season. He led the league in passing touchdowns, and ranked third in passing yards.

It’s also worth noting that McGough was a dual-threat quarterback, as he finished sixth with 403 rushing yards and third with five rushing touchdowns. His USFL head coach, Skip Holtz, believes McGough is an NFL quarterback.

“I think he’s as good as I’ve ever been around, and I’ve been around a lot of NFL quarterbacks,” Holtz said, via theusfl.com.

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McGough played his college football at Florida International University, and was a seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2018. However, he did not make the final roster, and was signed to the practice squad. McGough also had short stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, but the 27 year old has yet to play in an NFL game.

If the McGough signing comes to fruition, the Packers will carry four quarterbacks into training camp: Love, Sean Clifford, Danny Etling and McGough.

Over 20 former USFL players are currently on NFL rosters. Daryl Johnston, the former Cowboys legend and current USFL president, is surprised that one USFL player is not currently employed by an NFL team.

When recently asked to name the USFL player he is most surprised is not currently signed by an NFL team, Johnston quickly pointed to Justin Hall, a receiver/returner who spent this past USFL season with the Houston Gamblers. An undrafted rookie last spring, Hall spent the 2022 preseason with Raiders and had a workout with the Dolphins last month.

“He’s tough as nails,” Johnston recently said of Hall during an interview with CBS Sports. “He was one of those guys that I just thought, with the direction the NFL is moving, he’s that space guy. Doesn’t have the quick twitch that KaVonte [Turpin] has, but he’s got a toughness and a contact balance that’s very impressive.”

The 5-foot-8 Hall played collegiately at Ball State, where he caught 318 passes and 18 touchdowns. He also averaged 26.1 yards per kickoff return that included a 99-yard return for a score against Army.

Hall signed with Houston after not making the Raiders’ 53-man roster. During his first season with the Gamblers, Hall was top five in the USFL in receiving yards, touchdown catches and punt return yards.

The Chiefs, given all the drops that transpired during their season-opening loss to the Lions, may decide to give the 24-year-old Hall a look sometime soon.

Kenji Bahar to Justin Hall for the Houston Gamblers #USFL

pic.twitter.com/nFO70NOazE

— USFL Gambling Podcast (@USFLGambling) April 22, 2023
While Hall waits for his next opportunity, several other former USFL players are preparing for Week 1 of the NFL’s regular season. Four former USFL players — Cowboys receiver/returner KaVonte Turpin, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, Broncos long snapper Mitchell Fraboni and Panthers defensive tackle LaBryan Ray — are currently on 53-man rosters. Quarterback Alex McGough, the USFL’s reigning league MVP, is one of 17 former USFL players currently on NFL practice squads.

These players are part of the 100 former USFL players who signed with NFL teams over the past two years. All but one of the NFL’s 32 teams have signed a USFL player over that span.

“I couldn’t be happier for these guys,” Johnston said. “It’s what we talk to them about and what we strive for as a league. I always remember Jeff Fisher saying it’s not about getting them to the NFL, because a lot of them have already done that. It’s about getting them the opportunity to stay in the NFL.”

Not surprisingly, a considerable number of USFL players who jumped to the NFL have come from the two-time defending champion Birmingham Stallions. Two members of the Stallions’ 2022 championship team — Bears linebacker DeMarquis Gates and Ravens cornerback Tae Hayes — are beginning their second consecutive seasons on NFL rosters. Six members of Birmingham’s most recent championship team are currently employed by NFL teams.

Despite that turnover, Johnston feels that Birmingham will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in 2024. He said that the trust that’s developed between Stallions coach Skip Holtz and GM Zach Potter is one of the reasons why.

“He’s got great connections. He’s always trying to turn the roster over to get better,” Johnston said of Potter. “I think Birmingham is always going to be tough. Depending on what happens with Alex. Alex was the difference-maker in our league last year. He was just outstanding.”

As far as the USFL is concerned, Johnston feels that the league will eventually be a better alternative for players than college football when it comes to preparing to play in the NFL.

“What we’re providing with the USFL is invaluable because it allows these guys to get into a professional atmosphere, work on the day-to-day grind, work on the details of the position, get better at their craft,” he said. “We really feel like, once we get the momentum behind us, we’re going to be the better alternative.”

Roman Reigns and Logan Paul are touching down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Nov. 5. The undisputed WWE universal championship is on the line as the superstars of WWE make the long flight over for the Crown Jewel PPV event.

WWE’s Crown Jewel events are notorious for recruiting legends and outsiders for rare appearances, for better or worse. Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Undertaker, Goldberg, Tyson Fury and Cain Velasquez have all previously appeared at the show. The 2022 edition takes a more measured, story-driven approach yet features Reigns defending his world title against social media superstar Paul. The main event is built around Paul’s desire to one-up his exhibition boxing match against Floyd Mayweather and the potential that he can land one lucky shot on Reigns. Paul impressed in performances at WrestleMania 38 and SummerSlam, but few expected him to receive a main event title shot so soon.

Also on the card is a real-life recreation of Godzilla vs. Kong. Two of WWE’s largest superstars, Braun Strowman and Omos, will test the durability of the ring when they exchange blows on Saturday. Other notable matches include Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley in a Last Woman Standing match, and Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross in a steel cage.

Take a look below at the confirmed and predicted matches.

2022 WWE Crown Jewel matches
Undisputed WWE universal championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Logan Paul: Paul made his first appearance since SummerSlam on an episode of SmackDown in September. Paul set his sights on the top and challenged Reigns. WWE hosted a press conference in Las Vegas on Sept. 17 that formally set the groundwork for Crown Jewel’s main event. Paul and The Bloodline have repeatedly traded barbs on episodes of SmackDown since.

The O.C. (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) vs. Judgement Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominick Mysterio): Balor had spent weeks attempting to recruit his old friend Styles into Judgement Day. The villainous group gave Styles an ultimatum on Raw: either you’re with them or against them. Styles appeared and feigned allegiance to Balor. It was all a ruse to welcome Anderson and Gallows back into the fold. The two factions, each boasting Bullet Club alumni, will meet in a six-man tag team match.

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley: There is unfinished business between Lesnar and Lashley. The two collided at the 2022 Royal Rumble in a WWE championship match that left something to be desired. Lashley emerged victorious to kickstart his second reign as WWE champion. Lesnar has not forgotten the taste of defeat. The former UFC champion made an unexpected return to Raw and leveled Lashley. The impact of the attack left Lashley vulnerable in his United States championship defense that same evening. Seth Rollins usurped the title from Lashley and avoided backlash as Lashley focused on Lesnar.

Braun Strowman vs. Omos: Much like Thanos vs. Galactus, there is only room for one destroyer in the WWE universe. Omos, flanked by his manager MVP, made it clear that Strowman was a target. Strowman officially challenged Omos on the Oct. 21 episode of SmackDown. Omos appears to have the upper hand, effortlessly shoving Strowman out of the ring in the first physical encounter between the two.

Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross (Steel cage match): McIntyre is on the warpath. Kross and Scarlett have repeatedly ambushed McIntyre since the duo returned to WWE in August. McIntyre was on the verge of defeating Kross in a strap match at Extreme Rules before Scarlett sprayed mace in McIntyre’s eyes. Tensions boiled over the following week on SmackDown after McIntyre laid out Kross with a car door. All this leads to a steel cage match at Crown Jewel that intends to cut off Kross from his lifeline Scarlett.

Undisputed tag team championship — The Usos (c) vs. Brawling Brutes (Butch and Ridge Holland): The Bloodline kicked their feud with the Brawling Brutes into overdrive on the Oct. 21 episode of SmackDown. After burying Butch and Holland under an announcer’s table, The Bloodline brutally attacked Sheamus’ left arm with two steel chairs. The severity of the assault should theoretically write Sheamus off TV and buoy a motivated Butch and Holland. This should be a fun follow-up to their solid tag team title match on the Sept. 23 episode of SmackDown.

Raw women’s championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley (Last Man Standing match): WWE announced a Raw women’s championship match between Bayley and Belair The booking comes after Bayley defeated Belair in a non-title match on the Oct. 24 episode of Monday Night Raw. Belair looked prime to defeat Bayley before Nikki Cross interfered and attacked everyone, opening the door for Bayley to capitalize.

Women’s tag team championship — Asuka & Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Damage CTRL: Asuka and Bliss beat Dakota Kai and IYO SKY on Raw to win the titles, now the former champions get their rematch at Crown Jewel. The two sides have had several prior run-ins with Asuka and Bliss backing Bianca Belair and Damage CTRL backing their leader, Bayley.

WWE Crown Jewel is set to go down on Saturday as WWE returns to Saudi Arabia. WWE is bringing most of its top stars to the event, taking another big swing in its controversial relationship with the country’s government.

In the main event, Roman Reigns will defend the undisputed WWE universal championship against social media star Logan Paul. Reigns has been the universal champion since August 2020 and unified that title with the WWE championship at WrestleMania 38 in April. Paul has only had two matches in his career, teaming with The Miz to defeat The Mysterios and then defeating The Miz in a singles match.

Also on the card is a real-life recreation of Godzilla vs. Kong. Two of WWE’s largest superstars, Braun Strowman and Omos, will test the durability of the ring when they exchange blows on Saturday. Other notable matches include Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley in a Last Woman Standing match, and Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross in a steel cage.

Let’s take a closer look at who our CBS Sports experts predict will come out on top at WWE Crown Jewel, which begins Saturday at noon ET from Mrsool Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and streams live on Peacock.

2022 WWE Crown Jewel predictions
Undisputed WWE Universal Championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Logan Paul: This is such an odd match. It seemed WWE would build Paul up through more special matches before throwing him into any sort of title match. While he has been truly outstanding in his two matches, there’s basically no way Paul walks away as undisputed champion. That said, there’s a chance he could win by disqualification to remain undefeated while not taking the title off of Reigns. It makes more sense that Reigns just takes the win here while Paul looks good enough that there’s no damage done to him as a rising star. Pick: Roman Reigns retains the title — Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)

Raw Women’s Championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley (Last Woman Standing Match): In any other match type, I’d likely lean toward Bayley to end Belair’s long run and freshen things up a bit. But having Bayley go over under Last Woman Standing rules just doesn’t feel right and Belair managing to Superwoman her way through another challenge is far more likely. Pick: Bianca Belair retains the title — Brookhouse

The trajectory of Damage CTRL is confusing. The group was primed to take over the women’s division upon its debut. Dakota Kai and IYO SKY lost a tag team title match, won them two weeks later and recently dropped the belts to Alexa Bliss and Asuka. The trio was also single-handedly thwarted by Belair at Extreme Rules. WWE was probably wise to not replicate The Bloodline’s title dominance with Damage CTRL, but their momentum has felt very start and stop. Salvaging the group probably means handing Bayley the title through nefarious means. Pick: Bayley wins the title — Mahjouri

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley: Lesnar lost to Lashley at Royal Rumble earlier this year. That was the first time the two men had ever met in a one-on-one match. WWE likely would like to be able to return to this match again in 2023 and letting Lesnar get the win back is the most direct way to accomplish that. It’s also hard to imagine Lesnar losing three straight matches. You have to go back to 2003 to find the last time that happened. Pick: Brock Lesnar wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross (Steel Cage Match): McIntyre cannot afford three consecutive pay-per-view losses. The Scotsman was one of WWE’s few believable main eventers at the end of Vince McMahon’s tenure and it would be a shame to see him fall from grace after a strong showing at Clash at the Castle. Kross has been presented very well so far. His aura is certainly worth preserving, but Kross has no clear and immediate route to the world title. Give McIntyre a much-needed win in a competitive showing against Kross to set up the trilogy. Pick: Drew McIntyre wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

Braun Strowman vs. Omos: Omos is very much a work in progress and that is fine. He should not pick up the win. Strowman is a much more seasoned big man that you can reliably insert into a major feud. Strowman’s departure last year was bizarre. WWE had put so much time into developing a monster of a human with surprising athleticism only to drop him. Shredded and looking better than ever, Crown Jewel should be Strowman’s stepping stone to something bigger. Pick: Braun Strowman wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

The O.C. vs. The Judgement Day: The Judgement Day earned much-needed momentum against Edge at Extreme Rules and you would like to see them build off it further. Unfortunately, it may not be worth having The O.C. lose. Styles is the most successful of all six competitors in the match. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows recently returned to WWE after being woefully underutilized in their last stint. The three have cohesion and a longtime friendship, so there shouldn’t be much disjointedness in their chemistry. Expect The O.C. to emerge victorious to capitalize on The Good Brothers’ recent returns. Pick: The O.C. wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

Undisputed Tag Team Championship — The Usos (c) vs. The Brawling Brutes: The Brutes, along with leader Sheamus, have developed into a consistently entertaining group. That said, it’s nearly impossible to see The Usos losing the undisputed belts in a match without much more build than this. Pick: The Usos retain the titles — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Women’s Tag Team Championship — Alexa Bliss & Asuka (c) vs. Damage CTRL: The women’s tag belts still feel as though they’re lacking any real consistent direction. On IYO SKY and Dakota Kai, they felt like a tool that could help prop up Damage CTRL as a force. But the run was relatively short-lived and the titles were flipped to Bliss and Asuka in what felt like something of a random Raw match. It’s hard to see flipping them back less than a week later. What would the point of the title change have been if they do that? Pick: Alexa Bliss & Asuka retain the titles — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

WWE Crown Jewel offers mainstream faces, MMA crossovers, a battle of behemoths and more. Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul headlines the company’s return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Reigns will defend his undisputed WWE universal championship against Paul at a rare daytime premium live event. A family feud is bubbling with Jake Paul joining his brother at Crown Jewel to fend off Reigns’ tribe, The Bloodline. Paul impressed in his two previous WWE matches, but he’ll need to land a lucky punch against one of the most dominant champions in WWE history.

Brock Lesnar lends his star power to the card in a sequel to his 2022 Royal Rumble match against Bobby Lashley. Both former WWE champions have significant MMA experience. Lesnar is the former UFC heavyweight champion while Lashley achieved a solid 15-2 record fighting in organizations including Bellator and Strikeforce.

Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday afternoon in Saudi Arabia.

Watch 2022 WWE Crown Jewel
Date: Nov. 5
Location: Mrsool Park — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Start time: Noon ET (kickoff show starts at 11 a.m. ET)
Watch live: Peacock

2022 WWE Crown Jewel match card
Undisputed WWE universal championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Logan Paul
The O.C. (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) vs. Judgement Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominick Mysterio)
Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley
Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross (Street Cage Match)
Braun Strowman vs. Omos
Raw women’s championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley (Last Woman Standing Match)
Undisputed tag team championships — The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. Brawling Brutes (Butch and Ridge Holland)
Women’s tag team championships — Alexa Bliss and Asuka (c) vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky) vs.

The Houston Rockets will visit the Miami Heat in a cross-conference matchup on Monday’s NBA schedule. Miami is 20-15 overall and 9-6 at home, while Houston is 18-16 overall and 3-10 on the road. Miami has dominated the recent head-to-head series, winning each of the last six matchups. The Rockets are 20-12-2 against the spread in 2023-24, while the Heat are 16-18-1 against the line.

Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The Heat are favored by 4 points in the latest Rockets vs. Heat odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 219 points. Before entering any Heat vs. Rockets picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Houston vs. Miami. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Rockets vs. Heat:

Heat vs. Rockets spread: Heat -4
Heat vs. Rockets over/under: 219 points
Heat vs. Rockets money line: Heat: -178, Rockets: +148
Heat vs. Rockets picks: See picks at SportsLine
What you need to know about the Rockets
Last Saturday, Houston didn’t have too much breathing room in its game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but its still walked away with a 112-108 win. The win was just what the Rockets needed coming off of a 122-95 defeat in their prior matchup. Alperen Sengun led Houston with 21 points to go along with 11 rebounds and four assists.

Houston hangs its hat on the defensive end under new coach Ime Udoka as the Rockets rank in the top three in both points allowed and defensive rating. That’s despite the team ranking in the bottom 10 in both steals and blocks per game. The Rockets hound the perimeter, allowing the lowest 3-point percentage in the league. However, Houston will be undermanned on Monday as two of its top six scorers are sidelined in Dillon Brooks (oblique) and Tari Eason (leg). See which team to pick here.

What you need to know about the Heat
Meanwhile, Miami lost to the Phoenix Suns on the road by a decisive 113-97 margin on Friday. The Heat were down 94-75 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from. The loss doesn’t tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Bam Adebayo, who dropped a double-double on 28 points and 11 rebounds.

Jimmy Butler did not play in that game, and he is sidelined again on Monday with a toe sprain. However, Miami has plenty of depth without him as eight Heat players are averaging in double figures. Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. has especially been a bright spot as over the last 22 games, he’s averaging 16.5 points on 51.3% shooting to go along with 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. See which team to pick here.

Key Betting Info
The Heat will be relying on another big game from Adebayo to pull off a victory. For the season, Adebayo has averaged 22 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1 block.

The Rockets have performed about as expected as the underdog this season and currently sit at 9-14 as such. They better be ready for this one, as the Heat are 14-5 when favored to win this season.

Some of the betting trends to consider are:

The Heat are 2-5-1 against the spread in their last 8 games when the spread was between -6 to -3.
The Rockets are 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games when the spread was between +3 to +6.
The Rockets are 20-10-2 against the spread in their last 32 games vs teams allowing more than 102 points per game.
How to make Heat vs. Rockets picks
The model has simulated Heat vs. Rockets 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The Boston Celtics (28-7) will look to sweep a two-game road trip against the Indiana Pacers (20-15) on Monday night. Boston cruised to a 118-101 win at Indiana on Saturday, racing out to a 29-17 lead at the end of the first quarter before sealing the game with a dominant fourth quarter. The Celtics have the best record in the Eastern Conference, sitting 3.5 games ahead of Milwaukee. Indiana is in seventh place in the conference standings and is 4.5 games back of Milwaukee in the Central Division.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Monday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Boston is favored by 3.5 points in the latest Pacers vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under is 244.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Celtics vs. Pacers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Boston vs. Indiana. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Pacers:

Pacers vs. Celtics spread: Pacers +3.5
Pacers vs. Celtics over/under: 244.5 points
Pacers vs. Celtics money line: Pacers: +138, Celtics: -163
Pacers vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Pacers can cover
Indiana was unable to keep pace with Boston in the fourth quarter on Saturday, but it won its previous six games. The Pacers picked up a pair of wins over the Bucks during that stretch, along with a 150-116 win over Atlanta last Friday. Tyrese Haliburton accounted for 18 of the team’s franchise-record 50 assists in that game, while Myles Turner scored a team-best 27 points.

The Pacers trailed Boston by 12 points at the end of the first quarter on Saturday before cutting the deficit to three points entering the fourth quarter. Small forward Bennedict Mathurin scored a team-high 20 points off the bench, while Haliburton had 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Indiana has covered the spread in six of its last seven games, including five of its last six games against Eastern Conference opponents. Bruce Brown (knee) is questionable for Monday. See which team to pick here.

Why the Celtics can cover
Boston’s success against Indiana continued on Saturday, as it is now 12-5 in its last 17 road games against the Pacers. The Celtics have won eight of their last nine games overall to maintain their lead atop the conference standings. Power forward Jayson Tatum poured in 38 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out six assists on Saturday, shooting 14 of 23 from the floor.

Small forward Jaylen Brown had a big game as well, scoring 31 points on 13 of 20 shooting, while veteran Al Horford added 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds off the bench. The Celtics opened the fourth quarter with a 16-4 run and maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game. They have covered the spread in nine of their last 13 games, including five of their last six on the road. Tatum (ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (eye) are questionable for Monday. See which team to pick here.

How to make Pacers vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Pacers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham entered Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets averaging 28.7 points, 8.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals with a 28.7% usage rate and a 62.1% true shooting percentage in his previous 10 games. The Pistons, who have one win since Oct. 28, were down by only two points against the defending champs when Cunningham exited with what the team called a left knee strain halfway through the second quarter. The Nuggets almost immediately broke the game open after that, and Detroit trailed by as many as 24 points in the 131-114 loss.

“It’s pretty clear: He’s important. Franchise player. So when a guy like that can’t play, it has a trickle-down effect across the board,” Pistons coach Monty Williams told reporters. “You have different guys stepping up in the pecking order and having to handle the ball and make plays and that kind of thing, so pretty clear how important Cade is to our program.”

Williams said he had “nothing right now” to share about the injury. “We don’t have anything official. Just has a bit of a left knee issue, so we’ll give an update once we have an official report.”

The Pistons are 3-33 and set the all-time record for consecutive losses in a season prior to a Dec. 30 victory against the Toronto Raptors. For the past few weeks, though, Cunningham’s individual brilliance has kept them competitive in the majority of their games. Since Dec. 16, they’ve had an above-average offense (117.6 points per 100 possessions) with Cunningham on the court and an absolutely abysmal offense (106.8 per 100) without him.

Individually, Cunningham has quieted early season concerns about inefficiency and turnovers. Some of this is because he’s been playing in a more functional offensive environment since the returns of Bojan Bogdanovic (on Dec. 2) and Jalen Duren (Dec. 26). If he misses time, though, things will likely get even uglier for a Detroit team that, besides a timely matchup against the shorthanded Raptors, cannot seem to catch a break.

The Pistons will host the Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets this week. If Cunningham is not in the lineup against Sacramento on Tuesday, will Killian Hayes return to the starting five? This is the likeliest scenario — Hayes started the second half against Denver — but Detroit does have other options. Veteran Alec Burks has rediscovered his 3-point shot lately (17-for-31 in his last five games), and Williams has started Kevin Knox II on five occasions this season.

Regardless of who might start, a potential Cunningham absence would shift some of the playmaking burden to Bogdanovic and second-year guard Jaden Ivey. It would also clear the way for rookie Marcus Sasser, who logged 11 second-half minutes on Sunday, to return to the rotation.

Cunningham has appeared in all 36 of Detroit’s games in 2023-24. He missed all but 12 games last season because of a stress fracture in his shin that required surgery. The Pistons, with a .083 winning percentage, are on pace to finish 7-75, which would be the worst record in NBA history.

The Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns look to bounce back from losses on Sunday as they match up on Monday night in Los Angeles. The Clippers (22-13) fell to the Lakers, 106-103, while the Suns (19-17) lost at home to the Grizzlies, 121-115. These two teams met in Phoenix last Wednesday, a 131-122 Los Angeles victory. The Clippers are 18-17 against the spread, while the Suns are 13-22-1 ATS in 2023-24.

Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles is favored by 6.5 points in the latest Suns vs. Clippers odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 229.5 points. Before entering any Clippers vs. Suns picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Suns vs. Clippers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Clippers vs. Suns:

Clippers vs. Suns spread: Clippers -6.5
Clippers vs. Suns over/under: 229.5 points
Clippers vs. Suns money line: Clippers -242, Suns +197
Clippers vs. Suns picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Suns can cover
Less than a week after a nine point home loss to the Clippers, the Suns play a back-to-back in Los Angeles after falling to Memphis on Sunday night. Despite the team’s new ‘Big 3’ playing together, the combination of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal failed to beat the Grizzlies, who were without star guard Ja Morant. The Suns were outscored 35-18 in the fourth quarter and will need to turn around the momentum quickly heading into Monday night’s contest.

Booker led the team on Sunday night with 24 points and eight assists while center Jusuf Nurkic grabbed 19 rebounds to go along with his 18 points in the losing effort. Durant produced a 23-10-5 line and Beal added 12-6-5 against Memphis. Phoenix reserves contributed only 22 of the team’s 115 points on Sunday night and will have to play a far bigger role if the Suns are to knock off Los Angeles on Monday night. See which team to pick here.

Why the Clippers can cover
Los Angeles had won five straight games before falling on Sunday night to the Lakers. It leads the Pacific Division by one game over Sacramento and looks to add another game on the Suns who are 3.5 back. The Clippers’ ‘Big 3’ of their own, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden combined for only 57 points in the team’s defeat on Sunday night. Center Ivica Zubac was the star against his old team, scoring 22 points with 19 rebounds in the loss.

Against the Suns last week, George scored 33 points and Leonard 30 in Los Angeles’ nine point road win. The Clippers won the rebounding and turnover battle each by four contributing to their success. Another key element is home court advantage for the Clippers, who are 14-4 when playing as the hosts as Crypto.com Arena. See which team to pick here.

How to make Suns vs. Clippers picks
The model has simulated Suns vs. Clippers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

We’ve got another exciting Eastern Conference matchup on Monday’s NBA schedule as the Charlotte Hornets will host the Chicago Bulls. Charlotte is 8-25 overall and 4-11 at home, while Chicago is 16-21 overall and 4-12 on the road. The Bulls have won the last four matchups, including a 104-91 victory on Friday. The Hornets are 13-19-1 against the spread in the 2023-24 NBA season, while the Bulls are 18-18-1 versus the number.

Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Chicago is favored by 6.5 points in the latest Hornets vs. Bulls odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 216 points. Before entering any Bulls vs. Hornets picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Chicago vs. Charlotte. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Bulls vs. Hornets:

Hornets vs. Bulls spread: Hornets +6.5
Hornets vs. Bulls over/under: 216 points
Hornets vs. Bulls money line: Hornets: +214, Bulls: -265
Hornets vs. Bulls picks: See picks at SportsLine
What to know about the Hornets
It’s hard to win when your shooting is a whole 13.6% worse than the opposition, a fact the Hornets found out the hard way on Friday. They fell 104-91 to Chicago, and the Hornets have not had much luck with the Bulls recently, as the team’s come up short the last three times they’ve met.

Despite the loss, the Hornets got a solid performance out of Miles Bridges, who scored 28 points to go along with five rebounds. Charlotte is severely shorthanded at the moment as it’s missing leading scorer LaMelo Ball (ankle), as well as three other double-digit scorers in Gordon Hayward (calf), PJ Washington (foot) and Mark Williams (back). Thus, the team will have to rely more on No. 2 overall pick, Brandon Miller, who is averaging 14.7 points but is doing it inefficiently, knocking down just 39.1% of his field-goal attempts over his last 15 games. See which team to pick here.

What to know about the Bulls
In Friday’s win over Charlotte, Coby White led the Bulls with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while DeMar DeRozan added 17 points. White has taken his game to another level since Zach LaVine was sidelined as he’s averaging 21.8 points over his last 23 games. LaVine returned to the floor against Charlotte after missing 17 games and scored 15 points in 30 minutes.

Nikola Vucevic also returned on Friday after missing five games, and he had 11 points and seven rebounds, so this Bulls team is close to being whole. Perhaps now it can make some strides on the offensive end as Chicago ranks in the bottom eight in both points per game and offensive rating. However, the defense is stout and is allowing the sixth-fewest points per game in the NBA. See which team to pick here.

How to make Hornets vs. Bulls picks
The model has simulated Hornets vs. Bulls 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.