What Bettors Need to Know: Monday's NBA Playoff Action
By Covers.com
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics (-4, 173.5)
THE STORY: The Boston Celtics escaped in the opener and are looking to take a 2-0 lead when they host the Philadelphia 76ers in Monday’s Eastern Conference second-round series. Boston trailed most of Game 1 and had to overcome a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to record a 92-91 victory. The 76ers would like to tie the series before it shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4 after winning both home games against Boston in the regular season.
ABOUT THE 76ERS: Philadelphia led most of Game 1 before being outplayed over the last 11 minutes. The fourth quarter meltdown included costly turnovers and poor shot selection and the outcome qualifies as a major missed opportunity for the underdog 76ers. Coach Doug Collins promised there won’t be a carryover effect. “If you’ve watched us all season, we’re not going to drop our heads,” Collins said. “We live to come back and fight just as hard in Game 2, at least as long as I’m the coach.” Andre Iguodala had a team-best 19 points but stellar Sixth Man Lou Williams struggled with just nine points on 4-of-11 shooting.
ABOUT THE CELTICS: Forward Kevin Garnett had 29 points and 11 rebounds in Game 1 to follow up a superb effort (28 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots) in the decisive contest in the Atlanta series. Garnett twice scored 20 points in three regular-season matchups against Philadelphia. Forward Paul Pierce struggled with just 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting as he continues to battle through a knee injury. “It really doesn’t bother me when I walk around or I jump straight up,” Pierce said. “It’s more if I turn the knee in a certain position – it sort of re-aggravates it.”
TRENDS:
- 76ers are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings.
- Celtics are 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 home games.
- Under is 4-1 in 76ers' last five overall.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo notched his eighth career triple-double in the opener with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 17 assists.
2. Philadelphia center Spencer Hawes is averaging 15.4 points and 9.8 rebounds over the last five postseason games.
3. Boston made just two of 18 3-point shots in the opener with guard Ray Allen (2 of 7) the only player to connect from behind the arc.
Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder (-7.5, 191.5)
SERIES ODDS: Lakers +379, Thunder -442
THE STORY: The Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder have already engaged in off-court drama as they prepare for the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series Monday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. The teams took vastly different paths to reach the second round, with the Lakers outlasting the plucky Denver Nuggets in seven games and the Thunder enjoying plenty of rest after ousting the defending-champion Dallas Mavericks in four straight.
ABOUT THE LAKERS: Leave it to the guy named World Peace to lob the first grenade in what should be a tension-filled series. Metta World Peace says he doesn't plan to shake hands with Thunder guard James Harden, who was felled by a vicious World Peace elbow in their previous regular-season encounter. The incident led to a lengthy suspension for World Peace, who was only eligible to return for Game 7 against the Nuggets. "I don't shake substitutes' hands," he said following the Lakers' series-clinching victory, while also suggesting that Harden may have embellished the contact.
ABOUT THE THUNDER: Oklahoma City may have been young and wide-eyed in last year's postseason, but the team looks to be all business this time around. Led by three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant and sensational point guard Russell Westbrook, the Thunder rolled past the Mavericks in a rematch of last year's Western Conference finals. It was the first series sweep for the franchise since 1996, when the Seattle Supersonics easily handled the defending-champion Houston Rockets. Monday's opener will mark eight days since Oklahoma City last took the court.
TRENDS:
- Lakers are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings in Oklahoma City.
- The over is 5-0 in Thunder last five games as a favorite.
- The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last five playoff games as a favorite.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Thunder C Kendrick Perkins (hip) participated in a pre-practice shooting session Saturday but remains a game-time decision for the opener.
2. Oklahoma City won two of three regular-season meetings. The Lakers won their most recent encounter, escaping with a 114-106 overtime win April 22.
3. Durant averages 25.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 17 career games against the Lakers.
NBA Preview
76ers @ Celtics (1-0) -- Garnett had 29 points, 11 boards, as Boston got thru Game 1 with home court edge intact. Home side won all four series games this season, with Celtics winning Game 1, when both teams shot exactly 43.9% from the floor; Celtics' last three games have been decided by total of 5 points. Philly lost by 24-1 points in their only visits here this year. Holliday (3-13 from floor, 0-4 behind arc) will have to make some jumpshots, or Boston won't even have to guard him.
Lakers @ Thunder -- Last time these teams met, Ron Artest gave James Harden a concussion with a cheapshot elbow; he got suspended seven games, but got back just in time to help save the Lakers' bacon against the Nuggets Saturday. Quick turnaround for LA squad that snuck by Denver at home Saturday night; Lakers lost 100-85 in their only visit to Oklahoma City this season. Teams split pair of games at Staples, with both winning sides in those games 1-point underdogs. Thunder's last game was nine days ago; will they be rested or rusty?
Armadillosports.com
LA LAKERS (45 - 28) at OKLAHOMA CITY (51 - 19)
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 30-42 ATS (-16.2 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in road games this season.
LA LAKERS are 28-41 ATS (-17.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 139-115 ATS (+12.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 34-20 ATS (+12.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 9-7 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 10-6 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA (39 - 34) at BOSTON (44 - 29)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 87-72 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 82-104 ATS (-32.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 43-72 ATS (-36.2 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=91 points/game since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 8-4 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 8-4 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA vs. BOSTON
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games on the road
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
LA LAKERS vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
LA Lakers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
LA Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 7 games
LA Lakers at Oklahoma City
LA Lakers: 2-10 ATS away with a total of 190 to 199.5 points
Oklahoma City: 12-4 Under off BB road games
Philadelphia at Boston
Philadelphia: 23-12 ATS off a loss by 6 points or less
Boston: 4-12 ATS off BB home games
Inside the Paint - Monday
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
Philadelphia at Boston
Can Philadelphia earn a split in Boston? That’s the question gamblers face when Game 2 tips at TD Garden tonight. On Saturday, the 76ers played a great game but they came up short as Boston earned a hard-fought 92-91 victory in the series opener. Philadelphia got the cover as a 5½-point underdog and the combined 183 points jumped ‘over’ the closing total of 171.
Surprisingly, Boston’s Kevin Garnett led all scorers with 29 points, which was needed since Paul Pierce and Ray Allen combined to shoot 8-of-21 from the floor and just 2-of-9 from 3-point land. Rajon Rondo proved once again why he’s arguably the best point guard in the league, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, 17 assists and four steals. Andre Iguodala led Philadelphia with 19 points in the loss.
After the close call on Saturday, the oddsmakers opened Boston as a 4 ½-point favorite in Game 2. The total received a boost and is hovering between 173 and 174 points at most books.
The 76ers and Celtics both pushed the pace in the first installment, as each team attempted 82 shots. Ironically, both teams shot the same percentage (43.9) from the field. The difference was free throws, Philadelphia going 14-of-20 while Boston connected on 18-of-19.
Including Saturday’s outcome, the home team is now 4-0 straight up (3-1 against the spread) this season. However, Game 1 was the first decision that was decided by single digits.
VegasInsider.com expert Vince Akins wasn’t surprised by the tight affair on Saturday. He said, “Wins generally don’t come easy for Boston in this series. They’ve beaten Philly by more than four points in just two of their last eight matchups while half of their last 10 wins over the 76ers have been one possession games. “
Bettors looking for the 76ers to rebound and earn the split can get a generous payout on the adjusted series price, which is listed at 3/1 odds (Bet $100 to win $300).
Game 3 will be played in Philadelphia in Wednesday.
L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City
The Lakers kept their playoff hopes alive last Saturday as they eliminated Denver in Game 7 of their opening round series. Los Angeles notched a 96-87 home decision as a 5½-point home favorite, outscoring Denver by eight points (27-19) in the fourth quarter. The club got a big boost from Metta World Peace, who added 15 points and five rebounds. Peace, the player once known as Ron Artest, returned after serving a seven-game suspension from elbowing Oklahoma City’s James Harden in the head on Apr. 22.
Los Angeles wound up winning that affair against the Thunder in overtime (114-106), which was its only victory against them this season. And most believe that if Harden wasn’t knocked out in the second quarter, the Thunder probably wouldn’t have blown a 16-point lead at Staples Center.
Advertisement
In the other two regular season encounters, OKC outclassed the Lakers at home (100-85) and in Los Angeles (102-93). The ‘under’ cashed in both of these games, while the ‘over’ luckily connected in the aforementioned overtime game.
The books sent out Oklahoma City as a six-point favorite over Los Angeles in Game 1 and the number has already spiked up to 7½ at most betting shops. OKC could be a bit rusty since it hasn’t played in nine days but it has played well with longer breaks in this shortened season. On three days of rest or more, the Thunder have gone 3-0 both SU and ATS, and the ‘under’ has cashed in all three as well.
Even though Oklahoma City swept Dallas in the first round, three of the victories came by six points or less and the two wins at home were by one and three. The Thunder failed to cover Game 1 and 2 at home, but they did cash the final two games on the road. Three of the four games against the Mavericks went ‘over’ the total as OKC averaged 99.8 points per game.
The series price also saw some early action as well. Oklahoma City opened as a minus-350 (Bet $350 to win $100) favorite at CRIS and the price was immediately pushed up to minus-460 (Bet $460 to win $100). Gamblers expecting the Lakers to capture the best-of-seven battle can get odds as high as plus-380 (Bet $100 to win $380) at the offshore outfit.
Some bettors might be surprised by the high price on Los Angeles and take the underdog. VegasInsider.com handicapper Bruce Marshall isn’t fooled by the aura of the Purple and Gold. He explained, “Oklahoma City mostly dominated the Lakers this season, winning easily in the first two meetings and comfortably ahead in the third meeting before a late L.A. rally against a Thunder. The Lakers defense proved a step slow coping with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook this season, OKC has presence inside with Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka to deal with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, and Thabo Sefolosha is one of the best defenders of Kobe Bryant in the league. I expect the Thunder to control this series.”
The Thunder could be without their experienced center Perkins (hip), who is listed as ‘questionable’ for Game 1.
One of the biggest differences between the Lakers and Thunder this season has been their play on the road. Los Angeles has gone 16-20, which includes a 1-2 record versus Denver in the first round. Oklahoma City produced a 23-12 ledger, with two of the wins over Dallas in the playoff opener.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday.