Tonight the NBA Championship is going to get under way.  Both the number 1 ranked teams in the Eastern and Western Conference will clash in an all out showdown between two of the best teams.  The L.A. Lakers will travel to Boston tonight as they play game 1.  They will renew one of the greatest rivalries in NBA history dating all the way back to the 1980’s.  It doesn’t matter what happened in the past, this is a new NBA era and this series is going to be one of the best in years.

The Lakers lost both meeting during the regular season to the Celtics, but this was before they acquired Pao Gasol.  Ever since then they have been excellent.  Kobe Bryant leads the way for the Lakers who look to win another championship.  When he is on his game, he is almost un-guardable and can make shots from anywhere on the court.  During these playoffs so far he is averaging tremendous numbers.  He gets 31.9 points per game, 5.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 51% from the field.  If he continues to produce the Lakers are going to be too much for Boston’s defense to handle.  Currently Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have the Celtics as -140 favorites heading into tonight’s game.

The Boston Celtics will need production and consistency out of their big three, Kevin Garnet, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.  Garnett has been the rock of this team on both ends of the floor.  His tremendous defensive intensity is matched equally with his offense.  He is leading the team in playoff scoring, with 21.1 points per game and is also averaging 9.8 boards, 3.5 assists and 1.15 blocks a game.  Paul Pierce is second in command and will need to have a good series if Boston wants to be successful.  He is good for 19 points a game.  The big question is going to be which Ray Allen is going to show up this series?  At times he has played and shot poorly from the field.  Boston is going to need some points out of him if they want to win the Championship. 

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Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics will go head to head in a best-of-seven series for the NBA crown.  The wait of almost a week to get the NBA Finals started is just about over and like most everyone has there NBA predictions, as we're now just hours away from Game 1 tipping off in Boston.  Aah, the memories of hard fouls, big shots, Jack Nicholson's shades and chants of 'Beat L.A.' .  Boston's big 3 (Pierce, Allen and KG) dominated the Eastern Conference with a 66-16 record, do they stand a chance against a red-hot Lakers team?  The oddsmakers at bodoglife.com currently have the Boston -2.5 favorites to LA Lakers heading into this NBA Finals odds prediction.

The biggest concern with the Lakers would be that the Celtics seem like they would dominate them on the boards.  Who controls the boards often controls the pace of the game.  And, as the Celtics would prefer to play slower than the Lakers, that might be an issue.  Though I really can't imagine the Celtics being able to do it four times.  The Celtics like to crowd the lane to the basket when defending.  When the Lakers drive to the basket they have about three guys on him and no passing lane.  The Celtics have been the best defensive team all season long, and the Lakers one of the best top scoring teams in the league this year. 

BEAT LA ! BEAT LA! - great series as two great teams are matched up for your NBA predictions.  Even if Lakers don't win it this year. They won't panic. They have built a team that can contend for at least the next 10 years. They are young, they have improved drastically chemistry-wise under Phil Jackson and next year (there's that name again) Bynum will be back.  Yes, he is a force in this league.   Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't watch basketball.  That's why if Lakers don't win it all this year it really won't be that huge of a blow, because we see brighter pastures ahead.  Bynum, Gasol, Odom in the frontcourt with two veteran, playoff tested backcourt and the best bench in the NBA?  This is not rocket science, Lakers will be favorites next year.  I think Lakers will face the C's more than once in the Finals in the next few years. Get your NBA Final: Lakers vs Celtics Game 1 Prediction in now at BodogLife.com

I think the fact that the Lakers haven't been tested this postseason is going to come back to haunt them. Think about it, they had a bye in the first round ( a heartless Denver team), a Utah team where Boozer didn't show up and a beat up and tired San Antonio team.  They have had home court and been ahead when they hit the road.  What happens when their role players see some adversity.  I really feel like this is going to go the way of Detroit - LA 2004. But we'll see.  Very exciting.

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SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Celtics at Home.

NBA Finals Betting Preview
Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics (Game One)
Thursday, 9:05 pm Eastern - ABC

SBG Global Opening Line: Celtics  - 2.5, Total  192 

The Celtics and Lakers know each other very well in terms of the NBA Finals.  They have met a total of 10 times in NBA Finals history with the Celtics winning eight of those matchups.  It has been a long time since the two teams have met in the Finals (1987) and both teams are excited about the history. "I feel like a little kid," said Celtics forward Paul Pierce, "Now I understand that, hey, I'm going to be a part of history. This is something I grew up watching, the Laker-Celtics rivalries."  Lakers head coach Phil Jackson will be trying to win his record 10th title. He is currently tied with Celtic’s legend Red Auerbach with 9 titles.  The rivalry between the two teams has never really disappeared even though they haven’t met in the finals in over 20 years. "I think this is a great thing not just for the NBA, but just for sports in general," Lakers guard Derek Fisher said. "I think it's a great thing when the best gets a chance to compete against the best, and whoever comes out on top, they earned it. I think both teams should be proud to be here."

SBG Global Current Line: Celtics  - 2.5, Total  192 

The one big advantage for the Lakers is league MVP Kobe Bryant.  He can take over a game like no other player in the league. "He's the captain of this team, and we follow his lead," Lamar Odom said. "Kobe is the first one in the gym, the last one to leave. He's the first one in the weight room, the last one to leave. You try to compete against him and there's no competing against him. If we have a 10 o'clock practice, Kobe is there at 8:45 preparing to be the best. And some of that has rubbed off on me and my teammates, and that's the only reason why I'm sitting here talking today."  Bryant has some solid help in Odom and center Pau Gasol in addition to Fisher.  The Lakers have the experience with Kobe and Fisher but the Celtics are not intimidated. "At the end of the day, it's just basketball," Kevin Garnett said. "You play the way you know. You bring what you bring, play with your heart and soul and play together, play as a team." 

Here are the NBA betting stats for Thursday’s game.  The Lakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games. The Lakers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 3 or more days of rest. The Lakers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as an underdog. The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Atlantic. The Lakers are 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 games overall. The Lakers are 19-7-2 ATS in their last 28 games as a road underdog. The Lakers are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 vs. the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 NBA Championship games. The Lakers are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Boston. The road team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams. 

The Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. the Western Conference. The Celtics are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Thursday games. The Celtics are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Pacific. The Celtics are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games overall. The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite. 

The Under is 8-0 in the Lakers last 8 Thursday games. The Under is 5-0 in the Lakers last 5 overall. The Under is 6-1 in the Lakers last 7 games as a road underdog. The Under is 6-1 in the Lakers last 7 games as an underdog. The Over is 5-1 in the Lakers last 6 vs. the Atlantic. The Under is 6-2 in the Lakers last 8 road games. 

The Over is 4-1 in the Celtics last 5 games as a home favorite. The Under is 8-3 in the Celtics last 11 Thursday games.

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Los Angeles Lakers Paul Gasol vs Boston Celtics Kendrick Perkins NBA Championship games prop betting review. Gasol obviously has been a huge advantage on offense that the Lakers will need him to fully exploit.  Gasol is very quick to the basket.  He has been compared to Kevin Garnett and can put up Garnett-like numbers, can handle the ball and create off the dribble despite his size. He has a good 12-15 foot jump shot.  After a somewhat lackluster series against the Spurs that saw the Spaniard tally just 13 points per game, Paul should have a much easier time navigating his way in the lane with Tim Duncan no longer in his path.  The oddsmakers at bodoglife.com currently have the Boston -2.5 favorites to LA Lakers heading into this NBA Finals odds matchup.

Kendrick Perkins has been playing great in the 2008 playoffs, and he is a huge force to get the offensive rebounds.  Perkins was drafted by Memphis in 2003 (1/27), acquired in a trade with Memphis in 2003.  During Boston's current post-season run, the fifth-year center is averaging 7 points and 7 rebounds to match his totals during the regular season.  Perkins burned the Lakers in their two meetings this season, scoring 21 points and pulling 9 rebounds in the Celtic's November victory.  Perkins is a force in the middle and one of the main reasons the Celtics are in the Finals.  Gasol has the potential to outscore Perkins as well as keep him in foul trouble which would weaken the Celtic defense.

Perkins looks pretty big and that could bother Gasol, but he should get his shooting touch back.  Perkins is not really a threat on offense, except when he is wide open, so Paul just needs to make sure he cleans the glass.  Kendrick is a lot stronger the Paul however and if he can use his body to bump, bang, and wear down Gasol. It will be a big plus for the Celtics.  The Lakers still need to pay attention to Perkins, as he is more than capable of duplicating the 18-point, 16-rebound effort he had against Detroit in Game 5.

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