Posted on
4/22/2008 3:35:09 PM
NBA Furious Free Pick 2008 – Raptors Need To Rebound Against Magic
By Tim Furious
Toronto Raptors (41-41) vs. Orlando Magic (52-30)
Tuesday, April 22nd --- Amway Arena, Orlando --- 7:30pm EST
Series: Orl 1-0
NBA Betting Line: Orlando -5.5 (199)
The Magic made an emphatic statement against Toronto, which continued its bumbling ways right in to the playoffs. The Toronto online basketball betting faithful who were so high on the Raptors at the beginning of the season are seriously starting to wonder if a team that went 0-5 ATS in their last 5 roadies.
But if Orlando’s betting investors are hoping that Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis can put Toronto’s point-guard tandem on ice, and Rashard Lewis can lock down CB4, then think again. Orlando allowed 99.0 points per game, and that was one of Lewis’s best defensive performances in his career against a player of equal or superior talent. Do not, under any circumstances, stock pile your betting dollars behind the happen-stance defensive occurrences of Lewis or Nelson.
I’m not knocking Jameer, but I do think that one guy going up against a tag-team like Jose Calderon and T.J. Ford. Calderon and Ford make up for each other’s flaws. Calderon is the better floor general, a much smoother point-guard who exhibits phenomenal control of running the point. Ford, meanwhile, is the far superior athlete and is a stiffer defenseman simply because he’s much faster. Offensively, they both averaged 12.1 and 11.1 points respectively. To put it simply for the betting man – Toronto has fresh legs running the point on a consistent basis, which is invaluable come playoff time.
Dwight Howard was a monster with 25-22-5 in points, rebounds and blocks in Game 1. Chalk that up to the “playoff pump” (the undeniable surge of adrenalin a player gets from his first playoff appearance, coupled in this case by the fact Orlando hasn’t been in the playoffs in years). Howard is a major problem for the Raptors, but there’s no way that Lewis shuts down Chris Bosh again.
If anyone has to step it up for Toronto, it’s Bosh. Not only is he falling out of All-Star grace with his recent play, he’s also starting to make the zealot fans in Toronto wonder if he can carry a team. Bosh needs to respond, and while the betting trends are leaning towards Toronto, the Raptors look like the logical pick in this one because –and only because – they have to respond to this adversity in Game 2 or it’s curtains for them.
NBA Betting Free Pick: Toronto +5.5 (OVER)
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