NBA Finals/Stanley Cup Predictions and Picks
NBA Finals – Los Angeles Lakers @ Orlando Magic
Game 3 – Tuesday, June 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET
NBA odds favorite: Magic -4
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Well, most people betting online were satisfied with Orlando’s effort in Game 2 – it did beat the spread – but the Magic have to bet better if they want to make the NBA Championship odds competitive. They fixed some problems in Game 2, as Dwight Howard scored more and Rashard Lewis exploded for 34 points and 11 assists. Hedo Turkoglu also found his game, shooting 50 per cent from three-point range and notching 22 points. However, the guard play overall was pretty atrocious for the Magic. Rafer Alston was a massive liability, going 1/8 from the field for just four points, while Jameer Nelson wasn’t much better coming off the bench and Courtney Lee missed what should’ve been the winning shot at the end of regulation time on an alley-oop pass.
Could Nelson’s return be disrupting Orlando’s chemistry? The Lakers are cruising, penciling in the same lineup night after night, with Kobe scoring at his usual elite level and Paul Gasol and Lamar Odom making solid contributions beneath the basket. Either way, those who follow NBA odds should give the Magic one more shot Tuesday night. The home crowd will be wild as the Magic host their first Finals game in 14 years, so the Magic’s inside “D” should have that extra jump. The guards also can’t possibly be as bad as they were in Game 2, and Orlando almost won that game, so the Magic should make this a series, at least until Game 4.
Sports book pick: Magic -4
