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SI’s MMQB Staff Debates the NFL’s Best Free Agents Still Available

Welcome to the NFL offseason, where receivers get paid lots of money (just ask Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle and Nico Collins), the NFL continues to push for an 18-game season, the league and NFLPA discuss ways to ruin the offseason calendar and teams continue to go through their OTAs and mandatory minicamps.

So we asked our MMQB staff of NFL experts to answer a series of eight questions. Today, they’re going to weigh in on the best free agent still available.

Let’s get to their answers as we get closer to the NFL taking a break before July training camps.

The free agent still available who could be a steal is …

Matt Verderame: S Justin Simmons

Former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons

Simmons has been selected second-team All-Pro four times over the past five years. / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Simmons is 30 years old and doesn’t play a premium position, but he’s the best player still on the market.

Released by the Denver Broncos not because of eroding talent but cap implications, Simmons could catch on and become an immediate impact starter. Over the past five seasons, he has been named a second-team All-Pro four times.

Additionally, he’s one of the best in football at creating turnovers. In 2022, he led the league with six interceptions and has 30 over his eight-year career. He’s also forced five fumbles over the past two seasons.

Whoever ends up signing Simmons isn’t just getting the best player available, but one of the best at his position.

Gilberto Manzano: CB Stephon Gilmore

It’s strange that Gilmore hasn’t had a team commit to him for a second season since leaving the New England Patriots in 2020. Sure, maybe it’s his age, but he still has plenty left to offer heading into his age-34 season.

Gilmore stepped up as the Dallas Cowboys’ No. 1 outside cornerback after Trevon Diggs suffered a season-ending injury in September. He was also a reliable cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts in ’22 and with the Carolina Panthers in ’21.

There are many teams out there who desperately need help in the secondary. Gilmore would be a low-risk signing with plenty of upside for one of the game’s most consistent cornerbacks.

Conor Orr: Gilmore

I also think the answer is Gilmore, although there are a lot of veteran players who don’t want to deal with the hassle of offseason camps and would like to skip closer to the start of the regular season. Gilmore is always going to bring a base level of competency and is a great person that you wouldn’t worry about injecting into the locker room. I just think this one will take a few more weeks before we start to see needs develop.

Albert Breer: S Tracy Walker III

Former Detroit Lions defensive back Tracy Walker III

Walker is still a defensive back with positional versatility who’s been a captain. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

I think Simmons and Gilmore are probably the two best players available, but Walker stands to be a really good value. Last year, coming off a torn Achilles he sustained in 2022, he lost his starting spot to Ifeatu Melifonwu. And, at 29, it’s a fair bet that he’s now landed on the back side of his prime.

But he’s still a defensive back with positional versatility who’s been a captain, and was a key piece in the transition from Matt Patricia to Dan Campbell in Detroit, as a guy who could help a new staff inspire buy-in. He’ll be able to help someone in the fall in a bunch of different ways, and probably at a pretty reasonable price.

13 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

32 NFL Teams in 32 Days: Browns Need the Old Deshaun Watson

The Cleveland Browns could have a Super Bowl-ready roster, but there’s one big if: the play of quarterback Deshaun Watson.

If Watson re-establishes himself and plays at the level he did with the Houston Texans, the Browns could be dangerous, not only in the AFC North, but the entire conference. Cleveland’s defense is good enough to stop the AFC’s best quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud and Joe Burrow. Myles Garrett captured the Defensive Player of the Year award and helped turn the Browns into one of the best defensive units in the league last season.

Watson’s sensational performances from his Texans days, however, have become a distant memory after back-to-back forgetful seasons in Cleveland. The team is hoping the trade for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy could be the final piece toward Watson finding consistency with the Browns.

If Watson struggles again, the Browns could still find a way back to the postseason behind their dominant defense, but they won’t have Joe Flacco to lean on after he left in free agency. The Flacco-led Browns went on a tear during the final month of the 2023 season before a flat postseason loss against the Texans.

Biggest gamble this offseason: Letting Flacco walk in free agency

It was somewhat surprising that the Browns didn’t push to retain Flacco after he saved their season en route to winning Comeback Player of the Year. It only cost the Indianapolis Colts a one-year, $4.5 million contract to add Flacco as Anthony Richardson’s backup. Perhaps the Browns didn’t want Watson looking over his shoulder, but competition could be what Watson needs to finally regain his top form from his days in Houston. Jameis Winston is a quality backup quarterback, but he’s never had a stretch as good as what Flacco did in five regular-season games to get the Browns into the postseason.

Toughest stretch of the season: Week 15 to 18

Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett

Garrett has 88.5 sacks in seven seasons with the Browns. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Browns’ potential playoff hopes could take a hit during the final month of the regular season. They host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15 before traveling to face the Cincinnati Bengals the following week. Then, they return home to battle the Miami Dolphins before ending the regular season at the Baltimore Ravens. That’s the downside of playing in the AFC North, as the league prefers to schedule divisional matchups toward the end of the regular season. But the Browns should have a chance in every game as long as the defense plays as well as it did in 2023.

Breakout player to watch: DT Michael Hall Jr.

Tabbing a breakout candidate for the Browns was difficult because they have many established players. (Selecting cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. last year turned out to be the right choice.) We’ll go with a rookie here, one that will likely be asked to play many snaps with an aging group of defensive tackles. It could take time for Hall, the team’s 2024 second-round pick, to develop into a reliable rotational player, but he might play a pivotal role down the stretch if the Browns are in the playoff hunt. The Ohio State product will back up veterans Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris.

Best-case scenario: Browns return to playoffs with help from Watson

The Browns desperately need Watson to find some kind of rhythm, even if he’s just a game-manager running an efficient offense—something similar to what Baker Mayfield did in 2020 to guide Cleveland to the divisional round. That’s how bad it’s been for Watson since the Browns handed him a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract in 2022. The Browns have the skill players and offensive line to be a high-scoring offense.

But it doesn’t bode well that wide receiver Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku took off once Flacco filled in for Cleveland’s injured quarterbacks. Also, in a perfect world, running back Nick Chubb makes a full recovery from his severe knee injury and returns as one of the team’s top players. The Browns have the roster to contend in the AFC North and in the conference—if Watson finds his footing in Cleveland.

Worst-case scenario: Watson struggles, team looks for way out

If Watson doesn’t show positive signs of improvement, the Browns might be forced to bench him or look for a way out after three seasons. It wouldn’t be easy to move his massive contract, and the team firing coach Kevin Stefanski for another coach who could potentially revive Watson’s career doesn’t make sense after the Browns recently signed Stefanski to a multi-year contract extension.

Stefanski delivered a productive offense with Flacco pushing the ball downfield. For whatever reason, it hasn’t worked out with Watson running Stefanski’s offense. Again, the Browns have the roster and coaches to go far in the postseason. But if the season goes sideways, it might time for the Browns to move on without Watson.

Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking

No. 21: Stefanski (19) and Watson (23)

Stefanski has proven to be a sharp offensive mind with a quality staff led by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. In four years, Stefanski has led the Browns to a pair of playoff appearances, including a postseason victory for the first time since 1994. However, Watson has been an unmitigated disaster since being acquired from the Texans. In two years, he has played in only 12 games, and not performed well. —Matt Verderame

Fantasy pick: Watson

Watson has started and finished 11 games over the past two seasons, averaging 15.8 fantasy points. It should be noted, however, that he was better last season (17.7 points per game) than in 2022, when he averaged just 14.3 points after an extended absence from the league due to off-field issues. That includes three games where he scored at least 18.9 points. While it was just five games, Watson was still an asset and could be a draft value. —Michael Fabiano

Best bet: Browns over 8.5 wins +135 at DraftKings

If Watson can return to any sort of his former self, the Browns should be able to get to nine wins with their top-tier defense playing a major role. Stefanski was able to win with Flacco in 2023. Throw in one of the best running backs in the league getting healthy at the right time, and the plus-money payout looks attractive. —Jennifer Piacenti

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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13 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Zero RB Strategy: Why It’s Now a Viable Fantasy Football Draft Approach

I have been a running back truther for as long as I can remember playing fantasy football. My first-ever draft pick came back in 1998 when I took Terrell Davis. I later traded for then-rookie Fred Taylor. Can you say championship?

Since then, I’ve focused my early-round picks on runners. From Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk, and LaDainian Tomlinson in the past to the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Breece Hall in more recent years, getting a few stud runners was always at the forefront of my fantasy roster build.

So, when the “Zero RB Strategy” was introduced by Shawn Siegele back in 2013, I scoffed. This philosophy is based on completely avoiding running backs in the first five rounds. Instead, fantasy fans load up on wide receivers, a tight end, and a quarterback before turning their attention to the running back position. To me, it made zero sense. After all, backs have long been the lifeblood of fantasy football!

Why the hell would I avoid that?

In my opinion, the Zero RB strategy required a lot of luck. You had to hope at least a few of the backs you drafted after the first five rounds panned out, and many times those lottery tickets ended up in the waiver wire garbage. If you didn’t land a breakout or sleeper runner on the wire either, well, your backfield was likely trash. In this scenario, a bad backfield was a fantasy death sentence.

Then, the 2022 season happened.

A few of the running backs we’ve leaned on for years, like Alvin Kamara, Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook, and Leonard Fournette (to name a few), saw their totals decline at some level. The top overall pick, Jonathan Taylor, finished as the RB32, making it the third straight year the consensus top pick was a runner who failed to meet expectations. We also saw a further increase in the number of backfield committees emerge around the league.

At the same time, wide receivers thrived.

Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and CeeDee Lamb were among the young wideouts who were rising up. A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith (to name a few) also thrived for fantasy fans. And while the position isn’t completely clear of injuries (Cooper Kupp), it’s far less likely a receiver will suffer a long-term ailment compared to a running back. That’s part of the reason we are seeing so many runners holding out over current contractual issues while No. 2 and 3 wide receivers are getting their bags.

This has been the perfect storm of sorts, and it’s created a huge shift in the importance of wideouts. In the high-stakes world of the NFFC, where some of the best fantasy players play for oodles of dough, eight of the top 12 overall picks are wideouts. What’s more, 17 of the first 36 picks (top three rounds) are receivers. It’s a different world, folks.

When we include these factors, plus the emergence of the top-tier quarterbacks and tight ends as top-50 overall choices, we’re now seeing running backs getting pushed down draft boards. It’s created a scenario where (I can’t believe I’m saying this), the Zero RB Strategy is a more viable approach. In fact, I have even used it in the last two years.

Do I use this all the time? No. I prefer an altered version where I draft three wideouts in the first four rounds. The other two picks are likely running backs. I’ve also used the “Hero RB” philosophy, which has managers grab a running back in Round 1 and then go with wide receivers in each of the next three rounds. It all depends on where you’re drafting and the flow of the draft, but I’ve pushed runners down in my top 200 regardless.

That doesn’t mean I’m avoiding the position altogether, of course. Besides CMC, I’d love to get Bijan Robinson, Breece Hall or Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round this yaer. But when you look at the ADP data, there are more elite runners on the board later in drafts.

Right now, you can draft productive running backs like Kamara, Rhamondre Stevenson, James Conner and D’Andre Swift outside of the top 50. Breakout/sleeper runners, who used to go in the top 50 when managers would reach at the position, are also on the board much later. This season, that list includes the likes of Zamir White, Jonathon Brooks and Zack Moss, who are all available outside the top 80 based on the current ADP data at the NFFC. Heck, you can even get Nick Chubb outside of the top 90. I know he’s coming off a gruesome knee injury, but he’d have been picked much higher in past years.

This strategy isn’t for everyone. Heck, I’ve even said I don’t follow it to a tee. It might be my long love affair with running backs that keeps me from avoiding the position with each of my first five picks. With that said, I am far more likely to have three and maybe four wide receivers on my roster with my first five picks than I would have five years ago.

Don’t be afraid to make that switch to your draft strategies either. Offenses around the NFL have evolved, and fantasy managers should follow. I did. Much like Jedi master Yoda told Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back, “you must unlearn what you have learned.”

13 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

NBA Finals: Celtics Stave Off Mavericks’ Fourth-Quarter Comeback to Take 3–0 Lead

News, notes and observations from the Boston Celtics’ thrilling 106–99 NBA Finals Game 3 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday in Dallas to take a 3–0 series lead …

Early in the fourth quarter it looked like Boston was going to cruise to a 3–0 series lead. A Derrick White three staked the Celtics to a 21-point lead with 11 minutes to play. The three-point line was hot and the Mavericks looked finished. Then P.J. Washington hit a three. Then Luka Doncic hit a layup. Then Dereck Lively II tipped in a miss. A 12–0 run cut the lead to nine with eight minutes to play. A 20–2 run made it a one-possession game with six minutes to play.

Doncic was hot. Kyrie Irving was rolling. Dallas had life.

With 4:38 to play, Doncic picked up his fifth personal foul. Bad. Fewer than 30 seconds later, he picked up his sixth. Worse. Dallas, faced with trying to complete the comeback with its All-NBA guard on the bench, crumbled. An Irving jumper briefly cut the lead to one but Boston quickly pushed it back up to three, then six, then eight. And that was your ball game.

“We had a good chance,” Doncic said. “We were close. Just didn’t get it. I wish I was out there.”

Said Jayson Tatum, “The game of basketball is about runs, and this is at the highest level. You know, it’s the best team in the West at this point. They are going to make shots. They are going to go on a run, and it’s just all about how do you respond.”

When Dallas surged to an early 13-point first-quarter lead, there was Tatum, scoring 20 of his 31 points in the first half to keep the game close. When Boston needed buckets down the stretch, there was Jaylen Brown, who scored 24 of his 30 in the second half, including nine in the fourth quarter.

It wasn’t a flawless game. Tatum struggled with his shot, finishing 11-for-26. Brown was 2-for-9 from three-point range. But they refused to get discouraged. It was Tatum’s driving dunk in traffic that pushed the Celtics’ lead to six late in the fourth quarter. It was Brown’s 21-footer that put the game away. For just the second time in Celtics history, two players scored at least 30 points in a Finals game. And when the final buzzer sounded, the two stars embraced near center court.

“Just you know showing the emotions of the game,” Tatum said. “Two guys that were excited, tired, that, you know, after the game. We’re not necessarily saying like, ‘One more,’ or anything like that. We are just saying, ‘However long it takes.’ Nobody is relaxed. Nobody is satisfied. Just at that moment, you know, just told him I was proud of him and he said the same thing. That we’ve got to keep fighting. We can’t relax.”

Role players have become the story of this series. For Boston, the first two games were dominated by Kristaps Porzingis, who returned from a 38-day absence to help power Boston to a 2–0 series lead. In Game 3, with Porzinigis out, it was White (16 points) and Sam Hauser (nine) making shots. Al Horford stretching out for 37 minutes. Xavier Tillman, playing his first minutes of this series, finishing a +9 in 11 minutes.

“I just think that top to bottom, we trust everybody, and we just compete at a high level,” White said. “Obviously, they are great players, and it’s a challenge but [it’s] just consistently being in the right position and just competing.”

Xavier Tillman guards Luka Doncic at the basket.

Tillman came up big in Game 3, playing his first minutes of the Finals. / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

On Dallas’s side, it was more of the same. Washington chipped in nine points during Dallas’s fourth-quarter comeback but finished with 12 overall. Derrick Jones Jr. was a non-factor. Maxi Kleber, too. Jason Kidd dusted off Tim Hardaway Jr. for 20 minutes. Hardaway finished 0-for-5. In the first half, Kidd’s rotation went 11 deep.

“We were trying to find someone to come off the bench and give us a spark,” Kidd said. “It doesn’t always have to be someone making a shot. I thought the guys that played tonight helped us get the lead or get back into the game.

“When you look at some of the guys who played, we got good looks, some of them made them, some of them didn’t. I thought the group that played, once that third quarter got away from us, it just showed the group kept playing.”

In the conference playoffs, Luke Kornet gobbled up the bulk of the non-Porzingis minutes. In Game 3, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla went with Tillman, in part because of the ex-Memphis Grizzlies forward’s experience against the Mavericks. Tillman responded by knocking down a corner three in the third quarter and swatting away two shots.

“Big shout out to X,” White said. “To not be in the rotation but to stay locked in and he gives us big-time minutes. He just does a little bit of everything out there. Then he guarded his ass off and hit a big shot and rebounds, and he just did a little bit of everything for us. Credit to him. Great, great teammate, great guy, and he was big for us.”

The statistics say no. Of the 156 teams that have trailed 3–0 in an NBA playoff series, zero have come back to win it. The more pressing concern is if Dallas can avoid a sweep. Doncic struck an optimistic tone at his postgame news conference. “Being down 21 in the third game and then coming back was a really positive thing for us,” he said. And the Mavs did get a breakout game from Irving (35 points). But as talented as Doncic and Irving are, they are not getting enough help. And a Celtics team that nearly completed a 3–0 comeback last season isn’t sounding like one ready to let this one slip away.

“You have to expect the expected,” Mazzulla said. “You’ve got to understand we are just as vulnerable if not more vulnerable than they are. And we have to play that way. So as long as we have that mindset, and when you understand that you’re vulnerable and your back’s against the wall, you’ve got to fight. And so that’s the mindset that we have to have.”

13 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Tom Brady Delivers Classy One-Liner to Sum Up His Relationship With Bill Belichick

On a night dedicated to celebrating Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion took a moment Wednesday to acknowledge and thank the man who coached him for two decades.

Brady, during his induction speech into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame at Gillette Stadium, had nothing but praise for Bill Belichick.

"It wasn't me. It wasn't you. It was us," Brady said, addressing Belichick's role in the Patriots' dynasty. "... Let me make this crystal clear: There is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick."

Tom Brady to Belichick: "It wasn't me. It wasn't you. It was us. ... Let me make this crystal clear: There is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick."
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) June 13, 2024

Belichick shared a similar sentiment when speaking at the event.

"Thank you for all you have done for us," the 72-year-old coach said to Brady. "Thank you for all you've done for me."

Thank you, @TomBrady. pic.twitter.com/xy3k2SCdHZ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 13, 2024

The two future Pro Football Hall of Famers shared 20 years together from Brady's rookie season in 2000 to his final campaign in Foxborough in '19. Brady and Belichick appeared in nine Super Bowls together and won six championship rings, pairing up to steer arguably the best dynasty in NFL history.

Now retired, Brady will head to the broadcast booth this upcoming season to debut as the top Fox Sports analyst during games. Belichick, who split ways with the Patriots in January, won't be coaching in the NFL this fall for the first time since 1975.

13 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Luka Dončić Was Not Impressed With Refs in Game 3 vs. Celtics

Luka Doncic fouled out in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night as the Boston Celtics defeated his Dallas Mavericks 106-99 at American Airlines Center.

Doncic finished with 27 points on 27 shots before he headed to the bench to watch his team's comeback fall short. His fifth and six fouls came in the fourth quarter on close calls that no Mavericks fan would ever agree with.

After the game. Doncic was asked about the whistles that went against him in the fourth. His response likely doesn't warrant a fine from the league, but reading between the lines, it doesn't seem like he agreed with the calls.

"I mean, I don't know," Doncic said. "We couldn't play physical so ... I don't know. I don't want to say nothing, but you know, six fouls in the NBA Finals? When I'm basically I'm like this. C'mon, man. [Be] better than that."

Here's that full Q&A https://t.co/c1xgCX3Bis pic.twitter.com/4OyQ6gs5GJ
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 13, 2024

While Mavs fans will certainly disagree with the calls that went against Doncic, everyone can agree that the officials were pretty bad in the fourth quarter. It seemed like everything was allowed early in the game, but by the end the only time officials didn't blow the whistle was when Derrick White grabbed Tim Hardaway Jr. right in front of a referee on purpose and pointed at the referee to confirm he was trying to foul and there was no call.

You can’t tell me changes don’t need to be made to officiating. Derrick white clearly intentionally fouled Hardaway looked at the ref, says foul, ref still doesn’t make the call. Refs have been horrible throughout all of the season but this is just embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/DdeKq8GCWd
— Fsncold (@HookEm4Life_) June 13, 2024

Just another night in the NBA.

13 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Jayson Tatum Gave Teammates Hilarious Advice on What Not to Do

The Boston Celtics won a roller-coaster of a game Wednesday night to take a 3–0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. Jaylen Brown scored 30 points on 22 shots to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists, while Jayson Tatum scored 31 on 26 shots with six rebounds and five assists.

The Celtics dominated the third quarter with great ball movement, which Tatum pointed out on the bench during a timeout. Luckily, ESPN and ABC had the cameras rolling to hear the Celtics star tell everyone they shouldn't settle for step-back three-pointers, which is basically his favorite thing in the world.

“Don’t settle for the step back 3 unless it’s late in the shot clock, that goes for all of us, including myself.”
Jayson Tatum knowing full well that he is addicted to that step back 3. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/XSksAMpCgS
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (IG:twdbk3) (@sluggahjells) June 13, 2024

"We can get shots," Tatum said, "but we can get better shots. Don't settle for the step-back three unless it's late shot clock. That goes for all of us. Myself. Every time we drive we get a wide open three."

He was right. About the drive and kick, at least. He was certainly not right about taking his own advice as he repeatedly took three-pointers in isolation, which Doris Burke pointed out on the broadcast saying that if she were a teammate she would have given him the side-eye when he said that.

Tatum finished the game 4-of-13 from behind the arc. He is now 8-of-27 from three during the Finals.

13 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Celtics Survive Wild Second Half to Take Commanding 3-0 Lead in NBA Finals

The Boston Celtics are one win away from hanging their 18th banner inside TD Garden.

In a wild Game 3 filled with scoring runs, big games from the stars of both teams and a surprise fouling out of Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, the Celtics prevailed 106–99 to take a commanding 3–0 series lead in the 2024 NBA Finals.

Entering the game in a 2–0 series deficit, Dallas came out desperate and had its collective foot on the gas early in the ball game. Behind a hot start from Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks took a double-digit lead, 22–9, with 5:48 to go in the first quarter.

But just as the Celtics have done all series long—and all season long—they met the Mavericks' initial run with one of their own. Despite struggling to score in the first two games of the series, Boston star Jayson Tatum came to play on Wednesday night, as all superstars do, in the absence of center Kristaps Porzingis. He led the charge as Boston punched back. The Celtics closed the quarter down 31–30, and entered halftime down 51–50 despite an offensive barrage of Doncic and Irving, who paced the Mavericks with first-half scoring.

But the second half is where the fun began.

The Celtics have been a poor third-quarter team all season long, but Jaylen Brown came out on fire after halftime, hitting jump shot after jump shot, overcoming a slow shooting start that saw him score just six first-half points. Brown scored 24 second half points, and put on a show in the third quarter in particular, where he concluded the frame with an emphatic slam.

JAYLEN BROWN. 🔥🔥🔥
pic.twitter.com/99ESlBsoJy
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 13, 2024

Boston's 35–19 third quarter spurt, to go along with a strong start to the fourth quarter, saw its lead balloon to as many as 21 points.

The Mavericks were on life support, but they weren't done yet. A 20–2 spurt that left the Celtics' players absolutely stunned cut the 21-point lead all the way down to three.

However, with 4:12 to go and the Celtics clinging to a 93–90 lead, Brown crossed half-court and drove to the basket with Doncic riding his hip. The Mavericks star, who already had five fouls, stepped in front of Brown for an obvious block. The play was challenged by Dallas and ultimately upheld, but Doncic's disqualification loomed large in the closing minutes of the contest.

Boston closed on a 13–6 run of its own with Doncic out of the lineup, and Irving's offensive heroics for Dallas simply weren't enough.

Tatum (31 points) and Brown (30 points), who have been much maligned by the media throughout the course of their careers, coexisted when it mattered most on the biggest stage and kept pace with Irving (35 points) and Doncic (27 points) to survive Game 3.

Game 4 is on Friday night, a 48-hour turnaround for the first time in the series. Boston will have a chance to raise its first championship banner since 2008, while Dallas will fight to keep its season alive.

13 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Struggling Braves Slump to Rare Losing Streak Not Seen in Seven Years

The Atlanta Braves are in the midst of a slump that is unprecedented for the team's current core.

Atlanta lost its fifth straight game Wednesday, falling 4–2 to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. It's the first time the Braves have lost five straight games since September 2017, the final season before Atlanta began its current streak of winning six consecutive NL East division titles from '18 to '23.

The Braves have lost 5 straight games for the first time since September 2017 pic.twitter.com/HqQjgpd3ae
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 13, 2024

The Braves have been outscored 25–11 during their current skid, which began with a 2–1 loss to the Washington Nationals on June 7. In September 2017—the final month of Ozzie Albies's rookie season—the Braves lost six straight games to the New York Mets and Miami Marlins.

Atlanta going six-plus full seasons and 934 regular-season games between five-game losing streaks is quite the accomplishment.

For reference, there have been 37 streaks of five straight losses or worse in the big leagues this season. Twenty of MLB's 30 teams have lost five or more consecutive games already this year, and the lowly Chicago White Sox have plummeted to four different skids of at least five games in 2024.

After the loss to Baltimore, Atlanta dropped to 35–30 on the season and 10 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

The Braves will try to snap their skid Thursday in the series finale against Baltimore.

12 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Best NBA Betting Odds and Trends for Celtics vs. Mavericks NBA Finals Game 3

Game 3 of the NBA Finals is crucial for the Dallas Mavericks, as a loss would all be seal their fate against the Boston Celtics in this series.

Trailing 2-0, Dallas is looking to avoid the dreaded 3-0 series deficit -- something no team has ever come back from in a seven-game series in the history of the league.

On the bright side for Dallas, oddsmakers have favored Luka Doncic and company at home in Game 3.

Spread

Moneyline

Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

The spread in Game 3 has moved since Kristaps Porzingis was diagnosed with a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon on Tuesday.

Porzingis is officially questionable for Game 3, and oddsmakers have moved Dallas from -2 to -2.5 in this game since the Porzingis injury was announced.

Boston has fared well without Porzingis this postseason, but he clearly makes the Celtics a better team, especially after dropping 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field in Game 1.

Can Dallas pick up a win at home to keep its chances to win the Finals alive?

Boston Celtics on the Road

Boston has dominated on the road in the playoffs, going 6-0 straight up against the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. Can it stay perfect against the Mavericks?

The C's are 22-22-3 against the spread on the road in the 2023-24 season overall, so their playoff performance has been even better.

Boston Celtics as Underdogs

This is just the fourth time this season that the Celtics are underdogs, and it's the first time in five months that they have been in this spot.

Boston is 1-2 against the spread as an underdog in the 2023-24 season. All of those games have come on the road.

Dallas Mavericks at Home

So far this season, Dallas is 25-24 against the spread at home, but that number is slightly better as a home favorite.

The Mavs are 19-17 against the spread as home favorites, although they have lost games at home in every series so far this postseason.

Teams Down 0-2 in Game 3

Dallas is down 0-2 in this series, but there is an interesting trend dating back to 2005 for these teams entering Game 3.

NBA teams down 0-2 at home since 2005:
• 91-47-1 first half ATS
• 66-70-3 full game ATS
The first half trend has been even lately though, going just 13-14-1 1H ATS since 2020-21 (3-4 this year) pic.twitter.com/ecnq7LaJoo
— Evan Abrams (@EvanHAbrams) June 12, 2024

However, the Celtics are the best team in the NBA against the spread in the first half this season, so bettors may want to be careful about having to lay points with Dallas, who is a slight favorite, in Game 3.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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