The NBA MLK Day schedule spans from 1 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET, and the penultimate game of the day features the Utah Jazz (21-20) hosting the Indiana Pacers (23-16) in a battle of squads battling for playoff positioning. The Jazz are ninth in the Western Conference standings, while the Pacers are sixth in the East. Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) is out for Indiana, while Aaron Nesmith (shins) sat out Sunday night’s loss to the Nuggets.

Tipoff is at 9 p.m. ET at the Delta Center in Utah. For this game, SportsLine consensus lists Utah as the 7-point favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 245 in the latest Jazz vs. Pacers odds. Before making any Pacers vs. Jazz picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer model.

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

Now, the model has set its sights on Jazz vs. Pacers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Pacers vs. Jazz:

Jazz vs. Pacers spread: Jazz -7
Jazz vs. Pacers over/under: 245 points
Jazz vs. Pacers money line: Jazz -278, Pacers +225
Jazz vs. Pacers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Jazz can cover
Utah comes into this matchup playing extremely well. The Jazz have won five straight games and covered in all of them, usually with ample room to spare. The Jazz were underdogs of at least 6 points in three of those wins and slight favorites in the others, so the lines have not properly valued how well Utah is playing recently.

While Utah lacks a bonafide superstar, the Jazz have a solid core that includes nine players who average at least 8.0 points per game. Lauri Markkanen leads the way in points (23.7 ppg) and rebounds (8.8 rpg), while Jordan Clarkson (17.9 ppg) and Collin Sexton (16.5 ppg) are big contributors on the offense end. See which team to pick here.

Why the Pacers can cover
Indiana is coming off a loss to the Nuggets last time out, though the Pacers did stay within the 10.5-point spread despite the setback. Prior to that loss, Indiana had won nine of its last 10 and also was 9-1 ATS during that span. The Pacers have been great to bettors most of the season, going 23-15-2 ATS overall with an 11-7-1 ATS mark on the road. Additionally, Indiana has already picked up a win and a cover against the Jazz this season, beating Utah 134-118 at home on Nov. 8.

While the loss of Haliburton and possibly Nesmith certainly impacts Indiana’s offensive upside, the Pacers do have plenty of capable scorers. Myles Turner (17.3 ppg), Bennedict Mathurin (14.6 ppg), Buddy Hield (12.7 ppg), Bruce Brown (12.1 ppg) and Obi Toppin (11.8 ppg) are all capable of helping carry the load in the meantime. See which team to pick here.

How to make Pacers vs. Jazz picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 243 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the model’s picks at SportsLine.

MILWAUKEE — As the season approached the mid-way point, Damian Lillard’s Milwaukee Bucks teammates had a gripe with their new All-Star point guard: There was not enough wrist tapping. Late on Sunday night, they finally got their wish. Not only did they get to see Lillard’s iconic celebration, they got to join in on the fun as “Dame Time” officially arrived in Milwaukee.

“I kept telling them,” Lillard said. “I do it when it’s necessary. Tonight, it was necessary.”

With 5.2 seconds remaining in overtime, the Bucks trailed by two and had a chance to go for the tie or the win. Lillard chose the latter. After inbounding the ball to Brook Lopez, he took a handoff from the big man near half-court, dribbled four times and side-stepped into a 30-footer.

Ball game. Bucks 143, Sacramento Kings 142.

DAME TIME IN MILWAUKEE ‼️ 🤯

DAME LILLARD DRILLS THE PULL-UP 32-FOOT #TissotBuzzerBeater 🚨

BUCKS WIN 143-142 IN OT. #YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness pic.twitter.com/BptPMrcjcI

— NBA (@NBA) January 15, 2024
Fiserv Forum erupted, players on both teams put their hands on their heads in disbelief and Lillard was mobbed by his overenthusiastic teammates.

“When I saw the clip of it, [Giannis] started tapping his wrist when he was running towards me, and then he almost choked me out,” Lillard explained.

“I think I grabbed him, but I grabbed him hard,” Antetokounmpo confessed. “I don’t know if I was suffocating him. I was grabbing him really hard. I was doing [Lillard’s “Dame Time” wrist tap] and [Lillard’s wave]. I went out of character.”

To get to Lillard’s heroics, you first have to go back to the unlikely sequence of events that brought him and the Bucks to that point. After blowing a double digit lead in the fourth quarter, the Bucks trailed by six almost immediately in overtime, battled back to take the lead, then fell behind again by four with 30 seconds to play.

When Lillard missed something of a desperation attempt on the ensuing possession, it seemed like that would be a wrap. Instead, Malik Monk, an 87.5% free throw shooter, missed both foul shots, which won fans free chicken and gave the Bucks a lifeline. Brook Lopez seized it by draining a 3-point shot from the corner to cut the deficit to one. Again the Bucks fouled, and, again, the Kings couldn’t get it done at the line. This time, De’Aaron Fox made one of two, which opened the door for the Bucks to steal the game back.

Ironically, Lillard had been having a tough night. He had already missed two 3s in the final minute of overtime, and finished the game 9-of-23 from the field and 5-of-13 from behind the arc. Yet, there was never a doubt that he was getting the ball in that situation, nor was there any doubt that the ball was going in once it left his hand.

“I was in the corner, just in case, ready to go,” Malik Beasley said. “And I saw him slow down, actually, with five seconds to go, so I was like, ‘OK, this is definitely Dame Time.’ And it was Dame Time. And the rest is history.”

Lillard’s ability to play at his own pace in a situation where everyone else would be trying to go as quickly as possible played a key role in the shot. As did his comfort in letting it fly from well beyond the arc, and the space he was able to create with a side-step. Add it all up and you have a remarkable feat of athleticism and coordination.

At least to everyone besides Lillard.

“For me, I train and work on these type of things, so when I do it, it doesn’t feel as difficult as it looks,” Lillard said. “When I see it, it does look really difficult, but I’ve got a lot of reps at shots like that. So when it looks a certain way to the person that’s watching, it doesn’t feel that way to me.”

Count Antetokounmpo among the people watching.

“This was the toughest shot I’ve ever seen anybody make to win a game up close,” Antetokounmpo said. “It was tough.”

We’ve got another exciting Southwest Division matchup on the NBA schedule this Martin Luther King Jr. Day as the New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks are set to tip at 2:30 p.m. ET on Monday at American Airlines Center. Dallas is 23-17 overall and 12-9 at home, while New Orleans is 24-16 overall and 12-8 on the road. The Pelicans have won and covered the spread in three of their last four head-to-head meetings with the Mavs, including a 2-1 record already this season.

However, both teams have been profitable against the spread in 2023-24, with New Orleans going 23-16 against the number and Dallas going 22-18. This time around, New Orleans is favored by 4 points in the latest Mavericks vs. Pelicans odds, and the over/under at 236 points. Before entering any Pelicans vs. Mavericks picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

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

The model has set its sights on New Orleans vs. Dallas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

Mavericks vs. Pelicans spread: Pelicans -4
Mavericks vs. Pelicans over/under: 236 points
Mavericks vs. Pelicans money line: Mavericks: +144, Pelicans: -171
Mavericks vs. Pelicans picks: See picks here
What you need to know about the Mavericks
Dallas has been without Luka Doncic for the last two games because of an ankle injury and after defeating the Knicks on Thursday without the superstar guard, cracks began to show against the Pelicans on Saturday. The Mavericks lost 118-108 at home against New Orleans and now the franchises will run it back in the same building just two days later as part of today’s NBA on MLK Day action. Doncic is listed as doubtful for this one.

Kyrie Irving had 33 points, six assists and five rebounds in the defeat while Tim Hardaway Jr. and Derrick Jones Jr. both scored 24 points for Dallas. However, the Mavericks were hammered 44-34 on the glass and gave up 14 offensive rebounds to an incredibly short-handed Pelicans roster.

What you need to know about the Pelicans
The Pelicans were missing Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum in Saturday’s win in Dallas but still had seven players in their nine-man rotation reach double-figures in scoring and got an uplifting performance from Jordan Hawkins. The rookie out of UConn scored 34 points and New Orleans won comfortably as 5.5-point underdogs.

Williamson (quad), Ingram (Achilles) and McCollum (ankle) are all listed as probable to return to the lineup on Monday. That trio for New Orleans is averaging 63.1 points per game this season and should give the Pelicans a significant boost.

Key Betting Info
With Doncic (ankle) out, the Mavericks will be looking to replace 33.6 points, 9.1 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game from their lineup. Irving (25.1 ppg) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (17.6 ppg) are the only other two players on the roster this season averaging more than 11 points per game.

Some of the betting trends to consider are:

The Pelicans are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games when the spread was between -5.5 to -2.5.
The Pelicans are 13-8-1 against the spread in their last 22 games vs teams that win more than 55 percent of games.
The Mavericks are 3-3 against the spread in their last 6 games as a home dog.
How to make Mavericks vs. Pelicans picks
The model has simulated Mavericks vs. Pelicans 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 70% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

MILWAUKEE — Earning an equal share of the spotlight on a night when Damian Lillard hits an overtime buzzer beater from 30 feet against your team is a difficult feat, but Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown pulled it off with a fiery ejection and a never-before-seen postgame press conference performance.

Minutes after his team had its collective heart broken by Lillard’s heroics, Brown walked into the visitor’s media room ready to put on a show, props and all.

“I just wanna show you guys why I got kicked out of the game,” Brown said as he opened his laptop.

What followed was part rant, part film session and part performance art. For well over five minutes, Brown opined about the lack of consistency in officiating, broke down clips and pantomimed players’ actions.

Mike busted out the film to break down why he got ejected tonight 😂 pic.twitter.com/7sO8yJ3g9y

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 15, 2024
If a fine comes his way, it will have been well-earned.

With just under 10 minutes to play in regulation of his team’s 143-142 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Brown was ejected for an on-court tirade that saw him accidentally collide with Bucks forward Pat Connaughton and get face-to-face with an official before he was pulled away by Malik Monk.

Mike Brown had to be held back by Malik Monk after he was ejected from tonight’s game 😬 pic.twitter.com/t36hpcy05g

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 15, 2024
The inciting incident was a play where Brown thought his point guard, De’Aaron Fox, had been fouled. His frustration had been building all night long, however.

“This is in third quarter with 1:28 left,” Brown explained. “Go back and watch. Fox barely puts his hand on Dame’s hip. Incidental contact. He didn’t push him or anything. He barely puts his hand there, and they give him three free throws.”

“At the half, I think we were down 19-5 in free throws, 19-5,” Brown remarked. “I know that happens sometimes, but it’s very frustrating — when at the end of the half, from what I get told all the time, Malik drives and Lopez comes over and goes vertical with the forearm down here.”

While this was initially called a foul on Lopez, the Bucks successfully challenged the play and the call was overturned.

“From what the NBA tells me the rule is, when you go vertical, you’ve got to have two hands up,” Brown said. “Because [Domantas Sabonis] has his hand down [in the mid-section] a lot and they call him for it every time and they always tell us, ‘Well you got a forearm [in the mid-section].’ And tonight, they said the forearm could be [in the mid-section] as long as it’s not extended, so I don’t know what the rules are in this situation. I need clarification, because, again, two hands up is what the rule is on verticality, but they were here [hand up) and they said Lopez could do this. That’s a five-point swing. They take away the two free throws and then Milwaukee goes down and hits a three.

“And to end the half at 19-5, that’s tough to deal with, especially when you’re getting told different interpretations on rules. So now, I go back and they call this foul, they call this foul again on Fox. And then, he didn’t push him. They said it’s supposed to be incidental contact, and they give him three free throws.”

At this point, Brown again showed the foul on Fox from the third quarter.

“Now, watch this right here,” Brown said. “Fox comes off a pick-and-roll. The kid, [Cameron Payne], hooks him, hooks Fox’s arm. Look at Fox’s arm when he spins off of this. Hooks his arm. He almost falls. No incidental contact. He hooks his arm and almost falls, and there’s no foul. To me, as a coach … look again, he almost falls. And that’s in the fourth quarter at the 9:32 mark.”

This is the play that got Brown ejected:

“The referees are human, and they’re going to make mistakes, but you just hope that A) there’s some sort of consistency and B) there’s some sort of communication between the refs,” Brown added. “And the refs tonight, they were great, they communicated with me all night. But in terms of consistency, you guys saw it right here. Dame coming off the pick-and-roll and Foxy getting hooked and almost falling coming off the pick-and-roll.

“And, on top of that, if you get communication and you get some form of consistency in the game, OK, then you can live with some things. But the consistency that I [saw] tonight — wasn’t in my opinion — there. And then, I don’t understand the rule, if the rule is you’ve got to go vertical both hands up, how can you take away two free throws with a guy with his forearm down here? If they’re going to change the rule on me and say, ‘OK the forearm can be down here, and another one can be up there,’ then all right I know that going forward. But that’s not what the rule is, because we get called on [Sabonis] all the time and they tell us he’s got to have both hands up if you want to go vertical. That’s why I got kicked out.”

The Kings were down by 10 at the time of Brown’s ejection, and seemed to be spurred to life. They came all the way back to force overtime on a clutch layup by Fox in the final seconds of regulation, and should have went on to win in overtime had they not missed three key free throws at the end of the extra frame.

Instead, they watched as Lillard and his patented “Dame Time” celebration ended the game at the buzzer. The loss puts the Kings, who are 6-4 over their last 10 games, at 23-16. Sacramento currently holds the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference, and is just one ahead in the loss column from the Dallas Mavericks (23-17), owners of the first Play-In Tournament position.

We’ve got another exciting Central Division matchup on the NBA schedule as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls are set to tip at 7 p.m. ET on Monday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as part of the NBA on Martin Luther King Jr. Day schedule. Cleveland is 22-15 overall and 13-8 at home, while Chicago is 19-22 overall and 6-12 on the road. The Cavs have won the last five head-to-head matchups over the Bulls and has also gone 4-0-1 against the spread in those games.

However, both teams have been average against the number this season, with Chicago going 20-20-1 against the spread and the Cavaliers going 18-18-1. For Monday’s matchup, Cleveland is favored by 4 points in the latest Bulls vs. Cavaliers odds via SportsLine consensus and the over/under is 220.5 points. Before entering any Cavaliers vs. Bulls picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Chicago-Cleveland. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

Cavaliers vs. Bulls spread: Cavaliers -4
Cavaliers vs. Bulls over/under: 220.5 points
Cavaliers vs. Bulls money line: Cavaliers -169, Bulls +142
Cavaliers vs. Bulls picks: See picks here
What you need to know about the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers extended their winning streak to four games against the Nets their last time out. Cleveland came out on top against Brooklyn by a score of 111-102 on Thursday. Among those leading the charge was Donovan Mitchell, who dropped a double-double on a season-high 45 points and 12 rebounds.

The four-time NBA all-star missed Cleveland’s Dec. 23 matchup against Chicago, which the Cavaliers won by 14 points despite being 6.5-point underdogs on the road. Jarrett Allen had 19 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists in that victory and his presence in the post will loom large against a Bulls squad that struggles to protect the rim.

What you need to know about the Bulls
Meanwhile, even if it wasn’t a dominant performance, Chicago beat San Antonio 122-116 on Saturday. The Bulls’ win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Nikola Vucevic, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 16 rebounds.

Ayo Dosunmu also had 21 points off the bench in the victory while DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points. Chicago shot 51.1% from the floor and went 15-for-34 from the 3-point line (44.1%). The Bulls are averaging 17.3 made 3-pointers and shooting 43.0% from beyond the arc over their last three games.

Key Betting Info
The Cavaliers will be relying on another big game from Mitchell to pull off a victory with Darius Garland (jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee) out for significant stretches. For the season, Mitchell has averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.

Some of the betting trends to consider are:

The Bulls are 6-3 against the spread in their last 9 games when the spread was between +2 to +5.
The Bulls are 7-10-1 against the spread in their last 18 games when on the road.
The Cavaliers are 6-6 against the spread in their last 12 games when the spread was between -5 to -2.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Bulls picks
The model has simulated Cavaliers vs. Bulls 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits well over 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The New York Knicks (23-16) will try to avoid their second loss of the month when they host the Orlando Magic (21-18) on Monday afternoon. New York opened January with five consecutive victories before suffering its first loss at Dallas last Thursday. The Knicks bounced back with a 106-94 win at Memphis on Saturday, moving into a four-way tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Orlando is currently on a three-game losing skid, falling to Oklahoma City in a road game on Saturday.

Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on Monday at Madison Square Garden. New York is favored by 6.5 points in the latest Knicks vs. Magic odds, while the over/under is 221.5 points. Before entering any Magic vs. Knicks picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Orlando-New York. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

Knicks vs. Magic spread: Knicks -6.5
Knicks vs. Magic over/under: 221.5 points
Knicks vs. Magic money line: Knicks -272, Magic +219
Knicks vs. Magic picks: See picks here
Why the Knicks can cover
The Knicks played without leading scorer Jalen Brunson (calf) on Saturday, but they still managed to beat the Grizzlies by double digits on the road. Brunson is a game-time decision for this game, with Miles McBride being his replacement option. Power forward Julius Randle stepped up with Brunson sidelined on Saturday, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

Randle is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 24.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Orlando is riding a three-game losing streak following its loss to Oklahoma City, which is the team’s third skid of at least three games since Dec. 15. The Knicks are the only NBA team to play on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in all 38 seasons in which games have been played on the holiday, going 23-14 heading into this game.

Why the Magic can cover
While New York was able to pull off a win without Brunson, it was certainly not a clean performance for the Knicks. They were facing a Memphis team that was without Ja Morant, Steven Adams, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., but they still trailed at halftime. New York also committed a season-high 22 turnovers without their floor general in the lineup.

Orlando tends to keep games close, with seven of its last 11 losses coming by 12 points or fewer. The Magic trailed Oklahoma City by just six points with two minutes remaining before missing their final three shots from the floor. Power forward Paolo Banchero leads Orlando with 22.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. See which team to pick here.

How to make Knicks vs. Magic picks
The model has simulated Magic vs. Knicks 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

WWE Backlash touches down in Puerto Rico for the promotion’s first major event on the Caribbean island in 18 years. Some of the biggest superstars, figuratively and literally, in sports entertainment and beyond are aligning for Saturday’s show.

A first-time encounter between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar headlines the event, plus global music superstar Bad Bunny takes on Damian Priest in a street fight. Rhodes has been foaming at the mouth for a shot at Lesnar since the former champion cost him a rematch against undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns. Bad Bunny and Priest teamed together in artist’s first major WWE match at WrestleMania 37. The former friends found themselves at odds after Bad Bunny aided Rey Mysterio against Priest’s Judgement Day cohort Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 39.

In addition to three title matches set for the evening, there are some interest bookings to look forward to. The Bloodline look to finally rid themselves of their problem in undisputed tag team champions Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens as well as Riddle when they meet in a six-man tag match. Plus, one of the stranger bookings in recent memory comes to a head when the giant Omos takes on Seth Rollins.

Here’s how you can catch all the action on Saturday night.

Watch 2023 WWE Backlash
Date: Saturday, May 6
Location: Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Start time: 8 p.m. ET (kickoff show starts at 7 p.m.)
Watch live: Peacock

Watch 2023 WWE Backlash match card
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest (San Juan Street Fight)
SmackDown women’s championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zelina Vega
Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and The Usos)
Raw women’s championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Iyo Sky
United States championship — Austin Theory (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed
Seth Rollins vs. Omos

WWE returns to Saudi Arabia on May 27 for Night of Champions, the next event in the promotion’s lucrative and controversial deal as part of the country’s Saudi Vision 2030 program. As always, WWE is bringing a big card to the country, with potential for some massive promotion-shifting results.

Five of the card’s seven matches will have a title up for grabs. That includes the main event, where undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns will attempt to leave Saudi Arabia with four belts as he teams with Solo Sikoa to battle undisputed tag team champions Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Also, the first world heavyweight champion since 2013 will be crowned when Seth Rollins and AJ Styles clash over the recently-reintroduced title.

Plus, both women’s titles will be at stake. Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair will face off against Asuka while SmackDown women’s champ Rhea Ripley takes on Natalya. And a clash of legends is also scheduled when Trish Stratus takes on Becky Lynch.

Let’s take a look at what we know, and what we think, is happening at Night of Champions, which streams live on Peacock on May 27 at 1 p.m. ET.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 matches
World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles: After Roman Reigns retained the undisputed WWE universal championship against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania, Triple H announced that WWE was reviving the world heavyweight championship so that whichever brand Reigns was not drafted to in the WWE Draft would have a champion. Rollins won his way to the finals by winning a triple threat match and then defeating Finn Balor in the semifinals. Styles followed the same path on SmackDown, beating Bobby Lashley in the semifinals.

Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes: After losing to Reigns at WrestleMania, Rhodes found himself in the sights of Lesnar. The pair met at Backlash, with Rhodes winning a match that saw Lesnar badly bloodied. Lesnar went for his revenge on Raw, interrupting a triple threat and beating Rhodes down before demanding Rhodes face him in “a fight.” In the final Raw before Night of Champions, Lesnar attacked Rhodes twice more, this time badly injuring Rhodes’ arm.

Undisputed Tag Team Championship — Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens (c) vs. Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa: After Zayn and Owens beat The Usos to win the titles at WrestleMania, it was clear there would be some trouble within The Bloodline. That has proven to be the case, with Reigns appearing increasingly angry with The Usos before a very surprising turn on SmackDown. As it seemed Paul Heyman was about to announce The Usos would rematch Zayn and Owens, he instead announced that Reigns and Sikoa would take the title shot, leaving The Usos shocked.

Intercontinental Championship — Gunther (c) vs. Mustafa Ali: Gunther was recently drafted to Raw, providing the longest-reigning intercontinental champion in the modern era with a fresh crop of challengers for his title. The first man up would be determined by a battle royal, which saw Ali emerge as the winner by last eliminating Bronson Reed and Ricochet.

SmackDown Women’s Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Natalya: After beating Dana Brooke on Raw, Ripley continued the attack. This brought out Natalya to make the save. That alone is enough to set up a match in WWE. But add in Natalya’s history in Saudi Arabia, where she was one half of the first women’s match in the country, and it made sense she would be involved in a title match as WWE returns to the country.

Raw Women’s Championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka: Asuka ruined Belair’s homecoming celebration in Knoxville, blinding the champion with a chili-blended poison mist. Belair attempted a measure of vengeance the following week on SmackDown, but Asuka’s mist proved a powerful repellent. The two superstars will re-run their blistering WrestleMania 39 match at Night of Champions.

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus: After Stratus turned on Lynch when the pair lost the women’s tag team titles, it was clear this was a program WWE thought had legs to go through a major event or two. One week after Lynch returned and attacked Stratus as Stratus was handing out missing flyers with Lynch’s face on them, Lynch laid out an official challenge for the two to have a match at Night of Champions.

The WWE ring returns to Saudi Arabia on Saturday for the Night of Champions pay-per-view event. While this year’s edition of the event doesn’t follow the old rules of “every title in WWE will be on the line,” the card is still loaded with intriguing and important matches.

Five of the card’s seven matches will have a title up for grabs. That includes the main event, where undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns will attempt to leave Saudi Arabia with four belts as he teams with Solo Sikoa to battle undisputed tag team champions Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Also, the first world heavyweight champion since 2013 will be crowned when Seth Rollins and AJ Styles clash over the recently-reintroduced title.

Plus, both women’s titles will be at stake. Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair will face off against Asuka while SmackDown women’s champ Rhea Ripley takes on Natalya. And a clash of legends is also scheduled when Trish Stratus takes on Becky Lynch.

The card also sees the return of dominant intercontinental champion Gunther as he welcomes his latest challenger in Mustafa Ali. Gunther has wreaked havoc over the SmackDown brand and a recent move to Raw offers a new roster of challengers to attempt to mow down. Ali represents the first of those challengers after he beat Dolph Ziggler to earn the opportunity.

Let’s take a look at who the CBS Sports experts are picking in each match at Night of Champions, which streams live on Peacock on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 predictions
Undisputed Tag Team Championship — Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa

I am all in on this tag team match. Reigns has lost faith in The Usos and is taking matters into his own hands, accelerating The Bloodline’s demise. Putting the tag titles at stake allows the rare opportunity for Reigns to go out on his back without jeopardizing his record title run. Zayn and Owens, particularly the former, are long overdue for revenge on the undisputed world champion. There will be few sweeter moments in 2023 than seeing Zayn Helluva Kick Reigns and pick up the three-count. Reigns is bulletproof and a clean loss at his expense won’t knock him down a peg as much as it will elevate everyone directly and indirectly involved in the match. Owens and Zayn will score a marquee win, The Usos’ will be validated despite their recent losses and the aura of Sikoa as the group’s true biggest threat will continue to build. Pick: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn retain the titles — Shakiel Mahjouri (also Brent Brookhouse)

Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes

Rhodes’ win over Lesnar at Backlash was shocking. Not that it was shocking that Rhodes won as much as it was shocking to see Lesnar gushing blood for nearly the entirety of the match. The blood — intentional or not — added a whole new level of intensity to the rivalry between Lesnar and Rhodes and has set Lesnar off on a violent path of revenge. In the final Raw before Night of Champions, Lesnar badly injured Rhodes’ arm, which sets up another excuse for how Lesnar can get his win back without harming Rhodes’ place as a top talent too much. It’s also unclear what Rhodes’ big SummerSlam program would be, so dragging things forward with Lesnar makes a good amount of sense. Pick: Brock Lesnar wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles

Rollins vs. Styles will be a fantastic match, no doubt about it. It’s also refreshing to see Styles return to the main event scene after his latest midcard run and a stint in NXT. It’s certainly feasible for Styles to have another world title run at age 45. The issue is that his momentum — barring something like an O.C. heel turn — is non-existent. Rollins is hotter than ever and is long, long overdue for a top spot after giving the rub to Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul and others in 2021 and 2022. WWE missed the mark with elevating Rhodes and Sami Zayn this year. They can’t do it again. Pick: Seth Rollins wins the vacant title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

Intercontinental Championship — Gunther (c) vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali won a battle royal to earn a shot at long-reigning champion Gunther. That probably shouldn’t be shocking given he is a regular on WWE’s cards in Saudi Arabia. What would be shocking would be Ali winning the match. Gunther is on a hell of a run and just got a fresh batch of challengers when he was drafted to Raw. His reign won’t last forever, but there is no reason for it to end without there being a compelling program around the title swap, not a guy just winning a battle royal. Pick: Gunther retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Raw Women’s Championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka

WWE have booked themselves into a corner with this match. Belair and Asuka had a strong showing at WrestleMania 39 despite a mismanaged build. Belair is a marketable and valuable champion for the company; meanwhile, Asuka is one of the division’s few legitimate threats. Asuka has not been booked well enough to dethrone Belair this weekend, but a second loss to the champ won’t remedy that either. The safe play is to keep the title on Belair, but much needs to be done after Night of Champions to prepare Asuka for an eventual title run. Pick: Bianca Belair retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

SmackDown Women’s Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Natalya

Similar to Gunther’s match with Ali, this match doesn’t feel like there’s any intrigue. Natalya was in the first women’s match in Saudi Arabia and she gets a title shot in the latest trip to the country. But the entire thing came about because Natalya stepped in when Ripley continued to attack Dana Brooke after winning a one-on-one match. Ripley isn’t going to have her still-young title reign end yet and certainly not against Natalya, who is no longer really a player as a potential world champion. Pick: Rhea Ripley retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus

It feels like WWE wants to extend this story to SummerSlam, maybe with Stratus only occasionally appearing between Night of Champions and the summer’s big pay-per-view extravaganza. The only way that can happen is with Stratus picking up a cheap win over Lynch. It feels like that’s the easiest play for all involved here. Pick: Trish Stratus wins — Brookhouse

This is a match buoyed purely by star power and dream status. The price tag on these Saudi Arabia shows dictate marquee matchups, after all. It’s nice that WWE has at least tried to build a story around Lynch vs. Stratus instead of slapping it onto a poster and calling it a day. Lynch should pick up the victory in a historic-ish match and can move forward to an intriguing world title program with Rhea Ripley. Pick: Becky Lynch wins — Mahjouri

WWE superstars return to Saudi Arabia for WWE Night of Champions. Not every title is at stake on Saturday, but a champions vs. champion super match and the crowning of a new world heavyweight titleholder tip the bill.

A triple-headliner is advertised for the promotion’s return to Jeddah. Undisputed tag team champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will defend their crowns against undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns and Bloodline enforcer Solo Sikoa. A Backlash rematch pits Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes against each other. Finally, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles meet in the finals of a tournament to crown Raw’s new world heavyweight champion.

WWE’s trips to Saudi Arabia often have a dramatic flair. This year’s dream match features two all-time great female superstars from different generations: Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus.

The card also sees the return of dominant intercontinental champion Gunther as he welcomes his latest challenger in Mustafa Ali. Gunther has wreaked havoc over the SmackDown brand and a recent move to Raw offers a new roster of challengers to attempt to mow down. Ali represents the first of those challengers after he beat Dolph Ziggler to earn the opportunity.

Here’s how you can catch all the action on Saturday night.

Watch 2023 WWE Night of Champions
Date: Saturday, May 27
Location: Jeddah Superdome — Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Start time: 1 p.m. ET (kickoff show starts at noon)
Watch live: Peacock

2023 WWE Night of Champions match card
Undisputed Tag Team Championship — Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa
Brock Lesnar vs Cody Rhodes
World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles
Intercontinental Championship — Gunther (c) vs. Mustafa Ali
Raw Women’s Championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka
SmackDown Women’s Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Natalya
Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus