Celtics vs Lakers – Game 7
June 16, 2010 by D.J. Schwab
Filed under NBA
Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Game 7- NBA Finals
Thursday June 17th 9:00 P.M. (ET)
Boston +7 (-110)
Los Angeles -7 (-110)
Over/Under 187
The Los Angeles Lakers host the Boston Celtics for the final and deciding Game 7 of their best-of-seven series in the 2010 NBA Finals on Thursday with tip off at 9:00 P.M. (ET).
After six games between these two storied franchises it all comes down to just one more to decide which team will be this year’s World Champion. If Boston can find a way to win one more on the road, they would extend their current NBA record to 18 titles in team history and their second in three years. If Los Angeles successfully defends their home court, it would be their 16th title in franchise history and their second in a row after winning it all last year.
2010 NBA Finals – Celtics vs Lakers
June 9, 2010 by D.J. Schwab
Filed under NBA
Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics
Lakers Lead 2-1
Game 4: Thursday 9:00 pm EST on ABC
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With three games in the books, this dream matchup of two of the most storied franchises in the history of the NBA is living up to everyone’s expectations. The Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers won Game 3 on Tuesday night and have taken a 2-1 edge over the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics with Game 4 set to tip off on Thursday night at 9:00 P.M.
By virtue of the better regular season record the Lakers earned the home court advantage for this best-of-seven series. Unlike the first three rounds of the playoffs which utilized a 2-2-1-1 format, the finals use a 2-3-2 format for determining where the games are played.
In Game 1 LA came out firing on all cylinders; beating Boston by 13 points to win 102-89. Favored by 5 ½ points, the Lakers held the Celtics to just one three pointer on 10 attempts and outrebounded them 42-31. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 30 points and Pau Gasol added 23 points and 14 rebounds in a convincing win for the Lakers.
2010 NBA Finals Odds, Preview & Predictions
June 3, 2010 by D.J. Schwab
Filed under NBA
2010 NBA Finals – Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers
The 2010 NBA Finals get underway with a dream matchup between the two most storied franchises in the league. The Boston Celtics, winners of 17 prior World Titles represent the Eastern Conference. They take on last year’s World Champions; the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have 16 titles to their credit.
With a different format than the earlier rounds of the playoffs, the first two games of this best-of –seven series will be played tonight and Sunday in Los Angeles. The series then shifts to Boston for games three, four, and five. If necessary the final two games will be back in LA with game six scheduled for Tuesday June 15th and game seven on Thursday June 17th.
Both teams come into this championship series playing their best ball of the season. Before the postseason began many people questioned the age and the health of the top players on both these teams as they seem to drag through the end of the regular season. After, for the most part, coasting through the rest of the competition in the earlier rounds of the playoffs, they are now pointed directly at one another in what should be another classic finals showdown.
NBA Conference Finals Predictions & Picks
May 27, 2010 by D.J. Schwab
Filed under NBA
We are down to the final four teams in the chase for the 2010 NBA World Title and after a lopsided start to both best-of-seven series, things are starting to really tighten up. Here is a brief look at both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals along with each team’s current odds to win it all.
Eastern Conference
#4 Boston Celtics (2-1) vs. #2 Orlando Magic (3-1)
In the first three games of this series Boston could do no wrong and through an attack-style offense and shutdown defense they built what seemed to be an insurmountable three games to none lead over Orlando.
NBA Betting – Celtics In Danger Of Epic Collapse Against Magic
Online betting and World Cup betting players in Boston may be turning their attention to the big tournament, because their playoff teams haven’t been having the best luck. The Bruins became the fourth team in sports history to lost a 3-0 deficit in the NHL playoffs against Philadelphia, and now the Celtics have dropped two straight after jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Can the Celtics put Orlando away at home, or will the Eastern Conference finals be decided in a Game 7 in Florida?
Bet Celtics Magic – Friday, May 28, 8:30 PM ET
The Celtics unraveled in a 113-92 loss in Orlando on Wednesday night, as Kendrick Perkins received two technical fouls, but his second technical was controversial and the suspension has been rescinded. That’s great news for the Celtics as Glen Davis will probably be out with a concussion thanks to an errant Dwight Howard elbow. Rajon Rondo had 18 points and six assists to lead the way for the Celtics, while Paul Pierce also had 18, but 10 of those came at the foul line as he was just 3-of-8 from the field. NBA championship betting players then saw the Celtics get outscored 29-17 in the fourth quarter, and Boston has been seriously outplayed by Orlando in the fourth quarter this entire series. The veteran leaders of the Celtics have to step up and get a sense of urgency in this team.
NBA Conference Finals Predictions & Picks
May 20, 2010 by D.J. Schwab
Filed under NBA
We are down to the final four teams in the chase for the 2010 NBA World Title and after two games in each series; two clear cut favorites are starting to emerge. Here is a brief look at both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals along with each team’s current odds to win it all.
Eastern Conference Finals
#4 Boston Celtics (19-10) vs. #2 Orlando Magic (9-1)
After struggling down the stretch of the regular season, Boston has turned things around in the postseason and is currently on a role that will most likely take them all the way to the NBA Finals. In game one of their conference final match-up with Orlando, they used a stifling defense to shutdown the Magic’s main man, Dwight Howard. Howard pulled down 12 rebounds but was held to just 6 points from the floor and was seven of 12 from the free throw line. After building a 20 point lead at the end of the third, the Celtics withstood a furious comeback attempt by Orlando to hold onto win 92-88. Ray Allen ended the night with a game high 25 points for Boston and Vince Carter led the Magic with 23 points.
NBA Playoff Betting – Bryant Gets Best On Nash In Game 1
The betting odds for Wednesday’s Game 2 between Phoenix and Los Angeles will look back at Game 1 and see how the stars of the two teams fared, and they’ll see that the Lakers’ former MVP had a distinct advantage in the first game. Unless his Phoenix counterpart picks it up, the Suns could be going back to the desert down two games to none.
Bet Suns Lakers – Wednesday, May 19, 9:00 PM ET
Steve Nash struggled to get going in a 128-107 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles, going 5-of-10 from the field for 13 points, although he did add 13 assists. To be fair to Nash, he wasn’t even close to the worst players on his team as Amare Stoudamire scored 23 points, but had just three rebounds and was a -23 on the night, while Jason Richardson’s 15 points were offset by a -24 rating, most of which came from guarding (or trying to guard) Kobe Bryant. The Suns made just five of their 22 three-point attempts, with Nash missing both of his, and they couldn’t get out on the fast break, which is why Nash wasn’t as effective. A lack of rebounds and forced turnovers could have caused this.
Game 2 Celtics vs Magic Prediction & Pick
May 18, 2010 by The Wiseguy
Filed under NBA
Tuesday May 18, 8:30PM on ESPN
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic
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Last meeting: Conference Finals Game 1: Boston 92 – Orlando 88 (ATS win BOS +6.5)
Game 1 couldn’t have gone much better for the Celtics. Not only did they grab the victory on the road but they were able to get Paul Pierce and Ray Allen going as they combined for more than half of Boston’s point total. in addition to that they also stymied Dwight Howard inside while forcing the Magic’s outside shooters into a pathetic 5 for 22. It was a pretty complete performance but they still only won by 4 points after being seriously outplayed in the fourth quarter. Can they do it all again or did they just catch the Magic off guard after a long layoff? Were the fourth quarter results an indicator of tired veteran legs for Boston or that Orlando needed a few quarters to get their game back to playoff speed. Tonight’s game should answer all of these questions and more.
It goes without saying that Orlando needs to win tonight. This is a very talented team but it doesn’t have the kind of leadership to dig themselves out of a 2-0 hole against a veteran, championship caibre team like Boston. Even though they made it all the way to the Finals last year I am not sure this team has the right mix. The only player who consistently plays with heart in Jameer Nelson and it showed in Game 1 as he outplayed Rajon Rondo including an amazing 9 rebounds. To have any chance they are going to need him to continue to play big despite being the smallest player on the floor. Speaking of big, Superman Dwight Howard needs to step up big time tonight. Patrick Ewing needs to whisper in his ear that he needs to do the work before he gets the ball to get the easy shots he got consistently in the regular season. This is the playoffs and despite his natural athletic talent Boston is going to make him earn it.
2010 NBA Playoffs Odds Update
May 13, 2010 by D.J. Schwab
Filed under NBA
Three out of the four spots in the NBA Conference Finals have been claimed with Boston and Cleveland still battling it out for the final spot. Here is a look at all five teams and their current odds to win it all.
The Lakers limped into this year’s playoffs, losing six out of their last nine regular season games. Kobe Bryant was dealing with multiple injuries and there were serious questions as to whether or not last season’s World Champs would even make it past the first round. After finding themselves tied with 8th seed Oklahoma City two games apiece in the opening round, these questions suddenly seemed valid. In typical LA fashion, they got things together and won the next two to take the series 4-2. From that point the championship march was on. They took out Utah in four straight games with only one of them being a nail biter.
Kobe Bryant appears to be alright as he has averaged 26.9 points and 4.9 assists in 10 playoff games. Pau Gasol has elevated his game and is averaging 20.2 points and 13.2 rebounds. Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, and Lamar Odom are also back in championship form as they await the start of their conference final series with Phoenix.
NBA Playoff Betting – Suns Looking To Set On Lakers
Online betting fans know that Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash may be making World Cup predictions, as both have backgrounds in the beautiful game. First, they’re going to have to focus on their day jobs, which is leading their team to the NBA Finals as Bryant and the Lakers will take on Nash and the Suns in a series that tips off next Monday at 9:00 PM ET under the bright lights of Los Angeles.
Suns vs Lakers Betting
The Suns finally got rid of the biggest thorn in their side when they swept San Antonio, who had eliminated the Suns in four previous postseason meetings. Nash was out of control in this series, averaging 22.0 points and 7.8 assists, and he put up 20 and nine assists with a right eye that was basically swollen shut by a Tim Duncan elbow in the series-clinching game. Amare Stoudamire was next with 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Suns, who are even playing a bit of defense to go with their run-and-gun offense. Stoudamire put up 20.3 points and 8.8 boards in four games against the Lakers this year, while Nash is going to have to continue his fine playoff run if the suns are going to overcome the NBA playoff betting odds as he has just 13.8 points and 9.0 assists against the Lakers.
The Lakers are coming off their own sweep as they made short work of Utah in the second round, and now they’re in the Western conference finals for the third straight year. Bryant bounced back from a tough first round against Oklahoma City to average 32.0 points against the Jazz, while Pau Gasol was next with 23.5 points and 14.5 rebounds for the Lakers, who won three of four against the Suns this season. Bryant notched 27.5 points in those four games, while Andrew Bynum put up 17.8 points and 9.8 rebounds for the Lakers.
