Basketball Betting Odds

Los Angeles Clippers (40-26, 16-17 away) and San Antonio Spurs (50-16, 28-5 home) meet at AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX in Game 2 (9:30 PM ET, May 17, 2012). The San Antonio leads the seven game series by 1-0. The betting odds for this game have Spurs (2/17) as the favorite, while Clippers (7).

Tony Parker grinned Wednesday as though his lowest-scoring playoff game since his early twenties was an early birthday gift from the Clippers, hours before turning 30 years old. Chris Paul wasn’t in such high spirits across town.

In the Western Conference semifinals opener, the marquee Paul vs. Parker matchup was a scoring bust for both All-Stars, which the San Antonio Spurs won 108-92 despite their playmaking point guard scoring just seven points on 1-of-9 shooting. Scoring six while going 3 for 13, Paul didn’t shine any brighter. This season, Paul finished third in the league MVP voting and Parker was fifth. They are so far together being outscored by Spurs rookie Kawhi Leonard, yet heading into Game 2 on Thursday night.

The Spurs tied a franchise playoff record with 13 3-pointers. Parker finished with his fewest points in a postseason game since 2003, although he had 11 assists, setting up many wide-open looks when the Clippers swarmed him in the lane. On Thursday night, the Clippers do not have the same luxury, particularly with Los Angeles banged-up and craving rest heading into what will be its seventh game in 13 days.

This weekend after a physical seven-game series with Memphis, All-Star Blake Griffin said Wednesday his ailing left knee generally felt no better or worse than when the Clippers arrived in Texas. He said his knee remains the bigger impediment, although he also turned his ankle in Game 1. In Game 2, Griffin said he’d be more mindful of how the pain becomes worse as the game drags on.

Since the Grizzlies series ended, Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said that they are still troubled by an aching groin and hip, even though Paul has insisted that his health is fine. Del Negro acknowledged that his star is too banged-up to “just be Chris Paul” for the entire game, although he said the Clippers need Paul to shoot better and control the tempo. When the Clippers win in the playoffs, Paul is averaging 21 points and 16 when they lose.

Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks meet in Game 3 at the Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA (7:00 PM ET, April 20, 2012). The Celtics lead the series by 2-0. The Celtics have a 37-26, 15-17 away record while the Hawks have a 37-25, 20-9 home record. The best NBA betting odds have Celtics (17/12) and Hawks (5/8).

The Celtics will probably have to open the playoffs there next weekend, if they do not win in Atlanta on Friday night. This potential first-round preview appears crucial as the Celtics and for that reason Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen again will try to sweep the regular-season series with the Hawks.

On Wednesday, Boston (37-26) secured a fifth straight Atlantic Division title with a 102-98 win over Orlando, guaranteeing the team one of the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference. It has not, however, assured that in the opening round, they will get the home-court advantage.

The last time these teams met in the postseason, home-court advantage was vital. In the first-round series in 2008, the road team did not win a game as the top-seeded Celtics won in seven en route to the franchise’s 17th NBA title.

The Hawks posted their lowest point total of the season in Atlanta on March 19 in a 79-76 loss to Boston, although they are 10-3 at home since the beginning of March. The teams’ other meeting was also a defensive struggle. The Celtics outscored the Hawks 4-2 in overtime to win 88-86 on April 11 and Rondo had 20 assists, 10 points and 10 rebounds despite shooting 3 of 16.

Allen was out for a sixth straight contest due to a sore ankle, while Rondo missed Wednesday’s game with a back injury. With Mickael Pietrus (knee) also staying home, neither player made the trip to Atlanta. In terms of scoring and ball handling Wednesday, Paul Pierce helped compensate, getting 29 points along with 14 assists – the most in his 14-year career. In a loss at New York, Pierce scored a season-high 43 points Tuesday.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said that Paul is not flashy and he does not even know how Paul scores sometimes. He added that Paul does not look like he is that quick, he has a gift and he is a professional scorer. This season, the Hawks have done a good job of limiting Pierce, holding him to an average of 13.5 points and 30.3 percent shooting.

Atlanta should be well rested after building a huge lead and sitting its starters for much of a 116-84 win over Detroit on Wednesday in the midst of a five-game homestand to close the regular season. Tracy McGrady scored a season-high 17 points off the bench.

The Hawks’ lineup may be more formidable come playoff time with All-Star center Al Horford working toward a return from a torn pectoral muscle, although Collins has started the last three games with Zaza Pachulia out.

The Miami Heat will head home to South Beach with the home court advantage and they will be hard pressed to keep it in Game 3.

NBA Betting has the Miami is a 5.5-point, -250 moneyline favorite and the over/under total is 178.5.

The Chicago Bulls beat the Heat with size in Game 1 and the Miami Heat came back in Game 2 with a game plan of solid defense and getting the ball to LeBron James.

The Heat played the Bulls even until late in the fourth quarter when James took over the game. James shook off claims early in the season that he was not the shooter to hit the shot late in Heat games. James scored nine points in the final four minutes of the game and he hit the go ahead three pointer that began the Heat’s late run to finish off the Bulls on their home court.

James was also big on the boards, which was a major factor for the Heat losing in Game 1. James grabbed ten rebounds and Dwyane Wade added nine rebounds to control the game under the basket. The Chicago Bulls big men were strong on the boards but they did not have one of their big men with double digit rebounds in Game 2.

James and Wade scored 29 and 24 respectively but offense was not what won Game 2. James, Wade and Chris Bosh all committed to the defensive side of the ball and the final score reflected their choice. Game 3 will be a test of the Heat’s commitment to defense and playing strong under the basket. If they can play tough under the basket for the rest of the series, the Heat will win.

This week, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder will play the 6th game of their best of 7 game series. The Thunder is currently up 3 games to 2 as these teams have had a thrilling series.

While the over/under total is at 195, NBA betting odds has Memphis as a 2-point, -130 moneyline favorite.

As the Grizzlies were the team that jumped ahead early on in the season this is a huge momentum shift in the series. Through a game that went into extra periods and a dominative defensive effort in game 5, the Thunder has managed to come back.

While only shooting 36 percent from the field, the Grizzlies only managed to score 72 points in their last game. Even though Randolph and Gasol were held to just 24 combined points in game 5, previously, the Grizzlies were able to have their way underneath the basket in the series.

By scoring just 9 points on 33 percent shooting, Randolph was especially limited in his production. In game 6, the Grizzlies simply cannot win without a dominant game from Randolph.

Behind a balanced effort from their team, the Thunder succeeded. From Daequan Cook, Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed, they had key performances. As the two stars took just 24 combined shots, these players took a lot of pressure off of Westbrook and Durant.

This will be a test for both teams as this is an elimination game. A lot of young teams need time to learn how to close out a series as Oklahoma City is a young team. The Grizzlies may crumble with the weight of possible elimination hanging over them as they are also an inexperienced team. In basketball picks, the Memphis Grizzlies are favorites to win this match.

The Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back against the Memphis Grizzlies on their home court May 3 and now they have the opportunity to regain home court advantage by taking Game 3 in Memphis Saturday.

The Grizzlies are a 3-point favorite and the over/under total is 200 in NBA Betting.

In Game 1 Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were the dominant players for the Grizzlies as they jumped all over the Thunder on their home court to win in the first game of the series and take the home court advantage. In Game 2 the game came down to bench production and the Thunder’s bench stepped up and made some big time contributions.

Eric Maynor scored 15 points, was 3-4 from three point land and gave the Thunder a major boost of energy off the bench but James Harden was the big surprise. The guard knocked down 21 and got to the free throw line 11 times and never missed. Will Harden and Maynor be factors in every game? Don’t bank on it.

Marc Gasol and Randolph will be factors in more games down the road for the Grizzlies. They both had odd games in Game 2 and they will need to ratchet up the intensity in Memphis for Game 3. Mike Conley was the leading scorer for the Grizzlies in Game 2 but he is only a 26 percent shooter from behind the three point arc.

The Thunder will have to reel in Russell Westbrook if they want to be effective in Memphis. Westbrook has made some poor decisions in the NBA Playoffs and he will need to have his head on straight if the Thunder are to advance.

The Dallas Mavericks will look to close out their series with the Portland Trailblazers this Thursday in the Rose Garden in Portland. The home team has won every game of the series but the Mavericks have statistics on their side when it comes to winning Game 5. The winner of Game 5 wins the series 83 percent of the time.

Dallas is at 12-1 to win the NBA Championship in basketball betting.

The Mavs went out and dominated the Trailblazers in Game 5 after they suffered a crippling loss to the Trailblazers in Game 4 in the Rose Garden. In Game 4, Brandon Roy was the key factor that ripped the rug out from under the Mavs and brought the Blazers back from an insurmountable deficit.

In Game 5 the Mavericks were led by an electrified Tyson Chandler that hauled in 20 rebounds and added 14 points. The scoring leader for the Mavericks was Dirk Nowitzki in Game 5 with 25 points. If the Mavs fail to close out this series against the No. 6 seeded Trailblazers Thursday night many fans will be on edge when the series returns to Dallas.

Dallas has made a habit of not finishing well once the NBA Playoffs begin and this season is holding true to form for the Mavs. The Mavericks appear to have put their soul crushing loss in Game 4 behind them but it was a loss that will go down in NBA Playoffs history.

The Mavs blew a 23 point lead in Game 4 and since the collapse everyone had written off the team heading into Game 5. Now with the team heading back to the Rose Garden, many are wondering if the Mavs will have flashbacks when they enter the arena.  In basketball picks, the Dallas Mavericks are favorites to win this match.

In the middle of this week, the New Orleans Hornets and the Dallas Mavericks will play each other. These teams are gearing up to make a run towards the NBA Championship as both have clinched spots in the Western Conference playoffs.

To win the NBA championship this season, NBA Betting has Dallas at 8-1.

In the Western Conference standings, the Hornets are in the 7th spot and the Mavericks are currently in the 3rd spot. The Hornets could finish anywhere between the 6th spot and the 8th spot as the teams are all within one game of each other even though they are in the 7th spot in the standings right now.

As the Mavericks will likely end up in the 2nd or 3rd spot in the standings, there is a decent chance that these teams will end up playing each other in the first round of the playoffs. For both teams, this would actually be a favorable matchup. Since the Hornets and the Mavericks are not nearly as intimidating as the Lakers or the Spurs, the Grizzlies and Blazers are much scarier for the top teams to face than these two teams.

As both teams try to gain some momentum before the first round commences, this game should have a playoff type of atmosphere. As the team will need Chris Paul to carry even more of the scoring load during the playoffs, look for him to begin to assert himself more offensively.

For Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks need to find some help. They need someone to rely on in case he doesn’t come through as there have been times in his career that he has disappeared for stretches during the playoffs.

To themselves and the rest of the league, the Boston Celtics will have to prove that they are competent off knocking the Miami Heat down a peg just before the NBA Playoffs begin.

In NBA betting lines, the Celtics and Heat are both at 5-2 to win the NBA Championship.

In what is expected to be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, the two will meet up Sunday, April 10. For this tilt the Celtics are hoping they will have a healthy Shaquille O’Neal. Although not many are optimistic he will be able to help for this game.

As the NBA Playoffs approach the Miami Heat has become comfortable in their own skin. Since their disappointing loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday March 29, the Heat has played as a much more cohesive team. Even though LeBron James has been the best scorer on the team, the Heat is still Dwyane Wade’s team.

Chris Bosh is scoring just under 20 points a game, although many have been disappointed by his performance. As the NBA Playoffs approach now, Miami will be prepared for beating teams such as Boston and they have taken an entire season to mesh well as a team. Boston is vulnerable as now that they have made the curious move of trading away their dominant big man, Kendrick Perkins.

Boston may not make it to the Eastern Conference Finals with O’Neal injured and Perkins gone. The Celtics will be hard pressed to complete with the Heat in this game let alone win for this game on Sunday. If Boston beat the Heat without a O’Neal in the middle they can make a statement.

For the first time this year since the Carmelo Anthony trade the Los Angeles Lakers will end a tough three-game swing in Denver Sunday when they battle against the Denver Nuggets.

In NBA Betting, while the Nuggets are at 50-1, the Lakers are now the favorite to win the NBA Championship, at 5-2.

To this point the teams have split the series. They can hurt the Lakers chances to gain the top seed in the NBA Playoffs but taking them down this Sunday. The Lakers will need to win as many games as possible as time is limited.

Even though Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom chipped in on the boards in the last win by the Lakers and it was a deciding factor, Andrew Bynum was not a significant piece of the puzzle in the other games against Denver. The Lakers should dominate with the addition of healthy and more confident Bynum in this game.

The Denver Nuggets are faring far better than the New York Knicks and Carmelo as they are finding themselves without Carmelo Anthony. The Nuggets have balanced the team well without their star as they are 7-3 in the last 10 games.

A big scoring center in Nene Hilario and a young point guard, Ty Lawson, have led this team to a possible run in the NBA Playoffs as they prepare for the second season with their wily coach George Karl. As they have been forced to work a little harder to replace their leader and best scorer Carmelo Anthony, the two players have found their scoring touch and their leadership skills.

For both teams this game is a statement game. The Lakers through the gauntlet as they size each other up for the NBA Playoffs as well as the Denver Nuggets will run Kobe.

For the third time in the 2010-2011 NBA regular seasons the Philadelphia 76ers will battle against the Miami Heat on Friday. Both teams find themselves in different positions for the upcoming playoffs with only weeks left until the end of the season.

While the 76ers are at 75-1, Miami is among the favorites to win the NBA Title at 6-1 in basketball betting lines Odds.

In the Eastern Conference, Miami is ranked third as well as have secured a spot in the post-season. There is a small margin separating the Sixers and other playoff contenders in the eighth and ninth spots as they are ranked seventh in the Eastern Conference.

With plenty of confidence taken from the previous two meetings against the Philadelphia Sixers, for Friday’s game, the Miami Heat will walk into their home ground at the American Airlines Arena. By scoring 30 points at the Wells Fargo Center, Dwayne Wade led Miami to a 97-87 victory in late October. As Wade was once again the game’s top scorer with 23 points, a month later, the Heat won 99-90.

Miami is gaining tremendous momentum heading into the playoffs when comparing recent performances. The Heat’s recent victories against the top teams in the West the Lakers and Spurs, gave them plenty of confidence. The Sixers have proven that they can win consecutive games towards the end of the season as they had an impressive victory over the Boston Celtics in March.

Against their potential playoff opponents in the early rounds, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh want to make a statement. For Miami a loss against the Sixers would be embarrassing as well as could hurt their morale en route to the playoffs. In basketball picks, the Miami Heat is favorites to win this match.