Posts Tagged ‘Boston Celtics’

June 2nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The NBA Finals tips off on Thursday night at the Staples Center, and Cappers Info has the lowdown on Game 1 of NBA Finals betting action between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Boston Celtics (+5.5) @ Los Angeles Lakers
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
9:00 ET, Staples Center

Boston Notes: HC Doc Rivers has to be thankful that his team was given a few off days after playing back-to-back grueling six game series with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic. The names that you have become familiar with have all taken their place and taken their turns as the stars of the Celtics. F Paul Pierce is averaging 19.1 points per game in the playoffs to pace the team, but he really didn't shine his brightest until the Eastern Conference Finals against the Magic when he scored 30+ points in two of the final three games of the series to help put Orlando away. G Rajon Rondo has also been huge for the C's, as he put together a monster series against Cleveland in which he averaged 20.7 points per game. Boston is allowing just under 92 points per game in the postseason, the best such mark in the league. The Celtics haven't scored more than 96 points in a game since Game 5 against the Cavs, but the defense has conceded 90 points or fewer in seven of its L/9 NBA playoff betting affairs.

Los Angeles Notes: The Lakers have a lot of issues coming into the NBA Finals, most notably the health of their C Andrew Bynum. Bynum had fluid drained from his knee earlier in the week in an effort to get him ready for the championship series. He was rather harmless in the Western Conference Finals, posting three games of four points or less. However, he was picked up on the inside by the play of both F Lamar Odom and F Pau Gasol. Gasol has been particularly stellar in these playoffs, averaging 20.0 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Odom has had five double-doubles in the postseason, and he has had at least either double digits in points or rebounds in seven consecutive games. However, when it's playoff time, it's Kobe Time. G Kobe Bryant has been absolutely unconscious at times in the postseason, as he has scored 30+ points in four straight games and reached the 35+ point plateau four times against the Suns in the Western Conference Finals. Bryant still feels disrespected by the way that Celtics fans treated him and his Lakers following the 2008 NBA Finals, and he will inevitably try to channel that aggression to lead the purple and gold to their second straight NBA title.

NBA Finals Betting Odds: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers Game 1

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+5.5
-5.5
192
Diamond Sportsbook
+5.5
-5.5
191.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+5.5
-5.5
192

Trends of Note: The season series was split between these two teams one game apiece with both teams winning on the opponents' court. However, the Lakers' loss at Staples Center was largely thanks to the fact that Bryant didn't suit up that day. The C's covered all six NBA Finals odds in the 2008 series between the teams, including sticking within huge numbers in both Games 3, 4, and 5 in Tinseltown. Boston's only failed cover attempt at Staples Center since the '07-'08 regular season was in a 92-83 Christmas Day loss in the first meeting of these two teams after the Finals.

The Final Word: Boston has the horses to win this series, just as it did in 2008. The difference this year is that there has to be a win for the visitors at some point if the Celtics have hopes of winning it all. That may be just what happens on Thursday night, as the C's are going to use a stifling defense to once again take care of an opponent on enemy soil. The Cavs and Magic went a combined 1-3 SU and ATS on their home floor against this Boston squad in Games 1 and 2 of those series. Don't expect LA to do any better than that.

Prediction: Boston 98 – Los Angeles 93

 
May 28th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Orlando Magic really took the game to Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, and the end result was the most dominant game that the team has had in the Eastern Conference Finals. C Dwight Howard was at the center of it all. Most notable was his inadvertent elbow that caught F Glen Davis in the cheek. Howard wasn't just being physical for the heck of it, either. He finished Game 5 with 21 points and ten rebounds to help lead the way for Orlando.

Davis suffered a concussion and lost a tooth for his efforts in the paint. He wasn't nearly the only casualty, though. F Rasheed Wallace now has an aching back in spite of the fact that he scored 21 points on the day. C Kendrick Perkins became visibly frustrated with how the game was going, and he was 'T'd up twice and thrown out of the game after playing just 17 minutes. The NBA rescinded one of the technical fouls that was handed down to Perkins on Thursday, which becomes notable because the second technical marked his seventh of the playoffs. The seventh 'T' calls for an automatic suspension for one game. Rest assured that the Magic are going to try their best to goad Perkins into yet another technical foul in Game 6, which would see him be suspended for either Game 7 at Amway Arena or Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Magic are three point underdogs on Friday night in Game 6, which is a far cry from the seven point underdogs that they were just four nights ago in Game 4. Should they win the game, Boston would be facing the prospects of becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 series lead after 93 successful attempts. Going into last season, the Celtics had never lost a Game 7 on their home floor in franchise history. This year, rather than just making team history, they can make history that will shake the entire league.

The Magic are still +220 underdogs to win this series, but they have a lot of betting trends on their side. They know that the underdog and the road team in this series is now 8-2 SU and ATS in the L/10 clashes. The road team is 3-2 SU and ATS against the Eastern Conference Finals odds.

NBA Betting Odds: Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics Game 6

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+3
-3
189
Diamond Sportsbook
+3
-3
188.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+3
-3
189

 

 
May 23rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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On Monday night, the Orlando Magic will attempt to salvage at least one more game in their season when they take on the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics (-7)
Monday May 23rd, 2010
8:30 ET, TD Banknorth Garden

Orlando Notes: The Magic have put themselves in a boat load of trouble in this series thanks to an offense that has just let the team down. The team shot 41.6 percent, 39.4 percent, and 36.9 percent respectively in Games 1 through 3 of this series. Needless to say, those aren't numbers are going to cut it. It's not as though the defense has failed miserably either. Holding Boston to 95 points or less in all three games should've yielded at bare minimum one victory. F Rashard Lewis was brought to Orlando to play well in situations like this, and he came with the price of a maximum contract. Unfortunately for him and for the Magic, he has only scored a total of 15 points in this series after scoring at least 17 in each of the final three games of the Atlanta series. C Dwight Howard doesn't look overly interested in playing anymore this season. He only scored seven points on 3/10 shooting in Game 3 and picked up a technical foul, his second of this series. If he remains frustrated in Game 4, the Magic stand no chance.

Boston Notes: Only putting 94 points on the board probably wasn't what HC Doc Rivers had in mind for Game 3, but the fact of the matter is that six players scored in double figures in a well rounded effort to take command of this series. F Glen Davis led the way with 17 points for the hosts. F Rasheed Wallace also had ten points off of the bench. G Rajon Rondo is still averaging a double-double with points and assists in this series, and he had yet another productive game on Saturday. Even though he only shot 4/14 from the field, he scored 11 points and dished out a dozen assists. Boston has had three respectable shooting games in this series, including a 46.6 percent effort in Game 3. The team nailed six triples on Saturday, which was only two fewer than Orlando made in spite of the fact that the Magic took 19 more attempts from long range.

Current NBA Betting Odds: Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics – Game 4

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+7
-7
188
Diamond Sportsbook
+7
-7
188.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+7
-7
188

Trends of Note: All of the Orlando trends seem to be tainted due to the fact that it has struggled so badly against the C's. The Magic are 6-1 ATS in their L/7 road games against teams with a winning record and are 19-6-1 ATS in their L/26 games following an SU loss of at least ten points. However, looking at some of Boston's betting trends is just mind-boggling. The C's have covered six straight games and are 6-1 ATS in their L/7 home games. They're also 7-1 ATS in their L/8 home games against teams with a winning road record. The road team and the underdog are both 7-1 ATS in the L/8 clashes between these teams.

The Final Word: The Magic have simply had it in this series. There's no way that they are going to be able to rebound from this hole unless they figure out how to shoot the ball. But with the mental distractions and the huge deficit, it's hard to see this series getting back to the Sunshine State.

Free NBA Picks: Boston 98 – Orlando 81

 
May 17th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Eastern Conference Semifinals continue on Tuesday night from Amway Arena, as the Orlando Magic duke it out with the Boston Celtics.

Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic (-7.5)
Tuesday May 18th, 2010
8:30 ET, Amway Arena

Boston Notes: The Celtics are on fire right now, as they have both won and covered four straight NBA playoff betting lines dating back to Game 4 of their series with Cleveland. In Game 1 against the Magic, they never trailed and really dominated some of the key statistics in the matchup. Boston won the fast break points battle 20-6 and enjoyed an 18-15 turnover edge as well. F Paul Pierce had his best effort since Game 3 of the first round of the postseason in Game 1 against the Magic, scoring 22 points on 6/8 shooting from the floor. He and fellow G Ray Allen led the way, as Allen scored 25 points and knocked down some clutch free throws down the stretch to ice the game. The only bugaboos that HC Doc Rivers can really point at on an individual basis are the performances of G Rajon Rondo and F Kevin Garnett. KG only shot 4/14 from the floor and was often really harmed by the presence of the Magic big men. Rondo, who averaged over 20 points and 11 assists per game against the Cavaliers, only scoring eight points and dished out eight helpers.

Orlando Notes: HC Stan Van Gundy can point to the fact that his team never gave up hope that it could win in spite of the fact that it trailed by 20 points late in the third quarter for motivation to carry into Game 2. He can also assure his squad that, regardless of the fact that it is facing an 0-1 series deficit, that it hasn’t been beaten the game following a loss since the middle of January, a stretch of 50 straight games! However, on the court, things are simply going to have to improve from Game 1 to Game 2. C Dwight Howard only shot 3/10 from the field, and in spite of the fact that he had a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) and blocked five shots, his seven turnovers and poor shooting percentages were killers. F Rashard Lewis only shot 2/10 from the floor as well. G Vince Carter led the team in scoring with 23 points to go with five boards. G Jameer Nelson ripped down nine rebounds of his own to go with 20 points.

NBA Betting Odds: Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic Game 2
Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+7.5
-7.5
188.5
Diamond Sportsbook
+7.5
-7.5
188.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+7.5
-7.5
188

Trends of Note: The Celtics have now covered three of their L/4 NBA wagering wars against Orlando in this series dating back to the regular season. The C’s are also 17-7 ATS in their L/24 games as dogs of 5.0-10.5 points and are 57-28-2 ATS in their L/87 games as road underdogs overall. The Magic are a stunning 65-32-3 ATS in their L/100 games following an ATS defeat and are 66-32-2 ATS in their L/100 following an SU defeat. They’re still 7-2-1 ATS in their L/10 home games and were 12-2 ATS in their previous 14 before dropping Game 1 to Boston on Sunday.

The Final Word: It’s time for a turnaround for the Magic. Boston played arguably the best game that it could possibly play on the road and still only won by four points. Look for Orlando to play inspired basketball and to put this series back on level terms with a comfortable win in Game 2.

Prediction: Orlando 95 – Boston 83

 
May 13th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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In what could amount to be the last game that F LeBron James ever plays as a Cleveland Cavalier, the Boston Celtics will look to eliminate the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference in an NBA playoff betting battle on Thursday night.

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Boston Celtics (-1)
Thursday May 13th, 2010 
8:00 ET, TD Banknorth Garden

Cleveland Notes: Right now, the Cavaliers are in for a very scary proposition. In the event that they lose Game 6 on Thursday night, James is a legitimate threat to leave the team and exercise his options as a free agent for next season. LeBron had a miserable Game 5 on Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena, scoring just 15 points on 3/14 shooting with six boards and seven assists. Only C Shaquille O'Neal scored more than 20 points for HC Mike Brown's team. Gs Anthony Parker and Mo Williams were virtually non-existent yet again in Game 5, as the two only combined to score 23 points. F Antawn Jamison, who may also be playing his final game as a Cavalier on Thursday, only scored nine. Cleveland only pulled down 31 rebounds, one of its lowest totals of the entire season.

Boston Notes: Game 5 was most certainly one of the best displays by an underdog road team in these playoffs . It wasn't the greatest game in the world for Boston's newest sweethearts, G Rajon Rondo (16 points, seven assists), but it was a fantastic one for some of the old guard players that helped lead the C's to a championship a few years ago. G Ray Allen led all scorers with 25 points, including shooting 6/9 from beyond the arc. F Paul Pierce scored 21 to go with 11 boards and seven assists in what amounted to be his best game in the playoffs to date. F Kevin Garnett chipped in 18 points and six boards. As a team, Boston shot a blistering 55.0 percent from the floor and 53.3 percent from downtown. The Celtics also won the rebounding edge 41-31 and committed seven fewer turnovers.

NBA Betting Odds: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Game 6

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+1
-1
196
Diamond Sportsbook
+1
-1
196.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+1
-1
196

Trends of Note: The Cavaliers have one brand new trend going for them that they don't get to exorcize often. They are 4-1 ATS in their L/5 games following a home defeat of at least ten points. If that trend doesn't continue tonight, their 2009-10 season will come to a close and LeBron may be departing with it. Cleveland has yet to cover a spread in the playoffs when playing on one day of rest (0-6) and is 2-9 ATS in its L/11 games against teams with a winning record. The C's are now 17-8 ATS in their L/25 games as favorites of less than five points, and even though they are just 7-15 ATS in their L/22 Eastern Conference Semifinal affairs, they have both covered and won three of the L/4 in this series.

The Final Word: Boston has to remember what it went through last season when it had a 3-2 series lead against the Orlando Magic. The situation was slightly different, as Game 6 was in Orlando, while Game 7 was in Beantown. C's fans aren't going to want to remember back to back seasons as "What could've been" if they had held serve on their home court. The Celtics just won't let that happen tonight. Even though this isn't really a Game 7, the atmosphere is going to have to feel as such for the hosts, as the prospects of winning a Game 7 at Quicken Loans Arena, especially after already winning two games there in this series seems grim at best. The Cavaliers look like a team that has given up, and unless LeBron puts together another one of his patented superhuman efforts, this could be the last time we see him suit it up for the Cavs.

Prediction: Boston 95 – Cleveland 89

 
May 6th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Quicken Loans Arena, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations, Danny Ainge decided that it would be a great idea to toss a towel in the air during a free throw taken by Cleveland Cavaliers F JJ Hickson. The move cost him $25,000 in fines from the NBA. Now, the two teams will take the court in NBA betting action once again for Game 3 at Boston Garden on Friday night.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers (-1) @ Boston Celtics
Thursday May 7th, 2010
7:00 ET, TD Banknorth Garden

Cleveland Notes: Do the Cavs have the ability to flip the switch at this point? They were jostled around a bit in Game 1 before storming back from a late deficit to knock off Boston in Game 1, but were pummeled into submission in a Game 2 defeat at "The Q." Aside from F LeBron James, who scored a pedestrian 24 points, no one else really put together a strong effort for the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. F Antawn Jamison scored 16, while F JJ Hickson put up a 13 point effort off of the bench. Aside from that though, no one really came to play. HC Mike Brown knows that all of the role players around his franchise star need to pick up their play, or Cleveland is going to fall behind 2-1 in this best of seven set.

Boston Notes: The Celtics did what they had to do in Game 2 and took home court advantage away from the Cavs. However, holding serve at Boston Garden has been difficult all year, as the C's went just 12-28-1 ATS there in the regular season. All five starters scored in double digits for Boston in Game 2, and the hero once again was G Rajon Rondo, who had 13 points to go with 19 assists. He now has 40 points and 31 helpers from the two games in Cleveland, clearly making him the MVP of HC Doc Rivers' squad heading back to Beantown. F Kevin Garnett, who has scored 18 points and ripped down ten rebounds in each of the first two games of this series, is listed as questionable for Friday night's Game 3 due to a strained foot that has held him out of practice.

NBA Betting Odds: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Game 3

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
-1
+1
191
Diamond Sportsbook
-1
+1
191
BetUS Sportsbook
-1
+1
191

Trends of Note: The Cavaliers are still a solid 11-4 ATS in their L/15 duels with Boston, including posting a 7-3 ATS mark in Beantown in their L/10 visits. The C's are just 3-7 ATS in their L/10 games following an outing in which they scored at least 100 points, but they're an amazing 8-2-1 ATS in their L/11 games as home underdogs. Cleveland is 8-2 ATS in its L/10 playoff games as favorites of less than five points and is 18-7-1 ATS in its L/26 Eastern Conference semifinal battles. The Cavs are also a rock solid 12-5 ATS in their L/17 NBA betting battles coming off of at least three days of rest.

The Final Word: This is the game that the Cavaliers really have to go ahead and flip the switch. They're clearly the superior team in this series at least in terms of what's on paper, and even though the Celtics look like they're going to be an annoyance in this series, they still shouldn't be a huge issue. Cleveland can expect a massive game out of King James in his efforts to bring his city a championship before his potential free agency this summer. Look for the Cavs to take back home court advantage by thumping Boston on its home court on Friday night.

Prediction: Cleveland 99 – Boston 87

 
February 28th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Cappers Info takes a look at the ten most significant upsets in the week that was in the sports betting world…

10: Monday – Connecticut Huskies 73 – West Virginia Mountaineers 62: At the outset of the week, the Huskies had to feel like they were left for dead and headed to the NIT. But a huge win at home against West Virginia helped set the stage for their dramatic return to the bubble. It wasn't that it was an upset of epic proportions, as the hosts were only 2.5-point pups, but without that win, we're still leaving UConn outside of the NCAA Tournament.

9: Wednesday – Notre Dame Fighting Irish 68 – Pittsburgh Panthers 53: Ditto here as well. Notre Dame's win over Pittsburgh was just a tad more significantly because it came without F Luke Harangody in the lineup. The slight 1.5-point upset won't be the only time that you see the Irish on this list…

8: Saturday - New Mexico Lobos 83 – BYU Cougars 81: The Mountain West regular season title was likely decided on Saturday afternoon when the Lobos marched into Provo and secured the season sweep of the Cougars. Though it probably won't ultimately end this way, New Mexico has earned the right to be in the discussion for a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if it can run the table and win the MWC Tournament as well. The oddsmakers were off base quite a bit in this one, as the visitors were hefty eight-point underdogs.

7: Tuesday – Phoenix Suns 104 – Oklahoma City Thunder 102: This was a significant road win for the guests, as it snapped Oklahoma City's long winning streak and moved the Suns into a lot sturdier ground for the playoff chase in the Western Conference. It was also a significant game for the psyche of F Amare Stoudemire, who went off for 30 points just a week after not being traded at the NBA trade deadline as requested.

6: Saturday - Oklahoma State Cowboys 85 – Kansas Jayhawks 77: Any time the #1 team in the land takes a tumble, it's noteworthy. But the fact that that 'W' secured up a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the Pokes, it became that much more relevant. The Cowboys really took it to the Jayhawks from wire to wire and won their biggest game of the season as 5.5-point underdogs in Stillwater.

5: Sunday - Ohio State Buckeyes 74 – Michigan State Spartans 67: It's hard to tell if this was a bigger win for Ohio State or a bigger loss for Michigan State. The Spartans have totally fallen down the brackets in recent weeks, and a home loss to the Buckeyes as short favorites didn't help matters any. It was loss #4 in their L/6 games. For the Buckeyes, they moved one step closer towards the regular season Big Ten title, and considering the fact that Purdue is now without F Robbie Hummel for the rest of the year, they could be on track for a #1 seed in the tourney as well. All it's going to take is a Big Ten Tournament title and it'll probably happen, but none of it would've been possible without the upset in East Lansing.

4: Saturday - New Jersey Nets 104 – Boston Celtics 96: Without a doubt, this is the lowest point in the season for the Celtics. Yes, the C's were playing without G Paul Pierce in the lineup, but there just isn't any excuse to lose at home to one of the worst teams in NBA history when you're as good as Boston is. The hosts have had a miserable time playing at Boston Garden all season, but not even the fans in Beantown saw this one coming. HC Doc Rivers has his work cut out for him to get the Celtics in playoff shape.

3: Saturday - Notre Dame Fighting Irish 78 – Georgetown Hoyas 64: As promised, the Irish are back for their efforts on Saturday in our nation's capitol. The Hoyas laid a total egg for the second time this year at home, and though it won't cost them a spot in the NCAA Tournament, it's going to leave them with a sour taste in their mouths and a significantly more difficult matchup. The Irish are almost certainly on the inside of the field right now, and they proved once again that they have the ability to win without Harangody. When the big man comes back, Notre Dame could be a real force to be reckoned with.

2: Friday - Dallas Mavericks 113 – Atlanta Hawks 103: For the second time in the L/2 weeks, the Mavericks traveled half way across the country and took out one of the big boys in the Eastern Conference. This was a show of grit and character for the Mavericks, who have been sending a big notice to the Lakers and Nuggets in the Western Conference of late. They're here, and they're ready to take over as the new bosses of the West with F Caron Butler, C Brendan Haywood, and G DeShawn Stevenson now in tote.

1: Sunday – United States of America 5 – Canada 3: For the Americans' sake, this will hopefully only be the second biggest upset of the Olympics. The USA dominated the Canadians from the get go, and save a few hairy moments when Team Canada staged a huge comeback in the third period, the Americans really looked to have the better side. All will be settled today in the gold medal game, where the stars and stripes will go in search of their first gold medals in hockey since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.