The NBA brass wanted the dream matchup Kobe vs. Lebron but Orlando would have no part of it upsetting Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Championship. The Lakers will have the home court advantage but Orlando has overcome the advantage in the last two series. In the regular season Orlando swept the LA Lakers and also covered the spread in both games.
Got time to bet on the NBA Finals?
The NBA Finals begin this Thursday, June 4th in Los Angeles. Below is a look at some key numbers in the matchup between the Lakers and Magic.
16.7
This was the regular season scoring average for Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson who averaged 16.7 points in the 42 games he played in before injuring his shoulder against Dallas on February 2nd. Nelson was ruled out for the rest of the season after having surgery on February 19th, however the Magic’s extended playoff run has given him extra recovery time and the team might now activate him for the NBA Finals.
Consider the enormity of the feat facing the Orlando Magic only a few weeks ago. Fresh off their victory over the 76ers, they knew they now had to draw the equivalent of an inside straight to win their first NBA title. Up next were the defending champion Boston Celtics, followed by a rested and ready Cleveland and finally the Lakers.
Cleveland (1) vs. Orlando (3)
Like Republicans seeking the presidential nomination, NBA superstars need to wait patiently for their turn at a shot at the championship. Shaquille O’Neal had to wait, Michael Jordan had to wait, and LeBron James has had to wait. But now everyone in the Association agrees that James’s time has come.
Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Denver (2)
The Lakers seem to be oblivious to the rest of the league, and that attitude bit them in their butts three times against Houston. Maybe they were never in danger of being taken out by the Rockets, but it forced them into playing another belly-to-the-wall game in Game 7 that may have drained them of energy they’ll need against Denver.
On Wednesday night, Bookmaker Sportsbook will present a bevy of NBA Playoff betting options for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal between the #3 Orlando Magic (64-25, 52-36-1 ATS) and the #2 Boston Celtics (66-24, 46-43-1 ATS). The Magic lead the series 1-0 after Monday’s 95-90 road win and cover as 1.5-point underdogs.
Bettors aren’t buying that a long layoff will affect the Cleveland Cavaliers when they hit the court for Game 1 of their second round series against the Atlanta Hawks tonight.
Early Sportsbook.com trends show 90% of the action for tonight’s game is on the 11 ½-point favorite, Cavs with 76% of bettors liking the Over 179 points.
#4 Atlanta Hawks (47-35, 4-3.) vs. #1 Cleveland Cavaliers (66-16, 4-0)
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#3 Orlando Magic vs. #2 Boston Celtics
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#5 Houston Rockets vs. #1 LA Lakers
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Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers
Rockets vs Lakers odds: Lakers -1200
The Houston Rockets are happy to finally be past the first round but their stay in the playoffs may not last far beyond that.
2009 NBA Championship Odds- Second Round
The second round of the NBA playoffs tipped off on Sunday with Denver pulling away from Dallas to win game one of their series. The first round had some great action and hard fought battles, especially between Chicago and Boston.
Regular season dominance
The Lakers were a perfect 4-0 straight-up in the four head-to-head meetings during the regular season and this is a bad sign for the Rockets as teams that were swept in the regular season (3+ games) are 0-25 all-time in a NBA playoff series.
Odds: Los Angeles is currently -900 to win this series, while the Rockets are +700.
# 6 Dallas Mavs vs. #2 Denver Nuggets
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Facing a win-or-else scenario, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat already would figure to have plenty of motivation. Just in case, the Atlanta Hawks provided oodles more. Between Mario West’s wild celebration as the first half of Game 5 expired, Josh Smith’s showboating dunk attempt in the final minutes and Hawks radio announcer Steve Holman mocking the NBA’s scoring champion throughout, Wade and Miami are down 3-2 in the series but clearly leading in bulletin-board material.
After taking a 3-1 lead in their best-of-7 first round playoff series with a 58-point win at New Orleans, anyone and everyone believes the Nuggets will end the series on Wednesday. Be sure to get the latest info about this game on the LIVE NBA ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages before hitting the confirm button on your wagers.
