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Bettors wanting to wager on basketball or the Olympics can use the Caesars Sportsbook promo code CBSSPORTS250BM and get a first bet match up to $250 in bonus bets, whether your bet wins or loses. The NBA wraps up the first half of the 2025-26 season on Thursday, highlighted by Mavericks vs. Lakers at 10 p.m. ET. According to the latest NBA odds, the Lakers are favored by 6.5 points at home. Click here to sign up for Caesars Sportsbook to bet on Thursday's top games:

See the Caesars Sportsbook promo code review page for the terms and conditions of this offer.

Best bets for Thursday, Feb. 12

Team USA is among the favorites to win gold in the men's hockey competition at this year's Olympics. The Americans are +175 to win gold, with only Canada (-110) having better odds at Caesars Sportsbook. Canada won the 4 Nations Face Off over the American side last year in a thrilling championship game in what was a very eventful tournament. Now, Team USA will look to win its first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey since the famous 1980 Miracle on Ice team. Team USA's first matchup of the 2026 Winter Olympics comes against Latvia, which is a longshot +20000 to win gold in men's hockey. The Americans are favored by four goals and are -1600 on the money line (wager $1,600 to win $100) while Latvia is +700 (wager $100 to win $700). The over/under for total goals scored is 6.5. 

The Lakers will aim to avoid entering the All-Star Break on a three-game skid when they host the Mavericks on Thursday. L.A. has fallen to the Thunder and Spurs this week – the two top teams in the Western Conference – and are 32-21 entering Thursday. This has been a bit of a lost season for the Mavericks, who recently traded Anthony Davis to Washington roughly a year after he was the key return for Dallas in the infamous Luka Doncic trade. The Mavericks are 19-34 and have lost eight straight entering Thursday. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, has the Lakers covering in 67% of its outcomes.

Bet on the NBA and the Winter Olympics at Caesars here:

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