Posted on
3/5/2008 2:56:30 PM
NBA Wagering - Pistons At Celtics Are Preview Of Eastern Conference Finals
By Eric Williams
The Detroit Pistons, (43-16 SU, 34-24-1 ATS, 27-31-1 O/U), and Boston Celtics, (46-12 SU, 33-23-2 ATS, 27-30-1 O/U) have clearly been the top two teams in the eastern conference all season long – and their expected meeting in the eastern conference finals has been all but etched in stone in the minds of many, (including mine).
"People are expecting that to be the Eastern Conference finals matchup," Celtics team leader Kevin Garnett said. "It should be a fun game."
The Celtics have bolstered their chances of coming out of the east even further with the recent additions of veteran power forward P.J. Brown and veteran point guard Sam Cassell.
The Pistons come into tonight’s matchup having won eight of their last ten games and two straight, including a closer-than-expected 100-97 win over the feisty Seattle Supersonics and gifted rookie Kevin Durant.
The Celtics have won five consecutive games coming in and seven of their last ten after dropping three straight almost two weeks ago. Boston beat the Atlanta Hawks 98-88 on Sunday.
The Pistons and Celtics rank first and second respectively in the league in scoring defense, allowing 90.2 and 90.6 points per game, respectively. Each team was one road win in the season series with tonight’s matchup closing out the season series.
On Tuesday, the Pistons signed 13-year veteran center Theo Ratliff to a free-agent deal with his original team.
"It's great to be back," Ratliff said. "I feel like I'm home again."
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my analysis and NBA Betting Free Picks:
The Pistons are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
The Pistons are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 vs. NBA Atlantic.
The Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
The Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last five vs. NBA Central.
The Under is 9-1 in Pistons last ten games playing on zero days rest.
The Under is 5-1 in Celtics last six vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
The Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Boston.
The Under is 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
Analysis: While the Celtics beat the Pistons by seven points on Jan. 5, this game will almost certainly come down to the last possession or two, tops. Take the Pistons to cover the spread in another close contest. I also like the ‘Over’ in tonight’s matchup.
NBA Free Picks: Detroit +5 Points/Over 183½ Total Points
07:35 PM EST NBA Betting Odds
Detroit Pistons +5 -110
Boston Celtics -5 -110
Over 183½ -110
Under 183½ -110
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