2010 NBA Playoffs: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
Free Pick: Miami Heat +4
Courtesy of Mike Rose (Handicapperspicks.com)
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The Heat were never quite up to par with teams like Atlanta and Orlando in their own division, but they were always good enough to stay in the middle of the pack in the playoff picture. Thanks to wins in 12 of their L/13 games, the Heat snuck all the way up to the #5 seed in the East, where they’ll get the most favorable draw of any of the first round underdogs.
The Celtics have to be feeling the exact opposite. They were a miserable home team this season by their standards at just 24-17 SU and 12-28-1 ATS in the Garden this season, and they went just 27-27 in their L/54 games of the year to finish in the #4 hole in the East.
Miami is 7-1 ATS in its L/8 games played away from South Beach.
Remember when the C’s were bounced by the Bulls in Game 1 of the playoffs last season? Can you say “de ja vu?”
Miami has the star power to be able to compete with this Boston team, and in spite of the fact that they lost all three regular season meetings this year, Wade and the Heat can pull this off; even on the road.
Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Free Pick: Milwaukee -2.5 (March 26th 2010 – Doc’s Sports)
Confidence in the Bucks for bettors is at a low point right now after this team laid an egg against a really bad Philadelphia team last time out on this same court. The Bucks were favored by 10 in that game but lost by 15. And then Miami goes to Chicago last night and blows out the Bulls that were favored and that many public bettors were behind. So the general consensus is that Miami will roll tonight. But if you have followed our plays you know we don’t follow the public sentiment. This Bucks team deserves a bad game every now and then but this team has played its best lately against playoff competition and this squad has been playing some of the best defense in the NBA, which will give you a chance to win every night, even when your offense is not clicking. Miami comes into this game on a back-to-back and they are just 6-9 ATS in these situations this season. Andrew Bogut for the Bucks was a late scratch and will miss this game but we think that this team will rise up in his absence and that the home crowd will push this team through. Milwaukee has won and covered three straight in this series and we think they have the Heat’s number again tonight.
Detroit Pistons vs. New Jersey Nets
Free Pick: Detroit +1.5 (March 26th 2010 – Big Al McMordie)
At 8:05 pm, our complimentary selection is on the Detroit Pistons + over the New Jersey Nets. With KiKi Vandeweghe’s men closing in (possibly) on the worst season record in NBA history, it’s awfully hard to back them as a favorite — even against this dreadful Detroit Piston club. New Jersey did win its last game, 93-79 vs Sacramento, but dating back 20 years, NBA teams with a win percentage less than .300 off a win in the last 24 games of the season, are a poor 56-112 (33% ATS) at home. Take the Pistons on Friday night. Good luck, as always…Big Al McMordie.
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Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls
Free NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls -1 (March 25th 2010 – Black Widow)
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With Derek Rose back on the floor, the Bulls have won their last 2 games since he returned from injury. They went on the road to beat the 76ers by 14 and handled the Houston Rockets at hom by 10. Now they’ve had 2 days’ rest to prepare for the Miami Heat, one of the teams they are trailing in the Eastern Conference standings. Chicago sits in 9th place in the East and are they are looking to finish off the season with a bang to sneak into the playoffs. Home-court advantage has really been a big factor when Miami and Chicago get together. The home team is 5-0 SU L5 & 8-1 SU L9 meetings in this series. The Bulls are a completely different team with Rose running the show, and they can beat anyone in the league when he’s in there. The Heat are just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog of 4.5 points or less. Take Chicago and lay the points.
Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Free NBA Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -10.5 (March 9th 2010 – Jimmy Boyd)
Off 3 straight defeats, look for the Lakers to send a message to the struggling Raptors tonight. Toronto has dropped 5 of its last 6, with 4 of those losses coming by at least 13 points. Plus, the Lakers should be further motivated by a l-point loss at Toronto in January. The last time the Raptors visited the Lakers they fell by 13 points, and this one should end up at least as bad. The Raptors are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a road underdog of 11.0 or greater (line moved to -11 at some books). Lastly, the Lakers are 14-4 ATS in home games after failing to cover 8 or more of their last 10 against the spread under coach Jackson, winning in these spots by an average of 15.3 points. We’ll take the Lakers.
Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Bobcats
Free NBA Pick: Charlotte Bobcats -3.5 (March 9th 2010 – Doc’s Sports
The Bobcats, normally one of the best teams ATS the last couple years, have seen a drop in their production at the betting window due to recent struggles and we just think the bookies have made too big of a move here in adjusting this line. Even though the Bobcats are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 they seem to be getting it together and two of those wins came in their last two and both on this court. We just don’t have any faith in Miami on the road. They have played pretty well on the road lately but their wins have come against weak opponents for the most part, with only one win coming against a playoff-caliber squad. Charlotte is a completely different team at home than on the road and if they played even nearly as well on the road as they do at home they would be one of the top seeds from the East instead of fighting for a playoff spot in general. The Bobcats have won two straight in this series, one home and one away, and have covered in five of the last six.
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