Friday's Best NBA Bets
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks (-2, 191.5)
There are 17 reasons to think this game won’t come close to the over. Those 17 reasons are the 17 different clips Celtics coach Doc Rivers showed his team during a video session on Wednesday.
Each one showed the team being tentative on double-teams and simply watching as the Knicks crashed the offensive class. Poor rebounding led the Knicks snagging a stunning 20 offensive boards and notching an unheard of 24 second-chance points in Game 2. New York still lost 96-93, but needed every one of those points to keep it close.
“We weren’t trapping, but we were acting like we were trapping,” said Boston head coach Doc Rivers. “So now Carmelo [Anthony is] one-on-one, and then we’re out-bodied, so now they’re getting both. And that was what was so frustrating.”
Think Boston won’t look to tighten things up, even if guard Chauncey Billups or forward Amar’e Stoudemire find a way to play?
“It’d be different if we’d won both games by 15 to 20 points,” said Celtics' guard Ray Allen, “but right now it’s evident. It’s staring us in the face where we can be better.”
But don’t necessarily look for an improved defensive effort to lead to fewer points. Boston has seen the under go 6-1-1 since Shaquille O’Neal suffered his calf injury. Look for the defense to tighten even more without the Man of Steel.
Pick: Under
Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks (1.5, 181)
The Hawks may finally have found a way to keep up with the Magic.
Atlanta has allowed Magic center Dwight Howard to score as much as he wants – 79 points and 38 rebounds – and has forced the rest of the team’s scorers to find a way to beat them. The new-found strategy by coach Larry Drew has allowed the Hawks to not only split the first two games of the series in Atlanta, but gain a mental edge this season.
The Hawks are 4-2 SU and a stunning 6-0 ATS versus the Magic this season. The new approach is working and don’t expect Atlanta to mix things up anytime soon.
In fact, Magic guard Gilbert Arenas has struggled so much to help generate offense around Howard that head coach Stan Van Gundy plans to slice into his minutes to try to find another player who can find the bottom of the basket.
"I don't know what we're doing," Van Gundy said. "I haven't decided exactly what we're doing. I know Jameer [Nelson] is going to play a lot of minutes. I know we're going to use J.J. [Redick off the bench], I know we're going to use Q [Quentin Richardson] and I know we're going to use Ryan [Anderson].
"As far as what we do at the backup point I'm not totally sure."
He might not be sure, but the Hawks are positive about what they are going to do: win.
Pick: Atlanta
NBA Betting: New York Knicks host Boston Celtics
By: Michael Robinson
The New York Knicks have done everything right in their playoff series against the Boston Celtics except win a game. They’ll try to break through Friday night as the scene shifts to New York, but injuries are a big question mark.
The Don Best odds screen has New York as two-point home favorites despite point guard Chauncey Billups being listed as doubtful. The total is 191 points and ESPN will broadcast from Madison Square Garden at 4 p.m. (PT).
The Knicks (42-42 straight-up, 48-34-2 against the spread) are down 2-0 after their 96-93 loss on Tuesday. Billups (knee) didn’t play and power forward Amare Stoudemire (back) sat out the second half, but they still led 93-92 with 19 seconds remaining. A big bucket by Boston’s Kevin Garnett and his subsequent steal were the difference.
Carmelo Anthony was absolutely brilliant with 42 points and 17 rebounds. He quieted his critics after struggling in the opener (5-of-18 shooting, 15 points). New York blew a three-point lead with 37 seconds left in that game, losing 87-85.
Billups’ status is a major cause for concern. He had a cortisone shot and fluid drained on Wednesday and missed practice Thursday. Toney Douglas had 14 points last game in his first playoff start, but had just two assists in over 34 minutes and was a turnstile on defense against Rajon Rondo (30 points).
Stoudemire missed practice on Thursday, but is probable Friday. Back injuries are tricky and he could be less than 100 percent. Shooting guard Landry Fields and center Ronny Turiaf are two non-scorers in the starting lineup right now, so big point production from Stoudemire, Anthony and Douglas will be vital.
New York is 2-0 ATS in this series and 4-2 ATS on the year against Boston despite losing all six games. There’s been a strong underdog trend in this year’s opening round, 12-4 ATS pending Thursday’s results.
The ‘under’ is 2-0 this series and 17-4-1 in Boston’s last 22 games. However, the ‘over’ is 6-1 in New York’s last seven home games and 24-17 for the season there.
The fortunate Celtics (58-26 SU, 38-44-2 ATS) are up 2-0 in the opening round for the second straight year. Last year, they took Game 3 in Miami 100-98 as 4 ½-point underdogs before losing Game 4 (101-92). The Heat had yet to sign free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Rondo’s scoring was badly needed last game. Paul Pierce is averaging 19 PPG this series, but shooting just 41.2 percent. He can’t be counted on for much more, expending so much energy covering Anthony.
Center Shaquille O’Neal (calf) has missed the first two games and is listed as doubtful Friday. The latest rumors have him out for the playoffs. Starter Jermaine O’Neal played well in Game 1 with 12 points, but had just two in 20 minutes last game. He’s probable with a wrist injury.
Boston out-rebounded New York in Game 1 (44-34), but the Knicks dominated in Game 2 (53-37). Their 20 offensive rebounds last game and free throw attempt differential (27-16) allowed them to hang in there despite being out-shot from the floor 47-35.6 percent.
The Boston bench has been anemic, scoring just 22 total points in the series. Glen Davis seems the best hope to turn it around, but he has just six total points. The Jeff Green acquisition from Oklahoma City for Kendrick Perkins looks worse every day. He has 10 total points and appears uncomfortable in a reserve role.
Boston is 8-5-1 ATS on two days rest this season. The 30-somethings of Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen always appreciate a little extra time off.
Game 4 will be played Sunday in the Big Apple. Spike Lee and the rest of the celebrity fans would love to see New York aiming to tie the series instead of fighting elimination.
Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks
By: Adam Markowitz
The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic split their NBA playoff betting proceedings in the City Beautiful in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Now the scene shifts to the Peach State, where Atlanta will hope to fly high and the Magic will try and make the Hawks disappear.
Tip-off on Friday night from Phillips Arena is slated for 5:00 (PT).
The first two games in this series have been vastly different. The Hawks shot the lights out at Amway Center in Game 1, especially in the middle two quarters, to take the 103-93 win, while Orlando's defense cracked down in an 88-82 victory in Game 2.
The big, big problem that the Magic have is their big man, Dwight Howard, really can't do this all by himself. Sure, Howard is shooting 71.4 percent from the field and averaging 39.5 PPG with 19.0 RPG in this series. No one is stopping him, and Atlanta has conceded that fact.
The problem for the man they call "Superman" is that he already has a whopping 15 turnovers in two games, and he has picked up five fouls in both efforts as well.
Jameer Nelson has come up big in the postseason once again for Orlando, averaging 20.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG. However, beyond these two, there really isn't much for head coach Stan Van Gundy to be happy about.
Jason Richardson was brought to the Sunshine State to score in situations like this, and he only has 12 total points against seven fouls. Gilbert Arenas, also brought to Orlando to bring an offensive spark off the bench, has only managed eight total points in 19 minutes of game time.
Howard is also the only player on the team shooting better than 42 percent from the floor, and the rest of the team outside of Howard and Nelson is shooting less than 30 percent for the series.
The Hawks haven't had a ton of help from their bench, but this really has been their story for quite a few seasons now. Sure, technically Jamal Crawford does come off of the bench, but we know that Zaza Pachulia is effectively a bench player who happens to be out there to start the game.
Crawford is the team's leading scorer in the playoffs with 24.0 PPG, and he is shooting 58.3 percent from beyond the arc as well.
Joe Johnson has come alive in the playoffs, playing virtually every minute of both games and accounting for 19.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 5.0 APG. Josh Smith and Al Horford are both bordering on double-doubles per game in the postseason, while Kirk Hinrich, generally known as a defensive point guard, is doing his share on the other end of the court by averaging 11.0 PPG.
It was well documented what happened when these two teams met in the playoffs last year, as the Magic absolutely crippled Atlanta in four straight games in the biggest beat-down in NBA postseason history for a series. However, since that point, the Hawks have fired back, covering the NBA odds six meetings in a row, including these two in the playoffs.
The Game 2 'under' marked the seventh time in the last eight in this series that a game has failed to reach the 'total.'
Oddsmakers have the Magic lined as short one point favorites on Friday, while the 'total' has been set at 181.
Friday's Playoff Tips
By Brian Edwards
Bettors have a tripleheader treat on tap for Friday night in the NBA Playoffs. The Knicks will finally host a postseason game at Madison Square Garden, as they look for their first win against Boston.
In Atlanta at Philips Arena, the Hawks will try to take a 2-1 series advantage over Orlando, which swept them in last year’s second round. The nightcap contest will go down in the Big Easy, where the Hornets will take on the Lakers at New Orleans Arena.
New York (42-42 straight up, 48-34-2 against the spread) covered the number in Games 1 and 2 in Beantown. However, the Knicks came up short in a pair of upset bids.
They held a 51-39 lead at halftime of Game 1, but the Celtics rallied to capture an 87-85 win as six-point home favorites. Ray Allen drained the game-winning 3-pointer with 11.6 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Carmelo Anthony settled for a deep 3-point attempt from the right wing that was off the mark.
All five Boston (58-26 SU, 38-44-2 ATS) starters scored in double figures led by Allen, who had 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor. Paul Pierce added 18 points and Garnett chipped in with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Rajon Rondo nearly had a triple-double, tallying 10 points, nine boards and nine assists.
Stoudemire finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds, but Anthony was just 5-of-18 from the field and had just 15 points. Nevertheless, Mike D’Antoni’s team took the cash.
Chauncey Billups went down with a knee injury late in the fourth quarter and was unable to continue. He missed Game 2 and his status for Game 3 remains ‘doubtful.’
In Game 2, it was Stoudemire who had to leave the game with back spasms. With him out and the Celtics leading by double digits, the Knicks looked dead in the water. But Anthony would have nothing of the sort, exploding in the fourth quarter en route to a 42-point effort.
The Syracuse product, who led the Orange to the 2003 national title as a freshman, also pulled down 17 rebounds and dished out six helpers. Anthony couldn’t deliver on the final possession, though.
He made the right play but it didn’t work. Anthony got doubled and fed Jarred Jeffries in the lane, but Jeffries didn’t even look at the basket and had the ball stolen by Kevin Garnett when he tried to make a pass in traffic.
Rondo was the catalyst for the winner, scoring 30 points and dishing out seven assists. Pierce went for 20 points and Allen added 18. KG had another double-double with 12 points, 10 boards and six assists.
Stoudemire was only able to for 17 minutes, finishing with just four points and five boards. Toney Douglas got most of Billups’ minutes, scoring 14 points, but he was unable to do anything to slow down Rondo on the defensive end.
Most books are listing the Knicks as two-point favorites with a total of 191½. Stoudemire was listed as ‘probable’ as of Thursday night.
VegasInsider.com’s Chris David wasn’t expecting to see the Celtics as underdogs. David said, “I was surprised that the Knicks opened as short favorites, especially with the injury issues. Maybe the books are looking for action on the Celtics?
“Not sure, but you have to be aware that Boston owns a 6-4 record ATS as a road underdog this season but the last two instances were losses and against playoff teams in Chicago (81-97) and Miami (77-100). Those following this Celtics squad all season know that they go through the motions and they’re next to impossible to handicap. So which team shows up in Game 3? Will it be the one that is happy with taking one victory at Madison Square Garden or does Doc Rivers put some sense into his troops and let them know that Miami could be resting for the next round? Keep in mind that the Knicks have gone 11-5 ATS as home favorites of six points or less this season. This line is tricky for a reason.”
The ‘over’ has been a money maker for New York at home, cashing at a 24-17 clip. On the flip side, the’ under’ has gone 25-15-1 in Boston’s road assignments.
ESPN will have the telecast at 7:05 p.m. Eastern.
Like the Knicks, Atlanta (45-39 SU, 39-45 ATS) hooked up its backers as road underdogs in Games 1 and 2 at Orlando. Unlike New York, the Hawks were able to get an outright win and return home with the series knotted at 1-1.
Larry Drew’s team took Game 1 by a 103-93 count as an 8 ½-point underdog. Gamblers backing Atlanta on the money line brought home a lucrative return in the plus-360 range (risk $100 to win $360).
Joe Johnson scored a team-high 25 points, while Jamal Crawford supplied 23 points from off the bench. Al Horford and Josh Smith added 16 and 15 points, respectively. In the losing effort, Dwight Howard had a monster game with 46 points and 19 rebounds.
Despite winning outright in Game 1 for its fourth win in five head-to-head meetings against the Magic, Atlanta found itself catching 9 1/2 points in Game 2. Even with Horford saddled with foul trouble, the Hawks raced out to a double-digit lead in the first half. The advantage wouldn’t last, however, with Orlando winning the second quarter by a 32-20 margin.
When Atlanta fell down by 14 in the second half, Stan Van Gundy’s team appeared poised to run away and hide. But that didn’t happen. In fact, the Hawks trimmed the deficit to two on a Horford dunk in transition off a sweet pass from Josh Smith.
On the next possession, Hedo Turkoglu got a bucket in the lane but not before the ball bounced out and rolled around the rim for what seemed like an eternity. After a defensive stop, Jason Richardson inserted the dagger with a clutch 3 from the right wing and the Magic eventually won an 88-82 decision.
The ‘over’ hit in Game 1, but the ‘under’ prevailed in Game 2. The ‘under’ is now 5-1 in the six encounters between these Eastern Conference rivals.
Tip-off at Philips Arena is scheduled for Friday night at 8:05 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.
New Orleans (47-37 SU, 41-41-2 ATS) stunned the two-time defending champs Sunday afternoon, beating the Lakers 109-100 behind an incredible performance from Chris Paul at Staples Center. Paul dominated with 33 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and four steals. The Hornets won outright as double-digit underdogs, hooking up money-line backers with a payout of at least plus-500 (and +675 at the Las Vegas Hilton!).
Jarrett Jack played a huge role in the Game 1 shocker. Jack came off the bench to scored 15 points and dish out five assists without committing a turnover. Aaron Gray also provided a lift from off of the pine, making all five shots on his way to a 12-point effort.
In Game 2, the line went from 10 to 12 in favor of the Lakers, who won 87-78 despite getting next to nothing from Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Phil Jackson’s squad got ahead of the number several times in the second half, but the Hornets scored enough points in the final minutes to cover the healthy spread.
Bryant was just 3-of-10 from the field and barely got into double figures with 11 points. The perennial All-Star had just as many turnovers (two) as assists (two). Gasol was even worse with the Staples crowd cringing every time he got a touch on the blocks in the second half. He would score just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Fortunately for Los Angeles, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom came to play. The big man Bynum produced 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Odom added 16 points and seven boards.
Paul beat the buzzer to end the second and third quarters, but he didn’t get enough help this time around. He finished with 20 points and nine assists compared to merely one turnover. Trevor Ariza was outstanding, completely shutting down Kobe on the defensive end and scoring 22 points.
L.A. won both regular-season meetings in the Crescent City, but it will need to bring much more effort and execution into Friday’s showdown. It would help to get Gasol going, too. He appears to have completely lost his confidence and the physical play of Carl Landry is clearly bothering the All-Star power forward.
The Hornets own a 6-5 spread record as home underdogs. Without David West, Monty Williams can’t ask for much more out of his team. Even in Wednesday’s loss, the fight and intensity was evident for 48 minutes.
The one exception might have been a Lakers’ fast break that resulted in an offensive rebound and then a give-away foul by Paul. But after that sequence, Jack ripped into Landry and Emaka Okafor for not hustling back on defense. In essence, Jack made it clear that he’d be dealing out eye dots to his teammates if the same thing happened again. (LOVED IT!!!)
David provided this analysis on the total: “Game 2 saw the Lakers and Hornets combine for 165 points, which never threatened the closing total of 187. And that result occurred after the pair combined for 209 in the opener of the best-of-seven series.
“For Game 3, the number is back down to 184 which is still a little higher than the total (182.5) in Game 1. In the six meetings this season, the ‘over’ has gone 4-2 but the second installment could have total bettors scratching their head. For starters, Kobe decided to put defense ahead of offense and guard Paul for the majority of the game. He took a total of 10 shots, making just three.
“The pace was off as well, plus both teams only took a combined 22 treys and they combined for 19 misses from the free-throw line. A lot of question marks but if you’re looking for a consistent trend, then check out the total mark on New Orleans, which stands at 52-31 to the ‘under’ and that includes a 25-16 (61%) mark in The Big Easy.”
ESPN will provide television coverage at 9:35 p.m. Eastern.
vegasinsider.com.
NBA Playoff Preview
Under is 6-2 in Eastern games so far, 4-4 in Western games; favorites are 3-5 vs spread out west, 1-7 in the East.
Knicks led both series games in last 0:20, couldn't finish either one, they obviously need Stoudemire healthy- he missed whole second half in last game, and Billups didn't even suit up. Boston is 6-0 against Knicks this season (2-4 vs spread). Anthony was 14-30 from floor in Game 2, rest of squad was 18-60 (30%). Celtics' four subs in Game 2 combined for 57:36 of playing time, were combined minus-32, 5-15 from floor.
Take out Howard/Nelson, and other Orlando players are dismal 22-85 from floor in first two games. Magic won Game 2 despite shooting 35% as a team- they're 11-45 from arc in series. Redick was only Magic sub with plus rating (+13 in 19:27) in Game 2. Hawks won four of last five games against the Magic and covered last six in series, with five of six staying under total. Magic is 6-14 vs spread in last 20 games as favorite.
Lakers won five of last six games vs Hornets; after shooting 51.9% in Game 1 upset, NO shot just 39.1% in Game 2, and their turnovers went up from 3 to 16 last game. Lakers lost six of their lastnine games; they're 5-11 vs spread in last 16 games as a favorite. Hornets are 4-4 vs spread in last eight games as an underdog. Artest was minus-6, meaning that in the 14:50 he was on the bench in Game 2, Lakers were +15.