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NBA: Orlando looks to even the score (8:05 PM ET, ABC)
2009-06-08

The great thing about the NBA Finals is no matter how magnified a blowout win or loss is, it only counts for one game. The Los Angeles Lakers showed in Game 1 against Orlando why they were favored to win the NBA title, with conclusive 100-75 mauling. This was the third consecutive full team effort from the Lakers, who might be finally matching everyone’s expectations. Orlando will try to bounce back in Game 2 on Sunday night. Most bettors don’t believe they will, as with the pointspread set at Lakers -6.5, over 90% of the early action goes that way according to the BETTING TRENDS page.

If Kobe Bryant continues with the “mean face” he might land a few minor acting roles as villain or thug. The way he played in the series opener, he might be on his way to MVP after scoring 40 points, while dishing out eight assists and snaring the same amount of rebounds. It was rather evident, Bryant was setting the tone for the Lakers intensity and anybody wearing a gold uniform that wasn’t going to play hard, might as well grab some bench or face the wrath of Kobe the Terrible.
The Los Angeles defensive game plan was brilliant, holding Orlando to 29.9 percent shooting. The Magic are unlikely to shoot as woefully again in the series, nonetheless the difference between how Cleveland defended Orlando’s long range shooters and what the Lakers did was clear. The Cavaliers defense is more structured and is not as good straying 20 feet away from the rim. Los Angeles, when focused, has the athletes and length to contest three point shots and when Orlando players give ball-fakes and drive to basket, a number of tall Lakers are part of the greeting committee.

That was the Lakers first cover of a NBA Finals game in last dozen tries (1-10-1 ATS) and it does not guarantee they will cover the 6.5-point spread at Sportsbook.com for next contest. Since 1997, the last 20 teams that won by 10 or more points are only 12-8 and 10-8-2 ATS in next contest.

You have to chuckle about what teams say about injuries. Jameer Nelson was either “definitely out” or “will not play under any circumstances”, yet a guy wearing number 14, with “Nelson” on a back of deep water blue Orlando jersey played better than 23 minutes in the opening contest. Coach Stan Van Gundy may have opened the Pandora’s Box in letting Nelson play so much, as Rafer Alston was rendered useless. Alston is smart enough to know Nelson is a better shooter, probably a better playmaker, but it was he who took over the squad at the point guard and helped bring the team into the Finals.
Nelson was immediately effective upon hitting the floor, however after about the six minute mark of playing; he was ineffectual like the rest of his teammates. Van Gundy has potentially hazardous situation to workout.

The Magic got away a little too quickly from the big man in the middle, when the game was still within reach just before the midpoint of third quarter. Dwight Howard totaled six shots, with ONE make and was 10 for 16 from the charity stripe. Orlando offense works best most nights when they play inside-out, giving the touches the broad-shouldered one has requested. The Magic are 15-4 ATS off a road loss and 14-3 against the spread if it is by double digits.

Orlando complained outwardly about not being mentally ready, but what they were really saying they weren’t ready for was Kobe and the Lakers actually prepared to play 48 minutes. The Magic have had two days of preparation to make adjustments and forgettable loss is easy to shake for a team that is 13-5-1 ATS who about 71 hours between assignments.

Phil Jackson will presume Howard will see the ball with a higher frequency and be more aggressive in taking it to the hoop. His players might need to be a few inches even closer in second encounter, with Orlando likely hitting more of their shots. Offensively, keep attacking the Magic off the dribble and have motion that sets up Lamar Odom and Luke Walton for interior baskets. The Lakers also are very solid off two days of rest with 8-2 ATS mark.

The total has been reduced to 202 and L.A. is 12-2 UNDER as a postseason favorite. You have to figure the Magic bunch can’t play any worse and are 20-11 UNDER when the total is greater than or equal to 200.

The start time Sunday for Game 2 moves up an hour to 8 Eastern and Hedu Turkoglu and the guys will have to bring more game if they expect to improve upon recent 7-2 ATS run.



NBA: 25 Top NBA Finals Trends
2009-06-03

The 2009 NBA Finals might not offer the matchup that everyone expected, but it should still be a competitive series, and one that commands attention from bettors everywhere. Besides all of the specific key matchup info that we have available for you on the GAME MATCHUP for this intriguing series, take a look at this list of 25 Top NBA Finals’ Betting Angles we’ve put together for you. They are broken up into several categories. After soaking this up, head over to the LIVE ODDS page to get in on the action yourself.

EASTERN/WESTERN CONFERENCE TRENDS

* The EASTERN CONFERENCE has won seven straight NBA Finals games against the spread after the West had won eight of the prior 10.

* Overall, since ’97, the WESTERN CONFERENCE holds a 37-29 SU edge, but the ATS series is tied 32-32-2.

* The EASTERN CONFERENCE has only been the FAVORITE in 21 of the last 67 NBA Finals’ games. Their record in that role: 18-3 SU & 12-9 ATS.

* The WESTERN CONFERENCE has accumulated a 33-10 SU & 22-19-2 ATS mark as chalk in the NBA Finals since ’97.

FAVORITE/UNDERDOG TRENDS

* Dating back to ’97, ROAD TEAMS playing as FAVORITES or in pick em’ spreads are 12-2 SU & 9-4-1 ATS.

* The UNDERDOG team won four of the six games in the 2008 NBA Finals against the spread.

* SMALL HOME FAVORITES have been a great bet in the NBA Finals, as those laying 4-1/2 points or less are 18-4 SU & 15-7 ATS since ’97.

* It’s been a dangerous proposition to lay big points in the NBA Finals of late. Dating back to 2000, FAVORITES of 7-1/2 points or more are 9-3 SU but just 2-9-1 ATS.

OVER/UNDER TRENDS

* UNDER has been the total of choice in NBA Finals games of late, 10-6 over the course of the last three series’.

* Thursday’s Game 1 of the ’09 Finals between Orlando and the Lakers will be the first Finals’ game in over 12 years with a total of 200 or more.

* In the last 20 NBA Finals’ games with posted totals of 190 or above, the OVER has been the winning total 12 times, as opposed to 8 UNDER’s.

SERIES GAME NUMBER TRENDS

* The HOME TEAM is 5-1 SU & ATS in Game 1 of the NBA Finals dating back to 2003.

* Game 1 of the NBA Finals has gone UNDER the total five straight times.

* The HOME TEAM is also 5-0 SU & 4-0-1 ATS in Game 2 of the NBA Finals since ’04, with the last four teams owning home court advantage in the series going up 2-0.

* Although HOME TEAMS own a 4-1 SU edge in the L5 Game 3’s of the NBA Finals, the ROAD TEAMS have swept the last three ATS.

* The EASTERN CONFERENCE has owned Game 4 of the NBA Finals of late, going 5-1 SU & ATS since ’03.

* FAVORITES have also dominated Game 4 in the NBA Finals, 11-1 SU & 8-4 ATS since ’97.

* Home court advantage virtually disappears once Game 5 of the NBA Finals arrives, as the last 18 games from then on have been split 9-9 SU with ROAD TEAMS owning a distinct 12-6 ATS edge.

* OVER has been the correct total wager in nine of the last 13 NBA Finals Game 5’s and beyond.

SEED NUMBER TRENDS

* There have been three teams in the NBA Finals playing as seeds #3 or lower since ’02. They have performed very well: At home, those teams are 9-1 SU & 8-2 ATS in that span. On the road, they are 5-4 SU & 5-2-2 ATS.

* #1 seeds have had some trouble protecting the home court vs. non-#1 seeds, just 3-7 SU & 2-6-2 ATS since ’01 in the NBA Finals. However, on the road they are 6-1 ATS in that same time frame.

SCORING TRENDS

* The benchmark point total for HOME TEAMS to reach is 96 points in the NBA Finals. When doing so, they are 26-5 SU & 18-11-2 ATS since ’97.

* When HOME TEAMS have eclipsed the 92-point mark in the NBA Finals, OVER the total is 23-9 since ’97. When they don’t score 93 points or more, the UNDER is 31-3.

* For ROAD TEAMS, the magic-mark seems to be 93 points. When they reach that total, they are 14-7 SU & 19-1-1 ATS since ‘98.

* Although a point total for any team of 80 or less this year seems unlikely between the Magic and Lakers, past ROAD TEAMS that have failed to eclipse the 80-point mark are just 2-16 SU & ATS in the NBA Finals since ’97.


NBA: Can Orlando closeout Cavs at home? (8:35 PM ET, TNT)
2009-05-29

From sweaty t-shirts printed, to songs from Cold World and Non Phixion, the story is all the same – Refuse to Lose. That is what the Cleveland Cavaliers did at home and they live to play again in Game 6 in Orlando. The chief architect was a familiar face, LeBron James and while he deserves the king’s share of credit, he hardly did it by himself this time. His team will look to force a deciding Game 7 contest on Monday with a win in Orlando Saturday night. The Magic opened as a 2-point favorite at Sportsbook. Follow the line and betting action right up until tip-time.
The focus on news outlets was James triple-double; however this time he had comrades in arms, who were ready to seize the moment. LeBron was also helped by the fact his coach Mike Brown, made adjustments prior to the game, which kept the Magic off-balance and could play into how long this Eastern Final continues.

Cleveland started the game with best ball movement of the series, having all five players on the floor involved and it paid immediate dividends with both Mo Williams and Delonte West making shots and restoring their confidence. Of course with Orlando, take nothing for granted and by halftime, the Cavaliers 17-point lead had melted faster than a Disney snow cone in June, with Cleveland up by just a single point after 24 minutes.

The third quarter was back and forth, with Orlando showing why they were 17-4 ATS playing as underdog coming into Game 5 and held slim one digit lead after three quarters.

With Cleveland 6-1 ATS in last seven games after breaking century mark in points, it was James will that did not allow his team to lose. After receiving much credit for guarding LeBron well, Orlando’s Mickael Pietrus more resembled Wally Szczerbiak trying to contain James. When LeBron needed to score he did, when he needed to find open shooter, he did and this time his teammates responded.

Coach Brown added a new offense wrinkle that widened the area James had at the top of the key, giving him more freedom to roam than a person wanting breakfast at dinner time at IHOP. This spacing prevented effective Orlando double-teams and set up Cleveland shooters to “walk into” shots in rhythm. Because of how effective this adjustment worked, coach Ron Jeremy, whoops, Stan Van Gundy will have to come up with an answer to counter, otherwise this series heads back to Cleveland.

The Cavaliers are 8-0 ATS in road games after failing to cover four of their last five contests against the spread since 2007, winning by almost six points a game (5.8). Coach Brown and James, have their fingers crossed the Cavs guards have rediscovered shooting touch and reserve Daniel Gibson can come off the bench and supply double digits again. Cleveland is a two-point underdog at Sportsbook.com, with a total of 193, easily the highest of the series. The Cavs are 14-4 ATS after scoring 110 points or more and seemed resigned to the fact they have to outscore Orlando, rather than out-defend them.

This will be the Magic’s second opportunity in the postseason to clinch series at Amway Arena, having failed in same spot against Boston. Orlando is 10-1 ATS at home after a loss by 10 points or more and 14-2 against the spread in downtown Orlando after allowing 110 points or more two straight games. The Magic will have to bring sterner defense, as Cavs shot 50 percent from the field and the three-balls. Dwight Howard needs more than 10 attempts and he has to be more assertive on offensive glass then snagging three boards.

Rashard Lewis can’t be so passive and Rafer Alston can’t miss nine of 10 shots. Coach Van Gundy must talk about ball movement, since Orlando had as many assists (12) as LeBron did.

Game 6 should be fascinating on TNT starting at 8:35 Eastern and totals players; here is a sterling system to consider - Play OVER when the total is between 190 to 199.5 points in the sixth game of a playoff series. (22-4, 84.6 percent L13Y)


NBA: Lakers stir pot, try to chew up Nuggets (9:00 PM ET, ABC)
2009-05-29

It turned out to be true; Kobe Bryant of the Lakers really does have teammates that want to win and are willing to put forth the effort to do so. Because Kobe finally was comforted with company, Los Angeles is within one game of return trip to NBA Finals, though not without a little controversy along the way, which makes for good playoff fodder. After reading more about this Game 6 Western Conference Finals encounter, be sure to head right over to the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages for the latest info to make sure you’re on the right side of the wagering action.

An anonymous member of the Denver Nuggets told the Denver Post, "The Lakers paid $50,000 to win that game," he said. "They got their money's worth." He was referring to 25 grand in fines David Stern’s minions handed out to coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers organization for comments after Game 4.

Denver’s George Karl lamented essentially, the squeaky wheel gets taken care of and the Lakers got the benefit of calls for critical Game 5. Evidently Karl has no sense of history, since this coaching showmanship has gone on since Eddie Gottlieb’s Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Staggs to win first ever NBA title in 1947.

Having watched the entire game with no sound (don’t ask, just trust it made sense to me), I never got the sense the officiating was one-sided. I did however take note that Denver stopped taking the ball to the rim in the fourth quarter and was 5 for 21 shooting in last 12 minutes. I also noticed the strong interior defense of Denver completely fell apart in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers ran screens to set up isolation plays and scored six baskets that I recall within three feet of basket.

The first 17 minutes of the game was played like any regular season game, as neither team was emotionally involved, until both teams had manufactured exciting dunks, which revved up the crowd and the emotions of players.

Lamar Odom, showed why he can be the difference between L.A. being among the best teams, to NBA champs when he adds 19 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. Derek Fisher tossed in a dozen points and though he saw limited minutes, Andrew Bynum contributed when on the floor. In fact, the Lakers bench outscored the Denver reserves 34-26, which is telling, with final margin of victory nine points.

Denver is 17-7 ATS revenging a road loss and is backed into corner. The Nuggets never matched the same intensity they had the first two games in La-La Land, even as they built seven-point lead midway thru the third quarter. This was proven as they had no answer to blunt Lakers rush that saw them run off 23 of next 28 points to wrestle control of contest. The Lakers finally challenged Karl’s troops with unfamiliar style, playing intense defense.

The Lakers enter Game 6 as five-point underdogs and are 8-3 ATS when Sportsbook.com or another oddsmaker places them in that position. Only one game has exceeded the total in West Finals and Los Angeles is 9-1 UNDER in conference finals. Denver is 7-0 against the number off a straight up loss and is 8-1 ATS as home favorites. Of the last 12 games the Nuggets have played against winning teams, 10 have gone UNDER the number.

It’s do-or-die for Carmelo Anthony and mates, and as the Lakers have shown, they don’t necessarily have the killer instinct to polish off opponent. If should be quite an atmosphere at the Pepsi Center, with Denver trying to avoid falling to 3-11 ATS when trailing in playoff series and head back to downtown Los Angeles for Sunday showdown.