Posted on 4/17/2008 4:04:54 PM

NBA Basketball Betting – Playoff Free Picks

By Dave Golokhov

(7)Dallas Mavericks @ (2)New Orleans Hornets

The most intriguing first-round matchup is this one. The Dallas Mavericks, who have been one of the NBA’s best teams over the last five years, changed their chemistry significantly when they acquired Jason Kidd.

Some pundits question the necessity of the move and whether it was just a peer-pressured response to the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring Pau Gasol and the Phoenix Suns acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal.

The Mavericks have only defeated one team with a winning record since the trade and have looked like a team with a lost identity.

The good news for the Mavericks is that they have a significant advantage in their first-round matchup: experience.

The New Orleans Hornets have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA. They missed the top seed in the West by a whisker but impressively finished ahead of veteran outfits like the San Antonio Spurs and the Suns.

But they are relatively short on post-season experience. Chris Paul will be getting his first taste while most of his teammates haven’t traveled past the first round. Peja Stojakovic, who had a rap as a playoff underachiever in Sacramento, has the longest playoff resume on the team.

This is a tough series to call but something just doesn’t look right in Dallas. Their defense has weakened and so has their team chemistry.

NBA Free Picks: New Orleans

(4)Utah Jazz @ (5)Houston Rockets

Just like last season, even though the Utah Jazz have the higher seed, the Houston Rockets will have the home-court advantage.

The Jazz lost their advantage on the last day of the regular season when they lost in San Antonio and Houston won their final game.

At one point, the Rockets were considered a serious Championship contender this season when their ripped off a 22-game winning streak. But without Yao Ming, who is out for the season, the Rockets are actually a weaker opponent than their record would indicate.

Houston has had all sorts of problems getting out of the first round of the playoffs during the Tracy McGrady era. McGrady has never been to round two.

Aside from their mental hurdles, they will have to deal with a much-improved Jazz team. The Jazz went to the Western Conference Finals last year and are a much more well-rounded team than the inexperienced group that the Rockets lost to in round one last year.

Although the Jazz didn’t make any headline-grabbing trades like the Suns or Mavs, they did make a subtle move that has improved their team significantly. In late December, they acquired Kyle Korver, one of the purest three-point shooters in the game, and have posted a record of 38-12 since the trade.

In case you weren’t calculating, that means the Jazz have a .760 winning percentage with Korver in the lineup, which would have put them atop the West standings in a full season.

NBA Free Picks: Utah

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