On Thursday night, Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers pay a visit to Jimmy Butler and the Chicago Bulls. While the Cavs are currently in the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings, they saw that spot slip away for a few days when the Boston Celtics moved ahead. Now that Cleveland is back on top, they'll look to maintain their distance against the next-best team. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are still on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason, despite bringing Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo to their roster. Here's a preview of the Cavs vs.

Bulls live stream online and televised game for Thursday's NBA slate.

Cleveland vs. Chicago preview

The Cavs will look to snap a two-game win streak with tonight's road matchup. They lost most recently on Monday night to the San Antonio Spurs, just a few days after falling to playoff-bound Washington 127-115 at home. LeBron had an early exit during the Spurs game after being elbowed in the back of the neck or head area but seems like he will be good to go tonight. A loss by the Cavs tonight would draw them even again with the Celtics regarding record while a win gives a bit of breathing room.

As for the Chicago Bulls, they won their last contest 109-94 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Nikola Mirotic led the way with 28 points on 11-for-14 shooting, while Jimmy Butler had a double-double.

The Bulls All-Star finished with 20 points and 14 assists, setting a new career-high in that category. All of Chicago's starters finished in double-digits including Rajon Rondo who had 18 points and nine assists. The Bulls are currently 35-39 and trail the Pacers by 1-1/2 games for the No. 8 spot in the East, making tonight's game crucial.

Tonight's point spread has the Cleveland Cavs as five-point favorites to win, while they are also -210 on the moneyline. The home team Chicago Bulls are +180 underdogs, while the over/under points total will be around 211 for the complete game. The Cavs are just 11-24-2 against the spread on the road while Chicago is 16-20-1 ATS at home.

However, the Bulls are also 22-18 ATS as underdogs this NBA season.

How to watch the game live

Tonight's Cavs vs. Bulls game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. Eastern Time start. For live televised coverage, cable and satellite TV viewers can watch on their TNT channel. The game may also be available on NBA League Pass unless it is restricted.

For live streaming online coverage, cable and satellite subscribers can use the WatchTNT or TNTDrama website and compatible apps. There's also the free live stream option of using SlingTV via the one week free trial for all new customers. This channel streaming service will provide viewers with TNT and a number of other channels as part of their middle tier package, Sling Blue. See more information at SlingTV.com website for the latest deal.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED