Posted on
12/27/2007 7:37:59 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – Boston at Seattle
By Charles Jay
The Boston Celtics (23-3 SU, 18-7-1 ATS), possessors of the NBA's best record, continue their Western road trip as they visit the Key Arena in Seattle to take on the SuperSonics (8-20 SU, 13-15 ATS) and their super rookie, Kevin Durant. Game time is 10:30 PM ET.
In the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds, Boston is listed at -9.5, with the total posted at 192 points.
In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA basketball betting trends:
* BOS is 12-4-1 ATS in the last 17 meetings
* SEA has won nine of the last 13 meetings SU as the home tam
* Five of the last six meetings in Seattle have gone UNDER the total
* The home team is 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight meetings
The Celtics have bene playing better defense than any team in the NBA, allowing just 85.9 points a game on 41% shooting. With its "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, Boston is also hitting slightly less than 48% from the field. That ranks them third behind Phoenix and Utah.
* BOS has covered five of its last six games
* BOS has won 12 of its last 13 games SU
* BOS has played six of its last eight games UNDER the total
* BOS is 4-0-1 ATS in its last five road games
* BOS has played four of its last five road games UNDER the total
Seattle has yielded 105.1 points a game, which is 28th in the league. The team ranks second in the league in rebounds, at 44.6 a game. Kevin Durant, the second pick in this past year's NBA Draft, has 4.4 of those rebounds. He's also averaging 20 points a game. Seattle started the year at 2-14, but since then they have gone 6-6. All of this has been happening amid rumors of a proposed move to Oklahoma City. Also:
* SEA has won and covered four of its last six home games
* SEA has won four of its last 17 home games SU
* SEA has played 10 of its last 15 home games UNDER the total
Durant has taken 477 shots. That's 175 more than anyone else on his team. He's averaging 20 points, but is shooting under 41%. This will play right into the hands of Boston, the stingiest defensive team in the league, which held Sacramento to 69 points on 38% shooting last night. The Celts have covered four out of five in the second end of back-to-back games, and their opportunistic crew (9.5 steals a game - 2nd in the NBA) should help them take advantage of a Sonic squad that turns it over more than anyone else in the league (16.1 per contest).
And Ray Allen is looking for a big game - you can be sure of it. He's bitter about his sendoff from the Sonic organization. "I thought they totally blew it by trading me," he says.
We respect the progress the young Seattle team has made since the horrific start. But this Boston team is perfectly capable of dealing out a beating and the poor-shooting, erratic Sonics are perfectly capable of sustaining one. We'll lay the points with Boston, the 9.5-point road favorite in the BetUS NBA betting odds.
BetUS NBA basketball betting odds: BOSTON -9.5, Total: 192
JAY'S PLAY: BOSTON
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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com is a freelance writer and handicapper who not only can make his shots from the top of the key, but also contributes with gusto to the BetUS Locker Room)