Adam Meyer
Lakers +2 First Half
Lenny Del Genio
25* Celtics -3
The Lakers took the lead in the series on Tuesday as they went into Boston and beat the Celtics 91-84. LA had a strategy and that was to stop Ray Allen and it worked as the Boston sharp shooter fired nothing but blanks. Allen missed all 13 of his shots, of which 8 were from behind the 3-point line, and he finished with a measly two free throws. Kobe wasn’t saddled with foul trouble like he was in Game 2 and shined bright scoring 29 points. Will the Lakers take a commanding 3-1 lead tonight or will the Celtics bounce back? We’re looking for Boston to bounce back and win on their home floor tonight. Why? Because we think Ray Allen will come to play and Rondo and Pierce wi€ll have big games. The Boston defense held LA in check but they couldn’t but the ball in the basket, tonight their defense will be there, but they’ll get put the ball in the hole. We’re playing on the Celtics. 25* Play on Boston
Ben Burns
10* Celtics -3.5
The "zig-zag theory" may not have fared too well in the playoffs. However, it's been alive and well in the playoffs, thus far. The Lakers won and covered in Game 1. The Celtics bounced back with a win and cover in the second game. Game 3 saw the Lakers respond with a win and cover of their own. I expect the "pattern" to continue for another day and look for Boston to even up the series.
The Lakers played great defense in Game 3, holding Boston to a mere 84 points. That didn't surprise me, as I had both LA and the 'under' in that game. They're not always that good, when coming off a strong defensive outing though. In fact, LA is a money-burning 2-8 ATS the last 10 times it held its previous opponent to 85 points or less.
As I mentioned in my analysis of Game 3, the Lakers have been outstanding when tied in a playoff series. They've only been mediocre, when leading in a playoff series though, going 6-6 ATS (7-5 SU) their last 12 in that situation. On the other hand, including their big win in Ga…me 2, the Celtics are a perfect 6-0 SU, going a profitable 5-1 ATS, the last six times that they were trailing in a playoff series.
In my Game 3 analysis, I also noted that this series was playing out similarly to Boston's series vs. Cleveland. In that game, the Celtics lost Game 1 on the road and bounced back to score the upset in the second game. Game 3 saw them return home, only to lose in front of their home fans. So, what happened in Game 4? Just as many were starting to write them off, the veteran Celtics responded with a double-digit victory.
While the Celtics did lose one home game vs. both Orlando and Cleveland, they have yet to lose two home games in any series. Kevin Garnett finally came back to life last game. I expect "The Big Ticket" to deliver another strong effort and this time, I look for his supporting cast to do a much better job. Specifically, its fairly safe to assume that Ray Allen will shoot a lot better than he did in his last game.
The Celtics are 71-25 SU the last 96 times that they were attempting to avenge an earlier loss. During that stretch, they've also gone 37-17 SU when coming off a SU loss as an underdog. I expect them to improve on those stats, covering the small number along the way.
SPORTS UNLIMITED
7* BOSTON / LAKERS OVER 190