Bodog Beat

Dwight Howard wows China. (AI Wire photo)

In the past, when NBA exhibition games were played in the far east that usually meant Providence, R.I. This year, the Association means the real Far East. Three exhibition games are being played in China, including one Thursday morning (8 a.m. ET) in Macau between the Orlando Magic and a Chinese All-Star team.

The Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers have played one game already and will meet again Saturday night when the competition wraps up. The China Games are an effort to market the league in the land of Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian. So far, it's working. LeBron James is a superstar in Shanghai, where he has been mobbed by fans, and the crowd for the first contest was as raucaus as any North American audience.

LeBron aside, the on-court star in Game 1 was Dwight Howard, the Orlando Magic's freakish power forward. Howard had 31 points and 14 rebounds in a 90-86 win. Howard is expected to have a big season and holds NBA player prop odds of 4/1 to finish the season as the league leader in rebounds. Expectations for the Magic aren't as high. Their NBA championship odds are only 30/1 while the Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers are at 12/1.

For complete NBA odds, dunk on the Bodog Sportsbook. And be sure to read Bodog Nation's 2007-08 NBA preview, featuring a look at how Kevin Garnett has revived the Boston Celtics.