NBA betting players usually tune into the NBA on TNT every Thursday for their doubleheader, and this week, the action tips off in Orlando, where a red-hot Magic team will face the Chicago Bulls, who are in danger of falling out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference thanks to a slump.

Bulls vs Magic odds – Thursday, March 11, 8:00 PM ET

The Bulls (31-32) came out on the wrong end of a 132-108 shootout against Utah at home for their fifth loss in a row, and if the Bulls could get their offense and defense working at the same time, they would probably be the best team in the league. The Bulls got by early in the season on defense because their offense struggled, but now the offense is hot, but they can’t seem to stop anyone. Derrick Rose had 25 points and 13 assists, while Brad Miller added 20, but the Bulls were just 18-of-27 from the free-throw line, as opposed to 30-of-39 for the Jazz, and they were outrebounded 42-32.

The Magic (45-20) followed up their win over the Lakers on Sunday with a 113-87 dismantling of the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, and Dwight Howard led six Orlando players in double figures with 22 points, while adding 15 boards. Jameer Nelson had 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds for the Magic, who nailed 11 three-pointers. The Magic has now won six in a row and they’re just five games behind Cleveland for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews) will definitely favor the Magic at home, where they are 26-6, while the Bulls are 12-19 on the road. The Magic have won eight of their last 10 overall against the Bulls, and four in a row in Orlando. These two had a pair of meetings this year in Chicago, with the Bulls winning 101-93 in the Windy City on January 2^nd, and then the Magic rolled to a 107-87 win over the Bulls on February 10^th. Luol Deng averaged 18.5 points and 8.0 boards for the Bulls, while Matt Barnes averaged 18.5 points for the Magic, who are getting into their stride right now and that’s bad news for the rest of the NBA. They’re even playing with an edge as they proved against the Lakers, and that could be the key to getting back to the NBA Finals. The Bulls need to get some consistency, and they’re also missing Joakim Noah, one of the league’s best rebounders. This means that Howard could have a field day in the post, and he’s averaging 18.0 points and 12.4 boards in his last five games. Go with the Orlando Magic and get in some NBA action before making playing the 2010 March Madness odds.

As we enter first round of conference play, some matchups should be glaring at you to bet on. Here is Wednesday’s best bet on a three team parlay.

Southwest Athletic Conference Quarterfinals: Jackson State Tigers (19-11, 17-1 in SWAC) vs. Grambling State Tigers (6-20, 4-14 in SWAC)

Sportsbook: (*note lines are approximations as they have not been posted at the time of writing)

Spread: Jackson State: -11.5

Over/Under: 131

Money Line: Jackson State -800, Grambling State +650

Jackson State was the cream of the crop this year in the southwest but played in a lot of close games. Their 2-10 out of conference record is a glaring indicator that if this team does not win the conference, they will not be tourney bound and that this game even against a team with a horrendous record may be a closer call than the spread would like you to believe.

Grambling State took this number one team in the SWAC to overtime on February 20^th and beat them soundly at home in January. Look for this game on neutral ground to be closer than the spread indicates as this Jackson State team may fall prey to the other Tigers of the SWAC.

Final: Grambling State 61 – Jackson State 60. Take Grambling State and the under.

Big 12 Conference Tournament 1^st round: Oklahoma Sooners: (13-17, 4-12 in Big 12) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys (21-9, 9-7 in Big 12)

Bookmaker Review: (*lines approximated)

Spread: Oklahoma State -7.5

Over/Under: 149

Money Line: Oklahoma State: -350, Oklahoma +225

An in-state rivalry will highlight play in the first round of the Big 12 tournament this year when the Sooners and Cowboys square off. It has been a tale of falling from grace for Oklahoma, who looks destined not to have any form of postseason play ahead of them. For the Cowboys, they have all but clinched a berth in the field of 64 and now look to improve their seed with a strong run in the conference tournament of toughest conference in Basketball this season.

Oklahoma State is led by junior guard James Anderson, who is 3^rd in the NCAA in scoring at 22.9 points per game to go along with 6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Anderson is shooting 47% from the field and 36% from three. Oklahoma State is a veteran group and looks ripe for a run in both the Big 12 and the NCAA tournament.

Final: Oklahoma State 82 – Oklahoma 66. Take Oklahoma State and the under.

Big 12 Conference Tournament 1^st round: Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-17, 2-14 in Big 12) @ Missouri Tigers (22-9, 10-6 in Big 12)

Odds on NCAA Basketball: (*lines approximated)

Spread: Missouri -8

Over/Under: 130

Money Line: Missouri -380, Nebraska +270

Missouri is led by strong guard play with senior guards Zaire Taylor and J.T. Tiller providing the experience and sophomores Kim English, Marcus Denmon and F Lawrence Bowers providing the scoring with all three averaging double figures. Missouri has seven players averaging more than 8 points a game and play a ball movement game with their guards.

Nebraska struggled mightily this season against the better competition in the Big 12 after beating up on a weak out of conference schedule early on. Missouri has beaten Nebraska by 17 and 15 this year already and the Cornhuskers look primed to be a doormat again Wednesday.

Final: Missouri 69 – Nebraska 53. Take the Tigers and the under.

Best Bet: Take Grambling State and the points, Missouri and Oklahoma State for a nice 3 team parlay.

The NBA odds for Thursday’s late game between Utah and Phoenix in the desert should tip the scales towards the Suns’ way, but the Jazz will be ready and rested for their meeting with Phoenix, while the Suns will be playing the second half of a back-to-back.

Jazz vs Suns odds – Thursday, March 4, 10:30 PM ET

The Jazz (38-22) will play six of their next seven games on the road, and that stretch got off to a bad start as they fell 108-104 to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Monday. Six Jazz players reached double figures, led by Carlos Boozer’s 20 points, while Deron Williams had 13 points and 13 assists, but the Jazz fell behind early and found themselves digging out of a hole. The Jazz did hit the offensive glass hard, snatching 15 offensive boards, and they forced 19 turnovers, but a 10-point halftime deficit is always tough to come back from on the road, even against the Clippers.

The Suns (38-24 as of Wednesday) will also have to make a trip to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Wednesday night, but prior to that, Phoenix had won seven of their last 10 games, including a 101-85 win at home over Denver on Monday night. Amare Stoudamire and Grant Hill had 19 points each and combined for 18 rebounds, while Steve Nash chipped in with 11 points and 10 assists while steering an offense that had six players in double figures. The Suns held a 46-36 edge on the boards, including 17-11 on the offensive glass. But the key was their reserves, who outscored the Nuggets’ bench players 37-4. We’re betting management is hoping for play like that from the subs on a more regular basis.

The Suns should be the sportsbook favorites at home, where they are 23-7 this year. These two Western Conference teams have met just once this year, and the Jazz came away with a 124-115 win over Phoenix at home on January 25^th. Andrei Kirilenko stepped up with 25 points, while Carlos Boozer was a monster with 21 points and 20 boards. Stoudamire had just 16 points and five rebounds for the Suns, who got a surprising 32 points from Goran Dragic on 10-of-13 shooting. The Suns should have the edge at home, but the Jazz have been off since Monday, and the Suns have to travel from Los Angeles back home on Wednesday night, and then play a rested Utah team. In addition, the Suns had lost 18 straight games on TNT before beating Dallas back in January, and they’ll get a chance to begin another streak on Thursday.

Internet sports betting pick:  Utah

NCAA basketball betting players will have a huge game on their plate on Wednesday as a pair of top-five teams will do battle in the state of Kansas. Kansas hasn’t lost in 58 games at home, by far the longest in the country, and they’ll aim to protect their home court, as well as clinch the Big 12 regular-season title, with a win over Kansas State, who hasn’t lost since an overtime loss to the Jayhawks.

Kansas State vs Kansas odds – Wednesday, March 3, 8:00 PM ET

The No.5 Wildcats (24-4, 11-3) dropped Missouri 63-53 at home on Saturday, led by 14 points off the bench from Jamar Samuels. Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen had 11 points each for Kansas State, who shot 33.9% from the floor, but held the Tigers to 31.7% from the field. This game was probably won at the foul line, as the Wildcats were 21-of-34, while Missouri was only 9-of-13. You may get better odds in an online super casino than someone beating the Jayhawks in Lawrence, but if anyone can, it’s Kansas State, as you can never underestimate the power of a state rivalry.

The No.2 Jayhawks (27-2, 13-1) will be looking to bounce back from their first conference loss of the season as they fell 85-77 at Oklahoma State on Saturday, and their defense let them down. The Cowboys shot 60.4% from the field against a Kansas team that is usually much better at the defensive end of the floor. Sherron Collins paced the attack with 22 points, while freshman Xavier Henry continued his fine play with 17 points, but the Jayhawks couldn’t stop the Cowboys from scoring at will. Cole Aldrich, the Jayhawks’ man in the middle, was benched for most of the second half, and that was Bill Self trying to send a message to a team that may have been complacent with a No.1 ranking.

Kansas will be favored at home in Allen Fieldhouse, where they have won 59 straight. Kansas State has lost eight of their last 10 against Kansas, and they’ve won just once in their last 17 trips to Lawrence. The first meeting was an 81-79 overtime win for the Jayhawks at Kansas State on January 30^th, when Collins fought off a back injury to score 16 points, including a few big baskets in the second half. The Jayhawks will try to force Clemente and Pullen into taking bad shots in this game, as the Wildcats don’t have much for scoring outside of their guards. Also, look for a big game from Aldrich, who had 18 points, 11 boards and three blocks in the first meeting, and he’ll be hungry after being benched against Oklahoma State.

College basketball betting pick: Kansas

Denver Nuggets (37-19) vs Golden State Warriors (16-40)

While college basketball betting is starting to heat up in advance of March Madness, there is still a lot of NBA basketball to be played. When the Denver Nuggets travel to Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors, it will be a match-up between two teams going in opposite directions. After starting the season in promising fashion, the Warriors have fallen hard and now sit 15 games out of a playoff spot and are looking to play their young talent to see where they need to improve their team over the summer. Denver is leading its division and has won three of its last five over powerhouses Cleveland, Dallas and Boston.

Primetime Performers

Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony is third in the league scoring 29.2 points a game and after missing eight games, prior to the All Star break, his scoring has slipped to just under 25 a game but his assists and three-point percentage are up to five and 39. He can play inside or out and betting tips say with Corey Maggette out he should dominate Anthony Morrow; the likely replacement.

Warriors: Monta Ellis has taken the move to shooting guard very well and has only allowed his scoring to dip a small amount. He is undersized but with Aaron Afflalo starting for Denver, he will not have to work too hard on defence and will be able to spend all his energy at the offensive end. He is a volume shooter with a bad three-point percentage but when hot, he can take down good teams almost single handily; as seen by his 37 points in a wins over Boston and Dallas.

X-Factors

Nuggets: Chauncey Billups will have the task of not only controlling the Nugget offence against a team that leads the league in steals, but also controlling the guard trio of Ellis, Stephen Curry and C.J. Watson who have scored 132 points in the past two games. Averaging 20 and six assists, he will be a hard guard for whoever is covering him as he has a very good post-up game for a guard and is much larger than the Warriors guards.

Warriors: Stephen Curry will be going up against a bigger, physical and much more experienced guard in Billups and will be pressed at both ends of the floor. The rookie out of Davidson is having a great rookie season and since the new year has been averaging 19.5 points, 6 assists and is working his way into ‘Rookie of the Year’ conversations.

The Matchup

Golden State is devastated by injuries and will miss Raja Bell, Vladimir Radmanovic, Corey Maggette, Kelenna Azubuike and Anthony Randolph out of its regular rotation. With the loss of manpower, the Warriors have little coming off the bench outside of Watson; who has scored 23.4 in his last five games. Free sportsbetting experts know Denver is too good for this banged up team and will coast in a high scoring game as both teams are willing to play an up-tempo game.

Pick: Nuggets

College basketball betting players don’t really think about the Mountain West Conference in the grand scheme of things, but there’s an excellent race shaping up, and two of the top three teams involved will square off on Wednesday when San Diego State heads to BYU. Both teams are streaking right now, and BYU can essentially make a two-horse race with New Mexico if they can beat the surprising Aztecs.

San Diego State vs BYU odds – Wednesday, February 24, 9:00 PM ET

The Aztecs (20-7, 9-4) beat Utah 68-61 on Saturday for their fourth win in a row, getting 28 points from Malcolm Thomas. San Diego State held the Utes to 39.3% from the floor, and they forced 15 turnovers while committing just five themselves. The Aztecs went just 20-of-33 from the foul line, which isn’t a great percentage, but it also helps when you attempt 21 more free throws than your opponent. San Diego State isn’t an offensive juggernaut who is going to run up and down the court, but they play scrappy defense, and a win this week would keep them in the Mountain West hunt.

The No.12 Cougars (25-3, 10-2) stomped Wyoming 85-63 on the road for their third consecutive victory, and the backcourt duo on Jimmer Fredette and Tyler Haws scored 22 points each for the Cougars, who committed five turnovers while forcing 12. BYU also held a 37-28 edge on the glass, including 9-4 on the offensive boards, and they made 20 of their 24 free-throw attempts.

Gambling software should have BYU as the favorites at home, as they are 15-0 this season and have won 20 straight at the Marriott Center, which is the fourth-longest home winning streak in the country. The Cougars have won seven of their last 10 against the Aztecs, including a 71-69 win at San Diego State on January 23^rd. Fredette tore apart the Aztecs for 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including five three-pointers, and San Diego State had no answer for what is looking like the frontrunner for the conference Player of the Year award. San Diego State has been keeping their hopes alive since an overtime loss at New Mexico on February 6^th, but they’re heading to a place where they’ve lost six of their last eight games, including four in a row, and they’ve been inconsistent with a 7-6 record on the road, losing to the likes of UNLV and New Mexico. The Cougars like to get out and push the pace at home, and Fredette has scored 20 points or more in seven of his last eight games, including a pair of 36-point efforts. The Aztecs won’t be able to keep up with the Cougars.

Bet college basketball: BYU

As always there are some teams this year that people have made a lot of money off of and teams that leave you with your pockets empty. My college betting theory is to watch an entire conference and just bet on those conferences once you get a feel for those teams. As February winds down into March, and the NCAA tourney approaches, the knowledge of who is better than who is crucial.

Sportsbook: SEC

The SEC is underrated this year. This is primarily due to a lack of regulars performing well. Teams like LSU and Georgia are now at the bottom and a lot of quality teams have middling records. A closer look will show that these teams are simply beating up on each other and talent is everywhere. There are 8 teams that are really competitive in this conference.

Key Teams:

Kentucky 24-1 # 2 in the nation

Likely 1 seed Kentucky is led by three freshmen destined to be lottery picks this year (John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe) and a junior big man (Patrick Patterson). There is little experience in this group but John Wall has the pedigree of a number one pick and has shown the ability to take over when the game is in the balance. This team is a must watch every night and my favorite for the NCAA title. They also really feed off of the home crowd and tend to blow teams out while at home.

Vanderbilt 19-5 # 19 in nation

The Commodores have four players averaging in double figures and are a veteran group. Vandy has played tough at times and they have appeared asleep for games at a time. This team has a few more tough games ahead and I think they should be a team to stay away from come tourney time if they start faltering late in the season.

Tennessee 19-6 #18 in nation

Tennessee has had more than its share of adversity this year. Losing key players due to weapons charges early on, the Vols have found a way to keep the ship afloat. This team may not have the depth to make any kind of run and they have lost 2 of their last 3.

Florida 17-8

It has been awhile since Billy Donovan was cutting down the nets for his second consecutive time. The Gators seem to be back on the upswing however and have surprised a lot of teams this year. Florida is a fringe team this year but if they get to 20 wins, they should be fine. This team appears to be a year away but still capable of knocking anyone off, but they are still young.

The rest likely tourney bound Mississippi State 18-8, Mississippi 17-7

NIT Bound with success likely…South Carolina, Arkansas (both teams have explosive PG’s.)

Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers

NBA Betting Line: NO LINE YET

The Boston Celtics have been coming undone at the seams and they are going to feel some pressure now that one of their biggest challengers has made a big move.

The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Antawn Jamison on Wednesday and are now in very good position to win an NBA Championship. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and appear to be having some problems in the locker room.

The bad news for them is they have to travel to the Staples Center and the reigning NBA Champions, who beat them on their home court just a couple of weeks ago.

The Lakers are rolling right now and should get star guard Kobe Bryant back in the lineup on Thursday. They haven’t had many problems without him and they should get a boost with him.

Considering how the two teams have been heading in different directions recently, the Lakers should get another win over their arch rivals.

NBA Betting Pick: Lakers

Denver Nuggets @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Sportsbetting.com Odds (Sportsbetting.com Reviews): Cavaliers -6

We’ll see another episode of the Carmelo Anthony-LeBron James show on Thursday as the Cavaliers and Nuggets meet up in Cleveland.

As mentioned, the Cavs acquired Jamison on Wednesday, which now adds the tally to Shaquille O’Neal, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to a team that lost in the Eastern Conference Championship last eyar.

The Cavs are absolutely loaded at every position and choosing to acquire Jamison instead of Amare Stoudemire will prove to be the right move. Jamison is more of a team player and a leader whereas Stoudemire has been a player that has looked out for himself a little bit in the past.

This is now a scary collection of talent when you look at the Cavs roster. They have Mo Williams, James, Jamison, O’Neal and although they traded away Zyrdunas Ilgauskas, he will likely get bought out and come back to Cleveland.

The Nuggets are a good team and also a contender for a championship but they are not the same away as they are at home. The Cavaliers will look to put their new roster on display and get a big win in front of their home fans with their new weapon. They’ll get the win and cover.

Pick: Cavaliers -6

The Texas Longhorns were No. 1 in the polls at an early point in the season but the mood in Austin hasn’t been nearly as jovial since. The Longhorns started the year 17-0 with wins over Michigan State and North Carolina on the resume, but they haven’t looked so hot since.

The Longhorns are just 3-5 since they earned their 17^th win of the season but they are in good spirits right now. In their most recent game, the Longhorns crushed the Nebraska Cornhuskers by 40 points in a 91-51 victory, which gave them a much-needed boost.

The Longhorns will now travel to Missouri to try and piece together back-to-back wins. While the Longhorns weren’t able to handle the pressure of being ranked No. 1 overall but now they have seemingly regained their bearings after a tough stretch.

Meanwhile, the Missouri Tigers have also had a wakeup call recently. They felt that they were going to be a serious threat in the Big 12 this year but after losing at home to Texas A&M and then losing at tight contest at Baylor, the Tigers have now dropped to just 4-4 in their last eight games. They also can’t string any streak together and unless they come up with a big effort, they could lose at home to Texas.

Texas Longhorns @ Missouri Tigers

BetUs Odds (BetUs Reviews): Tigers -2

It is going to be a very raucous environment on Wednesday night as the Missouri Tigers will have a blackout sellout in front of the nationally televised audience when the Longhorns visit.

Sports betting cappers should note that the Tigers and their pressure defense have given Texas problems recently and Missouri has now won three straight over Texas. The Tigers are holding opponents to just 65 points per game, which is impressive and they force a ton of turnovers.

Neither team has played particularly well over their last eight games, which means this will be a close contest. But two key factors side with Missouri: the home court and their defense.

Texas has had some trouble with their turnover-to-assist ratio and a matchup with Missouri won’t help. The Tigers will pressure Texas into some mistakes and the confidence from their big win over Nebraska will dissipate quickly. Expect the Tigers to get that signature win they were looking for on Wednesday.

Bet March Madness Picks: Tigers -2

We’re betting management in Cleveland, Orlando, San Antonio and Denver will just be praying to get through Thursday’s doubleheader without any injuries, as the four will play their final game before NBA All-Star break.

Magic vs Cavaliers odds – Thursday, February 11, 8:00 PM ET

The Cavaliers should be favored at home in this contest, as they are 23-3 at “The Q” this season, and they’re currently on a 12-game winning streak, the highest in the league this year. These two, who met in last year’s Eastern Conference finals with Orlando coming away with the win, have bumped heads once this year, and the Cavaliers dropped the Magic 102-93 in Orlando on Remembrance Day. LeBron James led the way with 36 points and eight boards, while Vince Carter had 29 for the Magic, and Carter is coming off a monster 48-point performance against New Orleans on Monday night. However, the Cavaliers should have an upper hand in this contest in the form of rest. Cleveland has been off since beating New Jersey on Tuesday, while Orlando plays in Chicago on Wednesday night, so between a game and travel time, there isn’t much time to rest. Take the Cavaliers’ NBA odds on Thursday.

Spurs vs Nuggets odds – Thursday, February 11, 10:30 PM ET

These Western Conference squads get the late game on TNT, and the Nuggets should be favored due to a 23-4 record at the Pepsi Center, as well as two wins over the Spurs already this season, both in San Antonio. The Nuggets finally got Carmelo Anthony back into the lineup after he had missed eight games with an ankle injury, and he slotted in just fine in a 127-91 rout of Dallas on Tuesday, also at the Pepsi Center. Meanwhile, the Spurs have to be stinging after a 101-89 loss in Los Angeles against the Lakers, who played without Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. Even though it was on the road in the Staples Center, the Spurs should be able to keep it at least in single digits if they’re going to lose to the Lakers without their star and starting center, and many are starting to doubt the Spurs, who have had some injuries over the first part of the season. However, with their championship experience, you can’t count San Antonio out just yet. They’ll have their hands full in San Antonio, and they’ll have to find a way to slow down Anthony, who is well rested and eager to get back into playing shape after sitting for the last two weeks. When you’re making your sports betting picks on Thursday, include the Denver Nuggets in your NBA betting picks.