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Written by Robert Johnson
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Thursday, 05 June 2008 |
 The most anticipated NBA Final in many years begins on Thursday as the Boston Celtics host the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though the Celtics have the home court edge, the Lakers are about a 2-1 favorite to win the series. The Lakers have league MVP Kobe Bryant, a strong supporting cast and Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson. The Celtics have history, the big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to go along with the league’s best defense. Is it any wonder that ABC is drooling over the prospects of the 2008 NBA Finals?
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. - Receive up to 135% in Total Bonuses from SBG Global!
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 June 2008 )
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Written by Glen McNeil
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Thursday, 05 June 2008 |
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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. View NBA Finals Betting Odds at OnlineSportsHandicapping.com before you bet on bet on NBA Finals Basketball at bodoglife.com
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 June 2008 )
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Written by Glen McNeil
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Thursday, 05 June 2008 |
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 Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Ronny Turiaf vs. James Posey, Sam Cassell, Leon Powe, P.J. Brown on the bench for Phil Jackson. Jackson loves to use his bench and is a master at giving them the confidence they need to get the job done. There's no disputing that the Lakers' bench is the deeper, more balanced one in this series. However, the Celtics' bench is definitely more battle-tested with Posey, Cassell and Brown all having considerable playoff experience. Phil Jackson is going for a record breaking 10th NBA title as a coach. Ironically he is tied right now for the most in NBA history with Red Auerbach who coached the Celtic to 9 world championships. The oddsmakers at sportsbetting.com currently have the Boston -2 favorites to LA Lakers heading into this NBA Finals odds matchup.
If the Celtics are going to win this series, Boston's coach Doc Rivers needs more from his bench against the Lakers. Thirty-eight-year-old guard Sam Cassell, who has won two rings during his career, has not been what the Celtics had hoped he would be in the postseason. Every time the Celtics have a lead and they try to rest starters, Casell comes in the game he walks the ball up the court when the Celtics weren't playing that style of basketball through out the game. He slows the game down and they shouldn't use him at all. Cassell was brought in because he has two rings already and they can use his shooting and leadership in crucial situations, especially if Rondo shows any signs of big game jitters. The Lakers are younger and more energetic then Boston's bench. The Celtics bench has the rings though and have been there before and won, like Cassell, James Posey and Eddie House. The 38-year-old Brown will be extremely valuable in this series, as he will be used to defend Gasol. The 6'11" Brown is not a threat offensively, but he can be a factor on the defensive end. P.J. Brown has had a great postseason so far in limited minutes. He plays hard and does the dirty work. I think Doc Rivers should use Eddie House more and keep Cassell on the bench. I think this series comes down to the tempo of the games. In a quick tempo where both teams score triple digits, the Lakers will probably win because they have a more complete offense and more athleticism/youth. In a slow tempo, where defense is dominant, the Celtics will probably win. View NBA Finals Betting Odds at OnlineSportsHandicapping.com before you bet on bet on NBA Finals Basketball at sportsbetting.com
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 June 2008 )
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Written by Glen McNeil
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Wednesday, 04 June 2008 |
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 Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo vs Los Angeles Lakers Derek Fisher NBA Championship games betting review. Rondo will definitely get the step on Fisher in this series, but Derek Fisher has tons of experience in these kinds of rolls. He has been through wars and has seen it all in previous NBA games. Fisher's NBA playoff heroics are well-documented, and the veteran definitely won't be rattled playing the games in his fourth NBA Finals. This year NBA playoff Fisher averaged 11.7 points in each game, 2.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. On the other side of the basketball Rondo averaged 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists average in each of his games. The oddsmakers at sportsbetting.com currently have the LA Lakers -200 favorites to Boston to win the NBA Championship games.
Rondo's quickness and playmaking ability are a big plus, and he can shoot the ball at a high percentage. The problem is he is wide open a lot to take the shot and he passes it up to try to get the assist. His unwillingness to shoot the ball when he's open has hurt the Celtics at times in thier NBA playoff games. He knows that the BIG 3 might now get here again and he doesn't want to be the one that makes the mistake and blows the NBA playoff games. Rondo is a second year PG in his first year as a fulltime starter. He has played very good basketball and showed a lot of improvement over the course of the season, the only weakness is his shooting. At first it may seem like Rondo would give Fisher grief, seeing how Fisher usually has trouble guarding quick guards. Fisher is a great veteran defender. Fisher isn't young anymore though, and Rondo has the younger legs. Fisher can handle him, to a certain point. Veterans get tired easily, especially with Fisher's age. By about five minutes into the quarter, Rondo's speed would've caught up to Fisher's, and Fisher would just lag behind him. Defensively Rondo averaged half a steal higher than Fisher in the regular season and Fisher a half a steal higher in the postseason. Rondo's job is to run the offense and setup the Big 3. In the 2008 playoff games, Rondo has actually upped his assists to seven per game, earning the confidence of head coach Doc Rivers, despite his lack of postseason experience. View NBA Finals Betting Odds at OnlineSportsHandicapping.com before you bet on bet on NBA Finals basketball at sportsbetting.com |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 04 June 2008 )
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Written by Glen McNeil
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Wednesday, 04 June 2008 |
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 Los Angeles Lakers Vladimir Radmanovic vs. Boston Celtics Paul Pierce NBA Final Championship betting odds preview. Paul Pierce has routinely owned his opponent throughout these entire playoffs and this series and this matchup should be no different. While Paul Pierce wouldn't be in the finals without the help of newcomers Garnett and Allen, he remains the heart and soul of the current Celtics squad. Paul Pierce is a 10 year vet and is one of the best one on one players in the NBA. He can put up points in bunches and should be able to take Radmonovic off the dribble at will. Paul Great is and inside/outside scorer who can shoot and driveand can get to the line when he penetrates. He will have stretches where he's almost unstoppable. For the NBA playoffs, Pierce is averaging 19 points and 5 rebounds, while coming through with big shots in Boston's pivotal Game 7 Conference Semifinals victory over the Cavaliers. The oddsmakers at sportsbetting.com currently have Boston -2 favorites to LA Lakers heading into this NBA Finals Championship odds matchup.
Vladimir is a spot up shooter. Radmanovic showed flashes of offensive diversity against the Spurs, driving to the hoop more instead of just relying on his three-point game. Radmanovic is just too slow and simply not good enough to guard a player that is as good and hot as Paul Pierce is. Radmanovic only averaged 8.3 points per game in the series vs. the San Antonio Spurs even though he played over 24 minutes per outing. A typical European big man with great range on his shot but really has no post game for his 6-10 size. Radmanovic is not what you would call a shut down defender either, he is very slow on his feet and even though he has a height advantage most of the time he is not a very good shot blocker or rebounder. I believe that this is the biggest mismatch of them all. Vladimir has been playing very well lately, but Paul Pierce could be the most consummate offensive player for the Celtics. He can shoot the three or attack the rim; the Celtics will probably exploit this match-up. While L.A. can't expect Vladimir to match Pierce, they'll need him to at least repeat his Conference Finals performance for them to stay competitive at the three spot. Advantage: Paul Pierce View NBA Finals Championship Betting Odds at OnlineSportsHandicapping.com before you bet on bet on NBA Championship Basketball at sportsbetting.com Want Belmont Odds and Picks on your mobile device?
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 04 June 2008 )
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