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Free agency is starting to heat up around the NFL, as teams prepare for the new league year. One of the positions that isn’t as valued as highly as the others, but has significant value is off-ball linebacker.

For every Fred Warner and Roquan Smith, there are players that can be obtained at off-ball linebacker who are cost efficient and provide excellent value for the position. Teams can find those players in free agency, as off-ball linebackers typically aren’t signed to long-term contracts.

This year’s off-ball linebacker class is full of players that provide excellent value for a team, even if only one or two will likely have a deal during the legal tampering period of free agency.

These are the top-10 off-ball linebackers in free agency:

1. Zack Baun
   Age: 28
   2024 team: Philadelphia Eagles
   2024 salary: $3.5 million
   Baun had a career year in Philadelphia last season, one of the best free agent signings in the NFL. In his first season as an off-ball linebacker, Baun finished with 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four passes defended and an interception in 16 games. He upped his game in the postseason, finishing with 33 tackles, three passes defended, a forced fumble and two interceptions — including one in the Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Baun is the first player since tackles became an official statistic in 1987 to have 150+ tackles and 5+ forced fumbles in a season.

Baun will certainly make more than $3.5 million in 2025 and beyond, as he parlayed his way into a massive contract this offseason. He’s the best free agent linebacker available on the market.

Best fits: Eagles, Commanders, Saints

2025 NFL key offseason dates: When franchise tag deadline, free agency, draft, trades, other events take place
Cody Benjamin
2025 NFL key offseason dates: When franchise tag deadline, free agency, draft, trades, other events take place

2. Bobby Wagner
   Age: 35
   2024 team: Washington Commanders
   2024 salary: $6.5 million
   A future Hall of Famer, Wagner was still great in his first year with Washington. A second team All-Pro, Wagner finished with 132 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and four passes defensed in 17 games at the MIKE. Wagner has been an All-Pro for 11 straight years and still plays at a high level in his mid 30s. He had 25 tackles and a 0.5 sack in three playoff games.

A one-year deal may be suitable for Wagner at this stage in the game. He was vital in the Commanders jumping their win total from four wins to 12 last season and is a leader for any defense.

Best fits: Commanders, Raiders, Rams

3. Dre Greenlaw
   Age: 28
   2024 team: San Francisco 49ers
   2024 salary: $8.2 million
   An Achilles injury sidelined Greenlaw for most of the season (suffered the injury in the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Chiefs), but he is one of the best linebackers in the game when healthy. He only played 34 snaps last season, but is worth the flyer for any team that needs an off-ball linebacker.

Greenlaw has back-to-back 100+ tackle seasons prior to his Achilles injury. He’s missed multiple games in each of the past five seasons, but is incredibly productive when on the field.

Best fits: 49ers, Lions, Cardinals

4. Ernest Jones
   Age: 26
   2024 team: Seattle Seahawks
   2024 salary: $3.1 million
   One of the better run-stoppers in the league, Jones needs to find a permanent home in free agency after being traded twice in the last year. Jones had 138 tackles last season, his third straight season with 100+ tackles. Of the runs Jones faced, 23.9% of the plays resulted in a tackle.

If a team needs a run-stopping linebacker, Jones is a good bet.

Best fits: Seahawks, Cardinals, Commanders

5. Nick Bolton
   Age: 25
   2024 team: Kansas City Chiefs
   2024 salary: $1.5 million
   An underrated player at his position, Bolton has been a consistently good player on the Chiefs defense during their Super Bowl runs. He finished with 106 tackles and 3.0 sacks to go with six passes defensed. Bolton had 100+ tackles in three of his four seasons, providing great value for the Chiefs as a second-round pick.

Excellent against the run, Bolton is a strong player at the MIKE. The Chiefs may just let him go elsewhere (as they have with back-seven players in the past), but that may not be the best decision.

Best fits: Chiefs, Titans, Raiders

6. Lavonte David
   Age: 35
   2024 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
   2024 salary: $8.5 million
   A leader on the Buccaneers for a decade, David can still play at a high level. A future Hall of Famer, David had 122 tackles and 5.5 sacks last season with six passes defensed — playing a significant role in Todd Bowles’ defense.

If David signed with any other team other than the Buccaneers, it would be shocking.

Best fits: Buccaneers

7. Jamien Sherwood
   Age: 25
   2024 team: New York Jets
   2024 salary: $959,000
   Sherwood could be this years’ Zack Baun amongst the off-ball linebacker class, as he had his breakout campaign in his final season in his rookie contract. He finished with 158 tackles and led the NFL with 98 solo tackles, while having 2.0 sacks and three passes defensed.

A converted safety, Sherwood could improve in coverage as he still gets regular snaps. The athleticism stands out on tape.

Best fits: Eagles, Giants, Chiefs

8. Robert Spillane
   Age: 29
   2024 team: Las Vegas Raiders
   2024 salary: $3.5 million
   Another excellent run-stopper, Spillane had 158 tackles and seven passes defensed last season (finished in the top five in tackles), while also having two interceptions. Spillane had 22.5% of runs ending up in a tackle, and doesn’t miss a lot of tackles.

With consecutive 140+ tackle seasons, Spillane shouldn’t have a problem finding a starting job for 2025.

Best fits: Raiders, Rams, Broncos

9. Eric Kendricks
   Age: 33
   2024 team: Dallas Cowboys
   2024 salary: $3 million
   Kendricks didn’t sign until July last season, but should garner interest in free agency as a veteran presence. The Cowboys were a disaster in 2024, but Kendricks finished with 138 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and two interceptions at the MIKE.

Kendricks can play both off-ball linebacker positions, which is valuable for defenses. There should be an opportunity for him in 2025 if he wants it.

Best fits: Buccaneers, Rams, Commanders

10. Tyrel Dodson
    Age: 27
    2024 team: Miami Dolphins
    2024 salary: $2.3 million
    Dodson is a better player than the tape shows, mainly because he’s used incorrectly. He’s strong in coverage and a player that is better against the run when put in the right position. Dodson finished with 107 tackles, three interceptions, and six passes defensed last season.

A change of scenery would be good for Dodson, who is worth taking a flyer on this offseason.

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

You better buckle up and get ready because things are likely going to get crazy in the NFL starting this week. Actually, things have already started to get crazy, and it started on Friday with the Rams making the decision to keep Matthew Stafford. For most of last week, it looked like Stafford might end up getting traded, but in the end, he’ll be staying in Los Angeles.

Although the NFL Scouting Combine is officially over, we still have the franchise tag deadline coming tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET, which means there could be a lot of news coming out over the next 24 hours. Anyways, we have a loaded newsletter today, so let’s get to it.

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here.

1. Mock Draft Monday: Giants land Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders falls to Raiders
   travis-hunter-g.jpg
   Getty Images
   If you’ve been reading this newsletter since the end of the Super Bowl, then you know that the first day of every week here is known as Mock Draft Monday. That’s where we give you a new mock draft, and this week, we have a big one from Ryan Wilson. The reason it’s big is because it’s our first post-combine mock draft.

Wilson spent the past week in Indianapolis and after watching more than 300 prospects at the combine, I think it’s safe to say that this is going to be his most accurate mock draft yet. Let’s check out his top 10:

1. Titans: QB Cam Ward (Miami)
2. Browns: EDGE Abdul Carter (Penn State)
3. Giants: CB/WR Travis Hunter (Colorado)
4. Patriots: OT Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas)
5. Jaguars: DL Mason Graham (Michigan)
6. Raiders: QB Shedeur Sanders (Colordado)
7. Jets: WR Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)
8. Panthers: EDGE Mike Green (Marshall)
9. Saints: CB Jahdae Barron (Texas)
10. Bears: OT Will Campbell (LSU)

Green and Barron were both viewed as mid-to-late first-round picks, but after watching them at the combine, Wilson has both guys going in the top 10.

If you want to see how the rest of the first round pans out in his mock, then be sure to check out his entire mock draft by clicking here.

For more draft coverage, you can hear Wilson every week on “With the First Pick,” our year-round NFL Draft podcast here at CBS Sports. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

2. Winners and losers from the NFL combine
   With the 2025 NFL combine officially in the books, we had our NFL Draft guru Josh Edwards go back and assess everything that happened. Edwards did that by making a list of winners and losers, and here’s what he came up with:

WINNERS

S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina. “Emmanwori is one of two prospects who essentially put together a flawless athletic display. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, he had a 43-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot-6-inch broad jump. The Gamecock ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds with a 1.49-second 10-yard split; keep that in mind when reading about Matthew Golden’s times at nearly 30 pounds lighter.”
CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky. “Hairston promised that he would put on a show for those gathered in Indianapolis. He did not disappoint. His 4.28 seconds 40-yard dash was the best of the week. The Michigan native also rated highly in 10-yard split (1.5 seconds), vertical jump (39.5 inches) and the broad jump (10-foot-9-inches). Most impressive, however, was the on-field work. His breaks out of the top of his drop were decisive and the angles were sharp.”
LOSERS

RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State. “Skattebo was unable to take part in the NFL Scouting Combine due to injury. However, in his absence, Miami’s Damien Martinez, Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten and others staked their claim to a higher position in the pecking order. Skattebo will have an opportunity to state his case at the Sun Devil’s Pro Day.”
WR Tez Johnson, Oregon. “Johnson is an outlier for multiple reasons. He is the lightest wide receiver (154 pounds) at the NFL Scouting Combine since Brandon Banks in 2010. Dating back to 1989, there have only been seven wide receivers lighter. The 33rd Team notes that no wide receiver under 170 pounds has run a slower 40-yard dash (4.51 seconds) since 2003. It was not all bad, though. Johnson’s on-field workout, particularly a jump ball in the simulated end zone, was good. Plus, he ran the fastest 3-cone drill (6.65 seconds).”
We’ve got even more winners and losers, and you can check out Josh’s full list here. We also graded all of the top offensive line prospects, and if you want to see how those grades turned out, you can check that out here.

3. One thing we learned about each AFC team at the combine
   james-cook-buffalo-bills-usatsi.jpg
   USATSI
   With NFL coaches, general managers and decision-makers all doing interviews at the NFL combine, the event is a treasure trove of information. If you pay attention, you can learn a lot at the combine, and fortunately for us, Jordan Dajani was paying close attention over the past six days.

Dajani came up with one thing we learned about each AFC team and we’re going to cover four of those teams below:

Bengals: Tee Higgins has a beef with someone. Bengals de facto general manager Duke Tobin and head coach Zac Taylor both reiterated their desire to get Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson under contract for the future. On the same day that Taylor and Tobin were interviewed, Higgins posted an emoji of a ‘cap’ on social media, indicating he believes a lie has been told. Does that mean there’s drama? The Bengals have until March 4 to franchise tag Higgins.
Colts: Team is planning to have a QB competition. This offseason, the Colts are going to add another quarterback via free agency or the draft and that new QB will compete with Anthony Richardson for the starting QB job. “I know we all want a finished product right now. I do, you do, fans do. We all do,” Ballard said, via NBC Sports. “But I think as he [Richardson] continues to progress in his young career, us adding competition, I think, will help up everybody’s game.”
Bills: They’d love to keep James Cook. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said he wants to keep his star running back in Buffalo for years to come. “James is a good player for us. He has the ability to be a mismatch player. He can play all three downs,” Beane said, via the Bills’ official website. “He helped our offense do a lot of great things and we would love to keep James here long term.” Cook previously hinted during an Instagram Live session that he’s looking for $15 million per year — which would make him the No. 2 highest-paid running back in the NFL. Naturally, Beane wishes that information was not out there, but it didn’t affect how he feels about the player.
Patriots: Don’t be surprised if New England throws around money in free agency. The Patriots have the most available funds for free agency with $127,771,728 in cap space, and new head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that his team will be aggressive in acquiring new talent. “We want to be aggressive,’ Vrabel said, via 98.5 The Sports Hub. “We want to target players that we feel like are going to help us. … I’m confident that we’ll be aggressive.”
Dajani covered all 16 teams in the AFC, and if you want to know what he learned, you can check out his full list here.

4. Ranking QB options for the Giants: New York’s best bet in the draft
   The Giants were hoping to pull off a trade for Matthew Stafford during the combine last week, but that didn’t happen, which means they’re now back at square one when it comes to finding a quarterback. Actually, maybe we should say they’re back at square zero because zero is how many quarterbacks they currently have under contract for the 2025 season.

The Giants are going to have to do something at the quarterback position, so our Jordan Dajani decided to help them out by ranking their best options at QB. Let’s check out his top three:

The NFL’s 2025 franchise tag deadline falls at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 4, marking the cutoff for any team to apply a tag to an impending unrestricted free agent during the offseason. Some clubs, like the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs, have already selected players to receive the designation, with Osa Odighizuwa and Trey Smith reportedly set to be tagged, respectively, absent last-minute long-term deals.

You might still be wondering: What is a franchise tag, exactly? What about the transition tag, which can also be issued before the deadline? Are there three different types of tags? Do players have to sign them?

We’re glad you asked. Below, you’ll find all the information you need to know regarding the 2025 tag deadline, plus all the related mechanisms teams can use in the leadup to free agency.

You can also find a complete rundown of important offseason dates for the 2025 offseason, including the official start of free agency, the 2025 NFL Draft and post-draft spring workouts, right here.

What is the franchise tag?
The franchise tag is a one-year contract offer that guarantees a player a top salary according to his position. Any player tagged is effectively prevented from testing free agency without restriction, even if they do not sign the tag, although certain types of tags permit negotiations with other teams.

2025 NFL free agency rumors: Vikings’ Sam Darnold most likely to land with one of these two teams
Cody Benjamin
2025 NFL free agency rumors: Vikings’ Sam Darnold most likely to land with one of these two teams
What are the three types of tags?
Exclusive franchise tag: This tag guarantees the player a one-year salary equivalent to the average of the top-five salaries at the player’s position, or 120% of his previous salary, whichever is greater. It also prohibits any contract discussions between the tagged player and other NFL teams.
Non-exclusive franchise tag: This tag also guarantees the player a one-year salary equivalent to the average of the top-five salaries at the player’s position, or 120% of his previous salary. It does permit the tagged player to receive contract offers from other teams; however, the original team has the right to match any offer, and must receive two first-round draft picks from the acquiring team if the player departs.
Transition tag: This tag guarantees the player a one-year salary equivalent to the average of the top-10 salaries at the player’s position. It provides the clearest pathway for the player to sign elsewhere, as the original team still has the right to match any outside offers, but doesn’t receive any compensation from an acquiring team if the player elects to sign elsewhere.

2025 NFL key offseason dates: When franchise tag deadline, free agency, draft, trades, other events take place
Cody Benjamin
2025 NFL key offseason dates: When franchise tag deadline, free agency, draft, trades, other events take place
Are players required to sign a tag?
No. They can choose not to sign the tag as a means of prolonging negotiations with their team for a different contract. Unless the tag is rescinded by the team or the two sides reach a separate agreement, however, the player can only take the field in the next season by eventually signing the tag.

Can tagged players still sign long-term deals?
Yes. Once tagged, regardless of whether the player signs that tag, the player and his team have until 4 p.m. ET on July 15 to reach agreement on a replacement long-term contract. If that deadline comes and goes, the player’s only option for playing the next season is signing the tag or having it rescinded by the team, essentially making the player an unrestricted free agent.

Can tagged players be traded?
Yes. Sometimes teams will use the tag as a means of delaying a longer-term decision on a player, and if the two sides aren’t in agreement on a short- or long-term contract, the team can trade a tagged player, as long as said player agrees to sign the tag as part of the deal.

The Milwaukee Bucks were bailed out by several plays that went their way and one egregiously missed call down the stretch on Monday, and it was Damian Lillard’s layup with 3.9 seconds remaining that gave them a 101-100 skin-of-their-teeth victory over the Houston Rockets.

Before we get to the breaks of the last few minutes, here is Lillard’s winner.

Damian Lillard wins it for the Bucks in the dying seconds of the game!#NBA pic.twitter.com/qOnstwTk4L

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 19, 2024
Look, it was a nice play by Lillard. Never mind that the possession before he took a terrible shot, a damn-near falling out of bounds contested step-back 3 six seconds into the shot clock with the Bucks down one and in position to set up a 2-for-1 scenario. The guy won the game for his team. Give him credit.

But if you’re just going off the highlights, you’re blowing smoke if you think the Bucks should’ve won that game. There isn’t a single sign that this is a good basketball team, let alone a contender. No team relying this heavily on a 36-year-old Brook Lopez is in good condition.

Think about this: The Bucks needed Lopez to go for 27 points, 10 rebounds, five 3-pointers, four blocks and three steals, a line no player in NBA history has ever put up at at 36 or older, to barely squeak out a victory over a Rockets team that shot 28% from 3 and 40% overall.

Less than a week ago, the Bucks again needed 29 points, eight rebounds, five 3-pointers, five blocks and three steals from Lopez to beat the Pistons. In overtime. As Joel Embiid can barely be bothered to get on the court, old-man Lopez has played 147 minutes over the last four games. That’s what it has taken for Milwaukee to beat the Pistons, Raptors and now the Rockets on a last-second shot.

Hell, the Bucks shouldn’t even have had the ball on the possession that Lillard hit the game-winner in the first place. Giannis Antetokounmpo peeled back after getting beat by Fred VanVleet to make a great block on a Alperen Sengun’s weak push shot that was begging to be batted away, but when Lopez came down with the loose ball and shoveled it back to Antetokounmpo, he was very clearly out of bounds.

Picks up FVV on the switch, sticks with him on the drive all the way, then peels off on the pass and gets up to swat Sengun’s shot. Monster play, saved the game and gave Dame a chance to win it. pic.twitter.com/upZAJiKZLW

— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) November 19, 2024
That should have been Houston’s ball with a one-point lead, a fresh shot clock and under 20 seconds to play. Milwaukee would’ve been forced to start the foul game. The game was likely over right there.

Giannis was out of bounds on the play, leading to Damian Lillard’s game-winning bucket for the Bucks.

Out of bounds or good no-call? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/iYcKaaZC0B

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 19, 2024
Bucks fans will tell you this is some sort of basketball karma for the phantom call (which, to be fair, the refs admitted they missed) that sent LaMelo Ball to the free-throw line with seven seconds to play on Saturday, where he sank both and in the process the Bucks, who could only muster an isolation 18-foot pull-up from Antetokounmpo on their final possession.

Here’s the deal: When you’re whining about a bad call because you’re that desperate to beat the Hornets by one point, you have much bigger problems than the refs. Doc Rivers loves identifying his scapegoats, but this is a reach. These calls even out. It’s perfectly fitting that after Rivers was fined $25K for painting a boo-hoo picture of his Bucks constantly getting the raw end of the whistle, it was, in fact, a blown call that saved them two nights later.

It wasn’t the only stroke of luck that saved them. A few possessions earlier, Sengun was on a direct line to the rim and instead of going up with the shot, he decided to kick it out to Dillon Brooks for a 3-pointer with no Bucks defender within a country mile of him. He missed.

If Sengun takes the layup, or at least draws a foul and knocks down the free throws, the Rockets go up six. If Brooks makes the warm-up 3, they go up seven. With 90 seconds to play, the game likely would’ve been over right there as well. Instead, Milwaukee’s A.J. Green cashed a pull-up 28-footer on the other end to cut the lead to one.

Even after Lillard’s layup, the Rockets had the ball on a side-out for one last shot and absolutely blew what should’ve been a point-blank game-winning layup for Sengun. Watch Antetokounmpo, either because he and Andre Jackson Jr. miscommunicated in the worst way at the worst time or because Antetokounmpo simply made an error in judgment, chase Jalen Green away from the basket as Sengun pops into the great wide open.

If VanVleet completes this simple pass, the little bit of pressure on the inbounds pass notwithstanding, the game is once again over for the Bucks.

Rockets with a great counter to the normal “Cross Elevator” to open up the slip for Sengun. Had it perfectly, pass was just off target. pic.twitter.com/sT4tsV7CDD

— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) November 19, 2024
At this point, the Bucks will take a win any way they can get it, especially against a quality Houston team. But they didn’t “hold” Houston to 100 points. The Rockets just can’t shoot. They barely make 32% of their threes, the third-worst mark in the league, and they shot even worse than that on Monday.

If you want to convince yourself this was because of Milwaukee’s defense around the arc, you go right ahead. But the truth is pretty plain to see. The Bucks are not a good team. They’re 5-9 and could, and perhaps should, be 4-10.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m thinking that 36-year-old Lopez playing like Victor Wembanyama on a good night, a blatantly blown call by the refs, a blatantly blown game-winning layup by the opponent, and a Dame-time game winner on a possession the Bucks never should’ve had after he went 0-for-6 from 3 in the game, isn’t exactly a replicable blueprint.

Game winners are cool, and nobody has more of go-ahead shots in the clutch than Lillard since he entered the league in 2012. But even that kind of excitement to close a game can’t mask the stink that’s coming off this Bucks team.

Back in their heyday, the Golden State Warriors were never out of a game. They seemingly dug 20-point holes on purpose just for the fun of shooting their way out of them. They’re not the same team anymore, but as long as you have Stephen Curry, the threat of pulling off the impossible will live in your team DNA.

Such was the case on Monday night against the Clippers, when the Warriors stormed back from 10 down in the final two-and-a-half minutes to put themselves in position to tie the game on a wide-open Gary Payton II 3-pointer after an absolutely wild closing sequence.

CLIPPERS OUTLAST WARRIORS ON FINAL POSSESSION 😳

WHAT AN ENDING. pic.twitter.com/T55HT0d0aI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 19, 2024
As you saw, the Warriors had two great looks at the tying 3-pointer. Well, Curry’s wasn’t a great look by any kind of normal standard, but any Curry shot has a pretty good chance of going in and it was about a half of an inch long. Payton’s shot, courtesy of the Clippers all understandably scrambling to Curry, was a warm-up 3.

It didn’t go, and that stinks for Payton, who gave the Warriors the chance they needed in the first place by picking Norman Powell’s dribble. But Payton isn’t a particularly good 3-point shooter, though he’s surely a capable one, and the Clippers made the right call by swarming to Curry at the expense of an open look for Payton, or anyone else for that matter.

Let’s be clear: the Warriors didn’t deserve to win this game. The Clippers outplayed them all night. But the better team on a given night doesn’t alway win. Again, the Warriors used to beat teams with a couple five-minute runs all the time. And that’s a powerful weapon to have in your holster, to never be out of a game.

This team still has that feel of being able to pull off the impossible. Curry gives them the firepower, but the defense is equally important. You don’t make crazy runs by trading baskets. You have to get the stops to make headway, and this team can do that. It wasn’t enough on Monday, but it’s a trait that will serve them well throughout the rest of the season.

The Brooklyn Nets host the Charlotte Hornets in a 2024 NBA Cup game as a part of the 2024 NBA in-season tournament on Tuesday. Brooklyn is 5-9 overall and 3-3 at home, while Charlotte is 5-8 overall and 1-5 on the road. Both the Nets and Hornets are 0-1 in East Group A play in the 2024 NBA in-season tournament. The Nets lost to the Knicks, 124-122, on Friday and the Hornets fell to the Magic, 114-89, on Tuesday in each team’s first 2024 NBA Cup contest.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Nets are favored by 3 points in the latest Hornets vs. Nets odds, according to the SportsLine consensus. The over/under is 221 points. Before entering any Nets 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 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 Nets vs. Hornets 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 Hornets vs. Nets:

Nets vs. Hornets spread: Nets -3
Nets vs. Hornets over/under: 221 points
Nets vs. Hornets money line: Nets -153, Hornets: +128
CHA: The Hornets are 4-2 ATS over their last six games
BRK: The Nets are 4-2 ATS at home this season
Nets vs. Hornets picks: See picks at SportsLine
Nets vs. Hornets streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Hornets can cover
The Hornets are coming off a 128-114 loss to the Cavaliers on Sunday, but they suffered the same result as the first 15 teams who have walked off the court against Cleveland did as the Cavaliers are chasing history with their 15-0 start to the season. The night before, Charlotte defeated the Bucks, 115-114, despite being 4-point underdogs. The Hornets are 4-0 ATS in games where they are underdogs by four points or fewer this season.

LaMelo Ball is reminding the league why he’s one of the game’s next biggest stars with his recent play. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is fifth in the league in scoring at 29.7 points per game. He’s scored more than 30 points in four of his last five contests as after back-to-back injury-plagued seasons where he played on 58 of 164 contests (35.8%), Ball is healthy and dominant, which could create problems for Brooklyn. See which team to pick here.

Why the Nets can cover
The Nets have only been favored in three of 14 games this season and Brooklyn is 2-1 in those contests while covering the spread in both victories. Brooklyn enters on a three-game losing streak, but two of those losses came against a strong Knicks team with the third coming against the reigning champion Boston Celtics. Brooklyn nearly upset the Knicks as 8.5-point underdogs in its first game of the 2024 NBA in-season tournament in a 124-22 loss on Friday.

Brooklyn outscored the Knicks, 40-24, in the fourth quarter on Friday. Cameron Thomas had a season-high 43 points on 16 of 22 shooting (72.7%), including 7 of `10 on 3-pointers. Thomas is 15th in the league in scoring at 24.6 ppg. The Nets aren’t a home favorite often, but they went 10-6 ATS when the oddsmakers expected them to win in Brooklyn last season and they’ve split their first two ATS at home this year. See which team to pick here.

How to make Nets vs. Hornets picks
The model has simulated Hornets vs. Nets 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 218 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.