🏀 The NBA Playoffs' Weird, Wide-Open West

Will the feel-good stories continue or will the Warriors and the Lakers step up? [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: The NBA's Western Conference is set up for the lower seeds to potentially turn these playoffs upside down … Hendon Hooker had a great final season at Tennessee, but scouts have loved his stock for a long time … and more! Seedings in sports are their own type of special shorthand. They're supposed to be an indicator of ability and a promise of potential and mostly they are, except there are times, like right now in the NBA's Western Conference, when the digit next to the name is an utterly misleading source and a sneaky distraction from what's really going on. LeBron James doesn't often look or act like an underdog, and he and the Los Angeles Lakers aren't going to feel like a typical one, assuming they survive the treachery of the play-in tournament and take their place in the postseason bracket. Same goes for Stephen Curry and the defending champion Golden State Warriors, a No. 6 seed that will head to its first-round series against the No. 3 Sacramento Kings as a heavy favorite to advance, and a popular pick to carry on advancing. "I don't see a team who can beat us in a seven-game series when we're healthy," Warriors guard Klay Thompson told reporters. A reminder, if one was needed, that Golden State will walk and talk like a team that's won four of the last eight NBA titles, not one that was just a few games away from missing the playoffs altogether. It has been a peculiar old season in the West. The league has been the tale of two conferences, with the East essentially turning into an 82-game flex for its Big Three of Boston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. On the left-hand side of the country, the struggles of the most storied franchises has opened up plenty of possibilities for others, while for much of the campaign you could throw a blanket over the teams from fourth through 12th. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - Evaluators, fans and many others have been criticizing the evaluations of Hendon Hooker, but former NFL scout Bucky Brooks argues that seasoned [evaluators have been high on Vols QB]( ever since he started torching SEC competition. - The NBA title appears up for grabs this season. But a host of GMs and scouts say that this year's favorites won't be favorited for long. Ric Bucher dives in to some talk on [championship windows](. - It's about that time — playoff time, that is. Our NBA reporters look at the [pressing issues]( heading into the postseason. - Star forward Mallory Swanson tore the patella tendon in her left knee Saturday and will be [replaced by Alyssa Thompson]( on the USWNT roster, writes Laken Litman. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] San Diego Padres at New York Mets (MLBN, 7 p.m. ET) All-stars collide when the Padres take on the Mets in a National League battle in New York. Minnesota Wild at Chicago Blackhawks (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET) The Blackhawks look to defend home ice when they welcome the Wild to Chicago. Nashville Predators at Calgary Flames (ESPN+, 9:30 p.m. ET) With the end of the season drawing near, the Flames look to pick up a key win at home against the Predators. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Ronald Acuña Jr. to win 2023 NL MVP (+1000) From FOX Sports MLB Betting Analyst: Edward Egros Some may have forgotten that Acuña had a late start to the season recovering from his ACL tear. Not being fully healthy may explain why, for instance, his sprint speed went from 29.4 feet/second in 2021 (a top-25 speed) to 28.5 ft/sec last season. Acuña also suffered through bad luck, smacking only 15 home runs, even though his average exit velocity of 91.2 mph ranked in the 86th percentile among MLB sluggers. We know Acuña is now in a good place health-wise. After all, he did compete for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, finishing the tournament with a .286 on-base percentage and three stolen bases. Combine that with having arguably the best arm in the outfield to pick off base runners, and Acuña now has the best chance of his career to win MVP honors. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. 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