The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading back to Florida. LeBron James, showing off every dimension of his unstoppable game, had 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, and Mo Williams added 24 points in a 112-102 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 on Thursday night.
The Magic will once again try and close out the series in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Orlando overcame a 22-point deficit on Thursday but missed their first opportunity to finish off the Cavaliers, who are trying to become just the ninth team since 1947 to rally and win a series after being down 3-1. Orlando has two more tries to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995.
The Cavs of course feel confident that if they can force Game 7 they will be in the driver's seat. Last night's win improved their home record to 44-3 this season.
Memo to Mo Williams, leave the predictions or shot calling, to Babe Ruth, Mark Messier and Joe Namath.
Prior to Tuesday’s Game 4, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ one-guard guaranteed a win but unlike that revered New York trio, his mouth wrote a check that he couldn’t cash.
The Cavs were defeated in OT by a score of 116-114 and as a result, they failed to cover as -1.5 road faves and are down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference final.
Over in the West, the sports betting rejoiced as the Los Angeles Lakers rebounded nicely at home last night following a brutal 120-101 road loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
Back in the friendly confines of the STAPLES Center L.A. defeated the Nuggets 103-94, covering as 6-point favorites and getting a leg up on Denver in the series, currently leading 3 games to 2.
NBA Playoff Trends
The Nuggets aren’t out for the count by any stretch of the imagination as they play Game 6 back in Denver and are 18-2 straight up and 14-6 against the spread in their last 20 home games.
The NBA secretly wants a Cavs-Lakers final but should the Orlando Magic, who are 7-point underdogs in tonight’s Game 5 in Cleveland, defeat the Cavaliers and the Nuggets force and win a Game 7, the NBA will see a final with the Denver Nuggets and Orlando.
Prospective Betting
What about an Orlando-Denver Final?
SPORTSBETTING.com offers up the unique option fo “Prospective Betting”
The Nuggets have been the hotter team during the postseason, going 12-2-1 ATS while the Magic are 10-7 ATS in the playoffs, although they are currently on a 6-0 ATS run.
In the last 20 games overall between Denver and Orlando, the Magic hold the edge with a record of 12-7-1 ATS and the Under has cashed in the last four consecutive meetings between the two.
More recently, the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic split the season series in 2008/09.
The two teams last met back in February 11, 2009 but it was Denver that came away with the win straight up and against the spread, covering as 7-point road ‘dogs in an 82-73 win.
The first meeting of the season took place back in January, with the Magic coming away with a 106-88 win in Denver, covering 1.5-point road underdog.
The last 15 times Orlando has hosted Denver, they have been, pardon the pun, magic, going 14-1 SU and 11-3-1 ATS.
In Denver’s last 15 home contests against the Magic, it hasn’t been too profitable overall going 7-6-2 ATS but more recently it has been, going 5-1 ATS and 4-2 O/U in its last six matchups dating back to November of 2003.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility to see a Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic championship final in the NBA.
It wouldn’t be the exact matchup the NBA would want but it wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
We’ll see how it plays out.
You can check all the NBA Playoff odds and Prospective Betting at SPORTSBETTING.com.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Author: ChadRogers has been an avid follower and handicapper of North American sports for over 20 years and has written about sports and sports betting for the last decade. Chad specializes in articles focused on the NFL, NFL betting, NCAA betting, the NBAand overall "how-to" handicapping articles.
The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the NBA postseason as one of the favorites to win it all. So far the Cavs, winners of 66 regular-season games and their first eight straight in the playoffs, certainly haven't looked superior to the Orlando Magic.
They can't stop Dwight Howard inside. They can't contain Orlando's outside shooters. They're not giving LeBron James enough support. And they trail 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Orlando is relishing the underdog role in its first conference finals appearance since 1995. They won 99-89 on Sunday night in Game 3, which included a flagrant foul on Anthony Johnson for his elbow to Mo Williams' face in the second quarter. James has been doing his part.
The league's MVP is averaging 41.7 points in the series. But there have been extended periods when it's LeBron and only LeBron vs. the Magic. Can the 1.5-point underdog Cavs tie up the series?
For more details NBA basketball betting check out NBA odds.
Tonight in Game 4 the Nuggets will need everything they have to try and even the series with the Los Angeles Lakers.
In their half-dozen blowouts at the Pepsi Center in these playoffs, the Nuggets had turned their crowd into a major factor by using their transition game, pull-up 3s, kick-outs and rim-rattling dunks to turn tight games into runaways and their arena into a jet engine.
Against Los Angeles, however, the 3-pointers rimmed out all night, allowing the Lakers to stick around long enough for Kobe Bryant to win it for them in the fourth quarter.
The 4.5-point underdog Lakers are 11-4 ATS in the last 15 meetings and the underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings between these clubs.
The Orlando Magic will play the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final tonight listed as 8.5-point road ‘dogs with the Total set at 188.5.
In Orlando’s last 11 games against Cleveland on a Friday, it is 6-4-1 against the spread.
The Magic are listed at +230 to represent the East in the NBA championship final.
The Houston Rockets were able to pull off a victory over the L.A. Lakers on Sunday 99-87 on Sunday, covering at +7.5 but will they be able to do it twice?
The Rockets head to the STAPLES Center listed at +11.5 with the Total set at 199 and in the last 20 when underdogs of more than 8-points, are 4-12 on the Over/Under and 10-5-1 ATS.
After sitting around for the second time in these playoffs, the series-sweeping Cleveland Cavaliers, who broomed Detroit and Atlanta into early summer vacations, are expecting a much stiffer challenge from the Orlando Magic.
Orlando won both of their matchups at home against Cleveland during the regular season, including a 116-87 thrashing on April 3.
Cleveland has lost just once since that mauling by the Magic, and that setback came in overtime in the April 15 season finale against Philadelphia.
For the opener tonight, Stan Van Gundy will return rookie guard Courtney Lee to the starting lineup, replacing J.J. Redick.
The Magic, averaging 96.1 points in the postseason, shot 54 percent in the April 3 win over Cleveland, making 13 of 27 three-pointers.
In three games against Orlando this year, LeBron James averaged 30.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists.
The Cavs enter tonight's matchup as 9-point home favorites. Get your NBA play off odds.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is known for weaving real life events into its storylines but you have to wonder how chairman Vince McMahon will work this latest drama in.
The Denver Nuggets are set to play Game 4 of the Western Conference against the visiting L.A. Lakers at the Pepsi Center on Monday, May 25, 2009, the same night as the WWE’s Monday Night Raw.
“McMahon blamed Kroenke [Sports, which owns the Pepsi Center] for not believing [the Nuggets] would be good enough to still be playing in mid-May,” reports the AP.
The Nuggets are 3-point faves in Prospective Game 4 betting.
The Lakers are getting the action when it comes to the overall series betting on their next round vs. Denver, and bettors are also expecting them to win and cover in their first game of the series, on May 19th.
L.A. is a 6.5-point favorite in that series opening game, with 73 percent of the early betting action coming in on the L.A. side.
The Lakers are a -265 favorite for the series, with a little over 75 percent of all series wagering on this matchup coming in on Kobe Bryant and his mates.
It all gets going on Tuesday. You can check out all the NBA playoff lines.
Here are some of the NBA pro basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* ORL has won six of its last nine games SU
* ORL has covered two of its last nine road games
* ORL has lost six of its last nine road games SU
* ORL has played five of its last seven road games UNDER the total
* BOS has won 15 of its last 22 games SU
* BOS has covered eight of its last 23 home games
* BOS has won 14 of its last 16 home games SU
* BOS has played 10 of its last 12 home games OVER the total
Also...
* Seven of the last nine meetings have gone UNDER the total
* BOS has won and covered 19 of the last 24 meetings as the home team
* BOS has had the shooting edge in nine of the last ten meetings
* ORL has made more three-pointers in eight of the last nine meetings
Maybe the mini-soap opera between Dwight Howard and coach Stan Van Gundy is over now. The big man took 16 shots, scored 23 points and grabbed 22 rebounds, ten of them on the offensive end, in Game 6 of the series with the Celtics. Oh yea, Orlando won by eight points.
I wonder, though, whether the soap opera is truly between Howard and Van Gundy, or might also include Howard's Magic teammates, who, in effect, were criticized and disrespected by the 6'11" center after the Game 5 loss.
Sure, Hedo Turkoglu hit a big three-pointer at the end, but between him and Rashard Lewis, they were one for 10 from beyond the arc and 10-for-31 overall. J.J. Redick was 0-for-7 from the field. Remember, when Howard makes pointed comments about not getting enough "touches," he is taking a dig at the outside shooters who make up the rest of this Orlando team.
Frankly, I don't know why Courtney Lee isn't playing more (less than 22 minutes on Thursday) but I wonder whether he's bothered a little by that mask he's wearing. Stan Van Gundy may want to sit Redick down, so it would be either Lee or Michael Pietrus.
Rajon Rondo is averaging almost eleven rebounds a game, and I wonder why no one can box out the point guard. I guess it's because he is penetrating the defense, which is one thing that gives Boston a leg up on Orlando. What puts Rondo back in Rafer Alston's category is the fact that he struggles with his shot. Rondo is 37% from the field in this series, and was 0-for-10 from the arc until making two three-pointers on Thursday.
I believe the difference in this Game 7 might be the fact that Dwight Howard has a hard time at the line. A player with limited shooting range, Howard has to be close to the hoop to score. Boston should send him to the line, without letting him get off a shot, every chance they get, using people like Mikki Moore and Brian Scalabrine. Howard was just 59% from the stripe in the regular season and is only 52% in the series. No wonder they're a little hesitant to get him the ball in crucial late situations.
The Celtics are 14-2 SU in their last 16 games at the TD Banknorth Garden, and there's going to be quite a bit of electricity. Let's see if Howard comes out with as much intensity as he did in Game 6, with Kendrick Perkins and others draped all over him. We're going with the Celtics and laying the 2.5 points in the BetUS NBA pro basketball playoff betting odds.
Down 3-2, the Houston Rockets can either prolong their playoff series with the L.A. Lakers or they can start making plans for the offseason.
The Rockets go into Game 6 listed as 9-point home underdogs and in the last 20 games when listed as an underdog of more than 8-points, they are 6-13-1 on the Over/Under.
They didn’t cover the pointspread in Game 4 of their playoff series vs. the Atlanta Hawks, but they also didn’t cost their backers any money. The Cleveland Cavaliers pushed as 10-point favorites for sports bettors in their 84-74 win. The victory made it four straight games and a clean sweep for Lebron James and the NBA future
odd favorites to win the Championship.
The sports betting world has been betting the Cavs heavily for their entire playoff run in 2009, and bettors have been getting a nice payoff by putting their money on Cleveland. Led by the league MVP James, they have covered the pointspread in each of their games before the final one vs. Atlanta.
That made it eight straight pointspread covers in the playoffs so far, as they swept both the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks.
The NBA odds and lines on the Cavaliers keep going higher, but the big odds haven’t scared away sports bettors.
Online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com reported 83% of all the sports betting volume wagered on Game 4 was on Cleveland. It was the sixth time this playoff year that over 80% of all the sports betting action on a Cleveland game was on the Cavaliers side.
Now the play off basketball odds on this team will be even higher when bettors look to put some money on them for future odds betting. They were already favored to win it al, and the betting action was tilted considerably in their direction, but with the dominating performance in the first two series, it is going to mean sports bettors have to pay a higher price if they want to keep betting on Cleveland.
Also, the Lebron James prop bets have been hitting as well. SPORTSBETTING.com has “Live Betting” and on these games, Lebron, as you would expect, is a favorite for the sports betting group wagering on the “Live Betting” platform. This has become a very popular betting option for online sportsbooks, as bettors like to make additional wagers after the games have already started. They can bet on hundreds of different options throughout a typical NBA playoff game. NBA playoff betting has been up over last year according to many online sportsbooks. This can be attributed to the great matchups, plus options like “Live Betting” at SPORTSBETTING.com contribute as well.
Now Cleveland will wait to see who they play next. The playoff odds for the series and for Game 1 will be posted as soon as the other Eastern Conference series is over.
The next series should be a great one, both for fans and for the sports betting world. You know the bettors
will continue to put their betting action down on Lebron James.
Good luck with all your bets.
Brian Kerr has been writing about sports betting for over 15 years. A diehard Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, 76ers and Flyers fan, he is one of the top sports betting writers in the industry.
Orlando Magic two-guard Courtney Lee is sufficiently healed from a fractured sinus and will see action in Game 3 of the playoff series between his team and the Boston Celtics–the Magic are a 4.5-point home fave and the Total is set at 189.
Citing Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy, ESPN reports that Lee won’t start however as J.J. Redick will get the honor.
Also, as mentioned, Lee will wear a Rip Hamilton-like mask.
- Betting on baseball is really heating now that summer is approaching and baseball odds, baseball lines and baseball picks are starting to take center stage in the sports betting world.
One month into the baseball betting marathon that is the MLB regular season and there have been some surprises thus far.
Let’s have a quick look at this opening month from a sports bettor’s perspective.
1)Who is the best “money” team in the AL East?
The Boston Red Sox? No.
The TampaBay Rays? Wrong again.
It’s the Toronto Blue Jays and in fact, the Jays aren’t only the top team money team in the AL East, they are the top money team in the AL and second best in all the majors.
As of Wednesday, the Jays are 20-10 overall with a profitable 11-4 record at home and a healthy 9-6 record on the road.
A $100 a game bettor at an online sportsbook would have a profit of approximately $950 if they wagered on every Jay game this season so far (depending on the lines when they bet on Toronto).
Over/Under bettors can take note. The Jays have posted 19 overs and 11 unders so far this year.
Toronto hasn’t played many games against teams from its own division so far but it has played a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles and it swept the O’s 3-0.
You can’t win in baseball without good pitching and the Jays have two pitchers who rank in the Top-10 MLB money pitchers.
As the ace of Toronto’s rotation, you expect wins from Roy Halladay and he hasn’t disappointed this year with a 6-1 record but Scott Richmond has been a pleasant surprise.
Last season, Richmond only started in five games all season, grabbing 1 win and 3 losses.
This season, Richmond has already pitched in five games and has paid off for those who backed him, racing out to a perfect 5-0 mark.
Toronto is coming off a 13-1 victory over the L.A. Angels last night, where they covered the moneyline odds of -153 and went Over the Total of 9.
The Jays play the rubber match of their current two-game set tonight sending Robert Ray to the mound against the Angels’ Jered Weaver. The sports betting public likes the Angels in this matchup, as online sportsbooks are reporting early betting action coming in at a clip of 65% on Weaver and the home team.
SPORTSBETTING.com currently has the Angels listed as a -162 favorite.
2)Who is the best “money” team in the major league baseball?
The Toronto Blue Jays are second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers when it comes to the MLB’s top money teams.
With an overall record of 21-8, the Dodgers have been profitable for the sports betting world who have followed them, but a closer look reveals lopsided results.
LA has made their money for their backers when playing at home. They are only .500 on the road at 8-8 but are undefeated at home at 13-0, their last victory coming in a 10-3 win over the Washington Nationals last night where the Dodgers covered the big moneyline number at -210 and the Total went Over 9.5.
Unlike the Jays, the L.A. Dodgers have played against divisional opponents a lot so far and dating back to April 11, they have gone 17-3 against divisional competition and are currently on a 6-0 run.
The Dodgers’ rotation features money pitchers such as righty Chad Billingsley who is a perfect 6-0 and southpaw Eric Stults who is 4-1.
After finishing a current two-game set against the aforementioned Washington Nationals tonight. Sportsbooks have LA listed at -160.
TheDodgers will begin another series against a divisional rival, this time hosting the San Francisco Giants.
In the last 20 games where the Dodgers have hosted the San Francisco Giants, L.A. has gone 11-9 and more recently, has gone 6-2 in its last eight games.
While we are only in the early goings of the MLB season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays are the Top 2 money teams in all of the majors.
Author: Kevin Taylor is a veteran sports handicapper and student of the sports betting world. He has written for several media outlets, focusing on sports, sports betting and online poker.
PONCE (2009 FIBA Americas Championship) – Uruguayan point guard Martin Osimani talked about the expectations for the Uruguayan National Team for the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship (World Qualifier) that will be played in Mexico from August 26 until September 6.
After winning the second title in a row with Bigua, the guard of the Uruguayan national team was signed by Atléticos de San Germán in Puerto Rico where he averages 10.13 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in his first eight games.
Osimani, who made his debut with the junior national team in 1998, talked about the expectations after a good FIBA Americas Championship in 2007 but he is also worried about the current situation in Mexico.
"Everybody is waiting to see what happens with the swine flu. We are nervous but in Uruguay there are a lot people wanting to start the preparation because there are a lot of expectations after the 2007 tournament where we had a good showing."
Uruguay finished second in Group A of the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship with a 3-1 record. Their only loss was against Argentina and defeated Puerto Rico, Mexico y Panama. Then in the second round they lost to Canada, Venezuela, USA and Brazil to finish eighth and out of the Olympics.
"We were short because of injuries and this year we will look to extend the team so we son't be tired at the end of the championship", said the guard, explaining one of the factors for their bad performance in the second round.
Uruguay has seen the development of players like Leandro García Morales, Esteban Batista, Gustavo Barrera, Jayson Granger in the last couple of years and is expected that they make an immediate impact in the national team for international competitions. Also veterans like Nicolas Mazzarino might join the team.
"This is what everybody is waiting for to see what we can do better. We are waiting for Nicolas Mazzarino to see if he comes back after he retired but we know that the new players are having great seasons abroad and we have a lot of expectations to improve."
Part of the development of these players has been the Uruguayan League where Osimani, Leandro García Morales, Esteban Batista, among other have played.
"The level has improved, also the level of the imports has improved a lot and the players who play overseas are present. They have to improve the organization to be an elite league but it has improved and been worked a lot."
Bigua had their best season in history, winning their second straight title in Uruguay but at the international level they won the South American Championship for Clubs and played in the Final Four of the FIBA Americas League.
Osimani, who played in the United States in Utah and Duquesne University, is concentrated to have a great season with San German which is the one with the most tradition with 14 championships.
The Dallas Mavericks lost more than a playoff game last night when they dropped a game to the Denver Nuggets 117-105–Dallas was listed at +6.5–they saw small forward Josh Howard go down with a sprained right ankle.
NBA Playoffs - Is King James Ready To Take The Throne
By Kevin Taylor
The NBA has tried really hard to find a replacement for Michael Jordan.
Fellow Tar Heel alums Jerry Stackhouse and Vince Carter were flashes in the pan.
Shaquille O’Neal is a shadow of his former self, Kobe Bryant, as of yet, has failed to win a title without the aid of O’Neal and then there is LeBron James.
James has been working his way up the NBA hierarchy and could be primed for the big breakout in this year’s playoffs.
‘Bron was just named the NBA MVP for 2009 and as it stands, he has his Cleveland Cavaliers in good position to win this year’s NBA title as well.
The sports betting community knows how popular Lebron James has become, the odds and lines on the Cleveland Cavaliers keep getting higher and higher. Betting on Cleveland means bettors have to deal with some pretty high lines, and that has been the case in the playoffs, as the NBA lines put up on the Cavaliers are often flirting with double digits.
There will also be extra incentive for Cleveland to win a title with James on the roster the next two years as the “King” is one of the deep crop of players who will be free-agents in 2010. Sports betting sites and online sportsbooks have some interesting NBA prop wagers on the betting board related to Lebron’s free agency.
One book, SPORTSBETTING.com, has James listed at -155 to be on the Cavs’ roster for the start of the 2010/2011 season and the prop odds are +115 that he’ll be playing somewhere else.
With only four teams left in the Western Conference, there are four possible opponents that Cleveland could face should they go all the way.
SPORTSBETTING.com also have a very unique betting option, called Prospective Bets. You can wager on any possible NBA playoff matchup. You can bet on Game 1 of the NBA final between the Cavaliers and the Lakers….and you can bet it today. If it doesn’t happen, no sweat, you get your money back.
If LeBron James and company make the finals and face Kobe and Lakers the prospective Game 1 line would see the Cavs listed as 4.5-point home faves.
If they played the Rockets for the NBA title, Cleveland would be a prospective 7.5-point home fave for the final series opener and ditto if they met the Denver Nuggets.
The prospective Game 1 line if the Dallas Mavericks and Cavs battled for the title would see Cleveland favored in double-digits at -10.
This is the only online sportsbook in the world offering these unique options.
The Cavs won and covered in Game 1 of their second round series vs. Atlanta.
While no one is giving Atlanta much of a chance, they might be able to cover a few of the NBA odds put up on them in these games.
The Cavs are also a very reliable bet at home ATS in the month of May going 9-4 ATS dating back to 1999 and more recently have gone 5-0 ATS in its last five games in that month.
However, the best team during the NBA’s regular season has struggled ATS against the Atlanta Hawks and their ilk, which would be teams from the Southeast division, going 4-12 ATS in their last 16 vs. SE division teams, including 1-5 ATS in thelast six.
Jordan wasn’t fully given his props until he took home his first title and the same applies to LeBron James.
Will the King receive an NBA crown?
We’ll find out. Enjoy all the NBA playoff betting, be sure to check the NBA odds (future odds and the prospective bets) and the daily NBA lines.
Author: Kevin Taylor is a veteran sports handicapper and student of the sports betting world. He has written for several media outlets, focusing on sports, sports betting and online poker.
The odds are stacked against the Atlanta Hawks in their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Atlanta is a +1600 underdog in series price betting and an 11.5-point ‘dog in Game 1, the Total is set at 179.5.
The Hawks might be able to pull a fast one on the Cavs in the first game as they are 5-2 ATS in their last seven in Cleveland and in their last 20 road games against the Cavaliers are 14-5-1 on the Over/Under.
Recovering from surgery to his sinus, Orlando Magic starting shooting guard Courtney Lee will again be absent from his team’s lineup tonight reports the Associated Press.
Lee suffered a fractured sinus after taking an accidental elbow from teammate Dwight Howard and although coach Stan Van Gundy hoped that he would be ready for action, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Orlando is a slight 2-point road ‘dog for tonight’s game.
All good things come to an end and sadly enough that applies to the playoff series involving the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls, arguably one of the best in a long while.
Going into Saturday’s Game 7 in Boston, the Celtics see themselves installed as 6-point home faves.
This has been a close series though, with many games going to OT and in the last 16 games between Chicago and Boston that fall on a Saturday, the Bulls have the edge going 11-5 ATS.
