posted May 13, 2008 at 15:43 in NBA Articles
NBA Playoff Betting – Pistons Looking to Close out Magic
The younger Orlando Magic, (57-34 SU, 54-34-3 ATS, 40-49-2 O/U) missed out on a Golden opportunity to tie their second round sports betting series against the veteran Detroit Pistons, (66-26 SU, 52-39-1 ATS, 40-51-1 O/U) by losing Game 4 at home 90-89 on Saturday despite the fact that the Pistons were playing without team leader and starting point guard Chauncey Billups.
Now, Magic point guard Jameer Nelson is making guarantees that the Magic will win Game 5 in Detroit.
"What am I supposed to do? Guarantee a loss?" Nelson asked Monday. "We've got to win the game. We have the confidence that we can do it. I believe it."
The Pistons surprisingly, didn’t seem bothered at all by Nelson’s statements, particularly after having heard plenty of their own from power forward Rasheed Wallace.
"He doesn't have anything to lose by saying that," Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince said. "One thing he's probably trying to do is spark his club."
Though the Pistons may still be without Billups for tonight’s online betting contest, as his strained right hamstring is still bothering him, though Pistons strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander said Billups is getting better by the day.
"If you look at it from three or four days ago to today, it's night and day," Kander said. "Running good. Feeling good. He's had no setbacks and he comes in every morning feeling better."
The Pistons are 14-3 following a third victory in a series since 2003, the same year they began a string of advancing to at least the Eastern Conference finals that has not yet been stopped and say they have absolutely no intentions of going back to Orlando for a Game 6 matchup.
"We don't want to go back (to Orlando)," Richard Hamilton said. "We want to treat this game like it's our Game 7 and hopefully come out and get a win."
The Pistons have literally shut down Orlando all-star center Dwight Howard, holding the young low post player to just 15.5 points per game after watching Howard put up three games of at least 20 points and 20 rebound in Orlando’s first round series against the Toronto Raptors.
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends followed by my analysis and NBA Betting Free Picks:
The Magic are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 Tuesday games.
The Magic are 29-11-1 ATS in their last 41 games following a ATS loss.
The Pistons are 5-0 ATS in their last five games as a favorite.
The Pistons are 5-0 ATS in their last five playoff games as a favorite.
The Under is 5-1 in Magic last six games playing on two days rest.
The Over is 12-3 in Pistons last 15 Tuesday games.
The Over is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings in Detroit.
The Home team is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
The Over is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings.
Analysis: I’ve always loved Jameer Nelson since he came out of St. Joe’s University in Philadelphia as the National Player of the Years a few years ago, but I have to say, the normally quiet floor leader of the Magic should have kept his mouth shut before predicting that the Magic were going to win this game, particularly since they are not. While I like the Pistons to win outright, I’ll admit that I don’t see a huge blowout on the horizon tonight, though the Pistons are dead set on not going back to Orlando for a Game 6. I say take the Pistons to win but the Magic to cover the spread In a losing effort.
NBA Free Picks: Detroit 97 Orlando 92
07:05 PM EST NBA Point Spreads
Orlando Magic +6 -110
Detroit Pistons -6 -110
Over 185½ -110
Under 185½ -110
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