BIG3 preview, predictions, roster, schedule, live stream, how to watch: June 18 picks from basketball expert

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The BIG3 will tip off its fifth season on Saturday, and the 3-on-3 league is expecting the 2022 season to be its best ever. The league will hold its first-ever BIG3 All-Star Game at the conclusion of the playoffs, and the eight-week regular season will be split between Chicago and Dallas. The BIG3 Week 1 schedule starts off with the defending champion Trilogy taking on the previous season's champion in the Triplets. You can stream Saturday's action on Paramount+.

Play will begin at 3 p.m. ET from Credit Union 1 Arena. Also in the opening week's schedule is 3's Company -- which added 11-year NBA vet Michael Beasley -- taking on Bivouac, and the Ghost Ballers facing last year's runner-up in the 3 Headed Monsters. You can watch Saturday's BIG3 basketball action on CBS and stream it live on Paramount+ with the must-have Premium plan.

Paramount+ now has two levels of membership so you can watch BIG3 and much more. The Premium Plan is $9.99 per month and you can watch your local CBS live stream, including plenty of sports like Champions League, Italian Serie A, college hoops, and the PGA Tour, with no ads, on-demand and the ability to download episodes for offline viewing. Plus, watch the highly-anticipated series Halo, Picard, 1883, and more. Both plans come with a free week to start. Paramount+ will even give you a free week to start, so sign up now here.

How to watch the BIG3 Basketball

Date: Saturday, June 18
Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+

BIG3 predictions, picks for Saturday, June 18

Before tuning into Saturday's BIG3 action, you need to see the BIG3 basketball picks from SportsLine expert Ameer Tyree. Tyree joined SportsLine after working as an NBA Fantasy sports and betting specialist at DraftKings and has a history of profitable basketball plays that help bettors find edges.

For Saturday's BIG3 action, Tyree is backing the 3 Headed Monsters to secure the victory over the Ghost Ballers. Last year the 3 Headed Monsters tied for the best record in the BIG3 at 6-2 and advanced to the championship game, before falling to Trilogy. Meanwhile, the Ghost Ballers started the season 4-1 before losing their last three games of the year and missing the playoffs. The Ghost Ballers' average margin of defeat during their three-game losing streak was 21 points.

The Ghost Ballers are one of the league's inaugural eight teams, but they've never had a winning season in franchise history. Last year the squad allowed 365 points, which was the third-most in the league, and the team didn't make any notable upgrades to its roster as it returns its three starters from last season's unit. Rashard Lewis of the 3 Headed Monsters should exploit the Ghost Ballers both in the paint and from outside the arc as the latter lacks anyone to match up with the two-time NBA All-Star.

Additionally, the 3 Headed Monsters drafted former Utah Jazz swingman Kevin Murphy seventh overall in 2021 and he ended up taking home the league's Rookie of the Year award. Murphy ranked fourth in the BIG3 with 20.4 PPG and he knocked down four 4-pointers, which was the second-most in the league. The 3 Headed Monsters simply have too much firepower, so Tyree confidently backs them in Week 1.