NBA Betting – Cavs, Lakers Show Why They're Title Favorites on Thursday

After checking out Masters odds on Thursday, sports betting players will be treated to an exciting doubleheader on TNT later that night as Chicago tries to power its way into the playoffs with a win over visiting Cleveland, while in the West, a slumping Los Angeles Lakers squad will face off with Denver in Colorado.

Cavaliers vs Bulls odds – Thursday, April 8, 8:00 PM ET

The Cavaliers should be favored on the road in Chicago, and they don’t have anything left to play for with the best record in the league wrapped up. The Bulls trail Toronto by a game for the final spot in the East, and the Raptors will play on Wednesday night without their star, Chris Bosh, who ironically was hurt in a loss to Cleveland on Tuesday. The Bulls missed a chance to cut into the Raptors’ deficit when they lost at home to Milwaukee on Tuesday, and this is now a massive game. The Cavs have won two of three with the Bulls this season, including a 92-85 victory on March 19^th, and there’s a lot of pride on this team, especially with LeBron James at the helm. Even with everything at stake (or in their case, nothing), the Cavaliers will pull out an NBA betting win.

Lakers vs Nuggets odds – Thursday, April 8, 10:30 PM ET

The Nuggets will be favored at home in your sports book, even though they’ll play what should be a tough game in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. The Lakers have dropped three of their last four, and they were romped by San Antonio at home on Sunday, so they’ll be hungry. The Nuggets are battling a lot right now, with coach George Karl out because of cancer treatment, and forwards Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen are injured, which means the Lakers will have advantages on the bench and in the lane, where Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom should run wild. Most of the attention going into the game will surround the matchup between Denver’s Carmelo Anthony and the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, but it’ll be the secondary players that need to step up, like Gasol, Odom and Denver’s Chauncey Billups. The Lakers will be looking to clinch the top spot in the Western Conference, while the Nuggets are locked in a battle with Utah, Dallas and Phoenix for the second spot, so there is still a lot to play for in this game. The Nuggets have won two of three with the Lakers this season, but Los Angeles has been decent in the high altitudes at Denver, splitting their last six meetings there with the Nuggets, who may be fatigued by the Thunder in their previous game. We’re taking the Lakers here in our online sports betting picks.