NBA betting odds – LeBron takes center stage on Thursday

Sportsbook betting: Thursday night loaded with great NBA games, LeBron

• Can the Nuggets stay undefeated with Chauncey Billups?
• Mavericks, Bulls struggling early in the season
• Pistons continue West Coast road trip at Golden State

Charles Barkley and company are back for yet another exciting TNT Thursday double-header, which is always exciting for NBA betting. There are three key matchups, two of which are televised nationally.

Nuggets vs Cavaliers odds have the Cavs as a small home favorite but those who bet on sports need to be aware of Nuggets. At the end of last season they looked like a team that had exhausted all its roster options and needed a drastic change to compete. Head Coach George Karl looked like he was on the outs and the defense was atrocious.

But the Nuggets have made some positive changes including the acquisitions of Renaldo Balkman and Chauncey Billups; they’ve helped secure the perimeter defense, added some toughness and created more of a team orientation.

Online betting sharps know with Allen Iverson now out of the picture, the Nuggets are a more cohesive team (especially with Billups running the show). The Nuggets are more capable of a half-court offense, which should come in handy against the Cavaliers on Thursday.

In Chicago the Bulls will host the Dallas Mavericks. Both teams have been surprisingly poor this season. For the Bulls, this was expected with a young roster, a new head coach and no clear direction. But for the Mavericks, who won 51 games last year, sports betting enthusiasts weren’t expecting a 2-5 start.

Both teams like to get out and run so online sports betting aficionados should expect a high-scoring affair on the Mavericks vs Bulls odds.

The late-night contest should be a fun one as Pistons vs Warriors odds indicate a shootout. The Warriors are always expected to play in high-scoring games because they average the third-most points scored per game (102.6) and allow the fourth-most points per game (105.3).

The Pistons have struggled to score a little bit since acquiring Allen Iverson. In the three games with their new point guard, the Pistons are 1-2 and have averaged just 88 points per game (4-0 prior to Iverson’s arrival). Defense has been a bit of a problem for the Pistons, who have allowed 94.6 points per game this season after owning the NBA’s best defense last season.

CRAIG’S PICK: Bet on the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons on the Thursday night NBA odds.

When betting on sports, visit the betonline.com Betting Edge for a wealth of insight on NBA odds, Cavs odds and more.

Craig Parsons is an avid sports fan, but his true love has always been basketball. Too short to realize his dream of playing in the NBA, he did the next best thing? Sports betting and covering basketball for a living. Thoughts or questions?.