LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will hit the road for a game against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Here’s a look in your Daily Sports Roundup as well as the rundown of who is hot and who has the big plays.

The Gridiron Spotlight

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook is nursing a knee injury and was held out of the team’s practice on Wednesday. However, he’s still expected to start on the weekend. As well, WR Jason Avant (knee) and RB Correll Buckhalter (knee) were both listed as LIMITED for practice on Wednesday. Philly’s NFC Championship opponent, the Cardinals, saw Anquan Boldin (hamstring) return to a limited practice on Wednesday – the wide receiver missed last week’s game.

Over in the AFC the Ravens had each of WR Mark Clayton (thigh), WR Derrick Mason (knee), and RB Le’Ron McClain (ankle) miss practice on Wednesday, along with CB Samari Rolle (thigh) and LB Terrell Suggs (shoulder). Suggs and Rolle could both miss this weekend’s AFC Championship. For the Steelers, S Troy Polamalu (calf) missed Wednesday’s practice, but should play on Sunday.

Other Notable Events

LeBron’s Cavs will be seeking their fourth straight victory on Thursday night when they tip off in Chicago against the Bulls. Cleveland handily defeated the Bucks 102-87 last time out, getting 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists from James. That boosted the Cavs’ record to 30-6 straight-up and a lucrative 26-10 against-the-spread on the season, and they’ve won eight of their last 10 contests.

There are two other games on tap around the NBA on Thursday night, with Portland at New Jersey and Phoenix at Denver. The Nuggets upped their record to 26-13 SU and 21-17-1 ATS with a 99-97 win over the Mavericks last time out.

The Rest of the Schedule

With a loss to Wake Forest in their last game, No. 5 North Carolina will try to get back into the win column on Thursday night when they play on the road in Virginia. The Tar Heels’ record slipped to 14-2 with that loss, and they sit at 7-8 ATS on the year. There are two other Top-10 teams in action on Thursday, with No. 4 Connecticut at St. John’s, and Arizona at No. 9 UCLA. As well, it’s No. 15 Xavier vs. Rhode Island, No. 16 Arizona State vs. USC, No. 17 Butler vs. Loyola-Chicago, No. 18 Minnesota vs. Wisconsin, and No. 19 Purdue vs. Northwestern.

Finally, the National Hockey League has 10 games on tap for Thursday, including a big Western Conference clash between the Flames and Sharks in San Jose. Rounding out the slate: Boston at the Islanders, Toronto at Carolina, Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, Nashville at Montreal, Edmonton at Minnesota, Buffalo at Dallas, Colorado at St. Louis, Phoenix at Vancouver, and Detroit at Los Angeles.

News from the Wire

The Sixers could have forward Elton Brand (shoulder) back in the lineup this weekend . . . Lakers forward Lamar Odom (knee) returned to the floor on Tuesday night . . . Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash (lower-body) could be back in action on Friday night . . . Ducks forward Teemu Selanne (quad) isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star Break . . . despite their loss to the Eagles the Giants should soon reward quarterback Eli Manning with a $100 million-plus contract…USC QB Mark Sanchez is foregoing his senior season to enter the NFL draft. ..Percy Harvin is leaving Florida early for the NFL draft, but Brandon Spikes is staying. ..Free agent pitcher Bartolo Colon signed with the Chicago White Sox. …Injured Penguin Sidney Crosby sat out practice today.

A Peek at the Future

The marquee NHL contests for Friday night has Anaheim at Pittsburgh and the Rangers at Chicago . . . the Lakers will play host to Orlando in NBA action on Friday night, with San Antonio at Philadelphia, New Orleans at Cleveland, and Atlanta at Golden State . . . No. 12 Notre Dame will take on No. 8 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in college hoops action on Saturday afternoon, while No. 13 Georgetown will be in for a tough test when they take on the No. 3 Blue Devils.

Say What

Natalie Dylan is allowed to be a prostitute online because she resides in Nevada where it’s legal to be a hooker. But I can’t place a bet through a sportsbook in Costa Rica where it’s legal?