Per usual TNT has the NBA national TV doubleheader on Thursday, but the most-watched part of the night’s action might come before the two games. That’s because starting at 7pm ET TNT will broadcast the All-Star Game draft for the first time.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

It’s the second year of this format but the league didn’t televise it last season, which drew widespread criticism. Various sportsbooks have odds on which player LeBron James will choose first overall (among other props); he picks first as the leading All-Star vote-getter, and the other captain is Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

As for on the court, the first game features LeBron’s Los Angeles Lakers visiting the Boston Celtics as underdogs on the NBA odds in what is arguably the league’s best rivalry between its two most storied franchises. It’s LeBron’s first taste of Lakers-Celtics.

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday afternoon, meaning Wednesday night could be the last time some guys suit up for their current teams. Although, if a trade is close players often will be benched just to ensure they don’t get injured and scuttle any possible deal. Something to keep in mind when wagering on Wednesday’s NBA betting action.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The biggest name potentially on the move by Thursday is New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis. He’s a Chicago native but won’t suit up in the Windy City on Wednesday against the Bulls as Davis remains out with a finger injury. Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday also could be dealt by Thursday as the team figures to reboot with Davis demanding out.

The Bulls have dropped the past three in this series, including 107-98 in the Big Easy on November 7 as Davis had 32 points and 15 rebounds. Chicago would trade anyone on its team other than Lauri Markkanen and injured rookie Wendell Carter Jr. The Pelicans are 1-5 ATS in the past six meetings, and Wednesday’s game opened as a pick’em on the odds.

The last Thursday of January features one of the best TNT NBA doubleheaders of the season. Before the doubleheader, the NBA All-Star reserves also will be announced.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

On-court action tips off at 8pm ET from Toronto as the Raptors host the Milwaukee Bucks as 3-point favorites in what could easily be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals – the Bucks and Raptors have the conference’s top two records as things stand and figure to stay there barring injury to either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard, respectively. Both were named All-Star starters, with Antetokounmpo one of the two captains along with LeBron James. The All-Star “draft” is February 7.

Thursday’s game is huge because it could decide the head-to-head tiebreaker and home-court advantage in a series should the teams finish with the same regular-season mark. Milwaukee is 2-1 against Toronto and thus would clinch the tiebreaker with a victory.

Surprise, surprise, the NBA’s two most popular teams this season, the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, are featured on the Thursday NBA on TNT doubleheader. Yes, that’s sarcasm. No teams will be on national television more than those two.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Golden State tips off at 8pm ET with its only visit of the season to the Washington Wizards, set as a 9.5-point betting favorite. Normally, that would be a matchup of All-Star backcourts in the Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson vs. the Wizards’ John Wall and Bradley Beal, but Wall was lost for the season a couple of weeks ago. It’s a homecoming for Warriors star Kevin Durant, who grew up near the Washington, D.C., area.

The Dubs are asserting their dominance over the league right now on an eight-game winning streak, five by blowout. That includes a 19-point win at the Lakers on Monday in which Thompson tied an NBA record by making his first 10 three-pointers. Just for a point of comparison: Michael Jordan had a few years where he made fewer than 10 three-pointers IN A SEASON.

As the scope of sports betting in the U.S. widens, the National Basketball Association (NBA) is staying vigilant in the monitoring of its players, teams, and staff, to keep everything above board.

In an interview with ESPN, the league’s Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said work was being done to avoid game-fixing controversies that have hit other sports and leagues, while still reaping the benefits that come with legalized wagering.

Aside from increased revenues, the official also noted legalization meant “better information being captured.” The NBA has partnered with sports data firms Sportsradar and Genius Sports for the distribution of official data on games to U.S.-based operators. Sportsradar has already been providing official NBA data to legal operators outside the States for over two years.

The NBA prevents league and team personnel from betting, fixing, and tipping, as enforced by its security department.

The marquee games every Thursday in the NBA regular season are usually part of the TNT doubleheader, and there are two good ones this week. However, we are going to begin with a look at the New York Knicks as 6-point underdogs against the Washington Wizards. Two bad teams, what’s the big deal?

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Well, it’s a rare Thursday matinee (3pm ET) because it’s being played in London. The Knicks won’t have one of their better players because of that in Turkish center Enes Kanter. He has been a very outspoken critic of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Kanter says he fears he will be assassinated should he make the trip overseas – so he won’t.

Kanter can’t play defense worth a lick but is a double-double machine in points and rebounds so that weakens New York for this game. The Knicks are 0-2 against the Wizards this season, with Kanter averaging 15.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in those two contests. Washington has covered nine of the past 11 in this series.

Usually, the two games on the NBA on TNT Thursday doubleheader start at 8 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET, respectively. Sometimes, though, both games are moved up an hour and that’s the case this week.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The opener features the Boston Celtics at the Miami Heat. Here we are halfway through the regular season (some teams have reached 41 games) and these Eastern Conference rivals haven’t played once yet. Boston is the only East team that the Heat haven’t faced and they still have three more meetings after this one. Quite possible they end up squaring off in the first round of the playoffs.

Miami won two of the three against Boston last season but that was thanks in large part to guard Goran Dragic, who averaged 24.5 points against the Celtics. Dragic is currently out several weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery. The Heat will have an advantage here in that Boston will be playing in the second of a back-to-back after hosting Indiana on Wednesday. The Celtics are just 2-4 in the second of a back-to-back this season. They have covered five of their past six in Miami, though.

If it seems like the same handful of teams are showcased every Thursday on the TNT doubleheader, well, that’s largely true. The network paid a few billion for the solo national rights to telecast the NBA on Thursdays, so it has a say in which teams it wants to show.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The TNT opener this week is the Toronto Raptors at San Antonio Spurs. Solid matchup on the court, but the clear story line is Kawhi Leonard’s return to San Antonio. He forced his way out of town by barely playing last year, and the Spurs shipped him and Danny Green north of the border this past summer for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick.

For this year, the Raptors are clear winners of the trade as Leonard is playing at an MVP level and Toronto is battling for the NBA’s best record – it’s the betting favorite to win the Eastern Conference. However, Leonard can still walk after this season as a free agent. The Spurs are a bit above average with DeRozan, who is having one of his better seasons. Where the Spurs might win that trade long term is the fact DeRozan is under contract through the 2020-21 season (if he exercises a player option).

The Thursday night schedule in the NFL has finished for 2018, so it’s really time for bettors to shift their focus that night to the NBA on TNT doubleheader. That network gets the entire schedule to itself this week with just the two games.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The opener features the Houston Rockets at the Miami Heat, with the Rockets set as 3-point betting favorites. It’s the second of a back-to-back for the Rockets as they hosted Washington on Wednesday and the team’s third game in four nights so it could be running on fumes. It’s rare that superstar James Harden doesn’t play both ends of a back-to-back, so barring injury Wednesday he should be in there. However, veteran point guard Chris Paul does get some games off occasionally in a back-to-back.

The Rockets must be the streakiest team in the NBA. They entered Wednesday on a four-game winning streak to get back over .500. The streaks prior to that: three straight losses, back-to-back wins, a four-game losing streak, a five-game winning streak, a two-game skid, a three-game win streak and a four-game skid.

The National Basketball Association has announced yet another official gaming partnership with daily fantasy sports/sports betting operator FanDuel.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced an “expanded multiyear partnership” that will see FanDuel become the league’s latest Authorized Gaming Operator. The deal offers FanDuel access to exclusive NBA data for betting purposes, along with the right to use league trademarks across FanDuel’s sports betting products.

The parties aren’t strangers, having a relationship that dates back to 2014, when FanDuel became the league’s Official Daily Fantasy Partner. That deal won’t be affected by this new betting pact and FanDuel will continue to operate the bespoke InPlay live-action mobile fantasy product that launched in 2016.

FanDuel CEO Matt King said the NBA has been “an incredible partner” since the get-go and the parties were now “excited to work together in ways we haven’t before.” The parties intend to “create new and exciting game formats and collaborate on new experiences in daily fantasy and sports betting to further enhance the fan experience.”

Online gambling operator The Stars Group (TSG) has inked a partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA), which also signed up a new Latin American gaming partner.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the signing of a multi-year partnership that officially designates TSG – the parent company of PokerStars — an authorized gaming operator of the league.

The deal will allow TSG’s sports betting brands – which include TSG’s in-house BetStars, its Australian-licensed BetEasy operations and the recently acquired UK-facing Sky Betting & Gaming business – to incorporate NBA logos in betting promotions, while also providing access to exclusive NBA data for in-play sports betting markets.

Both parties have agreed to promote the other via their digital and social media platforms. The parties have also agreed to “collaborate on responsible gaming and partner on best-in-class practices to protect the integrity of NBA games.”

The Golden State Warriors, who have won three NBA titles in the past four seasons, have looked rather mortal thus far in the 2018/19 season. They’ve suffered a rare losing streak and have been challenged at the top of the Western Conference. Two-time MVP Steph Curry hasn’t played since November 8 due to injury, and Draymond Green (also banged up) and Kevin Durant nearly came to blows.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Who cares? Oddsmakers don’t, as the Warriors are still heavy -160 favorites to win another title. Talent trumps all in the NBA, and at full strength with Curry, Durant, Green, Klay Thompson and whenever All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins is ready off surgery, the Warriors simply have way more talent than anyone else. They don’t care one iota about regular-season success.

The only way Golden State is supplanted as the title betting favorite during the regular season is if Curry or Durant suffers a season-ending injury.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Francaise Des Jeux (FDJ), operator of France’s national lottery, have announced a multiyear partnership.

The deal, according to FDJ’s press release, is the first the league has made with a European sports betting partner, and the first with a French gaming partner.

Under the terms of the agreement, the FDJ, using its ParionsSport brand, will be provided official NBA data, thus giving its sportsbook a competitive advantage. It will also be able to use NBA intellectual property for its land-based and digital sports gaming products in France.

ParionsSport will also receive increased visibility and media exposure, in the NBA’s website and other digital platforms available in the country.