NBA Playoff Betting Preview
Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (Series tied 2-2)
Wednesday, 8:35 pm Eastern – ESPN

SBG Global Opening Line: Celtics - 5.5 , Total 172.5

The Detroit Pistons got their must-win game on Monday as they won at home against the Boston Celtics to even the best of seven Eastern Conference Finals at two games each. Now the Boston Celtics are facing their must-win game on Wednesday in Game Five as they don’t want to go back to Detroit having to win a Game Six. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Celtics at Home.

The Pistons were led on Monday by forward Antonio McDyess who showed a lot of energy and desire. McDyess had 21 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Piston to the 94-75 win. “(McDyess) knows that you can’t take any of this for granted,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “Some of our guys have been in six straight conference finals, which is an amazing achievement, but for some of our guys, this is the first time.” The Celtics need to find some of the energy that McDyess had or they may lose this series. “We don’t get this opportunity too much in our careers,” Celtics’ forward Paul Pierce said, “We have to go out and play like it’s our last, because you never know when this is going to happen again. … We have to find some way, somehow to get a win at home and bring that momentum back to Detroit.” Home court is no guarantee in this series as both teams have won on each other’s court. The Celtics shot just 32 percent on Monday night and none of the Big Three played well. They will need a big performance on Wednesday or they could face a road game at Detroit with their season on the line and that is not a pleasant thought for Boston.

SBG Global Current Line: Celtics - 6 , Total 173

Here are the NBA betting stats for Wednesday’s game. The Pistons are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Pistons are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Atlantic. The Pistons are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games overall. The Pistons are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games as a road underdog.
The Pistons are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 Wednesday games. The Underdog is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 meetings between the two teams. The road team is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings.

The Celtics are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 Wednesday games. The Celtics are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games as a home favorite. The Celtics are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games playing on 1 day of rest.

The Under is 5-1 in the Pistons last 6 overall. The Under is 11-3 in the Pistons last 14 road games. The Under is 19-7-1 in the Pistons last 27 playoff games as an underdog. The Under is 12-5 in the Pistons last 17 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 43-19-1 in the Pistons last 63 games as a road underdog.

The Over is 4-1 in the Celtics last 5 Wednesday games. The Under is 19-8 in the Celtics last 27 vs. the Central. The Under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings between the two teams and the Under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings in Boston.

Pick: Take the Celtics at home

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs (Lakers lead 2-1)
Tuesday, 9:05 pm Eastern – TNT

SBG Global Opening Line: Spurs  - 4.5 , Total  192

The San Antonio Spurs will try and even up the best of seven Western Conference Finals on Tuesday as they host the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Spurs got back in the series on Sunday as Manu Ginobili hit five three pointers and scored 30 points overall to lead San Antonio.  Kobe Bryant had 30 points for the Lakers but didn’t get much help.  “I got to the point where I couldn’t make a shot,” said Lamar Odom, who was 2-of-11 from the field and had only 7 points on Sunday.  Pau Gasol had 15 points while Derek Fisher had just two points. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Spurs at Home.

The Spurs played a very good game on Sunday and need a repeat performance if they are to even the series on Tuesday. “Making shots is part of it. And we did a better job of that,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They missed some shots that could have gone in without a doubt.”  Game Four on Tuesday has the potential to be a great one if the Lakers bounce back as expected.

SBG Global Current Line: Spurs  - 4 , Total  192

Here are the NBA betting stats for Tuesday’s game. The Lakers are 12-3-2 ATS in their last 17 games as a road underdog. The Lakers are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 Tuesday games. The Lakers are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Lakers are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games overall. The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams.

The Spurs are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite. The Spurs are 5-1-2 ATS in their last 8 Tuesday games. The Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams and the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

The Under is 5-1 in the Lakers last 6 games as a road underdog. The Over is 4-1 in the Lakers last 5 Tuesday games.

The Under is 5-0 in the Spurs last 5 vs. the Pacific. The Under is 5-0 in the Spurs last 5 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 6-0 in the Spurs last 6 overall. The Under is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings in San Antonio between the two teams.

Pick: Spurs 4units, as long as Ginobli plays and well the Spurs will dominate

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (Celtics lead 1-0)
Thursday, 8:35 pm Eastern – ESPN

SBG Global Opening Line: Celtics  - 3.5, Total  172.5

The Boston Celtics had enough energy to win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons as they won 88-79 on Tuesday.  They expect a much tougher test on Tuesday since Detroit is not likely to be as rusty.  Point guard Chauncey Billups had not played in quite a while after missing the last two games against Orlando.  He had just nine points with two assists and two turnovers. “I needed to play that game,” he said. “I don’t feel good about the outcome of it, but I feel good having been out there, having seen what it was going to be like in my first game, and I look to make improvements in the second game. It’s difficult getting back out there. It’s not like I’m just getting out there in a regular season game. There’s a lot at stake.” The Celtics were led by Kevin Garnett who had 26 points and 9 rebounds while Paul Pierce added 22 points, 6 rebounds and six assists. “The things he does on the floor don’t surprise me,” Kevin Garnett said about Pierce. “You see him work on it every day. He’s probably one of the strongest mental players in the league. He’s able to, for some reason, lock in a zone there and get his work done and come in today and carry it over to the floor. And not a lot of players can do that in this league.”  SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Celtics at Home.

“We played a horrible game,” Detroit’s Antonio McDyess said. “We felt we played a horrible game and we just can’t continue playing that way. I think tomorrow is going to be a little different.”  The Pistons were fortunate to only be down one at the half but then came out and played a poor third quarter. “We didn’t get it done. We turned the ball over too much. We beat ourselves. We’re a team that, we came off of a playoff low of three turnovers and we had seven in the third quarter.” Head coach Flip Saunders said, “So when it’s a close game, we turn it over seven times, we don’t give ourselves a chance.”

The Celtics won Game One without much from Ray Allen who continues to play poorly in the playoffs. Allen had just nine points. “I’ve scored a lot in my career,” Allen said, “But it’s good to be in this position, where I’m not going to let it” affect the rest of the game. As part of the Big Three, Allen was expected to score more in the playoffs but so far it has been all Garnett and Pierce. “Ray’s a part of the Boston Celtics, and the Boston Celtics are winning,” Garnett said, “I’m sure it’s not his first shooting slump, and it’s definitely not his last. So I don’t have any sympathy for Ray Allen. I think he’s playing great basketball.”

SBG Global Current Line: Celtics  - 4 , Total  172

Here are the NBA betting stats for Thursday’s game.  The Pistons are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Pistons are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games overall. The Pistons are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 Conference Finals games. The Pistons are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 playoff games as an underdog. The Pistons are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games as a road underdog. The Pistons are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams. The Underdog is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings. The road team is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.

The Celtics are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 Thursday games. The Celtics are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games as a home favorite. The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Conference Finals games. The Celtics are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest.

The Under is 13-3 in the Pistons last 16 road games. The Under is 4-1 in the Pistons last 5 vs. the Atlantic. The Under is 41-12-1 in the Pistons last 54 Thursday games. The Under is 19-7-1 in the Pistons last 27 Conference Finals games. The Under is 19-7-1 in the Pistons last 27 playoff games as an underdog. The Under is 10-4 in the Pistons last 14 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 5-2 in the Pistons last 7 overall. The Under is 43-18-1 in the Pistons last 62 games as a road underdog.

The Under is 5-1 in the Celtics last 6 Conference Finals games. The Under is 8-2 in the Celtics last 10 Thursday games. The Under is 17-7 in the Celtics last 24 vs. the Central. The Under is 9-4 in the Celtics last 13 games as a home favorite. The Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between the two teams. The Under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Boston.

Pick: Stick with the home teams in this series. Celtics 3units

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers (Game One)
Wednesday, 9:05 pm Eastern – TNT

SBG Global Opening Line: Lakers  - 6.5 , Total  197.5

The defending champion San Antonio Spurs survived against the New Orleans Hornets but to reach the NBA Finals they will have to go through the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant.  The Lakers have home court advantage in this series and that could prove important as Los Angeles is a perfect 6-0 at home in the playoffs and has won 12 straight overall at home. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Lakers at Home.

“We’ve had our battles. We’ve had some great matchups,” the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant said. “It feels great to be back at that level, matching up with San Antonio.”  San Antonio and Los Angeles have combined to win 7 of the last 9 NBA titles. Although the Spurs are the defending champs, the Lakers are favored in this series.  “It’s always great to play against the Lakers,” San Antonio’s Tony Parker said, “Kobe’s at his best; they have a great team. It reminds me of my first couple of years in the league. Back to the rivalry. It will be great.”

The Lakers have not played since last Friday and are well rested while the Spurs had to play in New Orleans on Monday and had a rough trip just getting to Los Angeles.  The Spurs did not even practice on Tuesday. Lakers head coach Phil Jackson did not expect the Spurs lack of rest to be a factor.
“The NBA is a grueling marathon of a season,” he said. “They’ll be rested; they’ll be fine.”

SBG Global Current Line: Lakers  - 7, Total  196

Los Angeles has owned the Spurs in the post season going 7-3 against them all-time.  The last time they met in the Conference Finals was seven years ago when the Lakers swept the Spurs. The matchups in the series are intriguing with Spurs defensive expert Bruce Bowen guarding Kobe Bryant, Vladimir Radmanovic might be matched against Manu Ginobili, Lamar Odom against Fabricio Oberto, Pau Gasol against Tim Duncan with Derek Fisher guarding Tony Parker.

San Antonio is 6-0 at home and 2-4 on the road in this year’s playoffs. Tony Parker leads the Spurs in scoring in the playoffs at 23.7 points per game.  Manu Ginobili is averaging 20 points, 4 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the postseason. Forward Tim Duncan is averaging 19.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. Head coach Gregg Popovich has an all-time record of 100-55 in the playoffs.

MVP Kobe Bryant is leading the Lakers in scoring at 33.3 points per game. Pau Gasol is averaging 20 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the postseason. Head coach Phil Jackson is 187-79 in the postseason.

During the regular season, the teams split four games with each team winning their home games. Here are the betting stats for Wednesday’s game.  The Spurs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Conference Finals games. The Spurs are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. the Pacific. The Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 playoff games as an underdog. The Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog. The Spurs are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games.

The Lakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 3 or more days of rest. The Lakers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as a home favorite.
The Lakers are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall.  The Lakers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 playoff games as a favorite. The Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 NBA betting Conference Finals games. The Lakers are 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 vs. the Southwest. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams.

The Under is 4-1 in the Spurs last 5 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Over is 4-1 in the Spurs last 5 Conference Finals games. The Over is 5-2 in the Spurs last 7 vs. the Pacific. The Under is 5-2-1 in the Spurs last 8 overall.
The Under is 7-3 in the Spurs last 10 Wednesday games. The Under is 13-6-1 in the Spurs last 20 games as an underdog.

The Over is 4-1 in the Lakers last 5 overall. The Over is 6-2 in the Lakers last 8 Conference Finals games. The Over is 5-2 in the Lakers last 7 games as a home favorite. The Over is 12-5 in the last 17 meetings in Los Angeles between the two teams.

Pick: Hard to go against the Spurs in any game, they are built for the post-season. After seven games it may take 1 for them to get there legs back so look for the Lakers to win this one. Lakers -6.5 2units

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets (Series tied 3-3)
Monday, 8:35 pm Eastern – TNT

SBG Global Opening Line: Hornets  - 4 , Total  182

The San Antonio Spurs will try and accomplish something that not many teams have done in the NBA playoffs this season and that is pull off a road win.  The defending NBA champs have not won in New Orleans in the playoffs and have been blown out in each game.  They will hope to rely upon their experience in tonight’s Game 7.  The Hornets on the other hand will be hoping that home court and All-Stars Chris Paul and David West can carry them to victory. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Hornets at Home.

The Hornets have not lost at home in the playoffs and will have a big edge on Monday. “We knew it was going to be a long series, the type of team we’re dealing with,” said West, “The reason we fought out games throughout the regular season was to be able to have a Game 7 on your home floor. We’ve been able to do that, so we’ve got to take advantage of the opportunity we have.” Both teams have been dominant on their home floor in this series.  Now it all comes down to one game with the winner advancing to the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. “You’ve just got to be very focused, knowing that you can’t blink, that you can’t let the other team get on a run, get confident on a run,” said Manu Ginobili, “It’s going to be a really tense game with a lot of adrenaline. Fans are going to be going nuts. So it’s going to be a very fun game to play.”

SBG Global Current Line: Hornets  - 4.5, Total  182.5

The Spurs have never come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a playoff series in their history. “We’ll see if we thrive on pressure after Monday’s game. We still don’t know,” Ginobili said. “It’s a great test for both teams. A lot of pressure, as I said before, and we’re going to try to be the ones that respond to that pressure the best way.”

Here are the NBA betting stats for Monday’s game.  The Spurs are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games as a road underdog. The Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog. The Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Monday games. The Spurs are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings in New Orleans.

The Hornets are 22-7 ATS in their last 29 games as a home favorite. The Hornets are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Monday games. The favorite is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams and the home team is 7-0 ATS in the last 7 meetings.

The Over is 4-0 in the Spurs last 4 Monday games. The Under is 18-8-1 in the Spurs last 27 vs. the Southwest. The Over is 9-4-1 in the Spurs last 14 playoff games as an underdog.

The Under is 5-2-1 in the Hornets last 8 vs. the Southwest. The Over is 18-8-3 in the Hornets last 29 games as a home favorite.

Pick: Going with the home team. Hornets -4 and over the total 3 units each

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers (Celtics lead 3-2)
Friday, 8:05 pm Eastern – ESPN

SBG Global Opening Line: Cavaliers  - 2 , Total  179

Things have gotten much tougher for the Cleveland Cavaliers in their series against the Boston Celtics.  Not only do they have to win on Friday to force a Game 7, they must do it without one of their best shooters as Daniel Gibson will miss the game with a separated shoulder.  It will be up to LeBron James to lead the Cavaliers on Friday. “It’s something we didn’t want to happen,” James said, “It’s kind of the tale of our season - a guy goes down in the heat of a playoff series. He’s very key to our team. It’s not good seeing a guy who is that key to your team in a suit.”
SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Cavaliers at Home.

The Cavaliers blew a 14 point lead on Wednesday in Boston as they missed free throws and gave the game away. Gibson has played a key role in the playoffs for Cleveland as he is one of the few outside threats the Cavaliers have to score.  Last year he scored 31 points in the playoffs against Detroit.  Now the Cavaliers will have to find someone else to score other than James. “We’re not looking for a spectacular game from anybody,” said James, “We just want to continue to do what we’ve been doing in the two wins we’ve had at home - guys stepped up. We’re not looking for a guy to go out and score 30 points or anything like that.” The Cavaliers will probably look to either Devin Brown or Damon Jones to replace Gibson or perhaps Sasha Pavlovic will get more minutes.

SBG Global Current Line: Cavaliers  - 2.5 , Total  179

The Cavaliers are not happy about being down 3-2 in the series after having the Celtics on the ropes in Game Five.  The third quarter was the downfall of the Cavaliers as the Celtics outscored them 29-17. “We had them on their heels,” Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said, “(In the second half) It just seemed like we really weren’t into it. We came out a half-step slow.”

What helped the Celtics in Game Five was the play of point guard Rajon Rondo, who scored 20 points and had 13 assists.  He hit some big shots to keep the Celtics in the game. “If they’re going to leave him open, I want him to shoot it,” Boston head coach Doc Rivers said. “But I don’t want him to look for it.” Boston will try and get their first road win of the playoffs on Friday. They are 0-5 on the road so far. Eventually the trend of home teams winning in the playoffs should end but so far it has been amazing.  Before Thursday’s Hornets-Spurs game the home teams were 19-1 in the second round.  The lone win came by one point when Detroit won at Orlando.
“I guess we could bring the scorekeepers, and bring all the wives on the road,” Rivers said. “We’re not going to do that. We’re just going to show up and play basketball.”

Cleveland does not seem worried about Friday’s game. “You can’t panic,” guard Delonte West said. “This is when it gets fun. This is when you see what your team is made of.”

Here are the NBA betting stats for Friday’s game.  The Celtics are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games as an underdog. The Celtics are 40-16 ATS in their last 56 games as a road underdog. The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Celtics are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 Conference Semifinals games. The Celtics are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 road games. The underdog is 8-3-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings between the two teams but the Celtics are 2-6 ATS in the last 8 meetings in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 playoff games as a favorite. The Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Conference Semifinals games. The Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite. The Cavaliers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 Friday games.

The Over is 4-1 in the Celtics last 5 road games. The Under is 15-6 in the Celtics last 21 vs. the Central. The Under is 5-2 in the Celtics last 7 games as a road underdog.

The Under is 13-3 in the Cavaliers last 16 Conference Semifinals games. The Under is 4-1 in the Cavaliers last 5 Friday games. The Under is 7-2 in the Cavaliers last 9 vs. the Atlantic. The Under is 14-4 in the Cavaliers last 18 games as a home favorite. The Under is 12-5 in the Cavaliers last 17 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 12-5 in the Cavaliers last 17 overall.

Pick: Cant go against the home teams this postseason as they are 20-1. Nice low line here Cavs 4units

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz (Lakers lead 3-2)
Friday, 10:35 pm Eastern – ESPN

SBG Global Opening Line: Jazz  - 4 , Total  211.5

The Utah Jazz will look to use the NBA’s best home court edge to even their best of seven series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The Lakers won 111-104 on Wednesday and could clinch if they can win at Utah.  The Jazz had a good chance to win Game Five at Los Angeles but let their chance slip away and now must win on Friday to force a Game Seven. “If we lose, we go home,” Utah forward Matt Harpring said. “We certainly don’t want to lose on our home court the last game of the year. No way.”
SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Lakers on the Road.

The Lakers are hurting a little bit entering Friday’s game.  Kobe Bryant is nursing a sore back while other starters are banged up.  Bryant and three other starters sat out Thursday’s practice.  The Lakers would like to win on Friday and give Kobe some extra rest. “The message is being under control. It’s about execution at this point. It’s about winning the game,” Lakers’ head coach Phil Jackson said. “There’s a lot of intensity. We probably have to play 10 points better than we did last night (Wednesday) to win it.”

Kobe led the Lakers on Wednesday with 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds. “Incredible, as always,” Lamar Odom said. “Kobe made plays for us when he needed to.”  The Jazz had a number of excellent chances to win Wednesday’s game but couldn’t control rebounds and that cost them the game. “You watch the tape of the game, you wish you could jump in the screen and play it all over again,” said Utah’s Carlos Boozer, “I thought we had the opportunity to take the lead a few times, and looking back on it, it’s definitely frustrating. You put the pressure on the home team if you get the lead.”

SBG Global Current Line: Jazz  - 2, Total  213

About the only positive for the Jazz was that the game gave them confidence that they could win a Game 7 in Los Angeles.  To force that game the Jazz must win on Friday night.  “We’ve got two left with them,” Boozer said. “We’ve got to win tomorrow night to have the second one.” The Jazz are 1-1 when hosting a Game 6 and trailing 3-2 in the series over the past decade.  The loss was in the 1998 NBA Finals when Michael Jordan hit one of his most memorable shots in his career to eliminate the Jazz. “I think it’s exciting myself. I always have loved to be in those situations. If you like to play, what better position could you be in?” Utah head coach Jerry Sloan said. “They have to come and beat us, and we hope we don’t beat ourselves.”

The Jazz are getting excellent play in the series from point guard Deron Williams.  He is averaging almost 23 points and 11 assists in this series. He had 27 points and 10 assists on Wednesday and was the best player for the Jazz.

Here are the NBA betting stats for Friday’s game.  The Lakers are 7-1-1 ATS in their last 9 games as a road underdog. The Lakers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Lakers are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall. The Lakers are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 Conference Semifinals games. The Lakers are 21-8-2 ATS in their last 31 games as an underdog. The Lakers are 35-17-2 ATS in their last 54 road games. The Lakers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 Friday games. The Lakers are 3-7-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Utah.

The Jazz are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 Friday games. The Jazz are 7-2-2 ATS in their last 11 playoff games as a favorite. The Jazz are 38-13-2 ATS in their last 53 games as a home favorite. The Jazz are 39-15-2 ATS in their last 56 home games. The Jazz are 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 games playing on 1 day of rest. The home team is 10-3-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings between the two teams.

The Under is 4-0 in the Lakers last 4 games as a road underdog. The Over is 10-4 in the Lakers last 14 Friday games.

The Under is 4-1 in Utah’s last 5 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Over is 23-8 in Utah’s last 31 vs. the Pacific. The Over is 13-6 in the last 19 meetings between the two teams.

Pick: There is no other way to go then to take the home team! Jazz 4 units. Home teams are 20-1 this year, with the lone loss coming from Magic.

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
New Orleans Hornets at San Antonio Spurs (Hornets lead 3-2)
Thursday, 9:05 pm Eastern – ESPN

SBG Global Opening Line: Spurs – 7.5 , Total  184.5

The San Antonio Spurs will hope that the trend of home teams winning in the playoffs continues for at least one more game on Thursday as they host the New Orleans Hornets.  The Spurs trail three games to two and must win to send the series back to New Orleans for a Game Seven. The Hornets know that they have a chance to end the series on Thursday. “The best opportunity for us is really tomorrow (Thursday). We’ve got to look at it that way,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “We’ve got a chance to close out the defending champions. Obviously we know it’s going to be a very, very tough game to do that, especially in San Antonio.” SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Spurs at Home.

The series has been dominated by the home team.  The Hornets routed the Spurs in the first two games in New Orleans, were blown out at San Antonio in Games 3 and 4 and then routed the Spurs in Game Five back in New Orleans.  If the trend continues in this series then the Spurs should play well on Thursday. “The bottom line is that the better team wins in a seven-game series,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I’ve always said that. So whoever wins the series it will be because they’re the better team.”

The Hornets will try and reverse the trend in this series and take the momentum of the Game Five win into Thursday’s game.  “That’s something we’re going to talk about probably all day and before the game tomorrow,” New Orleans guard Chris Paul said. “When you make shots and stuff like that, it helps a lot, but we just got to find some way somehow.” It was David West that led the Hornets in Game 5.  He had 38 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.  The Hornets are not relaxing knowing that Game 7 would be back in New Orleans. “We can’t relax and say, ‘All right, we’ll wait to beat them when we come back here,”‘ Paul said. “We need to win tomorrow (Thursday).”

SBG Global Current Line: Spurs - 7, Total  184

None of the games in this series have been close.  The home team has won by blowout margins each time.  The Spurs will try and use that home court advantage to extend the series. “We know their backs are against the wall and they’re going to come at us with everything they got,” Scott said.

The Spurs have never won back-to-back NBA titles.  They could already be considered a dynasty though with four titles in the last 10 years.  To continue their quest for a title this season they must win on Thursday.

Here are the NBA betting stats for Thursday’s game.  The Hornets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Hornets are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 vs. the Western Conference. The Hornets are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 playoff games as an underdog. The Hornets are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as a road underdog. The Hornets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Hornets are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games.

The Spurs are 15-3-2 ATS in their last 20 playoff games as a favorite. The
Spurs are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite. The Spurs are 7-15-1 ATS in their last 23 vs. the Southwest. The Spurs are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 Thursday games. The Spurs are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Spurs are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between the two teams and the home team is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

The Under is 6-1 in the Hornets last 7 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Over is 6-1 in the Hornets last 7 Thursday games. The Under is 5-1-1 in the Hornets last 7 playoff games as an underdog. The Over is 8-2-1 in the Hornets last 11 Conference Semifinals games. The Over is 8-3 in the Hornets last 11 games as a road underdog.

The Over is 4-1 in the Spurs last 5 games as a home favorite. The Over is 4-1 in the Spurs last 5 Thursday games. The Over is 7-2 in the Spurs last 9 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. The Over is 8-3-1 in the Spurs last 12 overall. The Over is 13-6-1 in the Spurs last 20 Conference Semifinals games. The Under is 17-8-1 in the Spurs last 26 vs. the Southwest. The Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in San Antonio between the two teams.

Pick: Despite the trend of Home teams winning and covering, Look for the Hornets to buck the trend and win outright or keep it very close. Hornets +7.5 4units

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers (Series tied 2-2)
Wednesday, 10:35 pm Eastern – TNT

SBG Global Opening Line: Lakers  - 8.5, Total  214

The Los Angeles Lakers have hit a roadblock in their quest to reach the NBA finals as the Utah Jazz decided it won’t be a cakewalk for the Lakers.  Utah won both of their home games to even the best of seven series at two games each.  They now head to Los Angeles to face a Lakers team that may not have league MVP Kobe Bryant at full strength.  He injured his back in Game Four and was still sore. “Quite a bit (of pain), but it’s a lot better than it was yesterday,” Bryant said, “It’ll be fine.”  Kobe had 33 points in the Game Five overtime loss. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Jazz on the Road.

The Lakers head home where they have owned the Jazz in the past. “We know we have homecourt advantage. We earned it,” Los Angeles head coach Phil Jackson said. “We feel very confident in our building.” Los Angeles is 16-3 at home against the Jazz since Staples Center opened in 1999. “To win the series, we have to win on the road,” Utah’s Matt Harpring said, “So we haven’t gotten anywhere yet. The series is basically 0-0 and now it’s the best two-out-of-three.”  Teams in the 2008 NBA playoffs just haven’t been able to win on the road.  Entering Tuesday night the home teams were 15-1 in the playoffs.  The Jazz know they must win a game on the road and they want it to be on Wednesday.  They know they can’t start out slow and expect to recover. “This is a big game. It’s a momentum game and it puts a lot of pressure on whoever doesn’t win,” Utah’s Deron Williams said. “You can always expect a couple guys to be the same at home and away. I think I have to be one of those guys. You’ve got to be maybe even more aggressive on the road and try to pick up some of the slack. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

SBG Global Current Line: Lakers  - 8.5, Total  213.5

Here are the NBA betting stats for Wednesday’s game. The Jazz are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 playoff games as an underdog. The Jazz are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall. The Jazz are 0-6 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Los Angeles

The Lakers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite. The Lakers are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Lakers are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 Conference Semifinals games. The home team is 6-1-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings between the two teams.

The Over is 4-0 in Utah’s last 4 Wednesday games. The Under is 4-1 in Utah’s last 5 games as a road underdog. The Over is 22-8 in Utah’s last 30 vs. the Pacific.

The Under is 5-2 in the Lakers last 7 overall. The Under is 7-3 in the Lakers last 10 Wednesday games. The Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Los Angeles between the two teams.

Pick: Jazz +8.5 4units - Kobe is banged up without him 100% the Jazz will keep it close!

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics (Series tied 2-2)
Wednesday, 8:05 pm Eastern – TNT

SBG Global Opening Line: Celtics – 8.5, Total  176.5

The Boston Celtics had the NBA’s best regular season record but in the playoffs they have looked very beatable.  After winning the first two games at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics lost both road games and now the series is tied 2-2.  The Celtics are now 0-5 on the road in the playoffs and it has many of the players concerned. “There is some frustration,” center P.J. Brown said “But up to this point, it hasn’t gotten under our skin.”  The Celtics went an NBA-best 31-10 on the road in the regular season but have looked terrible on the road in the playoffs including the last two games in Cleveland. “The key is winning the series. Whether it’s at home or on the road, you just try to win it,” Paul Pierce said. “It’s a three-game series, with two of them at home.” SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Celtics at Home.

The good news for Boston is that they still have home-court advantage and they are unbeaten at home in the playoffs. “We earned that right to have home-court advantage,” Boston head coach Doc Rivers said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with why we haven’t won a road game. We haven’t played well on the road, and we have to do better.”  The Celtics also know they must win Game Five because they sure can’t count on winning a Game Six at Cleveland. “I’m not even thinking about a Game 7. That’s definitely the idea: Get a win (Wednesday) night and try to close it out in Game 6,” Pierce said. “We definitely have to play well (in Game 5), because we haven’t been playing well on the road. You kind of want to treat it like a Game 7, because you can’t count on winning Game 6.”

SBG Global Current Line: Celtics – 8.5, Total  176.5

The Cavaliers are not in any better shape than the Celtics considering they haven’t won on the road in this series either. They at least have a road win the playoffs though, at Washington in Game 6 of that series. “It just shows how strong you are as a team to be able to go into a hostile environment and stick together and come out with a win,” Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson said, “Once you’ve experienced an environment, going back to it is kind of like, ‘We’ve been here before.’ And we felt like we were right there to win a game. So we know what we’re capable of doing on their floor and we’re going into it with a lot of confidence.”

The Cavaliers nearly won Game 1 in Boston but LeBron James missed a layup that would have tied the game. “You can win all your home games and get a championship that way. I don’t think that has ever been done,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “You’ve got to get some road wins to be a champion, at least that’s the history of the game. I tell our guys, if you expect to win in the playoffs, you’ve got to know how to defend and you’ve got to know how to win on the road.”

Here are the NBA betting stats for Wednesday’s game. The Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. the Atlantic. The Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Conference Semifinals games. The Cavaliers are 35-16-1 ATS in their last 52 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The Cavaliers are 15-7 ATS in their last 22 playoff games as an underdog. The Cavaliers are 5-2-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings in Boston. The underdog is 7-3-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings between the two teams.

The Celtics are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Wednesday games. The Celtics are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games as a home favorite. The Celtics are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 vs. the Central. The Celtics are 24-11 ATS in their last 35 games overall. The Celtics are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 Conference Semifinals games.

The Under is 7-1 in the Cavaliers last 8 vs. the Atlantic. The Under is 13-3 in the Cavaliers last 16 Conference Semifinals games. The Under is 7-2 in the Cavaliers last 9 games as an underdog. The Under is 16-5 in the Cavaliers last 21 playoff games as an underdog. The Under is 12-4 in the Cavaliers last 16 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 6-2 in the Cavaliers last 8 games as a road underdog. The Under is 12-4 in the Cavaliers last 16 overall.

The Under is 5-1 in the Celtics last 6 games as a home favorite. The Under is 4-1 in the Celtics last 5 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 4-1 in the Celtics last 5 overall. The Under is 9-4 in the Celtics last 13 playoff games as a favorite. The Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Boston between the two teams.

Pick: Stick with the home teams as they have been red hot! Celtics 5 units