Friday evening is moving day in NBA Playoffs

One of two things happens to start the weekend in professional basketball, either a series will conclude and the winning squad can start thinking about their next series and opponent or the competing teams will return to familiar locale for a Game 7 on Sunday. This makes for real drama as a trio of series underdogs look to wrap-up or extend a series.

Atlanta at Milwaukee 7:00E ESPN

Though the hip-hop generation of NBA players likely doesn’t include many U2 fans, a song comes to mind watching Atlanta and Milwaukee the last three games, “Desire”.

The Bucks performance in pulling the 91-87 upset as nine-point favorites was unremarkable, given the fact they shot 40.3 percent for the game, were outscored at the center position 25-4 and saw various players disappear for long stretches even when they were on the floor.

Yet, if one game defines a team and its coach, it was Game 5 for Milwaukee with their desire. Scott Skiles grinded away as a college and NBA player and his less-talented contingent played like he did his whole career. This Bucks team is 14-4 ATS in home games after playing as a road underdog this season and goes for the first surprise of the playoffs.

Atlanta showed what they were made of as Josh Smith, Al Horford, Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford all decided individually they were going to be “the man” and went about their business trying to take their defenders one on one with passing the ball be damned. Once again the Hawks proved they are not mature TEAM and that they lack heart. Peering ahead it is little wonder this team is 1-10 ATS revenging a home loss this season.

Sportsbooks still has the more talent-laden Atlanta squad as two-point favorites, however it would take a large dosage of courage to back a team that is 1-10 SU and ATS on the playoff road the last three seasons. Milwaukee was the best spread team in the NBA this campaign and it is continuing in the playoffs. They are 20-6 ATS having covered the spread in three or more consecutive contests.

L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City 9:30E ESPN

The people of the United States are known for their short attention spans and ever increasing shorter memories. In this celebrity-status world, it’s easy to jump on the latest fad and forget about what is tried and true.

The basketball world has become infatuated with latest new kids on the block, the Oklahoma City Thunder. They are young, talented, and fearless and their youth doesn’t allow them to be discouraged for long.

The eminent demise of the Los Angeles Lakers has been discussed from coast to coast on talk radio and every chatroom and blog one could stumble upon. The world had lost track of just how good the Lakers can be last playing a complete basketball game on Mar. 12 in Phoenix, 21 games ago or a lifetime in today’s hectic world.

But the Lakers came prepared, executed their game plan Tuesday evening, integrating all the parts of the triangle offense to perfection and showed why gold and purple still matters. L.A. is 26-15 ATS after failing to cover three of their last four.

Oklahoma City gladly returns home, even faced with elimination and is a one-point favorite with total of 194.5. The Thunder is thunderous 15-5 ATS off a road loss and uncanny 27-8 ATS after failing to cover the number. OKC is 13-3 UNDER at the Ford Center after wearing the visiting blue togs. The Lakers will seek to deliver the knockout blow, but are 1-9 ATS off a cover. Kobe and company are 22-8 UNDER with two days’ rest.

Denver at Utah 10:30E ESPN2

At least for a day, no negative tweets, talk or posturing out of Denver as they held off first match point against Utah at home Wednesday 116-102.

Focal point Carmelo Anthony must have made his case strong enough that he needed help as five other Nuggets scored in double figures and more importantly, the team collectively took a defensive stance, holding the Jazz to series low 45.2 percent.

“Everybody stepped up tonight and did their part,” Anthony said after the game. “With Nene going down early, ‘Frenchie’ came in and stepped up, ‘Bird’ played the way he is supposed to be playing. Everybody played their role tonight. That’s how we won.”

Denver’s more fluid offense is easily measured; they are 47-8 SU when they have 20 or more assists and 9-24 SU when fall below that figure. The Nuggets cannot afford anything less than the same work ethic and compulsion to team work if they expect to continue series and add to 7-3 ATS mark in the first round of postseason.

Utah is 8-2 ATS off a double digit defeat and did not match Denver’s intensity from last contest. “They were a lot more alive, they went after the ball a little harder than we did,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. “The players off the bench gave them a big lift. Their bench people killed us.”

Utah is up a six-point home favorite, with the total at 215.5 and might face Denver club without Nene, whose been diagnosed with a sprained knee. The Jazz are 17-4 ATS off a road loss and will continue to keep the offense flowing thru Deron Williams, who became the first player in NBA history to record five straight 20-point/10-assist double-doubles to begin a series.

“Stuff was too easy (for the Nuggets),” Williams said. “We have to get back to playing our basketball.”

The odds are not in Denver’s favor with recent 1-8-1 ATS away slide, but if they want to force a deciding Game 7 at the Pepsi Center on Sunday, they will have to find a way.

NBA Game 5's are pivotal

Four teams in professional basketball have a huge stake in the outcome of tonight’s games. The winner in Milwaukee and Atlanta takes series lead and the loser faces elimination in next contest. Denver is already facing the possibility of having their season end tonight, while the gutty and determined Utah Jazz are looking to advance to next round with a win.

Home is where the heart is

The Atlanta Hawks believed they had reached a point in their growth process that they should be thought as serious Eastern Conference contenders at the very least. Instead they look very much like the Atlanta team of two years ago, still searching for true identity against Milwaukee club that has their best player on the sidelines in a suit.

It’s definitely frustrating,” guard Joe Johnson said Tuesday after the Hawks practiced for the pivotal fifth game. “We come into this situation talking so much about what we’re going to do—this and that, this and that—yet we haven’t done nothing. We haven’t done nothing we set out to do.”

Atlanta is a miserable road playoff team but returns home where the comfort level is more to their liking. The Hawks are 36-7 and 27-16 ATS at Phillips Arena, winning by 8.6 points per contest. Atlanta has won 14 consecutive home games and is 7-2 ATS in last nine.

Milwaukee is receiving different contributions, which has helped them overcome the loss of Andrew Bogut. Dan Gadzuric has given valuable minutes off the bench and Carlos Delfino buried six 3-pointers in Game 4 to help the Bucks square the series and they are 27-12 ATS after playing a home game this season.

Sportsbooks have Atlanta as nine-point favorites with total of 192 and they are 9-19 ATS revenging a straight up loss vs. opponent as a favorite. Milwaukee is far from solid sports betting wager with 2-8-1 ATS mark as playoff underdogs.

TNT has this Eastern conflict at 8:00 Eastern and the Hawks are 16-6 OVER as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points.

Rocky Mountain tall problems for Denver

The Nuggets are touchy-feely content after a day to recant their feelings about losing Game 4 and falling to 3-1 deficit against Utah. Carmelo Anthony said he was misunderstood when he was quoted as saying he couldn’t beat Utah by himself. J.R. Smith, the ultimate team player (?), tweeted his teammates are being selfish and interim coach Adrian Dantley wondered aloud how a player could score 39 points and still commit nine turnovers, like Carmelo did in last contest.

Yup, the Nuggets are now just one big happy family as they prepare for Game 5 at home. “A lot of people took what I said when I said I needed help the wrong way. But I talked to my teammates. They know what I meant,” Anthony said after Tuesday’s practice. “We talk basketball every day, so they know I’m not pointing nobody out individually.

“I’m not saying I’m playing the best I can play. I’m in there with them. We’re all losing together.”

Denver is losing on the defensive end, conceding 112.2 points a contest to the Jazz, who are shooting over 50 percent for the series. The Nuggets players should be dressed as matadors, since they let Utah players by them while holding their plastic swords. Somebody on this team needs to take the role of leadership and get his team fired up. If so, Denver improves on 26-11 ATS record at home after allowing 105 points or more three straight games.

While the Nuggets might need a team meeting with Dr. Phil, Utah is relishing its opportunity and focused on the task at hand. Deron Williams was asked about the frustrations Denver is feeling, “Let’s worry about us. Whatever they say is what they say. We’re just worried about winning this next game and closing the series out.” he said.

The Jazz are 12-2 ATS after a contest where both teams scored 105 points or more this season and Carlos Boozer won’t have any talk about what a great spot his team is in. “We’re not going to fall into the trap of thinking that we’ve won the series. We haven’t. We have a lead in the series. We haven’t won anything.” - The former Duke star stated.

Denver is a seven-point favorite and is 16-3 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. With the total at 215, the Nuggets have to play better defense and are 21-7 UNDER in the first round of the postseason. Utah is 20-7 ATS when playing only their second game in five days and is 7-1 OVER in last eight visits to the Mile High City. This true Western shootout begins right after the Bucks and Hawks.

Home teams seek 2-0 edge in NBA Playoffs

Cleveland and Denver opened impressively on their own home courts in winning and covering Game 1 of the new playoff year. Each club will look to take a decided edge on Monday night, before packing for the road for the next two contests. Will each be the able to stir up another winner and beat the oddsmaker to boot? This doubleheader is on TNT starting at 8 Eastern Monday.

Play like a champion

The Cavaliers closed as 12-point point home favorites against Chicago and almost frittered away a 22-point lead before closing the deal. The Bulls got within seven points in the fourth quarter, before being visibility spent and falling 99-83.

Cleveland appeared bored after building humongous lead, yet is quite confident in their abilities, this year more than ever.

“We," LeBron James said, "have the look of a champion."

He might be right and the oddsmakers certainly think so making them the betting choice for futures wager to be NBA champions. The Cavs remade roster is back at full strength with Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison and Anthony Parker. Cleveland looked bigger, stronger and had more options coming off the bench than Chicago and is 14-3 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more this season.

The Bulls can take heart they outscored the Cavaliers by a point after the first 12 minutes and realistically had no reason to believe they could sweep Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena.
“We can't wait to play," Derrick Rose said after scoring 28 points and handing out 10 assists. "I know I can't. This is something I live for. I think about it every minute of the day, playing against the best team in the NBA."

The loss ended Chicago’s brief three game winning streak, however they are 13-5 ATS after playing two consecutive road games this season.

DiamondSportsbook.com took into consideration the Bulls will have turnaround revenge and opened them as Game 2 underdogs of 10.5-points, with total of 191 and they are 7-1 ATS off a loss since Mar. 12. Chicago is 18-8 UNDER revenging same season loss this year.

Cleveland knows how to turn up the defensive intensity and is 13-5 ATS after two or more Under’s this season and continues to rule the first round with 13-3 ATS mark. The Cavs are 10-2 SU and ATS at home vs. Da Bulls in this battle of Great Lakes cities and is 9-1 UNDER after a cover as a double digit favorite this season.

Carmelo chewy good for the Nuggets

Denver has been floundering for some time, but once the playoff lights came on it was show time for their two brightest stars. Carmelo Anthony scored a playoff-high 42 points in leading the Nuggets to 126-113 victory. Guard J.R. Smith is like a Maserati, able to go from zero to 100 MPH in seconds.

Smith broke open a 90-90 tie game with four 3-point baskets, scoring 18 of his 20 points in the final stanza. "It felt good to get on, period," Smith said. "I couldn't hit anything. I didn't have a rhythm. It felt good to start making shots."

Denver scored 38 points in the last quarter and Anthony and Smith combined for 30 of them. That raised the Nuggets record in 14-3 ATS in playoff games since last season.

Utah has to feel the basketball gods are conspiring against them. Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko re-injured his strained left calf in practice Thursday and won't play in the series, which is catastrophic, since he was the one player on Utah roster that could at least contain Anthony.

Jazz center Mehmet Okur aggravated his left Achilles' tendon injury in the first half, slipping on a wet spot on the floor and undergoes MRI. "I felt something pop," said Okur. (Now out for the season) Utah is 3-12 ATS as visitor revenging a road loss the last two years.

Offense ruled in the series opener, with Denver shooting 57.1 percent and Utah at 54.7 percent, however too many players had wide open looks, which was both a function of exceptional ball movement and shoddy defense.

Utah is a seven-point underdog, with its roster shrinking and will have to continue to shoot the ball well and play defense with greater urgency. At the very least the Jazz are capable of covering the number and are 13-1 ATS after a road game where both teams score 100 or more points.

Denver has shown a killer-instinct when leading in a series and is 8-0 ATS in the postseason in this precise situation. The Nuggets are now is 22-8 UNDER in the first round of the playoffs and are 44-7 SU when they have 20 or more assists this campaign.

Nuggets and Suns in heated encounter

Two days. That’s all that remains in the NBA season, yet the Western Conference war of attrition continues. As of this moment, four things are for certain, the Lakers are the top seed, Dallas is the Southwest Division champs, the eight teams have been determined and the rest is like Sonic’s drive-up menu, a lot of options.

Two teams out west will help solve or further make a mess of the situation, as Denver visits downtown Phoenix (The Purple Palace or Planet Orange depending on the local sportscaster). The Nuggets (53-28, 35-41-5 ATS) conclude their regular season tonight and can be Northwest Division champions with a win and Utah losing one of their final two games.

Denver mauled Memphis 123-101 last night as 11-point favorites and is 25-11 ATS after a cover as a double digit favorite. They will have to complete an about face tonight, because just about a block away from Alice Cooper’s restaurant (he of "Welcome to my nightmare" album) has been the desert of doom for the Nuggets. The last time Denver left Phoenix victorious was Apr. 7, 2004, 10 games ago (2-8 ATS). “I thought I won one there recently,” Carmelo Anthony said Monday. “We’ll get one tomorrow, hopefully.”

The Suns (52-28, 45-33-2 ATS) are forcing opposing teams to wear SPF30 just to play them, having won 12 of 14 (9-4-1 ATS), presently tied with Utah and having the same number of defeats as Denver.

Phoenix is in the ideal situation however, able to control their destiny. A win tonight and at Utah tomorrow moves the Suns from fifth spot and having to open up on the playoff road, up to No. 3 and the first two tilts on home court where they are 31-9 and 23-15-2 ATS. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire are rested thanks to schedule-maker and they are 12-3 ATS when playing four or less games in 10 days this season.

Bookmaker.com has the Suns as 5.5-point home faves with total of 216.5 and they are 21-9-1 ATS in last 31 tries and 12-3 UNDER on own floor versus offensive teams scoring 103 or more points game over the last two seasons.

Denver’s stakes are equally as high and they are 13-5 ATS after two games as a home favorite and are 17-6 UNDER in road contests off a Pepsi Center win by 10 points or more.

This is second game on TNT that has 7:30 Pacific start time, which will help sort out the West Conference congestion.

Bulls and Nuggets need wins

The NBA teams that reside in Windy City and Rocky Mountains are feeling the pinch with seven days left in the regular season. The Chicago Bulls were once comfortably in the playoff picture, second in the Central Division and marching merrily along as a young team on the rise. But even in the Eastern Conference, 10-game losing streaks can really impact your position in the standings (unless you’re New Jersey) and the Bulls season imploded like another Illinois political scandal.

Chicago (37-40, 39-36-2 ATS) fell below motoring Milwaukee in the division and all the way out of the top eight slots in the East, trailing Toronto by one game, despite coming back to win six of last nine SU and ATS.

Chicago desperately wants to sign Dwayne Wade as max free agent, which is why they traded John Salmons to the Bucks, taking on the expiring contracts of Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander. While this vision might work towards the future, it did nothing for Chicago in the present.

Since the Feb. 18 trade, Da Bulls are 10-14 and 13-11 ATS with Salmons up the road on I-94 in Sudsville. Milwaukee, well a consistent NBA guard who can score in the backcourt has elevated the Bucks to 19-6, 18-5-2 ATS since that fateful day.

Chicago has to face Cleveland (61-17, 38-38-2 ATS) next, just the best and deepest team in the NBA. The one edge the Bulls could have is the Cavaliers have set the cruise control and are resting various players until the regular season is finished.

Cleveland tried to help Chicago, taking down Toronto 113-101 as 5.5-points favorites, but the wully-Bullies couldn’t handle a depleted Bucks squad and lost by five at United Center. The Cavs are 24-11-1 ATS after a double digit triumph, while Chicago is 6-0 ATS after a SU defeat.

The Bulls are 2.5-point favorites and have covered four of last five in Chi-Town against LeBron and the fellas and this Central showdown is on TNT which starts a bit after 8:00 Eastern.

Nuggets not playing tasty basketball

Denver (51-27, 34-39-5 ATS) has gone from sole possession division leader and second seed in the West to fifth in the conference.

The Nuggets have had their fair share of frightful opponents, yet that doesn’t explain their 6-6 record and frigid 2-9-1 ATS spread mark in last 12 contests.

The single common denominator is the absence of George Karl who last attended a game on March 16. While Karl is above average coach, he’s not thought of as elite, nonetheless his voice it seems is the one Denver players responds to.

According to the Denver Post, Karl has lost 25 pounds, has difficulty speaking and may need to be fed through a tube for up to six more months, that doesn’t sound like person that could be returning to the bench anytime in the near future sadly.

That leaves it up to the team leaders like Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to be role models and max their abilities for the Nuggets to be victorious.

Denver hosts the Los Angeles Lakers (55-22, 32-43-2 ATS) after facing Oklahoma City last night. The Nuggets are 32-6 at the Pepsi Center (18-19-1 ATS), winning by 9.6 points per game, which is the third best home record in the NBA. The Lakers are 22-16 (16-22-1 ATS) on the road and Denver is 7-0 ATS against clubs with winning visitor’s record and Bookmaker.com has them as two-point favorites with total of 204.

One extra large negative for Carmelo’s crew is recent 1-7-1 ATS mark when playing with no rest and they are 8-2 UNDER, as offense has been stalling with Kenyon Martin and Chris Anderson on the sidelines.

To move back up in the standings, Denver needs this contest which starts at approximately 10:35 Eastern and the other three remaining games on the schedule to improve conference position for the playoffs.

NBA Sunday Action

Four of the top seven teams in the highly competitive Western Conference will be on display Sunday afternoon before a national television audience. Phoenix starts the day with southwest theme, traveling to face their postseason nemesis San Antonio. Later, two of the three division leaders from the West, Denver and the L.A. Lakers, will meet for a second time this month. This should be two quality contests and who knows; maybe Phil Jackson will give a parabolic dissertation during a break talking to ABC sideline reporter.

Suns are hot

The Phoenix Suns (37-23, 33-26-1 ATS) are at their highest winning percentage in two years and look to make it six wins in a row. Phoenix has won six of seven and is doing it in a way nobody thought possible, with defense. The suddenly defensive-minded Suns have held last seven opponents to 97 points per game, a jaw-dropping 8.2 points below season average. Coach Alvin Gentry is going to hate to see February disappear since his club is 9-2 SU and 9-2 ATS this month, performing like a ruling dictator, with a perfect 9-0 record when leading by 10 points or more in a contest.

Don’t dismiss San Antonio (32-24, 26-29-1 ATS) just yet. A measure of a team’s strength is their margin of victory. The Spurs might have just the seventh best record in the West, but they are fourth in point differential at +4.o, ahead of division leading Dallas (+2.1). They have blown an uncharacteristic number of leads and suffered defensive meltdowns at inopportune times. This team might not resemble the won that won four NBA titles is nine years, but there core players are still intact, making the Spurs dangerous. San Antonio is just 1-3 in previous four tries and is 22-10 ATS at home after failing to cover three of their last four against the spread over the last three seasons.

DiamondSportsbook.com has the Spurs favored by 3.5-points with total of 208.5 and after losing to Houston Friday, is just 1-8 ATS after a division game this season. Phoenix beat the Clippers two days ago 125-112 and is 20-11 ATS after allowing 105 points or more this season.
The opening game is set for 1:00 Eastern with the Suns 4-2-1 ATS in last seven visits.

Revenge is best served cold

The Lakers (44-15, 25-32-2 ATS) lost at the Staples Center just over three weeks ago to Denver 126-113 and will be thinking payback. The great orator coach Jackson, seldom passes up an opportunity to play with opponent’s minds and recently said, “Some of these guys' (the Lakers) sentiment is Utah is going to outplay Denver,". Phil, Phil, Phil.

Los Angeles has been meandering most of the month with 7-4 (3-8 ATS) record and players have wondered aloud about their own effort. “Maybe we weren't going to get the ball with the will necessary." -- Pau Gasol, on the Lakers getting outrebounded in Dallas and Memphis this past week.

The Lakers defeated Philadelphia in last contest 99-90 as 11-point favorites and is 3-8 ATS off a home no-cover were the team won straight up as a favorite.

The Nuggets (39-19, 27-28-3 ATS) start a strenuous week, beginning with the Lakers, followed up at Phoenix and home to Oklahoma City. Denver understands the way to beat the Lakers, you have to be more aggressive, limit mistakes and not let them control the lane. In the last contest, they took the game to L.A. shooting 57.1 percent and doing a better job in half court sets in shot selection. Denver comes in 12-1 ATS after three straight games where both teams scored 100 points or more.

L.A. is a 6.5-point favorite and total is posted at 208.5. They may have the edge since Denver is 3-11 ATS playing their third game in four days this year. The Lake show is 22-8 UNDER on Sunday’s since last season. Mark this matchup for 3:30 Eastern.

Viewable Sunday Afternoon NBA Action

Four division leaders will collide on ABC this afternoon, kind of a playoff primer if you will. The first is a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, with Cleveland traveling south to Orlando to try and continue to prove to their loss was a mistake and they are indeed the better team. Later, Boston wraps up their five game road trip in the Mile High City. Two top tilts, lots of wagering options.

I must punish you for past misdeeds

The Cleveland Cavaliers (43-13, 28-27-1 ATS) lost to Orlando in six games in the East Finals and didn’t sit by idly feeling sorry for itself. They were no match for the Magic and Dwight Howard and picked up the one available big man that could be difference-maker in Shaquille O'Neal. The Cavs with LeBron James, have the best record in the NBA and have faced the Magic twice this year, beating them each time while covering the spread.

For the Cavaliers, that wasn’t not enough, which is why they made the trade for forward Antawn Jamison, who can play the jazzy named "stretch 4" position, which is a power forward who can stretch the defense out to the three-point line. (Pretty cool) The Cleveland front office believes once Leon Powe is activated, they have the necessary parts to not only beat Orlando, but take the whole enchilada. The Cavs arrive in central Florida 19-9 and 16-11-1 ATS on the road.

The Magic players acknowledge Cleveland up the ante. "They made themselves better," said Rashard Lewis said after hearing about the trade. "They wanted to match up with me, or down to me, but I'm not their matchup problem. It's the big fellow (Dwight Howard) over there." Lewis averaged 18.3 points and shot 48.4 percent from 3-point range in the conference final against Cleveland last spring.

However, just because you’re comfortable does mean it’s a done deal and Orlando (38-19, 26-26-4 ATS) is still the defending East champs. "They already were the best team in the East, by far, and this makes them stronger," said Magic forward Matt Barnes. "But we're not going to hold our heads down. We're still confident we can beat them."

Orlando is 21-6 at home (13-13-1 ATS) and plays into double revenge and is a two-point favorite at DiamondSportsbook.com with total of 195. The Magic as a less than magical 8-20 ATS off a double digit home loss which they suffered to Dallas (95-85) on Friday and are 22-8 UNDER off a loss. Cleveland is usually an angry club off a whipping (like they felt at Charlotte 110-93) and is 22-6 ATS off a double digit defeat.

This matinee starts at 1:00 Eastern and the Cavaliers are 10-4-1 OVER since Jan. 16.

Denver a Mile High Headache

The Nuggets are fairly perky again after trudging into Cleveland and ending the Cavs 13-game winning streak. Carmelo Anthony upstaged James at crunch time, scoring his 39th and 40th points to break a 116-116 tie with a jumper with 1.9 seconds remaining in overtime to give Denver the win at Cleveland on Thursday night.

"A lot of people got some good pictures out of that moment," Anthony said. "I wanted the ball. I made the shot." Denver (36-19, 25-27-3 ATS) followed that up with dud at Washington, losing by 10 and return home where they are 23-5 (14-13-1 ATS) at the Pepsi Center.

Boston (35-18, 21-31-1 ATS) checks into Denver 3-1 on road trip, looking to return home on a very positive note. The Celtics have been scuffling plenty the last two months (12-13 SU and 8-16-1 ATS), nevertheless are showing signs of returning to earlier form with 6-2 record in February.

Boston hopes to get something immediately out of their newest player Nate Robinson. "He gives us speed, No. 1," coach Doc Rivers said. "He gives us another ball-handler. And he gives us a guy that can have a night. When guys go flat, he's a guy that can create shots without a play (or) after a play has broken down, on a ball swing. The other thing he does is gives us defense. He can pressure the ball. We can use lineups with (Rajon) Rondo and Nate at times against certain teams. The ball pressure alone will be phenomenal."

Denver is a four-point favorite with total of 198 and is 7-1 ATS off a spread failure and 5-1 UNDER in previous six with a day off between games. Boston is a boastful 51-22-1 as a visiting dog and is 8-1 UNDER in last nine, including six in a row.

This encounter is slated for 3:30 Eastern start with the home team 7-2 ATS.

NBA offers two tough choices Thursday

Though injuries are a part of the game in any sport, it seems this season more games than ever are releasing later numbers on sides and totals. Kobe Bryant is the reason for the Lakers and Boston matchup coming out later than what most would prefer and based on his comments yesterday, he’s 50-50 at best for tonight. Both Denver and Cleveland have dealt with their fair share of missed games by key players and now Nuggets coach George Karl will begin treatment again for cancer, adding another factor to consider. Betting the NBA is difficult enough besides trying to figure out other variables.

Cleveland improves, while Denver mulls future

The Cavaliers front office is looking to make sure they do everything in their power to set up LeBron James and teammates for a return visit to the NBA Finals. Yesterday, they engineered a three-way trade that brings Antawn Jamison to town from Washington, giving them one more scoring option within 15 feet of the basket. No word if the long time Wizard star will be there for tonight’s game on time, however it would seem he would relish the chance to be a club with a true chance to win a title and would try to get to Cleveland by air, bus or even driving a Toyota.

Cleveland (43-11, 28-25-1 ATS) has mowed down 13 straight opponents (8-5 ATS) as they prepare for first game in a week and the Cavaliers are 17-7 ATS playing against a team with a winning record this season. “I think our team is built to win a championship,” James said. “With the group of guys we have here, if we continue to get better, we’re headed in the right direction.” King James has been doing his part, averaging 33.5 points a game in last six contests prior to All-Star break.

Denver (35-18, 24-26-3 ATS) has seen stars Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony miss considerable time this season, yet they’ve been able to hear that one voice in the locker room, on the practice floor and the one on bench during games. The importance of coaching in the NBA has been debated for decades, since the teams with the best talent usually win; nonetheless, a coach today has to know how to massage massive egos, while challenging his players to get better. What the loss of Karl will mean is impossible to gauge at the moment.

It was shocking just to hear it,” forward Kenyon Martin told the Nuggets’ official Web site. “He told us he’s battled it before so he knows what it takes to get right. He’s going to do all he can to get his body right and his health together and we’re going to do all we can to make sure the basketball end is taken care of.” A rested Denver squad is good for the Nuggets with 28-12 ATS record when playing four or less games in 10 days over the last two seasons.

Bookmaker.com has Cleveland as 6.5-point favorites with 206 point total and it will be worth watching to see if they can keep up same pace of 15-2 ATS record in home games after two straight outings converting 50 percent of their shots or better. Denver has quickie two game road sojourn and is 26-10 ATS after consecutive home contests.

This is the opener on TNT starting at 8:00 Eastern and the Nuggets are 4-8 SU and ATS in last dozen visits to what Forbes is now calling “America’s most miserable city”. Denver is also 21-7 UNDER as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last two seasons.

Kobe, where are you?

Less than three weeks ago, the Celtics and Lakers matchup were being sold to the masses as one of the greatest games of all time with the ESPN/ABC hype machine in overdrive. This time at 10:30 on the East Coast, not so much. Other factors are also playing a role why this contest, still meaningful, lacks the panache this time around.

Start with Kobe Bryant, unlikely to play with bad wheel, which would make five straight games without him for the Lakers. Los Angeles (42-13, 25-28-2 ATS) is still an extremely talented club and they have reeled off four wins in a row in his absence, covering three of them. It would also make sense for Bryant not to play, since the Lakers don’t play again until next Tuesday, buying even more time for him. L.A. is 26-4 and 14-15-1 ATS at the Staples Center, winning by 9.9 points per game.

This is the middle game of a five-game road trip for Boston (33-18, 19-31-1 ATS) and rumors continue to swirl the Celtics are trying to deal Ray Allen for a younger shooting guard. Boston is 8-10 since Jan. 8, hardly championship material and backers have spoken with great turgidity about 4-13-1 ATS record in that span.

One belief Boston fans have is Paul Pierce will play well, as the Los Angeles native has averaged 27.1 points a game in 10 visits against the Lakers. Boston won, but failed to cover two nights ago in Sacramento and is 10-19-1 ATS after a non-cover this season and will be a four-point road underdog, trying to improve on inept 1-10-1 ATS mark against Pacific Division clubs.

The Lakers go for fifth win in a row and sweep of Celtics and off their 104-94 win Tuesday over Golden State, are 7-1-1 ATS after scoring 100 or more points. L.A. is just 1-4 ATS hosting Boston in last five tries, though the favorite is 5-2-1 ATS in previous eight regular season encounters.

Last Chance for NBA Bettors

All but four NBA teams go into hibernation for a few days starting Thursday. The lucky(?) four clubs are part of the TNT Thursday night televised package and at least they know they will have something to play for after the All-Star break, unlike the New Jersey Nets. The first contest brings together the Eastern Conference finalists from last season and San Antonio will be off the road for brief reprieve from Rodeo Trip, after visiting Denver.

Cleveland seeks small measure of revenge

In sports were told every season and every team is different from year to year. Players are taught to let go of past failures or success, since what is happening this moment is what you are playing for, not what previously occurred. Fans and often sports bettors don’t have that acquired skill, they remember.

If Cleveland’s unassailable 12-game winning streak conjures up memories of the Cavaliers (42-11, 27-25-1 ATS) marching into the East Finals last season, that’s understandable. However, in search of No. 13, pardon those who wonder if this could be unlucky number since they held tickets on Cleveland to win series wager over Orlando last spring and saw those ducats become combustible.

“They’re coming into our building, and right now we’re the best team in the NBA,” LeBron James said Tuesday after beating New Jersey. “It’s going to be a fun one.” The Cavs are 7-5 ATS during this hot streak and have won 20 of last 21 contests played at Quicken Loans Arena (23-3 and 11-15 ATS on the season).

Cleveland believes they are better equipped this season to make the NBA Finals, having acquired Shaquille O’Neal, who was brought in largely because the Cavs had no answer for Dwight Howard in the playoffs last year. The Cavaliers come into tonight 14-2 ATS at home after two games converting 50 percent or more of their shots.

Orlando (36-17, 25-24-4 ATS) doesn’t arrive in Cleveland like the Washington Generals. The Magic have won 10 of 12, including last three in a row. They have done this playing great defense, permitting just one team to break the century mark against them. Orlando was on fire against Chicago last night and is 16-5 ATS after scoring 60 points or more in the first half of last game. The Magic’s confidence is growing as Vince Carter, who has suffered the worst slump of his career, has averaged 24.2 points in his last five games.

Cleveland is a 6.5-point favorite with total of 194 at Bookmaker.com and is deceiving 16-7 ATS facing a team with a winning record this year, as their average margin of victory is 8.5 points a game. Here is an odd stat for a top notch team; Orlando attempts more three point shots than free throws (27.9 vs. 27.3) and they arrive near Lake Erie 21-9 ATS as a road underdog over the last two seasons. The Magic lost earlier meeting at home to Cavs 102-93, nevertheless has split last six visits in Cleveland, covering five of them. Tipoff is just 8 Eastern.

Spurs might need lasso to contain Denver on Rodeo Trip

San Antonio (29-21, 24-25-1 ATS) is .500 after its first four games of annual road adventure, but both losses have come against teams lacking their stars. The Spurs didn’t have to see Brandon Roy or Kobe Bryant in uniform, yet failed to win or cover in either case. Richard Jefferson thought his coach had the answer.

“Coach (Gregg Popovich) said it best: ‘We’re playing soft.’ And that’s starting with me. I haven’t shot the ball well the last 10 or so games.” -Jefferson stated.

The Spurs won’t catch such a break tonight, as Carmelo Anthony is back for Denver and they are 2-10 ATS against Northwest Division opponents this season. Jefferson was brought in to add energy and wing player skills on the fast break; instead he’s averaging 12.1 points, his lowest since his rookie year. The Spurs are commonplace 14th in points scored and 12th in defensive field goal percentage, their highest figure since Tim Duncan’s rookie year (1997).

Denver (35-17, 24-25-3 ATS) has missed Anthony, just 4-3 in last seven outings, however is off best shooting night since Nov.17, as they destroyed Dallas 127-91, draining 60.8 percent from the field. With last offensive output, the Nuggets are 10-2 ATS after a combined score of 205 points or more in consecutive games this season.

Denver is a 5.5-point pick with total of 206 and is 23-4 (14-12 -1 ATS) at the Pepsi Center, winning by 10.2 PPG. The Nuggets are 43-24 ATS after playing a game as a home favorite since last year and are 18-8 OVER on their own floor after scoring 100 points or more three straight contests. San Antonio would like to end first leg of road trip on positive note, but are 15-29 ATS as a road underdog of six points or less since 2007. The Spurs are 9-1 UNDER as visitors after playing a road game this season.

Denver has won and covered three in a row over the Spurs, largely because they have outrebounded them by over 10 a game. This Western Conference conflict starts after preceding contest.

NBA Telivised Tilts

It’s a sure sign the football season is nearly complete, when guys in the semi-short pants from professional basketball are on TV to close out the weekend. For many NBA bettors, they have toiled for some time with the daily grind of crunching numbers and attempting to determine if their methodology will work. The NBA offers two quality contests for your viewing pleasure, with the first contest possibly missing key players and the later contest an old school showdown with glorious past.

Denver at San Antonio 1:00E ABC

The Nuggets are uncertain if Carmelo Anthony’s gimpy ankle will allow him to go, after missing Friday’s contest in Oklahoma City. Additionally, Denver is still sorting out the behavior antics of J.R. Smith from eight days ago on the bench. Smith was nearly suspended but V.P. of player personnel Rex Chapman; finally deciding against it, in hopes coach George Karl won’t have any more problems with him forward.

It’s been no problem on the actual court for Denver (31-15, 21-24-1 ATS), having won eight of nine with 4-4-1 ATS mark. The Nuggets surge has been led by guard Chauncey Billups who is averaging a career-high 19.2 points in addition to 5.9 assists. Denver is 25-11 ATS playing against a team with a winning record in the half of the season over the last two years.

While Anthony’s status is up in the air for Denver, no such luck for San Antonio, with Tony Parker sidelined with an ankle sprain. The Spurs (27-18, 23-21-1 ATS) aren’t exactly hitting on all cylinders, having lost five of last eight and covering just three spreads. The most damning aspect of the slump is they have not been able to take advantage of six game home stand (2-3 SU & ATS), since after today they take to the road for eight games on “Rodeo Trip.” The Spurs will have to shoot a high percentage with less firepower in the backcourt and are 20-9 ATS when they make 48 to 51 percent of their shots in a game since last season.

DiamondSportsbook.com has San Antonio as six-point favorite with total of 198. The Spurs are just 2-7 ATS on Sunday assignments and 8-1-1 UNDER on this day of the week. Denver comes in 4-11 ATS in last 15 contests with a day’s rest and is 23-7 UNDER as the visiting team if the home team has a .600 or better record on their court. The road team has covered the last five meetings between this Western Conference clubs.

L.A. Lakers at Boston 3:30E ABC

Possibly Boston’s midseason lull isn’t a cause for concern, with 6-10 (5-11 ATS) record since Dec. 27 and this veteran squad will turn it on once the scent of playoff basketball is in the air, yet watching them play you still wonder where the Celtics (29-15, 18-26 ATS) are headed. Ray Allen seems to be aging game to game, lacking the ability to create his own shot off the dribble. In NBA language that is called “catch and shot” player and not many elite teams have this type of guy in the starting lineup.

All was thought to be well with Kevin Garnett back, one problem he looks slow, like his long aging and increasing injured legs are starting to fail him, particularly on defense. Guard Rajon Rondo needs Google search to find the basket with as wayward as jump shot has been. Boston is also suffering from a lack of cohesiveness with Garnett and others taking turns missing game. Boston is 13-7 at home with sickly 6-14 ATS record.

The Lakers (36-11, 22-24-1 ATS) probably feel like their home was foreclosed on, playing their seventh road game in a row, all in the Eastern Time zone. The purple-clad team from L.A. is 4-2 SU and ATS thus far, with three wins in a row and starts heading back west tomorrow, with a stop in Memphis to conclude the road trip, against one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Los Angeles however is just 1-6 ATS if the opponent has a winning home record.

The Lakers will attempt to thwart Boston’s interior defense, by shooting well from the perimeter and they are 31-14 ATS when they make 39 to 45 percent of their three point attempts. Los Angeles has covered six of last seven Sunday contests and is 4-1 OVER since falling at Cleveland. Boston 0-8 against the number taking on Pacific Division squads and is 20-7 OVER off a SU loss. The one-point favored Lakers have covered once in previous five visits in Bean-Town.

L.A. Lakers stir pot, try to chew up Nuggets

It turned out to be true; Kobe Bryant of the Lakers really does have teammates that want to win and are willing to put forth the effort to do so. Because Kobe finally was comforted with company, Los Angeles is within one game of return trip to NBA Finals, though not without a little controversy along the way, which makes for good playoff fodder.

An anonymous member of the Denver Nuggets told the Denver Post, "The Lakers paid $50,000 to win that game," he said. "They got their money's worth." He was referring to 25 grand in fines David Stern’s minions handed out to coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers organization for comments after Game 4.

Denver’s George Karl lamented essentially, the squeaky wheel gets taken care of and the Lakers got the benefit of calls for critical Game 5. Evidently Karl has no sense of history, since this coaching showmanship has gone on since Eddie Gottlieb’s Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Staggs to win first ever NBA title in 1947.

Having watched the entire game with no sound (don’t ask, just trust it made sense to me), I never got the sense the officiating was one-sided. I did however take note that Denver stopped taking the ball to the rim in the fourth quarter and was 5 for 21 shooting in last 12 minutes. I also noticed the strong interior defense of Denver completely fell apart in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers ran screens to set up isolation plays and scored six baskets that I recall within three feet of basket.

The first 17 minutes of the game was played like any regular season game, as neither team was emotionally involved, until both teams had manufactured exciting dunks, which revved up the crowd and the emotions of players.

Lamar Odom, showed why he can be the difference between L.A. being among the best teams, to NBA champs when he adds 19 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. Derek Fisher tossed in a dozen points and though he saw limited minutes, Andrew Bynum contributed when on the floor. In fact, the Lakers bench outscored the Denver reserves 34-26, which is telling, with final margin of victory nine points.

Denver is 17-7 ATS revenging a road loss and is backed into corner. The Nuggets never matched the same intensity they had the first two games in La-La Land, even as they built seven-point lead midway thru the third quarter. This was proven as they had no answer to blunt Lakers rush that saw them run off 23 of next 28 points to wrestle control of contest. The Lakers finally challenged Karl’s troops with unfamiliar style, playing intense defense.

The Lakers enter Game 6 as 5.5-point underdogs and are 8-3 ATS when DiamondSportsbook.com or another oddsmaker places them in that position. Only one game has exceeded the total in West Finals and Los Angeles is 9-1 UNDER in conference finals. Denver is 7-0 against the number off a straight up loss and is 8-1 ATS as home favorites. Of the last 12 games the Nuggets have played against winning teams, 10 have gone UNDER the number.

It’s do-or-die for Carmelo Anthony and mates, and as the Lakers have shown, they don’t necessarily have the killer instinct to polish off opponent. If should be quite an atmosphere at the Pepsi Center, with Denver trying to avoid falling to 3-11 ATS when trailing in playoff series and head back to downtown Los Angeles for Sunday showdown.

What needs to happen for Lakers or Nuggets to win

Thus far the Western Conference Finals have been three hotly contested games. The visiting team has covered each contest, emerging with two victories. Here are observations from the perspective of both teams in which they could win and cover the spread or fall flat on their collective faces and come up short, being disappointed. One thing both teams are showing signs of is fatigue, which might be the biggest factor of all, especially in the fourth quarter.

Denver’s Carmelo Anthony was either too geeked or showed signs of wearing down in Game 3. Anthony got to the line plenty of times in converting 12 of 14 free throws; however had only four baskets on 13 attempts. The pull-up jump shots is there any time he wants it, Carmelo just needs to take it more in rhythm, squared to the rim instead of having body tilted. If ‘Melo does this, no reason Denver doesn’t move to 13-1 ATS in postseason.

Kenyon Martin and Chauncey Billups are playing at very high level, with the occasional poor choice in shot selection or judgment being the only negative. Martin has to make his wide open shots and Billups has to be a little more selective in taking three-points (as does J.R. Smith), since 5 for 27 as a team from behind the arc is settling on offense too much, instead of working for better shots. The Nuggets are 23-13 ATS after failing to cover the number.

Denver must keep taking the ball to the rim and frontcourt players must be alert to receive passes or crash the boards on missed shots. The Nuggets did not display the same energy at home they showed at Los Angeles, if they expect to tie up series, George Karl’s team has to out-work the Lakers.

One can only presume the Denver spent a lot of time working on side out in-bound plays. The Nuggets are 17-6 ATS in revenge mode.

After wondering about Trevor Ariza's skills, Ariza is starting to look like a former Laker, who contributed a great deal, just in different ways, A.C. Green. Ariza does solid job as straight-up defender, with long, lean body and has knack for tipping balls and creating offense off of defensive plays. Though not a consistently good long shooter, he’s growing in confidence deep and when he takes flight for dunks, get out of his way, help making the Lakers treacherous 8-1 ATS underdog.

If the other Lakers players didn’t have Kobe Bryant to push, pull and drag them at various points throughout games, would Los Angeles be more than a .500 team? Bryant’s unquenchable thirst for victory forces his teammates to ride along, even when body language suggests other feelings. Kobe’s relentless pursuit of victory is why the Lakers have a chance to go up 3-1 in series and are 37-23 ATS playing against teams with 60 to 70 percent win percentage over the last two seasons.

The Lakers are more often than necessary too slow in transition defense and have to be more alert to that fact. Giving away easy points in tight games is a waste. Pau Gasol must work a little harder to establish position on Nene and Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom must occupy Chris Anderson more on the opposite block and be more productive as scorers and rebounders.

DiamondSportsbook.com has Denver by 4.5-points, with the total at series low 208.5. The Nuggets are 11-2 ATS after allowing 100 points or more four straight games and 13-3 UNDER when trailing in playoff series. L.A. is 12-4 ATS on the road off a road win and has played UNDER in eight straight conference final games.

It was extremely rare to see Kobe as tired as he looked at the end of Game 3 and you have to wonder if the team’s 11 for 46 shooting from behind the arc was contributing factor. Both are putting out max effort and with the pressure of the situation, this can be draining.

Game 4 is at Pepsi Center again starting at 9:05 Eastern on ESPN.

L.A. seeks answers in hostile environment

If the Los Angeles Lakers would go on to win the NBA championship, the comparisons would be similar to the last title Michael Jordan had in Chicago, where every series and every game for the most part ended up being a severe challenge. Right now, that is probably the furthest thing from Kobe Bryant’s and his teammates mind, as they are waste deep in torment, dealing with Denver team that has strong desire to show they are the new kids on the block.

To this juncture, the difference between the Lakers and Denver is thinner than the Rocky Mountain air and that was in smog-filled L.A. The first two games were mirror images of one another, just from opposite ends.

Denver started Game 1 fast, missed a boatload of free throws and didn’t execute at the end and lost. In Game 2 it was Los Angeles who powered to early lead, only to see the Nuggets come back by halftime. In the second half, Denver made nearly everything from the charity stripe and it was the Lakers who didn’t execute in halfcourt at crunch time.

The perception that the Lakers have better personnel is being backtracked quickly. Derek Fisher should be coming off the bench, since he is defensive liability and doesn’t offer much when his shot is not falling. Though generally effective, how many teams would forward Trevor Ariza start for in the NBA?

Another noted difference is intangible and subjective, but Denver has two mentally strong players in Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, who do the Lakers have beyond Kobe? Pau Gasol is a very good player, but does he play in elite category when the game is on the line, sometimes.

The Lakers are 3-7 ATS in last 10 conference final conflicts and are in third different circumstance in this year’s postseason embarking on first road playoff game of the series. They were up 2-0 heading to Utah and lost by two. They were tied with Houston getting ready to play Game 3 of that series and gave convincing winning effort; however that was coming off a win.

Even the great Zen Master is being dragged through the mud in these NBA Playoffs. Hardcore Lakers fans and backers were shocked Phil Jackson didn’t out-coach Doc Rivers in the Finals last season and many agreed Rivers got the better of Jackson, from motivational perspective in getting his players to play harder.

Jackson is under the microscope again with his team giving more than one sorry effort in the postseason and his substitution patterns coming into question. In Thursday’s contest, he gave Kobe a "mental break" in the fourth quarter and in less then 100 seconds, Denver turned a one point deficit into a five point lead. It should be noted, Jackson has always made discussion generating substitutions, they just always used to work.

Even lame brains like Andrew Bynum are calling Jackson out, saying, "Honestly, I think we need to rethink how we are doing the defense. … They are just attacking it and swinging [the ball] to the other side. It is an easy three-on-two every time that they swing it to the other side."
This zero-sum insight from starting center who was going to be the difference-maker for L.A., yet has logged 34 total minutes and 15 points in two games, not earning the trust of his coach, based on actions, not words.

Denver has covered a confounding dozen straight playoff games and returns home to the Pepsi Center energized and confident. George Karl’s club has won 15 in a row at its mile high place of work (11-4 ATS) and is 20-5 ATS after playing a game as a road underdog this season. Comparisons to other Denver teams are useless, as this group is completely different.

I think we got a lot tougher in the last two minutes of the game," Billups said. "We had guys diving for loose balls. ... We just got tougher, where we should have done that in Game 1. We learned from that and did it in Game 2."

Sports bettors are paying attention also and believing what they are seeing in Denver. DiamondSportsbook.com opened the Nuggets as three-point favorite and it was hit hard the Denver money, moving line to four points, before settling back to 3.5. The total is relatively stationary at 211.5, with the Lakers 15-6 UNDER after one or more losses this season. Melo and the guys will want to come out flying and are 12-3 OVER at home after scoring 100 points or more three straight games.

The Lakers are 22-11 ATS as a road underdog and they are 4-3 SU and ATS in last seven visits to Colorado. Denver is 28-10 ATS after playing consecutive road games and on 22-5 ATS run against teams with winning records.

ESPN moves its cameras East for Game 3 and 8:35 Eastern start, with the last five meetings in Denver between these teams having played UNDER.

Bettors studying money line on Nuggets for Game 2

If you played the Nuggets in the opener of the Western Conference playoffs, you have to be feeling mighty good taking home a relatively comfortable winner. Denver led throughout the game, taking the action to the Lakers, out-hustling them throughout many points of the contest. It was clear from the opening tip what team was coming off seven game series and what team was rested. In the end, Kobe Bryant proved comments made by former Los Angeles Hall-of Famer and previous architect Jerry West, suggesting LeBron James might be the best player in the game, could be premature at least for another month or so.

Bryant in the fourth quarter surveyed his teammate’s body language and later said, "Once I sensed we didn't have the energy," said Bryant. "I had to take it upon myself." And did he ever, scoring 18 points, despite grappling with Carmelo Anthony, showing elusive moves that WWE promoter Vince McMahon would be proud of, as the Lakers escaped 105-103 as 6.5-point favorites.

Most NBA teams would be kicking themselves for not taking advantage of opportunity like Denver missed. While statistical analysis is often hard to make concrete judgments from for one game, no such issue here. Denver shoot a much greater percentage than the Lakers (48.6 vs 41.1), were more effective, especially in the first half in getting to the free throw line (35 vs 24 attempts) and scored five more points off of turnovers (17 vs 12) than L.A. did.

But these Nuggets were not panicked or crestfallen, they believe they are the Lakers equal and know the 12 missed free throws were the difference.

“Win or lose, good or bad, you've got to have a short memory," Chauncey Billups insisted. “Game 1 is always a feel-out game, see what teams are doing, what is going on. You make your adjustments for Game 2."

Denver is now 11-0 ATS in the postseason and as Billups said, “I'm disappointed, but I'm not mad,"

The Nuggets have to make adjustments and be like top notch salesmen, always be closing. They are 19-5 ATS after playing a game as a road underdog this season and even received a compliment, though backhanded from Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "I think they outplayed us and we won the game."-said the Zen Master, playing his usual mental games.

DiamondSportsbook.com has lowered the number for Game 2 to the Lakers favored by 5.5-points, with total also shrinking to 210.5. Denver is a +200 money line play to win the game outright and we asked Mr. East of Playbook.com about what he thinks about next game and wagering opportunities.

“I think Denver played about the way they have played for the past two months, solid effort, came up short. They didn't get outplayed by the Lakers, they lost the game by missing 12 free throws, uncharacteristic, especially watching Billups, who misses once in a solar eclipse, miss three straight.” said Mr. East.

He went add key points and opinions, “They are every bit as good a team as the Lakers, and game two will be equally close. One wise man told me, the team in need is the team indeed, so I look for even a more intense effort from Denver in game 2. Home teams winning game 1 in the conference finals are a horrid 11-20-3 ATS in game 2 since 1991. When they get a win and no cover, they are 1-4-2 ATS, so when the visitor shows they can play, they have come back to go 11-4-2 ATS in game 2 off an ATS or outright loss.

Looking for Denver to get the cover, and 50-50 for the outright win.”

The Nuggets are 40-21 ATS when the total is greater than or equal to 200 and 21-10 ATS revenging a loss vs opponent this season. Denver is 14-6 UNDER as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points this NBA campaign.

Watch the total, as the Lakers continue to be poor wager when the number is 210 or higher with 13-22 ATS mark. The team in gold uniforms is 27-14 UNDER as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points and 13-4 UNDER when leading in a playoff series over the last two years.

The action will again commence at the Staples Center at 9:05 Eastern on ESPN, with bettors pondering the points and money line on the Nuggets, who are 17-3 against the ML after allowing 100 points or more three straight games.

Can Denver really pull the upset?

Hard to fathom coach George Karl put in more then 10 minutes since last Thursday in preparation for Houston for Game 1 on the Western Conference Finals. Karl’s club will be well rested with six days between games and anxious to show the basketball world they belong. He’s also wise enough to know, no matter how bad the Los Angeles Lakers appeared at times in last series, the Rockets were not able to defeat the Lake Show four times, which is Denver’s mission.

One of the most difficult aspects of handicapping a series is forgetting about the entire regular season. The Lakers won 65 games during the regular season; Denver tied a franchise best with 54 W’s. Los Angeles had the look of a champion, more than doubling the Nuggets average scoring margin per game (7.7 vs 3.4), showing their superiority.

It’s very easy to look at the Lakers against these upstarts and asked the question of Denver – What have you done?

This is where the lines start to blur, causing consternation. The Nuggets have won 22 of last 27 games and to prove how impressive this number is, they have covered the spread 20 times, including all 10 playoff games. Consider oddsmakers really can’t put up numbers to draw bettors to bet bad numbers with so few of games, thus have to list a fair number to attract action on both sides. To think Denver has bested the line maker 10 straight times, that is awfully impressive.

Denver’s strength’s revolve around Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. Each can be dynamic scorer and Billups makes ‘Melo better, especially at this time of year with ability to distribute. Billups brought defensive toughness over from the Motor City, giving the Nuggets defenders help in the front and back courts.

Denver has a swat team in the frontcourt, with Nene and Kenyon Martin and “The Birdman” Chris Anderson. The Nuggets are far from a top notch defensive team like Cleveland, but with these players contesting every shot within 12 feet of the basket, nothing comes easy. To show the change in mindset, Denver is 8-0 ATS after three straight games when both teams scored 100 points or fewer this season.

The Lakers are not to be dismissed; it’s just not as clear where they stand. The only constant is inconsistent effort. Phil Jackson used a wise move before Game 7 to take the pressure off his team for contradictory performances, by saying he wasn’t sure what Houston team would show up for the series finale, since it was the Rockets who were up and down to the Zen Master’s way of thinking.

It’s easy to forget Boston played two Game 7’s the first two rounds last season, before finding the right rhythm and becoming NBA champions. Los Angeles plays very disjointed right now. Losing Games 4 and 6 so badly to Houston, only underscored their vulnerability against a team who wanted it more than they did. Ask any NBA expert or sharp sports better right today who is the better team and you’ll get either a blank stare or the eyes will move to upper right, as they contemplate answer before speaking.

One perception of Los Angeles appears as true today as last year. How Andrew Bynum goes, so likely to will the Lakers. In games where he is involved mentally and physically from the start, the Lakers play better and have more physical presence. In other contests where he is lazy defensively and draws quick fouls, he retreats like a turtle into his shell and is non-factor. Bynum’s importance is proven in numbers other than wins and losses.

The Lakers margin of victory during the regular season was 1.8 points per game more with Bynum in the line-up. While that figure doesn’t sound like much, it’s a 26.4 percent difference. An easier to comprehend method is to look at Bynum’s play in the last four games against Houston. In the wins (both at Staples Center), he had 28 points, 14 rebounds and just four total fouls. In the losses, ZERO points, 9 boards and six early fouls that ended up in serious bench time.

The Lakers won and covered three of four meetings this season and are opening at home, where they are 7-1 SU and ATS against Denver in L.A. The oddsmakers at DiamondSportsbook.com have Los Angeles as -300 favorites to win the series and have them as 6.5-point favorites to win the opener, with total of 215. Kobe Bryant won’t have to face such individual defensive pressure like the last series and his team is 11-2 ATS in home games after three or more consecutive Unders. Expect the Lakers to want to open it up and they are 16-4 OVER in home games after a combined score of 165 points or less.

Denver has 100 percent extreme confidence coming into the series, plus will want to open up a can of “Want To” to express to people just how good they are. The Nuggets are at the top of their game at the moment and are 13-4 ATS versus good shooting teams making 46 percent or more of their shots since Game 42 this season.

Can Denver upset the Lakers the way they are playing, undoubtedly if L.A. continues to put forth the same effort. It isn’t a reach however to believe the Kobe and friends realize they are four wins away from repeat trip to The Finals and elevate their game to new heights. About all we can tell at the moment is Denver is ready and the Lakers are capable, the drama begins in ESPN at 9:05 Eastern.

Anything possible in Denver for Game 5

For a series that has been either as bland as guacamole or as fiery as 100 jalapeño peppers, this next game has caught the attention of sports fans, bloggers, those on Twitter and sports bettors. Nobody expects Dallas to emerge victorious after losing first three games to Denver, however this is kind of like discovering a television show that you’ve grown to like recently and just found out it is about to be cancelled.

The first two games in Denver were like old episodes of the Andy Griffith show on TV Land. Mildly entertaining, with an outcome you saw coming. When the venue changed to Dallas, all of the sudden it looked like an episode of American Chopper.

Without going over ALL the delicious details, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban loses cool and calls out Kenyon Martin’s mother. After seeing the commotion he caused, he later apologizes. Kind of like throwing confetti and realizing later somebody has to clean it up.

Kenyon Martin evidently bought the Rosetta Stone version of Al Pacino in “Scarface” after Game 3 and let those in attendance and to a lesser degree those on television, share his new language and was particularly fond of one word he used over and over again.

If you are a Dallas fan, you can take solace in the fact; your team avoided being swept. The Mavericks to a man showed guts and pride, seldom associated with teams down 3-0. Dirk Nowitzki looked exactly like the same player that led Dallas to NBA Finals a few years ago. Josh Howard is running like Yao Ming, without the broken bones and showed extreme courage. The Mavs laid it all on the line and is 14-5 ATS after a combined score of 215 points or more this season.

The Denver bettor and fan is far from disappointed, as the Nuggets covered the spread for a ninth consecutive time. Denver didn’t play A-Game or put forth much defensive effort, yet could look at the box score and see 12 missed free throws cost them a chance at victory.
Coach George Karl had his first off game of the postseason also, failing to have his team switch properly on high screen and rolls and not doubling Nowitzki more, as Martin was schooled like a high-schooler.

There is blood in the water for Game 5 and Denver knows it. They are 38-8 (28-17-1 ATS) at the Pepsi Center and 15-4 ATS after allowing 100 points or more three straight games this season. Chris Anderson should be back to add energy, after missing last contest and Nuggets fans in attendance will be able to share the same kind of joy Mavs fans did two nights ago.
No need to worry about Carmelo Anthony or Chauncey Billups, they will be fine, it’s K-Mart who needs to take his game from the discount aisle back to blue light special.

DiamondSportsbook.com is offering the Nuggets as 9.5-point favorites and they are 10-1 ATS as a home chalk of 6.5 to 9 points this season. The total will be the highest of the series at 213.5 and Denver has to crash the boards with more authority and is 14-3 OVER in home games after consecutive affairs being outrebounded by opponent by 10 or more.

Is Dallas really capable of another max effort game on the road? The Mavericks are 3-12 ATS on the road after failing to cover four of their last five contests and are 24-10 OVER in the second round of the playoffs.

It’s too bad this won’t be a seven game series, since it has certainly turned dramatic and nobody does drama like TNT, who has Game 5 at 9 Eastern. Still, difficult to not see Denver is 8-2 and 9-1 ATS at home versus Dallas, even if they serve Pepsi Throwback at the Pepsi Center.

Los Angeles Lakers Getting Big Man Back

By all accounts, the Los Angeles Lakers are about ready to add center Andrew Bynum back into the mix, making them even more lethal. After missing 32 games with a torn MCL in his right knee, rumors are circulating like an episode from Entertainment Tonight, that Bynum might see action against the hottest team in the NBA, Denver.

The Nuggets are trying to secure the No.2 seed in the Western Conference and could do so with an upset victory tonight. Denver (53-26, 44-34-1 ATS) has picked the perfect time to play their best basketball of the season, having won eight in a row and 13th of 14 games (9-5 ATS). This will be the first of three tries for the Nuggets to match the franchise record of 54 wins and could exceed it with two wins in final three contests.

Off last night’s 122-112 triumph and non-cover over Oklahoma City, Denver is 13-3 ATS after a home game where both teams score 100 or more points this season. Though tonight’s contest won’t have any impact should these teams meet in the West Finals in May, it could be a big confidence boost for the Nuggets.

“(A win) would be huge, man, especially at this time of the year and for what we’re trying to accomplish,” Carmelo Anthony said. “That would be a big win for us.”

The Lakers (62-16, 39-38-1 ATS) have dominated Denver on there home court over the years. Los Angeles has won 23 of 25 (includes last year’s playoffs) since “Independence Day” was a top-grossing box office movie (1996) and has 17-6-2 spread record. Phil Jackson’s squad has played a pretty good brand of basketball themselves, with four consecutive wins and posting W’s in last nine of 11 (6-5 ATS).

The Lakers are 15-5 ATS versus good teams outscoring their opponents by three or more points a game this season and are fighting to catch Cleveland for the best record in the NBA. L.A. trails in the loss column by a game to the Cavaliers, but only has to catch them, since they own the tie-breaker to have home court advantage throughout the postseason.

Bettors seem oblivious to how well Denver is playing and have taken them from eight-point underdogs at Bookmaker.com to nine, with totaling falling 209.5. What is interesting about side action, this is the most points the Lakers have been favored by over the Nuggets in 10 home games, dating back to December of 2004.

Denver is 8-0 ATS off a home non-cover where won straight up as a favorite and is 15-6 UNDER as an underdog this season. Kobe and company is 18-9 ATS off a road win and is 12-4 OVER in home games after three or more consecutive wins this season.

This battle of the two best teams in the Western Conference will sally forth at 7:35 Pacific on TNT.