Posted on 1/10/2008 7:29:40 PM

NBA Betting - Beast of the East: Boston or Detroit?

By BetUS Staff

After the Detroit Pistons knocked off the Boston Celtics at TD Banknorth Garden back in December, everyone was ready to remove the Celtics’ crown and hoist up the Pistons as the best team in the East. However, after the Celtics returned the favor with a win in Detroit last week things, may not be as clear as NBA betting aficionados once thought.

Right now the Celtics sport the best record in the league at 29-3, but Detroit’s not too far behind at 26-8. The Pistons’ climb up the ladder was greatly helped by their recent 11-game winning streak. The Celtics ended up stopping the Pistons’ winning streak, but they were also a part of it when it was just beginning.

The first clash this season between these two powerhouses back in December was a close-fought battle which Detroit won 87-85 as a 6-point road underdog. Chauncey Billups hit a pair of free throws late in the fourth quarter to ice the win for Detroit and finished the night with a game-high 28 points and eight assists.

Richard Hamilton added his usual 21 points, while Antonio McDyess had a strong game with 13 points and 10 rebounds. For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett scored 26 points and added 12 rebounds, while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen had 11 and 24 points respectively.

In last week’s rematch in Detroit the Pistons were a 2-point underdog, but escaped with a 92-85 win after both teams shot poorly. The most surprising part of the Celtics’ win was that neither Garnett, Pierce nor Allen led Boston in scoring for the first time this season. It was rookie Glen Davis who scored a team-high 20 points, while Pierce added 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Hamilton led the Pistons and Billups added 17 points, but the two sharpshooters combined to go only 10-of-28 from the floor. Unfortunately the next battle between these titans won’t happen until March 5 in Boston.

Judging by the current state of the rest of the East (only two other teams are over .500), the true answer to which team is better likely won’t be answered until they meet up in the Eastern Conference final. The current NBA odds at BetUS have the Celtics listed as the favorite to win the East at +110, while Detroit sits right behind them at +275.

On the NBA championship futures the Celtics are the overall favorite right now at +300, while the Pistons are at +750 and have three other teams ahead of them – San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas.

You’ll find the latest 2007-2008 NBA odds and lines in the best online sportsbook, BetUS.com. Betting on NBA player and game props makes every aspect of the game exciting. Join BetUS.com today to bet on the NBA and make online sports betting work for you!