Articles by Cappers Picks related to online NBA betting, and handicapping live nba matchups.
Those going over boxing odds can practice up for this weekend’s fights with a number of slugfests taking place on the hardwood on Wednesday and Thursday in NBA betting action. On Wednesday, Orlando, Atlanta and Denver will host the second game of their matchups, while on Thursday, Boston, the Lakers and San Antonio will head out on the road for their third games.
Each NBA playoff betting series is a game old and, while a single game hardly determines a series, online betting players did notice some interesting – and, in some cases, alarming – signs over the weekend.
How will tonight’s games play out in each series?
The NBA playoffs started off with a shocker Saturday afternoon and were later followed by another only because of the circumstances.
Could Boston or San Antonio really be in danger of losing two home games to open series and have to travel into enemy territory search for two wins?
Based on opening game performances, the answer is yes, but will bettors take the line-makers bait on new numbers?
Bulls at Celtics (-8, 196) – 7:05 pm ET (TNT)
Tale of Two Teams
The Bulls pulled the upset in Game 1 as an 8½-point underdog and they covered from start to finish as they never trailed by more than five points the entire day. Chicago became a better team in late February after they acquired John Salmons and Brad Miller from the Kings. Salmons averages more than 36 minutes per game and finished the regular season ranked second in scoring (17.6 ppg), while Brad Miller averages more than 27 minutes per game and is fifth on the team in scoring (11.8 ppg).
The Utah Jazz have no-one but themselves to blame for their precarious postseason positioning.
The Jazz faded down the stretch, eventually winding up in the Western Conference’s #8 spot. Since going 15-1 in a torrid stretch from February 2nd through March 10th, Utah sputtered to a 7-11 finish.
NBA Oddsmakers don’t give the Jazz much of a chance in their Best-of-7 series versus the Lakers, making bettors lay $2000 for every $100 they’d like to win by backing Los Angeles.
The Houston Rockets look to take the upstart Portland Trail Blazers to school tonight in game one of the NBA Picks Playoff series. One focus of the Rockets will be Brandon Roy who is averaging 22.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game this NBA Picks season. He’s had 55 games with 20 or more points, and 12 with 30 or more.
No NBA team has been worse in the postseason than Denver.
In fact, the Nuggets are just 2-16 SU & 3-15 ATS in their L18 playoff games.
The franchise believes those struggles are behind them, and for good reason. With the mid-season trade for Chauncey Billups, Denver acquired one of the league’s most clutch playoff performers, a player with a long history of postseason success.
Cleveland (1) vs. Detroit (8)
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Key to series: Neither team attacks the boards too hard. If Detroit can talk Rasheed Wallace into joining Antonio McDyess inside every now and then, the Pistons could make it mildly interesting in what might be the final go-around for this group of veterans before the team is blown up.
Boston (2) vs. Chicago (7)
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Key to series: First Tom Brady, and now this? Garnett’s injury takes title No. 18 out of play, but the Celtics should have enough juice to get by the Bulls. The battle at point guard should be ferocious, with Rose and Rajon Rondo both at full throttle.
Orlando (3) vs. Philadelphia (6)
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Key to series: Orlando needs decent play from its perimeter players to clean things out a bit for Howard. Andre Miller is a smart point guard who should outplay Rafer Alston.
Atlanta (4) vs. Miami (5)
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Key to series: Someone, perhaps improving-by-the-minute Michael Beasley, has to step up and take heat off Wade. If that happens, the Heat move on. Hard to see Miami getting beyond Round 2, though.
The Cavaliers and Pistons have been longtime rivals in the NBA’s Central Division, but since Lebron James arrived in Cleveland, the clubs have also built an intense postseason rivalry as well.
They will get together once again in 2009, this time in the first round, and for a change, the Cavaliers are the heavy -3500 favorite.
Most bettors don’t give the Pistons much of a chance. Check the latest percentages on the NBA BETTING TRENDS page.
If the NBA playoffs are a “what have you done for me lately world”, don’t be surprised to see a sizeable upset in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
The #7-seeded Chicago Bulls enter as one of the hottest teams in the league as it prepares to take on defending champion Boston.
In fact, both teams were 12-4 in their L16 games. However, if the teams’ entire body of work is what matters, then it’s clearly advantage Celtics, who find themselves a -500 series favorite at Sportsbook.com.
The 2009 NBA Playoffs get started Saturday and betED.com has odds for all first-round Series, opening-games, and Championship and Conference winners.
The defending champion Boston Celtics get things started Saturday when they host the Chicago Bulls (12:30 pm ET, ESPN).
The long, grueling regular season is over and the NBA playoffs are ready to tip off this Saturday.
Sixteen teams, eight from each conference are all dreaming of bringing home the Title, but only one team will make that dream a reality.
Here is a brief preview of each team along with their odds of winning the 2009 NBA Championship.
Denver (2) vs. New Orleans (7)
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Key to series: Does Billups have much gas left in the tank?
Denver: 54-28
New Orleans : 49-33
Season series: Tied 2-2
Head-to-head:
Denver 101, (at) New Orleans 88
(at) New Orleans 94, Denver 81
(at) Denver 105, New Orleans 100
New Orleans 105, Denver 101
Playoff schedule:
Game 1 – Sun April 19 New Orleans at Denver 10:30PM TNT
Game 2 – Wed April 22 New Orleans at Denver 10:30PM TNT
Game 3 – Sat April 25 Denver at New Orleans 1:00PM ESPN
Game 4 – Mon April 27 Denver at New Orleans TBD
Game 5 * Wed April 29 New Orleans at Denver TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 1 Denver at New Orleans TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 3 New Orleans at Denver TBD
Playoff Gambling Trends: Denver closed the season on a 14-3 run, which started with a win in New Orleans. The Hornets limp in, knowing that just a few more victories would have bumped them up 3 or 4 notches and given them home-court edge in at least one series. The Hornets are still smarting over the 7-game loss to San Antonio last season.
How Denver wins: Chauncey Billups will be outplayed by Chris Paul, but if Billups can moderate the damage, the Nuggets should be OK. George Karl figures out a way to keep Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith focused for 10 days. The Nuggets can play decent defense for a series, but it’s hard to see them dig in for a couple of months.
How New Orleans wins: NO takes full advantage of their edge at the point and Paul turns in big numbers against a weary Billups. James Posey comes of the bench and makes Anthony work for every shot.
Prediction: New Orleans in 7
Props, Halftime, Quarter Line, player props and more. All the lines are at Bodog!
Lawrence Paul is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog, and is a free-lance gambling and travel writer from Massachusetts. He is personally responsible for the election of Barack Obama and has also taught himself how to juggle? He can be reached at newenglandhoops.net.
