The 2025 NFL offseason is here. Rumors are swirling around big names like Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson, the most accomplished of the veteran quarterbacks set to be available in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, all 32 clubs are able to use the franchise tag until March 4. And before long, the entire veteran market will open up, allowing all impending free agents to negotiate prospective deals around the league.
March 10 is when teams can officially begin contract talks with the agents of players who have expiring deals, while March 12 is when signings and trades can be finalized. And while some of the more notable veterans on track to be available, like Rodgers and fellow New York Jets veteran Davante Adams, have yet to officially hit the market, there are still dozens of other starting-caliber players on track to test the waters.
With that in mind, we’ve combed through the entire projected 2025 free agency market to assemble an All-Free Agent Team, identifying the best talent at each position on both sides of the ball:
Offense POSITION FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM QB
Sam Darnold (Vikings)
Justin Fields (Steelers)
RB
Aaron Jones (Vikings)
Nick Chubb (Browns)
WR
Tee Higgins (Bengals)
Amari Cooper (Bills)
WR
Stefon Diggs (Texans)
Marquise Brown (Chiefs)
WR
Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)
Darius Slayton (Giants)
TE
Mike Gesicki (Bengals)
Zach Ertz (Commanders)
LT
Ronnie Stanley (Ravens)
Cam Robinson (Vikings)
OG
Kevin Zeitler (Lions)
Patrick Mekari (Ravens)
C
Drew Dalman (Falcons)
Josh Myers (Packers)
OG
Will Fries (Colts)
Mekhi Becton (Eagles)
RT
Morgan Moses (Jets)
Kelvin Beachum (Cardinals)
The clear favorite to command the most money is Darnold, who despite a catastrophic close to the 2024 season found new life as a big-play starter under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota. He and Fields are likely to have added veteran competition on the open market, with Cousins and Rodgers both expected to be released before free agency. Higgins, meanwhile, is a candidate to receive the franchise tag in Cincinnati for the second straight offseason, with the Bengals reportedly determined to retain their No. 2 wideout. The real strength of this group is probably the trenches, where teams could have a crack at multiple Pro Bowl-caliber blockers.
2025 NFL free agency: Five teams that could be hit hardest this offseason, including Cowboys, Eagles Jordan Dajani 2025 NFL free agency: Five teams that could be hit hardest this offseason, including Cowboys, Eagles Defense POSITION FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM EDGE
Khalil Mack (Chargers)
Chase Young (Saints)
DL
Milton Williams (Eagles)
D.J. Jones (Broncos)
DL
Javon Hargrave (49ers)
Tershawn Wharton (Chiefs)
EDGE
Josh Sweat (Eagles)
Haason Reddick (Jets)
LB
Dre Greenlaw (49ers)
Nick Bolton (Chiefs)
LB
Zack Baun (Eagles)
Ernest Jones (Seahawks)
CB
Byron Murphy Jr. (Vikings)
Carlton Davis (Lions)
CB
D.J. Reed (Jets)
Asante Samuel Jr. (Chargers)
CB
Charvarius Ward (49ers)
Mike Hilton (Bengals)
S
Camryn Bynum (Vikings)
Justin Reid (Chiefs)
S
Jevon Holland (Dolphins)
Tre’von Moehrig (Raiders)
While this year’s crop of offensive free agents is pretty spotty except for the trenches, each level of the defense offers a fair amount of upside. Mack and Reddick are on the verge of becoming has-beens off the edge, but pass rushers can also age well when supplemented by deep rotations. The Eagles are responsible for a hefty chunk of this unit, with Baun, Sweat and Williams all holding pivotal roles in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX domination. But the secondary is perhaps the most intriguing, with ball magnets like Bynum and Murphy — who starred as playmakers for Brian Flores in Minnesota — registering as potential long-term investments.
Davante Adams landing spots: Best fits for WR with Jets set to release him if they can’t find a trade partner Jordan Dajani Davante Adams landing spots: Best fits for WR with Jets set to release him if they can’t find a trade partner Special Teams POSITION FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM K
Nick Folk (Titans)
Brandon McManus (Packers)
P
Bryan Anger (Cowboys)
Riley Dixon (Broncos)
KR/PR DeAndre Carter (Bears) Olamide Zaccheaus (Commanders) Folk will turn 41 in the 2025 season, but he’s been money on field goal tries for the last half decade, converting 92.3% of his attempts over the last five seasons. McManus was nearly flawless for Green Bay during the 2024 regular season as well.
Total team representation The following NFL teams had the most players appear on the All-Free Agent Team:
Minnesota Vikings (5) Kansas City Chiefs (4) Philadelphia Eagles (4) Cincinnati Bengals (3) Los Angeles Chargers (3)
The NFL offseason moves fast and furious. The combine has just concluded and we are quickly closing in on the first major event centered around player movement: free agency. The legal tampering period begins Monday, March 10 at noon ET, and the free agency signing period officially begins two days later on March 12 at the start of the new league year (4 p.m. ET).
There are plenty of storylines to get excited about. What will the Cincinnati Bengals do with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson? Is Sam Darnold a lock to return to the Minnesota Vikings? Who will want Aaron Rodgers? What are the New England Patriots going to do with all of that projected money? As is the case every year, teams will lose talent, while others will throw money around. It all starts next month.
Which contenders will lose key pieces? Below, we’ll take a look at the top five NFL teams that could be hit the hardest in free agency for one reason or another. Let’s begin with a team that has almost as much cap space as decisions it needs to make.
Minnesota Vikings Following their impressive 14-3 campaign, the Vikings have free agents at almost every position. Sam Darnold made himself some money with a career campaign in which he threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, running backs Aaron Jones and Cam Akers are free agents, starting offensive linemen Cam Robinson and Dalton Risner are looking for new deals, and then Minnesota has plenty of free agents in the secondary with Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin and Camryn Bynum, who recorded a career-high three interceptions in 2024.
Unlike the majority of teams you will find on this list, the Vikings are projected to have plenty of available cap space ($63.3 million). However, the first important decision Minnesota will make is at quarterback, and that could affect how GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah handles some of his other free agents.
Vikings’ unrestricted free agents OT Cam Robinson QB Sam Darnold CB Byron Murphy CB Stephon Gilmore RB Aaron Jones OG Dalton Risner TE Johnny Mundt WR Brandon Powell OT David Quessenberry RB Cam Akers S Camryn Bynum CB Shaquill Griffin DT Jerry Tillery DE Jonathan Bullard QB Nick Mullens C Dan Feeney WR Trent Sherfield DE Jihad Ward LB Kamu Grugier-Hill LB Patrick Jones II CB Fabian Moreau QB Brett Rypien QB Daniel Jones
Kansas City Chiefs I’m not trying to claim the Chiefs’ Super Bowl window is closing, but they have some tough decisions to make this offseason. Not only does Pete Prisco consider Kansas City having five of the top 100 free agents hitting the market next month, but the Chiefs also have less than $8 million in available funds, according to Over The Cap.
I wouldn’t worry too much if the Chiefs have to again revamp their wide receiving corps with DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster looking for new deals. Where the concern comes in is with starters at other positions. Right guard Trey Smith had the potential to reset his respective market, but recently got tagged. Also, linebacker Nick Bolton is an important piece of the defense who’s expecting a pay raise and the same can be said for safety Justin Reid. Then on the defensive line, Tershawn Wharton is a free agent after he notched a career-high 6.5 sacks this past season, veteran Mike Pennel is looking for a new deal as are Josh Uche and Derrick Nnadi.
Retaining talent is just as important as some of the improvements Kansas City will look to make. Both objectives will not be easy.
Chiefs’ unrestricted free agents WR DeAndre Hopkins S Justin Reid DE Charles Omenihu WR Marquise Brown QB Carson Wentz EDGE Josh Uche DE Tershawn Wharton OT D.J. Humphries DT Derrick Nnadi WR Justin Watson RB Samaje Perine LB Nick Bolton LS James Winchester DL Mike Pennel WR JuJu Smith-Schuster RB Kareem Hunt WR Mecole Hardman TE Jody Fortson DT Marlon Tuipulotu P Matt Araiza
Dallas Cowboys The team that was least active in free agency last year has some tough decisions to make this offseason. Not only does Dallas rank bottom 10 in cap space with the looming Micah Parsons extension to worry about, but the Cowboys also have several important players who need new deals. Osa Odighizuwa is up for a new contract after recording a career-high 4.5 sacks and 47 combined tackles, 32-year-old DeMarcus Lawrence is a free agent after missing the majority of last season with a foot injury, 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle is looking for a new contract, as is cornerback Jourdan Lewis. By the way, nine-time Pro Bowler Zack Martin is reportedly retiring.
Not only are the Cowboys undergoing a change in leadership this offseason with new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, but this defense could look very, very different in 2025. Dallas doesn’t typically spend big money. Will that change this year?
Cowboys’ unrestricted free agents WR Brandin Cooks OG Zack Martin DE DeMarcus Lawrence QB Trey Lance LB Eric Kendricks CB Jourdan Lewis QB Cooper Rush DT Linval Joseph DT Osa Odighizuwa RB Rico Dowdle DE Chauncey Golston DE Carl Lawson P Bryan Anger CB C.J. Goodwin LS Trent Sieg OT Chuma Edoga LB Nick Vigil CB Amani Oruwariye DE Carlos Watkins CB Israel Mukuamu
Cincinnati Bengals The Bengals have plenty to worry about this offseason, which will affect their game plan in free agency. Wide receiver Tee Higgins is looking for long-term security after being franchise-tagged last year, Ja’Marr Chase’s record-breaking extension could be handled in the coming months and then Trey Hendrickson wants an extension or trade. Those are the top three issues in Cincinnati, and we’ve only discussed one free agent thus far.
2025 NFL All-Free Agent Team: Vikings, Chiefs, Eagles headline best veteran talent on the market Cody Benjamin 2025 NFL All-Free Agent Team: Vikings, Chiefs, Eagles headline best veteran talent on the market Apart from Higgins, defensive tackle B.J. Hill, veteran nickel Mike Hilton, offensive tackle Trent Brown, pass rusher Joseph Ossai, tight end Mike Gesicki and safety Vonn Bell are a few notable players searching for new contracts. The Bengals do rank inside the top 10 when it comes to available cap space, but that’s not enough for Duke Tobin and the fan base to feel comfortable about the future. Even if Cincinnati finds a way this offseason to keep its “big three” under contract for years to come, that should make it tougher to not only retain other players, but also improve a defense that kept Joe Burrow out of the playoffs last year.
Bengals’ unrestricted free agents WR Tee Higgins DT B.J. Hill CB Mike Hilton OT Trent Brown LB Akeem Davis-Gaither CB Marco Wilson TE Mike Gesicki OT Cody Ford EDGE Joseph Ossai TE Tanner Hudson LB Joe Bachie S Vonn Bell RB Trayveon Williams DT Jay Tufele DE Cameron Sample OT D’Ante Smith RB Chris Evans RB Khalil Herbert
Philadelphia Eagles The reigning Super Bowl champions can’t keep everybody. This offseason, Philly has several big names set to hit the open market and cash in.
Defensive end Josh Sweat, who should have won Super Bowl MVP after recording 2.5 sacks and six combined tackles against the Chiefs, is a free agent who could decide to chase a bag. Defensive tackle Milton Williams, who recorded a career-high five sacks this past season and got to Patrick Mahomes twice in New Orleans, is also looking for a new deal. Then there’s linebacker Zack Baun, who was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist after a career campaign in which he recorded 151 combined tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. He was truly one of the best players in all of football this past season.
There’s more to worry about than just those three star players. Veteran defensive end Brandon Graham may retire, starting right guard Mekhi Becton is a free agent and linebacker Oren Burks, who stepped in for the injured Nakobe Dean, is also a free agent.
Eagles’ unrestricted free agents DE Josh Sweat LB Zack Baun OG Mekhi Becton DT Milton Williams RB Kenneth Gainwell DE Brandon Graham CB Avonte Maddox TE C.J. Uzomah OT Le’Raven Clark LS Rick Lovato OT Fred Johnson LB Oren Burks OG Jack Driscoll CB Isaiah Rodgers
With Matthew Stafford agreeing to a restructured contract to stay with the Los Angeles Rams, Sam Darnold is now on track to be the most coveted veteran quarterback of the 2025 market. While the Minnesota Vikings have interest in re-signing their 2024 starter, all signs point to Darnold landing elsewhere in the coming weeks, according to The Athletic, with two teams in particular eyeing the journeyman ahead of free agency.
NFL executives believe the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders are Darnold’s likeliest destinations for the 2025 season, Alec Lewis reported Monday. The Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers could also enter the Darnold sweepstakes, per Lewis, whereas the Vikings, who signed Darnold to a one-year deal last offseason, “would like to have Darnold back … [but only] if his market is more depressed than expected.”
The Giants were reportedly interested in Stafford before the Rams quarterback resolved financial differences with Los Angeles, so Darnold fits the bill as an experienced fallback option. New York is also a candidate to address quarterback early in the 2025 NFL Draft, owning the No. 3 overall selection.
The Raiders are a more complicated situation, as there have been conflicting reports regarding their interest in Darnold. The Athletic previously indicated minority owner Tom Brady and new general manager John Spytek “prioritized Stafford [in trade talks] because they are not super high on Sam Darnold” or other veteran quarterbacks set to be available this offseason. Las Vegas also owns a top-10 pick in the draft.
We’ve got another exciting NBA Cup 2024 matchup on Tuesday’s schedule as the Los Angeles Lakers will host Utah Jazz. Los Angeles is 9-4 overall and 6-0 at home, while Utah is 3-10 overall and 2-5 on the road. The Lakers have won four of the last five meetings, including a 32-point victory when they last played in Los Angeles. Utah is just 4-9 against the spread in the 2024-25 NBA season, while the Lakers are 7-6 versus the line.
Tipoff is at 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers are favored by 11 points in the latest Jazz vs. Lakers odds, and the over/under is 234.5 points. Before entering any Lakers vs. Jazz 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 betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 5 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 109-74 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Los Angeles vs. Utah. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Jazz vs. Lakers:
Lakers vs. Jazz spread: Lakers -11 Lakers vs. Jazz over/under: 234.5 points Lakers vs. Jazz money line: Lakers: -581, Jazz: +425 Lakers vs. Jazz picks: See picks at SportsLine Lakers vs. Jazz streaming: FuboTV (Try for free) Why the Lakers can cover The Jazz are hoping to do what the Pelicans couldn’t on Saturday: put an end to the Lakers’ winning streak, which now stands at five games. The Lakers snuck past the Pelicans with a 104-99 win. Anthony Davis and Dalton Knecht were among the main playmakers as the former dropped a double-double on 31 points and 14 rebounds, while the latter went 10 for 17 en route to 27 points plus seven rebounds.
LeBron James had 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win, which ended his career-high streak of triple-doubles in four straight games. The four-time MVP is averaging the second-fewest points (23.3) in his career, but he’s shooting a career-high 43.1% from beyond the arc, while his 9.2 assists are the second-most in any season, and his 8.6 rebounds are the third-most. He’s powering the league’s No. 4 offensive, in terms of rating, and Los Angeles ranks seventh in points per game. Additionally, L.A. will get to face a Utah team missing starting center Walker Kessler (hip). See which team to cover.
Why the Jazz can cover Meanwhile, the Jazz came up short against the Clippers on Sunday and fell 116-105, despite an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double from Lauri Markkanen. Jordan Clarkson led the team with 21 points off the bench, as Utah’s reserves combined for 41 points.
The Jazz have struggled this year, but one thing they do exceptionally well is draw contact and get to the line. They rank second in both free throws made and attempted, so that can be a source for easy points. Also, Utah has played much better versus the line after starting the season 0-6 against the spread. The team is 4-3 versus the spread since then, covering in two of its last three overall, as well as in two of its last three road games. See which team to cover.
How to make Lakers vs. Jazz picks The model has simulated Jazz vs. Lakers 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 hits almost 70% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
By most mathematical measures, the Philadelphia 76ers are more or less cooked. They are 2-11. They are tied with the Washington Wizards for the NBA’s worst record. Joel Embiid is clearly not back to full strength yet. Tyrese Maxey is nursing his own injury, and he reportedly called out Embiid during a tense team meeting on Monday in Miami after a 17-point loss to the Heat.
History tells us this season is almost certainly over. Only six teams have ever recovered from a 2-10 start to reach .500: the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers, two different Chicago Bulls teams (1976-77 and 2004-05), two different New Jersey Nets teams (1981-82 and 2004-05) and one Seattle Supersonics team (1977-78). Of those teams, only the Lakers and Sonics won a playoff series.
Of course, it should also be noted that those Sonics made it all of the way to Game 7 of the 1978 NBA Finals. The Lakers made it to the Western Conference Finals. Yes, these are outliers, but outliers exist, and despite their 2-11 start, the 76ers, at least on paper, look primed to be our next slow start outlier. Why? Here are three reasons not to panic about Philadelphia’s miserable start.
They’re in the Eastern Conference Consider the following statement: “The Boston Celtics are out of the running for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.” It’s a tad ridiculous, isn’t it? They trail the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers by only 3.5 games in the standings. Well, that’s how far the 76ers are out of the No. 6 seed in the East right now. At 2-11, they trail the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons by five wins and two losses, or 3.5 games in total. We’re not even talking about a Play-In spot at this point. We’re talking about an outright playoff spot.
Philadelphia’s schedule, at least thus far, has been fairly difficult. They’ve played seven opponents currently above .500, tied for the third-most in the East. They’ve played one more road game than games at home. They’ve already encountered several of the thinner, older teams that are likelier to be injured later in the season like the Lakers, Knicks and Suns. Other than a home loss to the surprisingly frisky Pistons and a defeat at the hands of the Paolo Banchero-less Magic, most of their defeats have been relatively defensible.
The reality of playing in the Eastern Conference is that the pathway to the postseason is almost always pretty straightforward. Let’s say Philadelphia plays .500 basketball the rest of the way. That would get them to 36 wins, the same amount last year’s No. 10 seed in the East, the Atlanta Hawks. If they manage a 40-29 record the rest of the way, which translates to an unimpressive 47.5-win pace over a full season, they’ll finish above .500 at 42-40. That virtually guarantees them a playoff spot, as only four Eastern Conference teams have gone above .500 and missed the playoffs this century, and two of them were Play-In teams in the same season (2021-22).
This is just life in the NBA’s junior varsity conference. A 2-11 start might be a death sentence out West. In the East, there’s more than enough margin for error to climb back into the thick of things.
Their stars have not been in position to succeed yet Maxey and Embiid have not played in a game together yet. Maxey and Paul George have played together twice. George and Embiid have played together three times. Yes, that is a long way of saying “they haven’t been healthy,” but think about how this Philadelphia roster was constructed.
Embiid, George and Maxey are all earning max salaries. There is not another player on the roster within the 190 highest-paid players in the NBA. Caleb Martin, making slightly more than the cap room mid-level exception, comes in at No. 191. No team is explicitly designed to win with missing stars, but remember, we’re in the second apron era. It’s harder than ever to cultivate depth. Philadelphia’s path to winning always revolved around having three healthy stars because there was never going to be too much behind them. They’ve played more than half of their games with one or fewer stars on the court. This was, to an extent, inevitable.
You could argue that their stars haven’t been good enough when they’ve been on the floor, but that’s been relatively predictable in context. Embiid always starts slow. He shot below 50% from the floor in October and November of last season. In December and January he was back up to 56% from the field and 41.4% on 3s. A year before that, Philadelphia started 12-12 and ended 42-16, winning Embiid his first MVP award. Maxey’s overall efficiency has plummeted, but that has mostly come from behind the arc. He’s actually shooting one percentage point better on 2-pointers (51.1% vs. 50.1%) than he did a year ago. He’s just been cold on open 3-pointers, making only 20% of those attempts compared to 36.9% last season. George is in a similar boat. He’s at 15-of-52 from deep this season, but he’s a career 38.4% shooter. He’s going to progress back to the mean.
These are issues that are likely to correct as the season progresses. Embiid will get in shape. His presence will open the paint up more for Maxey, who has struggled at the rim while playing in weak lineups. Maxey’s rim gravity will create more triples for George. Having all three healthy will mean fewer minutes with one or none of them on the floor at all. This team was built for these three players to amplify one another. That just hasn’t been possible thus far.
They’ve hit home runs with their supporting cast The supporting cast has, by and large, been bad. Martin isn’t hitting 3-pointers at the rate they’d hoped. Kyle Lowry is hitting 3-pointers but not doing nearly enough else. Kelly Oubre and Eric Gordon have struggled across the board. Obviously, this isn’t what Philadelphia was hoping for, but it supports the notion that you generally get what you pay for in the NBA. Most of Philadelphia’s resources were devoted to uniting its three stars. There wasn’t much left for everyone else.
From that perspective, their two major wins on the role player front are that much more meaningful. Jared McCain has been an absolute revelation as the No. 16 overall pick in June’s NBA Draft. He’s not going to keep averaging 26.6 points per game as he has across his last five outings, but the 76ers have seemingly landed on a viable three-level scorer outside of the lottery for the second time in four drafts. While McCain isn’t quite as impactful with the ball in his hands as Maxey is, the importance of landing this type of scorer without allocating major resources to doing so cannot be understated. How on Earth are you supposed to stop Embiid, Maxey and George when there’s a fourth 76ers player ready to punish you for helping off of him or giving him mismatches? Their offense, at full strength, is going to be extremely difficult to guard.
Guerschon Yabusele, provided he can keep making roughly a league-average percentage of his 3-pointers, slots just as easily into multiple important roles. The 76ers allocated their few remaining post-George resources to wings. They signed four free agents for real money after George, three of whom figured to be rotation mainstays: Martin, Oubre and Andre Drummond. That’s two small forwards to go along with the expensive small forward they just added and a center to go along with the star center they already had.
There wasn’t really a power forward anywhere on the roster. Yabusele is bulkier than George, Martin and Oubre, but a viable shooter. He can guard players they can’t without compromising the offense. In theory, that also opens the door for small-ball lineups when Embiid rests, a weapon the 76ers really haven’t had with their MVP on the team. Philadelphia nabbed Yabusele for the minimum. Their net rating is 7.3 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the floor.
Two surprisingly effective role players aren’t enough to support such a top-heavy roster, but the 76ers have the resources to fill in gaps as the season progresses. Remember, they signed George outright. They didn’t have to sacrifice assets to trade for him or clear cap space for him. All of the draft capital remaining in their cupboard, plus the picks they got for James Harden, are still in play here.
The 76ers also wisely exploited a few holes in the CBA to retain KJ Martin at a salary not commensurate with his value. He is making roughly $8 million this season, a very tradable figure. Combine Martin and Oubre with their draft picks and the 76ers suddenly have the ammo to trade for a high-value role player earning around $16 million. Throw in Drummond’s $5 million and that figure goes up, or could be more easily spread across multiple additions. The 76ers have the chips to add to this team if they want to.
Considering where they started, any scenario in which they had more than a handful of trustworthy role players was always going to be unlikely, but the glass half full outlook here is that they found two good ones with resources they shouldn’t have expected them to. That leaves their more expensive role players available for trade. Say Martin starts making his 3s, someone else on the bench starts to pop and Daryl Morey adds an impactful role player in February. That’s not exactly a deep team, but it’s enough depth to support three superstars if they’re as healthy and productive as the 76ers hope. And if they’re not? Well, then this team wasn’t going to go anywhere anyway.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to stay perfect in 2024 NBA Cup play when they battle the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. Oklahoma City opened tournament play with a 99-83 win over Phoenix, while San Antonio dropped a 120-115 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder (11-3), who lead the Northwest Division, are 4-1 on the road and have a plus-11.9-point differential. The Spurs (6-8), who are fourth in the Southwest Division, are 5-3 on their home court and have a minus-1 point differential. OKC’s Chet Holmgren (hip), Isaiah Hartenstein (hand) and Isaiah Joe (calf) are all out. Victor Wembanyama (knee) is doubtful for San Antonio, and Jeremy Sochan (thumb) is out.
Tip-off from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio is set for 9:30 p.m. ET. The Spurs lead the all-time regular-season series 101-88, but the Thunder have won seven of eight, including a 105-93 triumph on Oct. 30 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder are 9.5-point favorites in the latest Thunder vs. Spurs odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 222.5. Before making any Thunder vs. Spurs picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
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 six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 5 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 109-74 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Thunder vs. Spurs and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Spurs vs. Thunder:
Thunder vs. Spurs spread: Thunder -9.5 Thunder vs. Spurs over/under: 222.5 points Thunder vs. Spurs money line: Thunder -435, Spurs +337 OKC: The Thunder have hit the money line in 66 of their last 94 games (+15.60 units) SA: The Spurs have hit the money line in 17 of their last 37 games (+17.55 units) Thunder vs. Spurs picks: See picks at SportsLine Thunder vs. Spurs streaming: FuboTV (Try for free) Why the Thunder can cover Point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to power the Oklahoma City offense. In 14 starts, he is averaging 28.5 points, 6.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks. He is coming off a 36-point and eight-assist effort in a 121-119 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. He poured in 45 points, while dishing out nine assists and adding five steals in a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 11.
Forward Jalen Williams has scored 20 or more points in nine of 14 games this season, including 27 on Sunday. He nearly registered a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a 124-122 loss at Denver on Nov. 6. He scored a season-high 31 points, while adding seven assists, six rebounds and four steals in a 106-88 win over New Orleans on Nov. 13. For the year, he is averaging 20.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in 32.2 minutes of action. See which team to pick here.
Why the Spurs can cover Forward Julian Champagnie has 14 starts for San Antonio and is one of six players who are averaging double-figure scoring. In 28.2 minutes per game, he is averaging 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He is connecting on 43.5% of his field goals, including 37.1% from 3-point range, and 84.6% from the free throw line. He scored a season-high 21 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 113-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 4.
Point guard Chris Paul is another solid scoring option for the Spurs. In 14 starts, Paul is averaging 10.4 points, 8.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 28.3 minutes. He is connecting on 46.4% of his field goals, including 38% from 3-point range, and has hit all 17 free throws on the year. He has five double-doubles, including an 11-point and 11-assist effort in Friday’s loss to the Lakers. See which team to pick here.
How to make Thunder vs. Spurs picks The model has simulated Thunder vs. Spurs 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 223 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
