Now that the All-Star game has come and gone, here we go with NBA betting!

Yes, the lines have been posted for championship odds, and although they’re a little shaky-looking, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at who the bookies are predicting for NBA glory. So here’s what we know so far: The teams with the best odds are the Lakers (+150) and the Celtics (+200), with many people already predicting a Lakers-Celtics showdown for the NBA championship odds. At this point in time, it wouldn’t be unfounded, given how both teams have performed in their respective divisions. The Lakers are riding high on the mad skills of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, while the Celtics have been destroying their competition left and right. (Kevin Garnett, anyone?) Even if nobody can pronounce the word “Celtic” right. (KEL-tick, not CELL-tick. Geez.)

As far as underdogs are concerned, I wouldn’t put it past the Cavaliers (+370) to be serious contenders in the East. They’ve been playing solidly this season, especially due to the efforts of one LeBron “King” James. You just can’t disregard this guy when you’re looking through the NBA lines — something tells me he’s going to be a difference-maker. And, again, also really foxy:

Okay, so we’ve got the Daytona 500 line AND March Madness odds to consider at the moment, but have you considered the second of this Sunday’s big sports fun: the NBA All-Star Game! Yes indeed, the NBA odds shouldn’t be overlooked this weekend, and my friend Roy over at Picks ‘N Roll has a good hoops betting preview for you. Check it.

As for my choices, maybe it’s the eternal teenager in me, but the events I’m most looking forward to seeing are the H-O-R-S-E contest and the dunk contest. I mean, how cool is it to see big basketball superstars indulging in games that millions of kids play on the neighbourhood tarmac every day? That’s what I love the best about all-star games, no matter what sport — that the athletes can put aside salary concerns and petty rivalries and just have fun for fun’s sake.

Speaking of fun, will anybody be able to beat Dwight Howard’s Superman moves in the dunk contest this year? My money’s on nobody, people. Dwight’s got this one in the bag, and your sportsbook can take that one to the bank.

Others to keep your eye on this Sunday include Kevin Durant, Tony Parker and of course, the almighty King LeBron James. Watch for this hoops stud to keep on cementing his legacy as the NBA’s Next Big Thing.

I love a man in a blazer.

Pssst, hey. Step off that sportsbook for a sec, this is important news: Did you know Shaq has a Twitter account?

Twitter, for the technologically uninformed masses that don’t read Wired on a regular basis (shame on you), is a microblogging service that lets its users post 140-letters-or-less updates on their life at the moment. Or at least, that’s its original intention.

Our hero Shaq? He plugs Vitamin Water. And, as NBA FanHouse made the keen observation, disses his rivals with razor-sharp wit — all in 140 letters or less. Who said the big man has no creative talent? (Quiet there, you Kazaam detractors)

The Big Cactus gets his protein one ham at a time.

Just like Shaq’s typeface Attack (whether legit or no), NBA betting is on fire right now. Some of us are already looking ahead to NBA MVP odds, and though O’Neal can’t match up to the likes of Kobe, at least we’ll always have the Twitterfeed. Am I the only girl who’d like to see what Steve Nash does with his day?