Your weekend viewing guide - A handful of the best games of the weekend and why you should watch.Everything from College Football, to the English Premier League, to the NHL.

The Triple-Dub – April 1st – April 4th

National Basketball Association:

• Friday April 1st

Boston Celtics (52-22) @ Atlanta Hawks (43-32) (Philips Arena – Atlanta, GA) –  8:00 PM ET – ESPN

I can’t say I’m overly excited about this game – I tend to prefer watching teams on the West Coast – but if you’re looking for something to watch on Friday night this should be more entertaining than the Lakers – Jazz game that follows.  The Celtics haven’t played with quite the same toughness since trading Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder for Jeff Green and should be tested by the Hawks at home.  Atlanta has lost three in a row and will surely be looking to beat Boston at home Friday night to end the losing streak.

• Sunday April 3rd

Denver Nuggets (45-29) @ Los Angeles Lakers (54-20) (Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA) 3:30 PM ET – ABC

Photo via zimbio.com

Sunday’s tilt between the Nuggets and Lakers should pretty good.  The Lake Show has been on a tear having won eight games in a row and suddenly right behind the struggling Spurs for the top seed in the West. The Nuggets have been on a nice run of their own having gone 13-4 since trading Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks.  Despite lacking an “elite” player or go-to scorer, the Nuggets now rely on a balanced attack from a variety of good players making them a difficult match-up for most teams – we’ll see if they can give Kobe and the Lakers a game on Sunday.

English Premier League:

• Saturday April 2nd

Blackburn Rovers (9-6-15 – 33 pts) @ Arsenal (17-7-5 – 58 pts) (Emirates Stadium – London, England) 12:30 PM ET – FSC

The EPL slate this weekend is nothing to get excited about but it could provide a glimpse into whether Arsenal are truly title contenders.  In the Gunner’s last EPL game on March 19th they were down 2-0 to West Brom after two pathetic defensive blunders but they got late goals from Arshavin & van Persie to escape with a 2-2 draw.  The good news for Arsenal is that four key players are returning from injury this weekend including Fabregas, Walcott, and Song.  If the Gunners are going to make a run at Manchester United and the EPL Title they need a sound performance and result against Blackburn on Saturday.

March Madness:

• Saturday April 2nd

#8 Butler vs #11 VCU – Final Four – (Reliant Stadium – Houston, TX) 6:09 PM ET – CBS

#4 Kentucky vs #3 UConn – Final Four – (Reliant Stadium – Houston, TX) 8:49 PM ET – CBS

• Monday April 4th

#8 Butler/#11 VCU winner vs #4 Kentucky/#3 UConn winner – National Championship Game - (Reliant Stadium – Houston, TX) 9:00 PM ET – CBS

For a breakdown of the Final Four games and what I think will happen take a look at my Final Four Picks Revisited and Revised. Regardless, let’s just hope the games are as exciting as the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games last weekend.

National Hockey League:

• Sunday April 3rd

New York Rangers (41-32-5 – 87 pts) @ Philadelphia Flyers (46-21-10 – 102 pts) (Wells Fargo – Philadelphia, PA) 12:30 PM ET – NBC

These two teams are in completely different situations – the Rangers are currently hanging onto the 8th and final playoff spot in the East (three points ahead of the Hurricanes) whereas the Flyers are currently leading the Eastern Conference (one point ahead of the Capitals).  With only a week left in the regular season I’m expecting a playoff-like atmosphere between these Atlantic Division rivals Sunday morning.  Look for the Rangers to have more of a “must-win” mentality as they try to hold Carolina off for the last playoff spot in the East.

What games are you watching this weekend?