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posted June 9, 2008 at 15:00 in NBA Articles

BetUS NBA basketball betting NBA Finals odds: L.A. Lakers odds -9.5, Total 195.5

WHAT: Game 3 of the NBA Finals

WHO: Boston Celtics (66-16 SU, 52-28-2 ATS) at Los Angeles Lakers (57-25 SU, 47-34-1 ATS) -- regular-season records

WHERE: Staples Center in Los Angeles

WHEN: Tuesday, June 10 at 9:05 PM ET

Here are some of the NBA basketball betting trends as they relate to this sports betting matchup:

* BOS has covered five of its last 13 games

* BOS has won seven of its last nine games SU

* BOS has covered four of its last six games

* BOS has played four of its last six games UNDER the total

* BOS has lost seven of its last nine road games SU

* BOS has covered two of its last nine road games

* BOS has played its last five road games UNDER the total

* LA is 12-6-1 ATS in its last 19 games

* LA has won six of its last nine games SU

* LA has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total

* LA has won its last 14 home games SU

* LA has covered eight of its last ten home games

In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA Finals betting trends:

* BOS has won and covered the last four meetings

* Eighteen of the last 25 meetings have gone OVER the total

* LA has won four of the last six meetings SU

* BOS has covered five of the last eight meetings as the road team

* Seven of the last nine meetings in Los Angeles have gone OVER the total

The Lakers were just awful on Sunday night, at least for most of the game. They got to the line only ten times, and continually let the Celtics drive the lane on them. A furious rally reduced what was a 24-point lead to only two points, but ultimately the Lakers ran out of time, and a Paul Pierce blocked shot finally turned out the lights.

Phil Jackson sought to blame the referees to an extent, because while his team shot only ten free throws, the Celtics had 38 opportunities from the line. Certainly if the free throw situation evens itself out a little at the Staples Center, that is great news for the Lakers, since they did, after all, shoot 49% in Game 2. But there are a few realities that have to be explored.

One of them is that is was no accident that Boston got to the line more. They are the more aggressive team, and the bigger team, which attacks the hoop more. In other words, they have all the capacity in the world to own the lane. Kobe Bryant was 7-for-7 from the line, and Derek Fisher hit his two foul shots, but there was only one other player on the Laker roster who got to the line- Pau Gasol. Once.

What we're seeing is that Boston has successfully exploited the fact that the Lakers are the softer team. Lamar Odom does not necessarily work as the "power" forward. Vladimir Radmanovic, the 6'10" forward who started the game, mostly as a measure to counter-balance the Celtics' edge in size, is an outside player, not necessarily a rebounder or shot-blocker. Ronny Turiaf is the only other guy the Lakers have who can bang on the boards.

And we'll repeat it again - one of the biggest misconceptions about this series is that somehow the Lakers have the better bench. I do not know where that perception comes from. At the outset of the season, I did not think much of the Celtics bench. I knew what James Posey was capable of. But at that point I didn't know they were going to acquire Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown. I didn't realize how well Eddie House might fit in. I didn't think Tony Allen could contribute very much.

And I had no idea how good Leon Powe could be. But now Phil Jackson knows, even if he has problems pronouncing his name. Powe ripped through the Celtics for 21 points in 15 minutes, and demonstrated that not only does Los Angeles have nothing in the way of a counterpart on their bench, they also have no one who can stop him when they go to second unit.

I don't doubt that after having lost the first two games of this series, the Lakers are likely going to come back and put a "W" in their column. But this number is far too generous to take me off the Celtics' side. I'll stick with Boston, the 9.5-point underdog in the BetUS sports betting NBA Finals odds.

JAY'S PLAY: BOSTON (+9.5)

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.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)