Lakers vs Thunder odds

The Lakers will be the definite favorites in this series for a number of reasons. They’re the top seed in the West, they have far more playoff experience than the Thunder, and they have homecourt, which is the most important factor in this series when you realize that the Thunder have won just one of their last 13 trips to the Staples Center. If the Thunder are going to pull out one of the biggest sportsbetting upsets of all time, they’re going to need Kevin Durant, who led the league in scoring, to drop at least 35 points per game, and that still may not be enough. Russell Westbrook has the quickness to make life tough for the Lakers’ guards, but the Lakers will have Andrew Bynum back in the middle, and that will be a huge boost for them. The Thunder should avoid a sweep, but we’re taking the Lakers, who have taken three of four with the Thunder this season.

Magic vs Bobcats odds

The Magic will be the favored team in your sports book here as the second seed, and they won three of four against the Bobcats, who led the league in points allowed, while the Magic are fourth. Orlando has the dominant player in the series in Dwight Howard, who can dictate this series at both ends of the floor, but it’s imperative that he is aggressive on the offensive end of the floor as Charlotte’s best defenders, Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace, may have to help, which opens up the floor for Orlando’s three-point bombers. A big off-court factor could be the news that Charlotte coach Larry Brown may be ready to move on after leading the Bobcats to the first postseason in their history, and you have to wonder how this will affect a team that has embraced Brown, who has a history of doing this. Even without the distraction, though, the Magic have enough tools to take this series rather easily. The Bobcats are awful in Orlando, losing 10 of their last 12 games, and overall they’ve dropped eight of their last 10 against the Magic, who have went against the grain and played their starters down the stretch to maintain their rhythm, and they look like the best team in the East right now, but that could change once Cleveland decides to play LeBron James again. Take the Magic in your NBA betting picks.

Bucks vs Celtics odds – Wednesday, April 14, 8:00 PM ET

The Bucks dropped their second straight game on Monday, falling 104-96 at home to Atlanta despite 28 points from John Salmons. Brandon Jennings was next with 21 points, but the rookie showed some poor decision-making by jacking up three-pointers when it wasn’t going to be his night, and he ended up going 2-of-11 from beyond the arc. The Bucks’ sportsbetting chances already took a hit with the injury to center Bogut, but if Jennings is going to continue to hoist up long-range bombs, even though he shots a decent percentage, the Bucks could find themselves out of the first round very quickly.

The Celtics still have to go to Chicago on Tuesday night for a tough game against a team that needs a win to get into the playoffs, so they could be fatigued by the time they face Milwaukee on Wednesday. They better be, because the Bucks will be ready after Boston romped to a 105-90 win in Milwaukee that ended with Bucks coach Scott Skiles getting ejected, three technicals and a flagrant foul. Paul Pierce had 24 points, while Ray Allen added 21 for the Celtics, who played with an intensity that we’re used to seeing from them, but that intensity hasn’t always been there this season. The Celtics held the Bucks to three fast-break points and beat them 40-28 in the paint.

The Celtics should be the NBA betting favorites in this contest as the Bucks have dropped four in a row and seven of their last 10 meetings overall in the TD Banknorth Garden.  The Celtics have won two of their three meetings with the Bucks this season, and a game like this could be the spark that Boston needs to head into the playoffs. We all know that with their talent and experience, the Celtics can play with anyone in the league, but right now, everyone is talking about Cleveland, Orlando, and even Atlanta being above the Celtics. Meanwhile, the Bucks now have to figure out their identity with the loss of their big man in the middle, and there’s a lot of pressure on Salmons and Jennings to produce. That’s a lot of pressure for a journeyman guard and his rookie partner.

Basketball betting pick: Boston

Magic vs Heat odds – Thursday, March 18, 8:00 PM ET

The Magic will face San Antonio at home first on Wednesday, but prior to that, Orlando had an eight-game winning streak snapped with a 96-89 loss at home to Charlotte on Sunday. The Magic were hammered on the boards, getting outrebounded 46-34, and they were 12-of-21 from the foul line. Dwight Howard led the way for 27 points and 16 rebounds, while Vince Carter was next for 23 points for the Magic, who are moving up the sportsbook ladder in the Eastern Conference, and you could argue that it’s Orlando, not Cleveland, who are the favorites to win represent the East in the NBA Finals.

The Heat hosted San Antonio on Tuesday, falling 88-76 to the Spurs despite 28 points from Dwyane Wade. Jermaine O’Neal added 13 points for the Heat, who shot a miserable 38.5% from the field, and they were just 3-of-16 from behind the three-point line. Michael Beasley came back into the lineup after missing two games with a thigh injury, but he had just six points on 3-of-10 shooting in 19 minutes of action for the Heat, and the injury was tough because he was just starting to put together a good run for Miami, who desperately need some help for Wade before he leaves town this summer in the free-agent bonanza of 2010.

The Heat should be favored at home in this contest according to US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook review), and the Magic have won seven of their last 10 against the Heat, although two of those losses have come this year. Carter has averaged 16.3 points in three meetings with the Heat this season, while Wade has put up 23.3 points for Miami, who are trying to stay in the playoff picture. As of Wednesday, the Heat were in seventh place, with a 1.5-game lead over Toronto, and a win over the Magic would be a boost. They have a bit of an edge as they have Wednesday off to work on some things in practice, while the Magic will be taking on a red-hot San Antonio team, and Orlando is 6-7 in the second half of their back-to-back games this year. This also kicks off a three-game road trip for the Magic, who head to Philadelphia and Atlanta as well, but they’ve had some big problems with the Heat this year. Go with Miami in your sportsbook before you bet on college basketball on Thursday.

We’re only two days away from March Madness brackets being due and while the 2010 March Madness odds are the main focus, the NBA action on Wednesday presents a matchup of a potential playoff preview in the Eastern Conference when Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks fly up to Canada to take on Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors.

Atlanta Hawks (42-23, 3^rd in Eastern Conference) @ Toronto Raptors (32-33, 8^th in Eastern Conference)

NBA Odds: (*note lines are approximations as they have not been posted at the time of writing)

Spread: Hawks -6.5

Over/Under: 214

Money Line: Hawks -275, Raptors +180

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are 8-3 in their last 11 games and are hitting a light part of their schedule. The Hawks have developed in the last couple of years from a fringe playoff team, to losing surprising seven-game battle with the eventual champion, Boston Celtics, as an eight seed, to having a better regular season but being swept in the 2^nd round by LeBron and the Cavs to now being a legitimate contender for the NBA Finals this year. Perhaps it is because the missing link was found in Jamal Crawford. Crawford, coming off the bench, has averaged 17.5 points in 30.6 minutes a game and is a favorite for sixth man of the year. Those numbers have been even better in March as Crawford has scored 20.1 points and averaged 3.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds a game in only 28.7 minutes. Crawford is shooting an incredible 49% on both two’s (92 attempts) and three’s (47 attempts) improving on his season averages significantly.

The Hawks also boast All-Stars Joe Johnson and Al Horford and perhaps the last man left off the Eastern Conference team, Josh Smith. Those guys match up well with the Raptors who rely upon Chris Bosh inside for most of their scoring. Horford is one of the best in the game on the defensive end and Smith is an elite shot-blocker. Joe Johnson however, will be the best player on the court and will not be able to be guarded by rookie Demar Derozen or Sonny Weems.  With Johnson able to score in bunches, and the Raptors being significantly less physical than the Hawks, the Hawks should win easily.

Toronto Raptors

Toronto is on a 1-9 slide and has fallen under .500 for the first time in a while and is in danger of slipping out of the final playoff spot. If the Bulls were not so banged up, they probably would have overtaken the Raptors by now. The cause for the slide has been curious as Chris Bosh returned six games ago and the Raptors have still been winless. Bosh has ripped his teammates for playing with no heart and not fighting as they have lost badly to awful teams on this stretch. Bosh is likely going to be playing elsewhere next season and the team is on the verge of a complete late season collapse.

5dimes Review: Prediction

The Raptors are fighting within the team, they’re playing with no heart and Bosh’s numbers have been down too on this losing streak. The Hawks present a challenge that the Raptors, in their current state, cannot compete with and this game will not be close, even in Toronto where the Raptors are 22-10 on the year.

Final: Hawks 118 – Raptors 103

While you’re filling out your March Madness Bracket , take Atlanta -6.5.

Bulls vs Magic odds – Thursday, March 11, 8:00 PM ET

The Bulls (31-32) came out on the wrong end of a 132-108 shootout against Utah at home for their fifth loss in a row, and if the Bulls could get their offense and defense working at the same time, they would probably be the best team in the league. The Bulls got by early in the season on defense because their offense struggled, but now the offense is hot, but they can’t seem to stop anyone. Derrick Rose had 25 points and 13 assists, while Brad Miller added 20, but the Bulls were just 18-of-27 from the free-throw line, as opposed to 30-of-39 for the Jazz, and they were outrebounded 42-32.

The Magic (45-20) followed up their win over the Lakers on Sunday with a 113-87 dismantling of the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, and Dwight Howard led six Orlando players in double figures with 22 points, while adding 15 boards. Jameer Nelson had 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds for the Magic, who nailed 11 three-pointers. The Magic has now won six in a row and they’re just five games behind Cleveland for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews) will definitely favor the Magic at home, where they are 26-6, while the Bulls are 12-19 on the road. The Magic have won eight of their last 10 overall against the Bulls, and four in a row in Orlando. These two had a pair of meetings this year in Chicago, with the Bulls winning 101-93 in the Windy City on January 2^nd, and then the Magic rolled to a 107-87 win over the Bulls on February 10^th. Luol Deng averaged 18.5 points and 8.0 boards for the Bulls, while Matt Barnes averaged 18.5 points for the Magic, who are getting into their stride right now and that’s bad news for the rest of the NBA. They’re even playing with an edge as they proved against the Lakers, and that could be the key to getting back to the NBA Finals. The Bulls need to get some consistency, and they’re also missing Joakim Noah, one of the league’s best rebounders. This means that Howard could have a field day in the post, and he’s averaging 18.0 points and 12.4 boards in his last five games. Go with the Orlando Magic and get in some NBA action before making playing the 2010 March Madness odds.

Jazz vs Suns odds – Thursday, March 4, 10:30 PM ET

The Jazz (38-22) will play six of their next seven games on the road, and that stretch got off to a bad start as they fell 108-104 to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Monday. Six Jazz players reached double figures, led by Carlos Boozer’s 20 points, while Deron Williams had 13 points and 13 assists, but the Jazz fell behind early and found themselves digging out of a hole. The Jazz did hit the offensive glass hard, snatching 15 offensive boards, and they forced 19 turnovers, but a 10-point halftime deficit is always tough to come back from on the road, even against the Clippers.

The Suns (38-24 as of Wednesday) will also have to make a trip to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Wednesday night, but prior to that, Phoenix had won seven of their last 10 games, including a 101-85 win at home over Denver on Monday night. Amare Stoudamire and Grant Hill had 19 points each and combined for 18 rebounds, while Steve Nash chipped in with 11 points and 10 assists while steering an offense that had six players in double figures. The Suns held a 46-36 edge on the boards, including 17-11 on the offensive glass. But the key was their reserves, who outscored the Nuggets’ bench players 37-4. We’re betting management is hoping for play like that from the subs on a more regular basis.

The Suns should be the sportsbook favorites at home, where they are 23-7 this year. These two Western Conference teams have met just once this year, and the Jazz came away with a 124-115 win over Phoenix at home on January 25^th. Andrei Kirilenko stepped up with 25 points, while Carlos Boozer was a monster with 21 points and 20 boards. Stoudamire had just 16 points and five rebounds for the Suns, who got a surprising 32 points from Goran Dragic on 10-of-13 shooting. The Suns should have the edge at home, but the Jazz have been off since Monday, and the Suns have to travel from Los Angeles back home on Wednesday night, and then play a rested Utah team. In addition, the Suns had lost 18 straight games on TNT before beating Dallas back in January, and they’ll get a chance to begin another streak on Thursday.

Internet sports betting pick:  Utah

While college basketball betting is starting to heat up in advance of March Madness, there is still a lot of NBA basketball to be played. When the Denver Nuggets travel to Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors, it will be a match-up between two teams going in opposite directions. After starting the season in promising fashion, the Warriors have fallen hard and now sit 15 games out of a playoff spot and are looking to play their young talent to see where they need to improve their team over the summer. Denver is leading its division and has won three of its last five over powerhouses Cleveland, Dallas and Boston.

Primetime Performers

Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony is third in the league scoring 29.2 points a game and after missing eight games, prior to the All Star break, his scoring has slipped to just under 25 a game but his assists and three-point percentage are up to five and 39. He can play inside or out and betting tips say with Corey Maggette out he should dominate Anthony Morrow; the likely replacement.

Warriors: Monta Ellis has taken the move to shooting guard very well and has only allowed his scoring to dip a small amount. He is undersized but with Aaron Afflalo starting for Denver, he will not have to work too hard on defence and will be able to spend all his energy at the offensive end. He is a volume shooter with a bad three-point percentage but when hot, he can take down good teams almost single handily; as seen by his 37 points in a wins over Boston and Dallas.

X-Factors

Nuggets: Chauncey Billups will have the task of not only controlling the Nugget offence against a team that leads the league in steals, but also controlling the guard trio of Ellis, Stephen Curry and C.J. Watson who have scored 132 points in the past two games. Averaging 20 and six assists, he will be a hard guard for whoever is covering him as he has a very good post-up game for a guard and is much larger than the Warriors guards.

Warriors: Stephen Curry will be going up against a bigger, physical and much more experienced guard in Billups and will be pressed at both ends of the floor. The rookie out of Davidson is having a great rookie season and since the new year has been averaging 19.5 points, 6 assists and is working his way into ‘Rookie of the Year’ conversations.

The Matchup

Golden State is devastated by injuries and will miss Raja Bell, Vladimir Radmanovic, Corey Maggette, Kelenna Azubuike and Anthony Randolph out of its regular rotation. With the loss of manpower, the Warriors have little coming off the bench outside of Watson; who has scored 23.4 in his last five games. Free sportsbetting experts know Denver is too good for this banged up team and will coast in a high scoring game as both teams are willing to play an up-tempo game.

Pick: Nuggets

NBA Betting Line: NO LINE YET

The Boston Celtics have been coming undone at the seams and they are going to feel some pressure now that one of their biggest challengers has made a big move.

The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Antawn Jamison on Wednesday and are now in very good position to win an NBA Championship. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and appear to be having some problems in the locker room.

The bad news for them is they have to travel to the Staples Center and the reigning NBA Champions, who beat them on their home court just a couple of weeks ago.

The Lakers are rolling right now and should get star guard Kobe Bryant back in the lineup on Thursday. They haven’t had many problems without him and they should get a boost with him.

Considering how the two teams have been heading in different directions recently, the Lakers should get another win over their arch rivals.

NBA Betting Pick: Lakers

Denver Nuggets @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Sportsbetting.com Odds (Sportsbetting.com Reviews): Cavaliers -6

We’ll see another episode of the Carmelo Anthony-LeBron James show on Thursday as the Cavaliers and Nuggets meet up in Cleveland.

As mentioned, the Cavs acquired Jamison on Wednesday, which now adds the tally to Shaquille O’Neal, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to a team that lost in the Eastern Conference Championship last eyar.

The Cavs are absolutely loaded at every position and choosing to acquire Jamison instead of Amare Stoudemire will prove to be the right move. Jamison is more of a team player and a leader whereas Stoudemire has been a player that has looked out for himself a little bit in the past.

This is now a scary collection of talent when you look at the Cavs roster. They have Mo Williams, James, Jamison, O’Neal and although they traded away Zyrdunas Ilgauskas, he will likely get bought out and come back to Cleveland.

The Nuggets are a good team and also a contender for a championship but they are not the same away as they are at home. The Cavaliers will look to put their new roster on display and get a big win in front of their home fans with their new weapon. They’ll get the win and cover.

Pick: Cavaliers -6

Magic vs Cavaliers odds – Thursday, February 11, 8:00 PM ET

The Cavaliers should be favored at home in this contest, as they are 23-3 at “The Q” this season, and they’re currently on a 12-game winning streak, the highest in the league this year. These two, who met in last year’s Eastern Conference finals with Orlando coming away with the win, have bumped heads once this year, and the Cavaliers dropped the Magic 102-93 in Orlando on Remembrance Day. LeBron James led the way with 36 points and eight boards, while Vince Carter had 29 for the Magic, and Carter is coming off a monster 48-point performance against New Orleans on Monday night. However, the Cavaliers should have an upper hand in this contest in the form of rest. Cleveland has been off since beating New Jersey on Tuesday, while Orlando plays in Chicago on Wednesday night, so between a game and travel time, there isn’t much time to rest. Take the Cavaliers’ NBA odds on Thursday.

Spurs vs Nuggets odds – Thursday, February 11, 10:30 PM ET

These Western Conference squads get the late game on TNT, and the Nuggets should be favored due to a 23-4 record at the Pepsi Center, as well as two wins over the Spurs already this season, both in San Antonio. The Nuggets finally got Carmelo Anthony back into the lineup after he had missed eight games with an ankle injury, and he slotted in just fine in a 127-91 rout of Dallas on Tuesday, also at the Pepsi Center. Meanwhile, the Spurs have to be stinging after a 101-89 loss in Los Angeles against the Lakers, who played without Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. Even though it was on the road in the Staples Center, the Spurs should be able to keep it at least in single digits if they’re going to lose to the Lakers without their star and starting center, and many are starting to doubt the Spurs, who have had some injuries over the first part of the season. However, with their championship experience, you can’t count San Antonio out just yet. They’ll have their hands full in San Antonio, and they’ll have to find a way to slow down Anthony, who is well rested and eager to get back into playing shape after sitting for the last two weeks. When you’re making your sports betting picks on Thursday, include the Denver Nuggets in your NBA betting picks.

The Celtics are not usually a high scoring team due to their slowed down, half court style offence and gruelling defence. Over the past 10 games however, they are scoring even fewer than normal being held to just 93.2 per game and now will be without their top offensive performer. Paul Pierce is leading the team scoring just under 19 a game and is not expected in the line-up after injuring his ankle on Monday. The team will have to pick up the slack which should not be hard as the team spreads the scoring around with five other players averaging double figures.

Kevin Garnett is slowly getting back to the calibre of play that fans are used to seeing out of him. Over his last three games he has averaged 14.3 and seven boards in limited minutes while shooting a scorching 68 percent from the floor. Even with all its injuries, Boston is one of the top defences in the league, holding teams to under 94 points, and ranking second in steals, forced turnovers and points against.

The Nets are a decent team offensively when they are healthy and at nearly 50 games into the season, they are finally getting healthy. In just his second season, Brook Lopez has taken the reigns of New Jersey and leads the team in points, rebounds and blocks. He is always active on the glass, shoots a high percentage from the floor, gets to the free throw line and should have a good game against Garnett’s injury limited mobility and Kendrick Perkin’s everyday lack of mobility.

Devin Harris was back on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors after missing time with a sprained wrist. He looked healthy and is expected to play which is good for the Nets since he is the leading playmaker and opens up the offence with his ability drive and kick. His matchup with Rondo should be a very exciting matchup as two of the quickest young point guards in the league go head to head.

Kris Humphries has been giving the Nets some really good minutes off the bench as of late. Averaging almost 12 points over the last 11 games, betting services know that he brings a lot of energy that can be dangerous against second unit players and will have a good matchup with Boston’s big energy reserve, Glenn Davis.

While it looks like the Nets would have a chance on paper with the injuries that Boston has suffered, handicapping experts know that this New Jersey team has spent all year just finding new ways to lose. In the two games these teams have played this year, the Celtics have won by 10 and 24 points. Expect another double digit win.