Weekend TV schedule appetizer for MLB openers, NCAA title game

Forget the day after the Super Bowl. In the humble opinion of this sports writer, Monday should be declared a national holiday so that all Americans can enjoy watching baseball’s Opening Day (14 games) and the NCAA Championship men’s basketball game.

It doesn’t get much better than that, but this weekend’s sports slate comes close, with the Final Four on Saturday and baseball’s Opening Night on Sunday.

In a matchup of coaches with a combined 19 Final Four appearances, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo will match wits against Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski as the seventh-seeded Spartans take on the top-seeded Blue Devils in the first national semifinal at 3:09 p.m on TBS (7) and TNT (18).

Derek Stevens, who owns downtown’s Golden Gate and The D casinos, will pocket $1 million if the Spartans win it all. On Dec. 5 at the Golden Nugget, he placed a $20,000 bet at 50-1 odds on Michigan State to win the national title.

Kentucky (38-0) is two wins from becoming the first team since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers (32-0) to win the national championship with an undefeated record. John Calipari’s Wildcats will take on Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Badgers at 5:49 p.m. on TBS (7) and TNT (18).

Expectations are higher than ever this season for the Chicago Cubs, who will host the rival St. Louis Cardinals at 5 p.m. on ESPN (30) at Wrigley Field. Bonanza High School product Kris Bryant, baseball’s top prospect, will have to watch this one on TV, as he’ll start the season in the minors for Chicago. It should be a good one, with Cubs left-hander Jon Lester opposing Cards righty Adam Wainwright.

TODAY

Exhibition, Los Angeles Dodgers at Los Angeles Angels (7 p.m., FSW (49)): The teams wrap up spring training with a home-and-home Freeway Series. Today’s game is at Anaheim, Calif., and Saturday’s exhibition finale is at Dodger Stadium (6 p.m., MLB (314)).

For the second straight season, Dodgers fans in Southern Nevada will be blacked out from most of their team’s games unless Time Warner Cable can persuade other pay-TV distributors to carry the team’s SportsNet LA channel. But the Dodgers’ season-opening series vs. the San Diego Padres — including Monday’s 1:10 p.m. home opener — will be available locally on Cox Community Channel 96.

BEST OF REST — NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies (5 p.m., ESPN (30)); PGA Tour: Houston Open, second round (noon, TGC (339)); Tennis: Miami Open, men’s semifinals (10 a.m., 4 p.m., ESPN2 (31)).

SATURDAY

BEST OF REST — Baseball: Exhibition, San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics (1 p.m., MLBN (314)); Arena Football League: Arizona Rattlers at Las Vegas Outlaws (7:30 p.m., ESPN2 (31)); PGA Tour: Houston Open, third round (10 a.m., TGC (339)), noon, NBC (3)); NHL: Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators (4 p.m., NHLN (316)), Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings (7 p.m. FSW (49)); Tennis: Miami Open, women’s final (10 a.m., ESPN2 (31)); Soccer: English Premier League, Aston Villa at Manchester United (7 a.m., NBCSP (38)), Stoke City at Chelsea (9:30 a.m., NBC (3)); Women’s International Friendly, New Zealand vs. United States (1 p.m., FS1 (329)).

SUNDAY

BEST OF REST — Women’s NCAA Tournament, Final Four: South Carolina vs. Notre Dame (3:30 p.m., ESPN (30)); Maryland vs. Connecticut (6 p.m., ESPN (30)); NBA: Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder (10 a.m., ABC (13)), Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers (12:30 p.m., ABC (13)), Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs (4 p.m., NBA (318)), Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers (6:30 p.m., Prime (50), NBA (318)); PGA Tour: Houston Open, final round (10 a.m., TGC (339), noon, NBC (3)); NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers (9 a.m. KSNV (3)), Washington Capitals at Detroit Red Wings (2 p.m., NHL (316)), St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks (4:30 p.m., NBCSN (38)); Tennis: Miami Open, men’s final (10 a.m., ESPN (30)).

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.