Archive for April, 2009
NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Boston leads series 3-2 Betus.com betting line – Chicago -3, 196 O/U The Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics have put together possibly one of the best opening round playoff series in history. Tuesday night’s game was just another example of how exciting the last 5 games have been. The Celtics and the Bulls went into overtime for the 3rd time in 5 games and it was the 4th game that the margin of victory has been 3 points or less. The basketball slugfest has become the first series in postseason history to have 3 overtimes. Late in the 4th quarter in Tuesday night’s game the Bulls were faced with an inbounds play with less than 10 seconds remaining. Chicago Coach Vinny Del Negro drew up a perfect play which allowed Brad Miller to roll towards the basket wide open and seemed to have an easy two point lay-up. However, Miller was fouled rather hard by Boston guard Rajon Rondo. After review of the play, the foul could have easily been called intentional as Rondo’s hand came across Miller’s face leaving him with a mouth full of blood. Miller went on to miss both free throws even though the 2nd miss was on purpose and Boston got the rebound which gave them a 3-2 lead in the series. The Bulls now have their back against the wall, but judging how well they have played it would be surprising if this series does not see a Game 7. Rajon Rondo led the Boston Celtics with 28 points on Tuesday night continuing his stellar postseason play. Rondo has averaged 24.2 points in the 5 games played and has been vital to the Celtics success. However, Paul Pierce was the real hero from Tuesday night’s classic battle. Pierce has really come on strong the last few outings with strong shooting performances. Late in the 4th quarter, Pierce knocked down a crucial basket right above the free throw line which tied the game and sent the contest into overtime. Pierce knocked down many clutch shots as the game winded down, but the biggest was another similar 17 footer with 3.2 seconds to go which ended up being the game winning basket. Ray Allen who has been the primary clutch shooter for the Boston Celtics through the series, fouled out in the game. Allen finished with only 10 points on the night. Boston will look for Allen to back to rhythm and hope Pierce and Rondo can stay hot this Thursday night. Chicago has put up a valiant effort to take down the defending World Champions, but they are quickly running out of time. The Bulls still have a glimmer of hope, but to pull off back to back wins over Boston will be far from a small task. Chicago shooting guard Ben Gordon has been super throughout the series, but a hamstring injury seems to be taking effect. Gordon still managed to drain 26 points in the overtime loss on Tuesday night, but his shot was a bit altered all night as he tried to make up for the ailing hamstring. If Gordon starts to struggle, the Bulls chances to win the series goes from bad to worse. John Salmons has not but spectacular, but effectively consistent averaging 16 points through the series. Rookie Derrick Rose has been hot and cold. Rose needs to be the man to step up for Ben Gordon if the hamstring continues to affect his play. For a rookie, that may be placing a lot of pressure on the young guard. However, Rose can get a hot hand quickly making him very dangerous. Expect to see another great effort from Chicago at home in Game 6. Pick – Over 196
Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls
7:00PM Eastern Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Tags: basketball, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, nba playoffs
NBA Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Orlando -4 Series – Philadelphia Leads 2-1 The Eastern Conference side of the playoffs has definitely had their share of exciting games. One exciting series that is in full swing and on the verge of resulting with an unexpected victor is the Philadelphia and Orlando battle. The Magic were heavy favorites to win this series considering the amount of success the have endured all season long. However, Philadelphia came out the gates firing when they made the 18 point comeback in game 1 to capture the 2 point win. The 76ers opening win in Orlando was big momentum changes to kick start the series. Orlando responded in game 2 like most people thought they would by dominating most of the entire game and winning by 9 points in the end. The Magic appeared to be back on track to grab control of the series when they moved to Philadelphia in Game 3. However, the 76ers had more plans to be the spoiler once again pulling out yet another close victory 96-94. The win grabbed control of the series once again from the Orlando favorites who have played as good as anyone on the road this season. If Philadelphia could grab another exciting win this Sunday, they could put a firm grip on the series and make the first round upset much more of a reality. Philadelphia got just the kind of performances they had to have in game 3 from their leading scorers out of Andre Smith and Andre Iguodala. The two biggest scoring threats for Philadelphia combined to score 54 points in the 76ers win over the Magic. However, the biggest play of the night came by the way of Thaddeus Young. Young made a drive to the basket as the final seconds ticked off the clock then nearly lost the ball before putting up a lay-up with only two seconds remaining in the game. The game winning basket was the highlight of the night for Young who were unusually quiet with only 6 points in the contest. The win for Philadelphia was yet another huge letdown for Orlando being the 2nd game of the series they have let slip through their fingers. Philadelphia managed to stay right with the Magic on the glass as each team shared 35 rebounds. The 76ers also equaled the Magic rebounding total in game 1 which was their other victory in the series. However, game 2 was different story as Dwight Howard and company had great night controlling the glass as they controlled the game. Obviously there is an importance to Philadelphia’s ability to keep the same tempo against the boards with the Magic as it is vital to their success. Orlando will be in a similar role they felt after game 1 where they are in a must win situation. The Magic can not afford to go down 3-1 in the series meaning they would have to win 3 straight games to win the series. Instead Orlando must come out controlling the pace and rebounding portions of the game to get the series back square. Dwight Howard has had a terrific set of games ironically however both of the two better nights were in the Magic’s two losses. Howard scored 31 and 36 points in both of Orlando’s losses while scoring only 11 points in their win. The difference in those games is not Howard’s performance as he has been the only consistency throughout the series. The difference has been the help from playmakers Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. Lewis has not been bad, but has yet to have the breakout game most may have expected. Turkoglu on the other hand has struggled only scoring 17 points in the Magic’s two losses which equals his average per game. If Orlando plans on getting back to form from earlier this season where they were so dominate, they must get more of a collective effort from all their scorers especially Turkoglu. Pick – Orlando fires back to even series
Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers
Sunday, 6:30PM Eastern
Tags: nba basketball, nba playoffs, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers
Most of the time when you’re engaged in a poker hand, you’ll be thinking about what decisions you will make before you have to make them. For example, if you call a raise with K-Q, you’ll think to yourself: Okay, if I hit top pair, I’m going to play this hand. If I have a gut-shot and two over-cards, I’m going to play this hand. If I have an open-ender and two over-cards, I’m going to play this hand. Otherwise, I’m going to let it go. However, there will often be times when something happens that causes you to change your strategy mid-hand. Maybe your opponent makes a weak bet that gives you information worth using to your advantage. Or maybe he makes a bet on the river that looks like a value bet and convinces you to fold a hand you were planning on calling with. It’s always good to enter a hand with a plan, but it’s essential that you be willing to deviate from the plan if the situation calls for it. Every hand requires that you react to your cards and the cards on the board, but it’s equally important that you factor in your opponent and his tendencies. Here’s a hand that I played recently at the 2009 EPT German Open in Dortmund, where I went on to finish in fourth place. It was late in Day Two, I had been fairly short-stacked for a while and occasionally shoving with decent hands, but I hadn’t yet made a serious bluff in the tournament. We were eight-handed, the player in second position made a very small raise to 8,500 with blinds at 2,000/4,000 and a 500-chip ante, and it folded around to me in the small blind with pocket fives. I had about 70,000 in chips, and all I knew for sure was that I wasn’t going to fold a pocket pair in this situation. I decided to call rather than raise, knowing the big blind would certainly be priced in to call as well, and he did. The flop came A-8-3. I was obviously looking to flop a set, or maybe something like 2-3-4 or 3-4-6, and this flop was not at all good for my hand, so I checked. The big blind also checked. And the initial raiser made what looked to me like a very weak bet, 12,000 into a 29,500 pot. I was quite sure from the bet that he didn’t have an Ace, and probably he didn’t have a pair of any kind. It seemed to me that he had a hand like K-J, something in that range. So when he bet 12,000, I considered all of the factors – my read on him, my tight image, and my stack size. I decided to raise 21,000 more, representing that I had perhaps a weak Ace and had committed myself to the pot (even though, in reality, I wasn’t committed and would be willing to fold to a re-raise, leaving myself with about 30,000 in chips). The big blind folded, and after thinking for a long time, the initial raiser folded also. He simply had to give me credit for a real hand that I wasn’t going to lay down to a re-raise. This was a situation where I didn’t really intend to commit many chips if I didn’t hit a favorable flop, but I adjusted my decision making based on my opponent’s post-flop action, believing the stage had been set for me to make a move. Always be willing to adjust your plan, and every once in a while you’ll find yourself winning chips that otherwise would have been pushed toward someone else. Signup @ Full Tilt Poker and get 100% Deposit Bonus Up To $600!!!Adjusting strategy mid-hand
Johan Storakers
Full Tilt Poker
22nd April 2009
Tags: full tilt poker, johan storakers, Poker
NBA Playoff Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Chicago -2.5, 200.5 O/U The NBA Playoffs got off to a great start when the Chicago Bulls took down the defending World Champions the Boston Celtics in dramatic fashion in the opening game of the series. The Bulls were lifted by the play of rookie Derrick Rose who knocked down 36 points in the over-time victory. Rose 36 points tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for the most points in a playoff debut. Game 1 was a big storyline because of the hard fought back and forth action. However, the following game last Monday was very similar and just as exciting as the first. The game was another back and forth slugfest, but this time the outcome was slightly different. Ray Allen for the Boston Celtics got the hot hand in the 2nd half scoring 28 points and delivering the nail in the coffin when he drained a 3 pointer with less than two seconds to play. The exciting win evened up the series as game 3 heads to Chicago as everyone anticipates another exciting contest as this series has the making to possibly make it to 7 games. Chicago has really come on strong in the late part of the season and carried a lot of momentum into the playoffs. The Bulls are fairly young team that has a lot of room to develop and they may be blossoming earlier than expected. The Bulls won 12 of their last 16 games of the regular season ending on a high note. The solid stretch also included a victory over the Celtics. However, most people had forgotten about the success heading into the start of the series and their opening round win caught many by surprise. However, this was not that big of a surprise considering how well Chicago has played over the last few weeks. As Rose led the scoring efforts in the big win in game 1, Ben Gordon fired back with a huge night in game 2 draining 42 points on the night. Gordon and Rose have been contributing factors to giving the Bulls the opportunity to take down the defending Champions. After two straight games being decided by only a basket, Chicago will definitely try to build on that momentum when they get Boston back at home this Thursday night. Boston probably did not envision this type of struggle in their opening series of the playoffs. While the Celtics have not been as dominant as they were this time last year, they have still played extremely well inside TD Northbank Garden this season. Leaving Boston not ahead 2-0 in the series has to feel like a let down. However, Boston showed the fight of a champion in game 2 when they hit nearly every clutch shot down the stretch given nearly every shot was from the hot hand of Ray Allen. Still, Boston must find away to not let things go any further for Chicago. The Celtics need to come out and make a statement in game 3 and stop the Bull’s confidence from building. Like it or not, the absence of Kevin Garnett is really hurting this team. Not only is Garnett an extremely big defensive force, but he gives the Celtics the depth they need. The bench only scored 10 points in their 118-115 win on Monday. Definitely not trying to give Boston any excuses, but the loss of Garnett does have its effects. However, if Ray Allen can find rhythm again and Rajon Rondo can continue to play well then the Celtics still should be favorites in the series despite being 2.5 point underdogs on Thursday. Pick – Chicago continues to impress. Bulls -2.5
Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
Tags: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, nba basketball, nba playoffs
NBA Playoff Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Orlando -10, 193.5 O/U The Philadelphia 76ers overcame a 18 point deficit in the opening game of their postseason playoff appearance against the Orlando Magic to score a dramatic upset victory. The 76ers were 10 point underdogs heading into the event and it quickly looked like Orlando may have been a bit too powerful. However, Andre Iguodala and company led a fierce comeback in the 4th quarter with Iguodala draining the game winning bucket with just less than 3 seconds to play in the game. The victory was the first for the 76ers over the Magic this season considering Orlando won the previous 3 regular season match-ups. Orlando will look to rebound on Wednesday night as they get Game 2 at home as well as they seek to even up the series. Similar to the first game Orlando will be again 10 point favorites in the contest, but hopefully it will be another hard fought exciting grudge match. Philadelphia answered a lot of questions with the strong confidence building comeback victory. The 76ers had lost 6 straight games before taking advantage of a resting Cleveland team in the season finale. The disappointing finish to the season raised a lot of red flags around the organization and many figured that the Magic would dominate the series. However, after facing a little bit of adversity Philadelphia has the chance to put the Magic in a big hole if they can win. If they get the victory over, they would put Orlando down two games and will return home which would be extremely hard for the Magic to overcome. Philadelphia will have to find a way to slow down Dwight Howard who had a big night in Game 1 with 31 points and 16 rebounds. Interestingly the 76ers actually out rebounded the Magic despite Howard seemingly dominating the glass. Add to the fact Andre Miller had a rather quiet night with only 15 points. The fate of the team may rest in how effective Miller and Iguodala can be in the upcoming games, but they will have to withstand Orlando who will be out for revenge on Wednesday night. Orlando is among the top 3 teams we have heard about all year in the Eastern Conference. Orlando, Boston, and Cleveland are the huge favorites to win the East. However, as Chicago and Philadelphia have proved there are some hungry challengers and it is imperative that Orlando get back on the right foot tonight. Expect the Magic to come out with a chip on their shoulder. Dwight Howard must have another big night especially on the glass. Meanwhile, Hedo Turkoglu must come out and have a better night than the 6 point and 25% shooting from the floor he had in Game 1. The difference in game 1 and the previous games where Orlando scored all victories is that Philadelphia simply knocked down shots from the perimeter. Orlando solid defense has been big attribute to their success this season and I would expect them to challenge the 76ers shots a bit more in this game. Orlando must put it together for all 4 quarters if they plan on evening the series back up and avoiding the unthinkable 0-2. Pick – Orlando fires back convincingly
Philadelphia 76ers at Orlando Magic
Wednesday, April 22nd, 7:00PM Eastern
Tags: basketball, nba, nba playoffs, Orlando, Philadelphia
NBA Playoff Preview Game 1 Utah at Los Angeles The Utah Jazz will step up to the plate to give their best effort at taking down the huge favorites in the Los Angeles Lakers in game 1 this Sunday. The Lakers handled the Jazz fairly convincingly in their 125-112 victory in the last game of the regular season. Andrew Bynum scored 22 points in his biggest game back since the knee injury. The Lakers have been more than dominant all season against Western Conference Teams and it will be interesting to see if the trend continues. Utah has been anything but stellar down the stretch losing 7 of their last 9 games to carry them into the post season. The Jazz did beat the Lakers back in February and will attempt to find a way to get the job done again. Deron Williams has carried the team all season with 20 points per game while star Carlos Boozer has been unexpectedly inconsistent in recent weeks. Betus.com betting line – Lakers -11.5 Pick – This could be a sweep series for the Lakers, but Utah should keep it closer than 11.5 in their first big attempt. Game 2 Philadelphia at Orlando The 76ers were in desperate need of a big victory when they took down Cleveland in the season finale 111-110. Philadelphia had lost 6 straight games before that victory in an extremely disappointing stretch of basketball to close out the season. The 76ers will go on the road to take on Orlando in their opening game of the playoffs. The Magic closed out the season by losing 4 of their last 6 games. At least for Orlando they had won 17 of their last 20 before the losing skid. The Magic have been among the best teams in the East all season, but have been inconsistent at times as well. The main aspect to look at it this series is that Orlando beat Philadelphia in all 3 meetings this season and many question if Philadelphia has what it takes to turn that completely around. Betus.com betting line – Orlando -9.5 Game 3 Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks The Heat and Hawks showdown in the playoffs may very well be one of the best opening round series. Atlanta captured 3 out of 4 games over the Heat in the regular season including a tough 81-79 victory last Tuesday. The Hawks closed out the season winning 4 of their last 5 games and have seemed to gotten the best of the Heat this season. However, Dwayne Wade and company will likely come out swinging. Wade the NBA’s leading scorer this season (30ppg) sat out last Tuesday to rest up for the playoffs. Michael Beasley is developing into another Miami lethal threat as he continues to play good down the stretch. Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Joe Johnson scored 20 plus point in all meetings against the Heat outside of their previous meeting where he only played limited time for rest. These two teams have all the makings to be in store for a back and forth season and if Miami can get the first game win it should get interesting. Betus.com betting line – Atlanta -5 Game 4 New Orleans at Denver The Denver Nuggets have been one of the hottest teams in the West for the latter part of the regular season. Denver closed out the season winning 14 of their last 17 and there are plenty who believe it could come down to Denver and Los Angeles in the Conference. However, New Orleans will try to explode in the post season similar to how they came out of nowhere in the 2008 playoffs. The Hornets were expected to have a big year after their postseason performance last season, but that have simply been very inconsistent. Chris Paul and David West have been very solid averaging over 20 points per game this season, but they have really had limited help. New Orleans ranks in the bottom 5 teams in the NBA only averaging 95.8 points per game as a team. The Hornets will need to score more points against the heavily armed Nuggets offensive attack. Carmelo Anthony and J.R Smith have shared the spotlight over the last few weeks for Denver and if they can continue to play well they should be able to handle the Hornets in this series. Of course that is consider New Orleans does not put together any magic similar to last year. Betus.com betting line – Denver -6
Sunday, April 19th, 2009
Tags: 2009 NBA Playoffs, basketball, nba, nba playoffs
NBA Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – The Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat currently hold down the number 4 and 5 positions in the Eastern Conference with only two more days left in the regular season. The two teams will also finish in their respected places in the East meaning only one thing; they will meet in the playoffs in the opening round for a best of 5 series. Atlanta has gotten the best of Miami so far this season winning two of the three previous meetings. The Hawks have also won their last 3 games heading into the showdown with the Heat. The question is with this being nearly the final game of the season will these two teams throw down for all its worth or take it rather lightly giving their best shot when it matters the most in the playoffs. Miami has slid in the wrong direction over the past few weeks. The Heat have now lost 9 of their last 15 games to close out the season and desperately need to get things back on track in time for the post-season. Atlanta got a lot of attention last season for peaking at the right time giving a big underdog type effort in the playoffs taking the Boston Celtics to the 7th game before they went on to win the NBA Championship. Atlanta is looking to get back to playing their best basketball again this post-season when they will battle with Miami in a best of 5 series. The Hawks despite winning their last 3 games have really not played well during the latter part of the season. Before the 3 game winning streak, the Hawks had lost the last 6 out of 8 games. Joe Johnson has been stellar throughout the season averaging 21 points per game and has also averaged 23 points per game over the last 5 showings. Atlanta has a solid group of guys with depth needed during the post-season. Also, the Hawks have played well at home this season with a strong 30-10 record this season. Atlanta will likely get the one game advantage at home during the series which will definitely help their chances of advancing. Miami is another team that has played fairly well at home this season which could really make what could turn out to be an exciting series. However, the Heat has struggled over the past few weeks a lot like Atlanta. Miami is coming off a solid victory over the Knicks on Sunday night 122-105. The NBA’s leading scorer this season is Dwayne Wade who has averaged a very impressive 30 points per game this season. Wade had his biggest night of the season in the big win over the Knicks when the leagues leading scorer knocked down 55 points on the night and shot 65% from the floor. Rookie Michael Beasly had the biggest night of his career in the victory posting 28 points on the night. Beasly has really been playing well lately averaging 20 points per game in the month of April and could become a big force in the post-season. Miami will need to step up their play starting Tuesday night by making a statement against the Hawks and make up for their previous disappointments in the playoffs over the past few years. Pick – Atlanta
Miami Heat (42-38) at Atlanta Hawks (46-34)
Tuesday, 10:30PM Eastern
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, basketball, Eastern Conference, Miami Heat, nba
NBA Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – The last game of the regular season for two playoff bound Western Conference teams will take center stage Tuesday night inside the Staples Center. The Los Angeles Lakers have already wrapped up the top spot in the West clinching home court advantage throughout their playoff run in the conference. The Lakers hold a tremendous 10 ½ game advantage over the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference and have simply been unstoppable. The question all season long surrounding the Western Conference has been can anyone challenge the Los Angeles Lakers? The Utah Jazz will step up to the plate for the 3rd time this season. The Jazz have split their last two meetings this season with the Lakers getting the best of the number 1 team in the West in the last meeting back in February. The match-up potentially could be a playoff pairing between the two considering the Jazz are the last place team in the West that will be playing in the postseason. As long as the Jazz do not jump ahead of Dallas they will battle the Lakers in a 5 games series in the first round meaning this game will be a big confidence builder for either team. The majority of teams may take it easy resting their star players in these type situations. While both clubs still may rest some players, don’t expect those on the floor to not be going at it hard. Los Angeles has won 6 of their last 7 games to close out the season and is huge favorites to win it all in the Western Conference this season. Andrew Bynum has played 3 games since his return to the lineup from a knee injury that sidelined the young center for over two months. Bynum has posted 16 points per game on average in his 3 games back in the line-up and could really give the Lakers a boost on the glass if he could keep improving the shaky knee. Kobe Bryant is averaging an NBA 3rd best 27 points per game for the season. Bryant has had some of his best nights this season against the Jazz posting performances of 37 and 40 points on two different occasions. Bryant tendency to play well against the Jazz may be a sign of how he could explode in the playoffs, but Bryant may actually be on the bench more than usual to rest up on Tuesday night. The Utah Jazz has hit a bumpy road over the last few weeks as they have simply not been good. The Jazz have lost 6 of their last 7 games which is the exact opposite to the opposing Lakers. Deron Williams has been stellar over the past few games despite Utah’s struggles as a team. Williams has averaged a stout 25 points per game over the past 5 outings and has been shooting the ball rather well. Williams has been bothered by a rib injury, but is not expected to miss any playing time. One of the big disappointing factors surround the Jazz recent struggles has been the play of Carlos Boozer. Definitely not putting any blame on one person because that is not the only reason Utah has failed to get many wins recently, but Boozer is a big factor to the offense. Unfortunately, Boozer has been fairly ineffective over the past few games and the Jazz need for him to get back to top form will be crucial for their success from here on out. Pick – Both last games have went over the 213 total, expect this one to stay low.
Utah Jazz (47-33) at LA Lakers (64-17)
Tuesday, 10:30PM Eastern
Tags: basketball, L.A Lakers, nba, Utah Jazz, Western Conference
NBA Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Cleveland -5.5, 186 O/U Two of the top dogs in the Eastern Conference square off Easter Sunday when the Boston Celtics take the road to play against the toughest home team in the league when they head to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers. Cleveland is sporting a mind blowing 38-1 record at home heading into the showdown and they have truly been a class of their own inside Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland has won 3 straight games knocking off Philadelphia 102-92 on Friday night. The Celtics have put together a solid 6 game winning streak heading into the much anticipated match-up with their last loss back in late March from Orlando. Boston has a two game advantage over the Magic for the 2nd place bragging rights position in the East and a win would guarantee them that spot. However, the Celtics will be trying to do what only one team has done all season and that is defeat the Cavaliers in Cleveland. Boston has gotten the better of the Cavaliers twice out of the prior 3 meetings this season and they will seek a 3rd victory this Sunday. Cleveland has won an impressive 16 of their last 18 ball games as they remain strong closing out the year. The only really disappointing performance Cleveland has had down the stretch was the blowout loss to Orlando back on April 3rd, but they will still be favorites to win the East heading into the playoffs in a matter of few short weeks. Lebron James has led the scoring efforts for the Cavaliers the last 10 games which should not be surprising since the superstar is averaging a NBA 2nd best 28.3 points per game for the season. James has averaged a stellar 24 points in the prior 3 meetings and in their only win over the Celtics this season he posted a strong 38 point performance. James will need some help from Mo Williams and others this Sunday to take down the Celtics even if they are the favorites at home. Boston usually does a good job defensively of putting a hand in a shooters face and the Cavaliers will need a collective effort unless James catches fire. The game should be an interesting precursor to see if anyone will be able to contend with Cleveland at home during the playoffs. Boston is coming fresh off a strong 105-98 win over Miami on Friday night. Celtics small forward Paul Pierce posted a team high 28 points in the victory. Rajon Rondo posted a double-double despite a down night shooting the ball. Rondo had 10 rebounds and 12 assist running the point for the Celtics, but only managed to put in 7 points which was very surprising considering he was averaging 24 points in the previous 3 games. The victory marked the 5th straight game the Boston Celtics had scored a 100 points or more. The feat is actually the first time all season the Celtics have put together 5 straight 100 point performances. The Celtics defense is popularly known to be among the best in the NBA and when they put together higher scoring efforts it makes them nearly impossible to beat. Boston has now won 6 straight and 10 of their last 11 games. However, both the Celtics and the Cavaliers have been vulnerable on the road outside of both teams playing extremely well at home. If Boston could grab the 3rd win over the Cavaliers on the road this Sunday it would be just that more impressive to close out the season with a ton of confidence. Pick – Look for both teams to be in a low scoring grudge match. Take under 186
Boston Celtics (60-19) at Cleveland Cavaliers (64-15)
Sunday, 4:30PM Eastern
Tags: basketball, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Eastern Conference, nba
NBA Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Two of the biggest names out West will collide this Thursday night inside the Staples Center when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets. The game will be the 4th meeting between these two teams this season as the Lakers captured the first two wins and Denver responded with an 11 point victory in the most recent meeting back in late February. Thursday night’s battle comes at a time when both teams are playing extremely well and promises to be an exciting show. Los Angeles has knocked off 4 straight wins and owns the 2nd best home record in the NBA at 33-5. However, Denver is playing better than they have all season considering they are winners of 7 straight games and 12 of their last 13 games as well. The Nuggets may be the only team from the Western Conference that can contend with the Lakers by the way things have looked throughout the regular season and Thursday night’s game could be an indication of how things could shake out in the playoffs considering these two teams will be biggest favorites to represent the West in the Finals. The Los Angeles Lakers are fresh off a strong 122-104 victory over Sacramento on Tuesday night. Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 26 points and 12 rebounds while Kobe Bryant added 22 points as well. The Lakers shot a strong 51% from the floor in the win and have been shooting the ball very well over the last few games. The previous 3 meetings have been rather low scoring games considering both teams average over 104 points per game on offense. However, only the first meeting reached over the 200 total mark with a combined total of 201. Kobe Bryant ranks 3rd in the NBA in scoring posting 27 points per game and has averaged 30.5 points per game in the 3 previous meetings against the Nuggets. The big headline entering Thursday night’s game is the possibility that the Lakers will have Andrew Bynum back in the lineup after missing the last two months with a knee injury. The young center is averaging 14ppg, 8rpg, and 2 blocks per game for the season and definitely gives the Lakers a bigger advantage when he is on the inside. After all when Bynum was in the lineup the Lakers were 2-0 against the Nuggets earlier this season. The Denver Nuggets may very well be the hottest team in the league right now with a little help from the huge beating the Cleveland received from Orlando to slow down their momentum. The Nuggets are coming off a 110-87 victory over Minnesota on Sunday and have a showdown with less than stellar Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. Denver scoring ability has been big aspect to their most recent success. The Nuggets have reached the century mark in all of their last 13 games. Interestingly enough Denver is extremely tough to beat when reaching 100 points in a game considering they hold a 41-6 record on the season when reaching the century mark. However, when they do not score 100 points Denver holds a measly record of 11-20. Carmelo Anthony and J.R Smith have been superb in recent weeks posting big numbers every night. Smith is averaging right at 20 points per game which is 6 points above his averaged over the last 5 outings. Anthony has been nothing short of impressive as well averaging 28 points per game over his last 8 performances and these two superstars will be looking for big nights to try to get the tough road win inside the Staples Center this Thursday. Pick – Expect this game to be higher scoring than the previous 3 since both teams are shooting very well.
Denver Nuggets (52-26) at Los Angeles Lakers (62-16)
Thursday, 10:30PM Eastern
Tags: basketball, Denver Nuggets, L.A Lakers, nba, Western Conference
