Posted on
5/15/2007 4:59:57 PM
NBA Playoffs Betting – The West the Best
By BetUS Staff
The series between the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs could possibly determine this year's NBA championship. Either club will most likely enter the Western Conference finals as the favorite at this point and possibly the championship round against the East.
The two teams own two of the best big men in the game, Tim Duncan and Amare Stoudemire, who certainly influence oddsmakers. In the 2005 Western Conference finals, San Antonio won the series in five games against Phoenix before beating the Detroit Pistons in the NBA finals.
Going into the 2005 Finals, the Spurs had won two championships, while Detroit had three.
San Antonio's well-rounded club, led by Duncan or the Sun's league best offense will heavily influence bettors as the postseason winds down. Both teams, rich in playoff tradition, are more than capable of winning the title, but be careful of over-investing on them.
Teams like Detroit pose a problem for either club because of contrasts in styles of play. The Pistons like to slow the pace and play half-court basketball and rely on a stifling defense.
Since 1999 the West has won the championship in six of eight years. The only championship round that went seven games during that span was the 2005 Finals between San Antonio and Detroit. Duncan took MVP honors in the 2005 Finals and in the 2003 Finals against New Jersey.
In Game 4 of the Suns-Spurs series, which Phoenix won 104-98 to tie it at 2-2, tempers flared when Robert Horry of the Spurs knocked Suns' Steve Nash to the ground well out of bounds for a flagrant foul. It's been a very physical series thus far and looks as though it may go seven games.
If this is the case, bettors have to wonder how much gas either team would have left in the Western Conference finals and championship round against an Eastern Conference opponent.
San Antonio or Phoenix could face Cleveland in the finals. The Cavs, led by LeBron James, took a commanding 3-1 lead against the Nets on Monday. The two have split the cash in the first four games.
Despite dominance from the West in recent years, don't be fooled when making your wagers. Both the Pistons and Cavaliers have plenty of talent to put East investors at the ticket window to cash throughout any best-of-seven series.
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