Posted on
5/6/2008 2:44:20 PM
NBA Furious Playoff Preview – The King Crashes Boston Three Party
By Tim Furious
Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37) vs. Boston Celtics (66-16)
Tuesday, May 6th --- TD Banknorth Garden, Boston --- 8:00pm EST
NBA Betting Line: Boston -9.5 (182.5)
Boston managed to throttle Atlanta in an online betting seven game series, in what was an almost epic basketball wagering moment in sports. Atlanta will be back – don’t worry. But now the Celtics will have home-court advantage as LeBron James plans to raid their Garden and take his band of upstarts to the Eastern Conference Championships again. It’s possibly the greatest team ever assembled against possibly the best player on the planet. And one thing’s for certain – anything’s possible.
Why To Bet On Cleveland
LeBron has averaged 32 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists this season against Boston. Simply put, he steps up large against the most feared team in the entire Eastern Conference. As good as the Celtics are, they haven’t been able to slow down LeBron. That is, of course, if you count the 26-point “suffocation” in their final meeting. I don’t.
The truth of the matter is that LeBron’s ceiling is unlimited. Last year against the Pistons, we were asking the same question – can he beat the Pistons by himself? He raised his game then. What’s to say he couldn’t raise his game this time?
On top of that, the Celtics haven’t seen this Cavaliers ensemble. And no, they haven’t been the devastating and consistent role-players that LeBron has needed. Yet, the key piece is there and that’s Big Z who has 14.5 points per game in the playoffs. Cleveland as a whole averages 96.4 points per game, yet scoring will be tough against one of the best defensive units ever assembled.
Still, Cleveland is a tough read. Can LeBron elevate his game as he did last year against impossible odds? Nobody thought that he was going to erupt against Detroit like he did. Do you want to be left in the dust when LBJ takes off again?
Why To Bet On Boston
I can give you three reasons – and they aren’t the obvious ones. I love Raging Rondo at the point. The kid has gusto, and it’s a damn shame he couldn’t hit that game winner in Game 6 against the Hawks. Yet, the fact that Boston had faith in Rondo has to be reassuring.
And I love the combination of Kendrick Perkins and Big Baby Davis. The two have combined for a modest 6.9 and 4.5 points per game in split time, but they are both solid bench players that can give Big Z some serious fits. Baby is a relentless defender and he can give Big Ben some fits. Is it me or are there too many “Big” guys in this series? Big Z? Big Ben? Big Baby? We’re getting uncreative here.
The third reason, finally, is actually Tom Thibodeau, the defensive mastermind behind Boston’s 90.4 points against per game. Thibodeau is due for some serious offers in the off-season for his magnificent game plans. But for now, he’s the reason that the Boston betting faithful can have some faith that there is a genius on the sideline that can craft some methods to slow down LeBron.
NBA Betting Trends
-Boston is 5-0 ATS and SU in their last 5 games at home
-Boston is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Cleveland
-Cleveland is 8-3-1 ATS in the last 12 games when playing Boston
-Cleveland is 4-8 SU in their last 12 road games
Final Verdict
An army of one, or a band of fierce, hyper competitive veterans? It’s a tough choice. The safe and logical bet is obviously Boston in six games. Atlanta had three weapons to counteract the offensive punch of the Celtics. The Cavs have one, and if you think Boobie Freaking Gibson is going to step up like he did last year, think again.
However, there’s a strong argument here that we haven’t seen LeBron’s best. As scary as that is, it’s enough to make a betting investor cringe. But the trade looms in the background and it’s boom-or-bust time for the Cavs management. I just don’t see KG laying down to the King. Not in this series. Not with Garnett’s destiny hanging in the balance.
Series Prediction: Boston in 6
Game 1 Prediction: Cleveland +9.5 (UNDER)
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