Basketball Handicapping Picks on TNT and ESPN

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We start out with collegiate basketball.

Louisville (12-6) vs Seton Hall (10-6)

Louisville is just 1-3 on the road this season but two of those losses came against Pittsburgh and Kentucky. Louisville is 27-10-1 in its last 38 road games and has won its last three trips to Seton Hall.

Pick: Louisville

Butler (14-4) vs Loyola-Chicago (12-5)

We can at least predict scoring in this matchup; the over is 9-3 in their last 12 meetings. Loyola lost its last home game by 17 points and Butler's 5-1 road record is impressive.

Pick: Butler

Murray St. (16-3) vs Eastern Illinois (10-8)

We can expect a low-scoring contest here; the under is 9-2 in Eastern Illinois' last 11 home games and 22-5 in Eastern Illinois' last 27 games. Murray State's road record (5-3) is the same as Eastern Illinois' home record; Eastern Illinois is 1-6-1 ATS in its last eight home games. Everything points to a Murray State win.

Free pick premium: Murray St.

Washington St. (13-5) vs USC (11-6)

Washington State has the better record but isn't a spread team this year – just 6-10 ATS and 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 road games. USC is 8-6-2 ATS on the year and has five players averaging at least nine points per game. That should be enough at home.

Best Bet college basketball picks: USC

Oregon (10-7) vs California (11-6)

This would be a better game if it was college football but we'll take it. It actually looks like a pretty easy pick on paper; Oregon is just 4-14 ATS in its last 18 road games. Cal is 9-1 straight up at home this season. Golden Bear Patrick Christopher has topped 20 points six times in his last 10 games; he should do it again on Thursday night.

Pick: California

There are only two games on the schedule, but it's certainly not a slow night on NBA odds with Kobe and LeBron going head-to-head. Here's the ins-and-outs of tonight's action.

Los Angeles Lakers at Cleveland Cavaliers (-3.5): 8:00 p.m. ET

The Lakers (32-9, 18-23 ATS) have won three straight games and four of their past five—although they are 3-2 against the point spread during that stretch. The run is all-the-more impressive considering Kobe Bryant has, quite frankly, stunk lately. The man who once scored 82 points in a game is averaging just 15.8 points per game in his last five outings, and he's cracked the 20-point mark only once during that slump.

Thankfully, Pau Gasol returned from an injury this week after missing half a dozen games. Gasol is second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding (17.0 and 11.2 per game, respectively). He dropped 17 points and 10 boards on the Magic in Monday's 98-92 win, which helped cover up the struggling Bryant.

The Cavaliers (32-11, 20-22-1 ATS), on the other hand, have been able to lean heavily on their superstar lately. LeBron James is averaging over 32 points per game in January and he flirted with a triple-double in Tuesday's victory over Toronto. The win gave Cleveland four victories in its last five games, although the team is 1-4-1 ATS in its last six. The Cavaliers remain one of the NBA's best teams in the defensive end, holding opponents to 94.6 points per game (fourth in the league).

NBA betting fans have watched these teams trade victories over the last few seasons. They split their last four meetings straight up and against the spread while going under the total in all of those games. Without Bryant playing up to his potential, though, the hometown Cavs have a big edge.

Live odds for the NBA pick: Cleveland

Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets (-10): 10:30 p.m. ET

Denver (27-14, 18-20-1 ATS) has been one of the league's hottest teams with six wins in seven games, including four straight victories. Wagering on the Nuggets' point spread at home hasn't been especially prosperous, though; Denver is 2-4-1 against the spread in its last seven home games.

The team's four-game win streak has coincided with Carmelo Anthony's return from injury. He's averaging 27.8 points per game since getting back onto the floor, but he hasn't had to do it alone; point guard Chauncey Billups is averaging 26.3 points per game in his last five starts, including a 37-8-8 explosion in Wednesday's win over Golden State.

The Clippers (19-22, 19-21) are streaky, to say the least. They've won two consecutive games to snuff out a four straight losses—which followed a four-game winning streak. Point guard Baron Davis is crucial to the Clippers' success, and he broke out with a big game in yesterday's win over the Bulls by dropping 25 points and six assists. Center Chris Kaman is enjoying his most productive season, though, averaging 20.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

The Clips are decent enough on defense, ranking 15^th in the league at 99.1 points per game. Sports betting fans can't trust their offense to get the job done, though; it's fifth-worst in the NBA at just 96.6 points per game.

Not surprisingly, Denver has dominated the head-to-head series, winning eight of the last 10 matchups. However, the Clippers won the last time they faced each other and has managed to steal four of the past 10 against the spread. Considering they're each headed in opposite directions right now, though, you have to like Denver's NBA odds much better. Nuggets win but Clippers cover.

NBA handicapper pick: Denver