Weekend Look-Ahead
By Bovada.lv
While March Madness is the main basketball on most bettors' minds, arguably the most anticipated game of the NBA season thus far takes place Sunday night on national television (ESPN) when the two NBA title favorites, the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder, face off for the first time this year. The game is in OKC and there will be live play-by-play betting at the book.
Miami still is behind Chicago in the Eastern Conference standings but is the 8/5 title favorite at Bovada and 5/7 favorite in the East. Oklahoma City comfortably leads the West over San Antonio and is the 11/10 favorite to win the conference for the first time since the team was in Seattle. The Thunder are at 4/1 to win the NBA title along with those Bulls.
The Heat avoided potential disaster in Tuesday's 99-95 win over Phoenix, Miami's 14th straight victory at home (tying the longest home winning streak of any team this season). LeBron James re-aggravated an old right elbow injury he had when playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. (He still wears a padded sleeve on his right arm to protect the elbow.) Then he suffered a blow to the head after colliding with the Suns' Grant Hill in the final 30 seconds of the game. James was lucky he didn't suffer a concussion.
Both the Heat and Thunder should be fortified somewhat by Sunday. Miami is signing power forward/center Ronny Turiaf to add some size to the bench. Turiaf was waived by the Nuggets on Monday after he was traded there from Washington. The 6-foot-10 Turiaf has played in only four games this season because of a broken left hand. But he has been cleared to return to the floor. Turiaf averaged 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 64 games for the New York Knicks last year and he should help a Miami team that has struggled against bigger opponents.
Oklahoma City is adding former Lakers point guard Derek Fisher (5.9 ppg, 3.3 apg this season) for the stretch run. He was bought out and released by Houston after being traded there by L.A. before last Thursday's deadline. Fisher, who, had played in 537 consecutive games prior to being dealt to the Rockets, will serve as a veteran backup to Russell Westbrook. And Fisher has a championship pedigree, something the young Thunder severely lack.
The Heat and Thunder each won in the other's gym a year ago. The teams will play again in Miami on April 4. Oklahoma City and Chicago have yet to play this season; their lone meeting of the year is April 1.
Other live betting options this weekend
There are no live betting NBA options at the book on Thursday or Friday with the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 taking over. But on Friday there will be two games, both on ESPN: Celtics at 76ers and Nuggets at Jazz.
Boston is right on Philadelphia's heels in the Atlantic Division. Winning the Atlantic could be the difference between being the fourth seed in the East playoffs and having home-court advantage in the first round or getting a No. 7 seed and having to play either Miami or Chicago in the opening round. Denver and Utah are both at the bottom of the Western playoff race. Friday's game could thus be vital for a tiebreaker as the teams split the first two meetings and Friday is the final matchup of the season.
On Saturday, the national television doubleheader shifts to NBA TV and the book will have live betting on both Mavericks-Rockets and Kings-Warriors. Houston is also in a battle for a playoff spot, while Dallas is still hoping to catch San Antonio for the Southwest Division title and maybe even get the West's No. 2 seed, although that looks unlikely. Sacramento and Golden State, meanwhile, are just playing out the string and awaiting the NBA lottery.
Finally, on Sunday after the Heat-Thunder game there will also be live betting on Grizzlies-Lakers. L.A. goes for the season sweep of Memphis and the Lakers should get a look at a player they were considering signing: former All-Star Gilbert Arenas. Agent Zero averaged 8.0 points, 3.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds over 49 games in primarily a reserve role for Orlando last season but was waived via the amnesty clause before this season and had sat unsigned. The Grizz think Arenas can add a little offense off the bench. The Lakers had kicked the tires on signing Arenas a few weeks ago.