NBA Basketball Picks: February 25th 2011
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Pick: Orlando Magic -7
Off Wednesday’s home loss to Sacramento and with another home game on Sunday against Charlotte, Orlando surely won’t take Oklahoma City lightly on Friday night. The Magic haven’t forgotten about their loss to the Thunder in OKC back on January 13th either. In the Sunshine State against Oklahoma City, Orlando has played very well posting a strong 10-2 SU and 8-4 ATS record. Provided the Magic enter off a straight up loss, this team trend improves to a spotless 5-0 SU and ATS! Equally impressive, at home checking in off a straight up loss, Orlando has been a solid investment notching a powerful 61-7 SU and 49-27-2 ATS record. In this role matched up against an opponent that enters without momentum off a straight up loss, the Magic improve to a rewarding 26-11 ATS! Oklahoma City added Celtics Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to their lineup and those two will certainly compliment superstar Kevin Durant. The addition of Perkins should do wonders for the Thunder’s defense – especially in the paint. However, anytime you add new pieces to a team puzzle it takes time for things to gel. Going up against a powerhouse like Orlando is going to be a tall order especially with those new faces. Off their embarrassing loss to the Kings, the Magic will bounce back nicely here especially with a national ESPN audience watching. Take Orlando. Thank you and best of luck, Tom Stryker.

Pick: Phoenix Suns -4
Steve Nash has the Suns on a mission to make the playoffs. Phoenix has won 8 of its last 11 to move within 2 games of Memphis for the 8th and final playoff spot. The Suns know how important this 6-game road trip is to their postseason chances, and they aren’t about to let a Raptors team they have defeated 12 straight times stand in the way tonight. Phoenix has outscored the Raptors by an average of 12.2 points during its 12-game win streak in the series. The Raptors have been a terrible investment when catching points. In fact, Toronto is just 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games as an underdog. In addition, it is 10-24-1 ATS in its last 35 games as a home underdog of 4.5 points or fewer. Phoenix, meanwhile, has been a reliable favorite under coach Gentry. In fact, the Suns are 62-44 ATS as a favorite during his watch, winning these games by an average score of 112.2 to 104.9. It is also worth noting that the Suns are 25-10 ATS in the second half of the season under Gentry when up against an opponent with a losing record. The Suns have defeated these teams by an average score of 118.5 to 105.7. Lay the points. -Jimmy Boyd (Handicapperspicks.com)

NBA Picks for November 2nd 2010
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NBA Pick: Detroit Pistons +6.5
I know the Pistons have started 0-3 this season, but with their slow start comes some nice value on Detroit tonight. The Pistons and Celtics have one of the better rivalries in the Eastern Conference, and Detroit certainly won’t lay down to the defending Eastern Conference champs. Two of the Pistons losses this season have come by 1 and 3 points, and their lone home loss was a 104-105 setback against the Oklahoma City Thunder as 5-point underdogs. So really, they don’t have a bad loss yet considering they’ve been at least a 4-point dog in every game they’ve played, covering two of them. Boston has injury problems early in the season that will prevent them from reaching their potential. Kendrick Perkins is out until early February with a knee injury and Shaq also has a knee ailment that has him listed as doubtful tonight. Not to mention, guard Delonte West won’t be eligible until November 17 as he continues serving his 10-game suspension. The Pistons still have plenty of talent to be competitive, with veterans like Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, sharpshooter Ben Gordon and the up-and-coming Rodney Stuckey who is one of the more underrated point guard in the game. The Pistons are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games as an underdog. Roll with Detroit Tuesday. -Jack Jones

NBA Pick: Portland Trailblazers +2.5
On Tuesday the Free NBA Play is on the Portland Trailblazers. Game 711 at 8:05 eastern. Portland is off a loss last night in Chicago and has no rest with another road game looming. However Portland is one of the few teams that have excelled in this scenario. Portland is 11-1 straight up and ats on the road off a road with no rest. Best of all they have 6 straight up dog wins in this setting. Un fortunately I do not have a Power system to tie into the big team trend, hence the free play. Portland is a solid 60-14 vs losing teams the last 3 years and have covered 9 of 13 in Milwaukee since 1996. The Bucks are under .500 right now but in the end will be over .500 in their conference. The Bucks though are just 29-58 vs winning teams the past 3 years. Look for the Blazers to get the cash as a small dog. On Tuesday I have a rare 92% Power system side direct from the database as well as the Sun Belt Conference winner in College football backed with 3 power angles. Monday night card swept the board with the SF Giants and the under in the Monday night game. For the free play take the Portland Trailblazers. -Rob Vinciletti

NBA Finals betting action wraps up on Thursday night from Tinseltown, as the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers meet for the final time to decide who will be the champions of the NBA.
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This series has been tight every step of the way, as neither team ever took more than a one game edge in the proceedings. Los Angeles, facing its first deficit of the series, came out with guns blazing and scored an 89-67 victory in Game 6 to force the do or die, winner take all seventh game.

Boston Celtics (65-40, 48-55-2 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (72-32, 45-56-3 ATS)
Game Date/Time: Thursday, June 17th, 9:00 ET
Game Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
TV/Radio Broadcast: ABC, TSN, Sirius

NBA Finals Odds: Boston Celtics +7 vs. Los Angeles Lakers -7: Game Total 186

C Kendrick Perkins was knocked out of Game 6 with a knee injury, and he is going to be out of the lineup for Game 7. There is still a question about who will step into the starting lineup, but regardless of who it is, he will have to play better than he did in Game 6. The bench for the Celtics was absolutely embarrassing on Tuesday night, as the unit shot just 15.3 percent from the field collectively and scored just 13 points. The other stars for HC Doc Rivers shined as G Ray Allen, G Rajon Rondo, F Paul Pierce, and F Kevin Garnett all scored in double figures.

For Los Angeles, it was clearly the defense which did the trick. Offensively, G Kobe Bryant put up a not-so-spectacular 26 points on 9/19 shooting. The team only shot 41.8 percent from the field. The difference, once again, was on the glass. The Lakers pulled down a whopping 52 rebounds against just 39 for the Celtics. Three players, including Bryant, F Pau Gasol, and F Lamar Odom, each reached double digits in boards. Gasol had a particularly strong game, as he had 17 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists to go with three blocked shots. F Ron Artest was a star as well. After having a rough series that had only seen him averaging 7.8 points per game, Artest exploded for 15 points, including three triples. C Andrew Bynum, who had just had his knee drained once again before Game 6, only scored two points in the victory.

NBA Finals Insider Tip: The Celtics have covered five straight spreads following a game in which they were defeated by double digits.

It’s hard to imagine the Lakers losing a Game 7 at home, but it was equally hard to envision the Celtics losing a seventh game at home to the Orlando Magic last year in the Eastern Conference semifinals. It was also just as hard to fathom the C’s knocking off the Cavs and the Magic as well in these playoffs.

We’ve ridden the Celtics for the mass majority of this series, and we are going to finish it that way as well. Back Boston plus the points in Thursday night NBA Finals betting action!

My NBA Playoff Prediction: Boston by 3
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com