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Happy 41st birthday to LeBron James. At an age when the average NBA player has been out of the league for about 15 years, James is still putting poor defenders on posters.

James will spend the start of his 42nd orbit of the sun by taking on the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons (24-8), and MVP candidate Cade Cunningham on Tuesday in Los Angeles. For reference, when James made his NBA debut on Oct. 29, 2003, Cunningham was just barely over 2 years old.

This season James' numbers have certainly declined; his record streak of games scoring 10-plus points famously came to an end earlier this month. But he is still averaging 20.5 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 50.7% from the field for a 20-10 Lakers team that is tied for fourth place in the Western Conference.

The Pistons, meanwhile, have lost their last two games, to the Jazz and Clippers. Tuesday's game will be Detroit's final one on a five-game West Coast road trip. 

The Pistons are 2.5-point favorites over the Lakers on Tuesday.

While Los Angeles-Detroit is the marquee attraction on Tuesday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that also includes four NBA games and three college football bowl games. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Tuesday, Dec. 30. All times Eastern.

NBA best bets, where to watch

76ers at Grizzlies

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Memphis | TV: NBC/Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: 76ers -1.5

Part of the Grizzlies' struggles this season stems from their deficiencies on offense. Last season, Memphis ranked sixth in the league in offensive rating (117.2 points per 100 possessions). This season the team is 24th (112.7). That 4.5-point decline is the third-worst in the NBA. The Grizzlies (15-17) also are 2-8 against Eastern Conference teams this season. Meanwhile, Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey is having an All-NBA season, averaging 30.7 points per game, which ranks third in the league. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, says the 76ers have a 55.0% chance to cover and assigns a 'C' grade to Philadelphia -1.5.

Pistons at Lakers

Time: 10:30 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: NBC/Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Lakers +2.5 | Expert: Cade Cunningham Over 35.5 total points + assists -118 (Prop Bet Guy)

While Tuesday is James' birthday, the Pistons should be more concerned about stopping Luka Doncic. The superstar from Slovenia is averaging 36.1 points per game against Detroit, which is his highest average against any opponent. He is coming off a game in which he scored 34 points (on 11-of-23 shooting), passed out seven assists and grabbed five rebounds in a win over the Kings. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Lakers have a 51.0% chance to cover and gives a 'C' grade to Los Angeles +2.5. Meanwhile, Prop Bet Guy notes that Cunningham has cleared Over 35.5 combined points and assists in 17 of his last 25 games. "The Lakers have really struggled against pick-and-roll ball-handlers of late, ranking 20th overall on the season," he says.

College football best bets, where to watch

Music City Bowl: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Tennessee

Time: 5:30 p.m. | Location: Nashville | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Tennessee -3 | Expert: Illinois +3.5 (Chip Patterson)

The Volunteers' pass rush has a great matchup against the Illini pass protection. Illinois (8-4) ranks 113th in the country in sacks allowed per game (2.58). Meanwhile, Tennessee (8-4) is sixth in the nation in sacks per game (3.00). The SportsLine Projection Model says the Volunteers have a 66.0% chance to cover and assigns a 'B' grade to Tennessee -3. However, Chip Patterson disagrees. He notes that the SEC is 2-4 in postseason games this year (and one of those wins was Alabama's over fellow conference member Oklahoma) and casts doubt over the Volunteers' strength of schedule. "An analysis of the résumé shows more quality losses than quality wins for Tennessee, while Illinois defeated the ACC champions and USC on the way to its 8-4 record," he says.

Alamo Bowl: USC vs. TCU

Time: 9 p.m. | Location: San Antonio | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: USC -5.5 | Expert: USC -3.5 (Mike Tierney)

Make sure to have both teams' roster handy for this one because injuries and opt-outs will make these teams almost unrecognizable. That includes Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover, who has thrown for 9,629 yards and 71 touchdowns in just over three seasons at TCU but has announced he will enter the transfer portal. At least USC will have its quarterback, Jayden Maiava, who led the Big Ten and ranked ninth in the country in total offense (298.4 yards per game). "The Trojans could be buoyed from signing the top-ranked recruiting class and should be eager to close the book on this year on a high note," Mike Tierney says. The SportsLine Projection Model agrees, says USC has a 58.0% chance to cover and gives a 'B' grade to Trojans -5.5.

Looking ahead

Cotton Bowl: Ohio State vs. Miami

Time: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday | Location: Arlington, Texas | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 40.5 | Expert: Ohio State -9 (Eric Cohen)

Is the Buckeyes' defense one of the best in college football history? Consider: Ohio State is giving up just 8.2 points per game this season. That's tied with the 2011 Alabama defense for the best since at least 1995. (That Crimson Tide team went 12-1 and shutout LSU 21-0 in the BCS National Championship Game.) "The Buckeyes have allowed 16 or fewer points in every game, and I have a hard time seeing the Hurricanes exceeding that mark in the Cotton Bowl," Eric Cohen says. In addition, the SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 64.0% chance the teams combine to score 41 or more points and assigns a 'B' grade to Over 40.5.