Will Warriors cover vs. Knicks? | Former Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch retires

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Monday, March 18, 2024

Happy Monday, sports fans.

The NCAA Tournament is officially upon us! The men's brackets and women's brackets were both unveiled on Sunday, so basketball fans can begin agonizing over how to fill out their respective brackets. (And look no further than CBS Sports' Bracket Games --

men's and women's -- to get yours started!) But before we can re-engage with March Madness, we've got an eight-game slate in the NBA to help tide us over. Consider this a sneak preview for the type of expert analysis and insight you will receive as a SportsLine subscriber.

Duquesne head coach Keith Dambrot will retire after the program's NCAA Tournament run.

Deion Sanders saysplaying in the cold weather could be a huge factor for Caleb Williams.

West Virginia women's basketball coach Mark Kellogg calls out Iowa: "Let's send Caitlin Clark packing."

All times Eastern |Game odds via SportsLineconsensus

Today's top story

FORMER COWBOYS LINEBACKER LEIGHTON VANDER ESCH RETIRES

Leighton Vander Esch is calling it a career. On Monday, the former Dallas Cowboys linebacker announced his retirement from the NFL after just six seasons. The Cowboys released Vander Esch last week as part of multiple moves to help clear salary cap space, although multiple neck and back injuries plagued him while in the league and he only appeared in five games last season. Vander Esch, 28, was selected by the Cowboys with the No. 19 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after a standout career at Boise State.

"I love the game of football so much, and my body won't cooperate any longer," said Vander Esch said in a statement on the team's official website. "I cherished every moment of my NFL career, and it has been such a blessing to play the game for as long as I have played."

The Hot Ticket

Knicks at Warriors, 10 p.m. | TV: ESPN

The Pick: Warriors -5 (-108)

Key trend: The Warriors are 5-4 in their last nine home games.

SportsLine expert Sia Nejad is 5-1 in his last six picks.

Nejad: "It's a good spot for the healthy Warriors as they battle at home against the Knicks, who are still without Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle. I expect OG Anunoby to play, but it'll certainly be a bonus for this pick if he sits and waits to play Denver on Thursday. Either way, the Warriors come in the more healthy team and motivated to steal some wins back after losing a few games without Stephen Curry. The Warriors have Curry back and have contributors everywhere at the moment, including from Klay Thompson off the bench. It's a great spot to catch the Knicks on their third of four consecutive road games.

Here's what else SportsLine is saying about the game:The Projection Model has a "A" pick on the spread, while having "B" picks on the moneyline and total.Get one week of picks from SportsLine completely free with the promo codeNEWSLETTER*

Also on tonight ...

Hawks at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. | TV: NBA League Pass

The Projection: Over 225 (-110)| Grade: B -- Moderate

SportsLine's Projection Model has a "B" grade on the total with "C" grades for the spread and moneyline for the contest. The over is 4-1 in the Lakers' last five games, so we'll trust that trend to continue in this spot.

SportsLine expert picks: Our staff has combed through the Monday night NBA slate and offered their best plays as the season continues.Get one week of picks from SportsLine completely free with the promo codeNEWSLETTER*

* Open to new subscribers only. This offer of 7 days free of SportsLine expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on 12/31/24. Must use the promo codeNEWSLETTERto redeem the Offer. Offer is not transferable. Valid credit card is required.SUBSCRIPTIONS WILL AUTOMATICALLY RENEW AFTER THE 7 DAY TRIAL PERIOD, AND YOUR CARD WILL BE CHARGED BASED ON THE REGULAR PRICE OF $9.99 (MONTHLY), $24.99 (QUARTERLY), $99.99 (ANNUAL) ON AN ONGOING BASIS UNLESS YOU CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP PRIOR TO THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL. To cancel, call(888) 508-3055or email

. Cancellation will be effective at end of then-current subscription period. No refunds. Other restrictions and taxes may apply. Offer may not be combined with any other offers or discounts. Offer may be terminated or modified at any time without notice. For more information, see SportsLine Terms of Use.

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