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Posts Tagged ‘Miami Heat’

May 1st, 2011 By Louie - Cappersinfo Admin

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Round two of the NBA playoffs begin today with the Boston-Miami series and the Memphis-Oklahoma City series getting underway. The first round has been filled with upsets and underdogs. San Antonio knocked off by 8th seed Memphis has to be one of the larger upsets in NBA playoff history. Atlanta revenging last year’s record sweep by Orlando was another first round surprise. 8-3 NBA 1st round record, let’s start off the 2nd round in similar winning fashion.

NBA Matchup: Boston Celtics at Miami Heat
Game Date/Time: Sunday, May 1, 3:30 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena- Miami, FL
NBA Odds: Miami -5
Over/Under Odds: 182

Game Analysis: The second round begins and we can’t ask for a better match up with Miami and Boston facing off to see who represents the east in the conference finals. Boston held a 3-1 regular season lead over Miami although they were soundly beaten in their most recent contest a game that helped Miami secure the home court advantage for this series. This series figures to be an instant classic, with both teams not only capable of winning against the current opponent but also capable of winning the NBA championship. Miami is a 5 point favorite in game 1 with the total set at 182. I think the key to this series is how well Boston plays on the road, which this year has been a real strength of theirs. The Celtics appeared to play much better against the Knicks once went to the Garden in New York. Don’t get me wrong they play excellent at home, but they really seem to focus on the road which in a playoff series is a real asset. 5 points is just too many to be giving Boston in game 1, and I have to like getting that many points in this spot a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Boston won this game. I wasn’t impressed with Miami from what I saw of them against Philadelphia. LeBron did not look like the LeBron I am used to seeing in the playoffs. Against a better opponent like Boston if his shaky play continues it is the end for Miami in this year’s playoffs. Look for Rondo to set the tone in game 1 with a big game shooting and distributing. Rondo is the key to the series due to Miami’s lack of a true point guard, and if he can have a big series especially scoring it really puts tremendous pressure on Miami’s big 3 of James, Wade and Bosh. Look for Boston to try to run off missed shots and score as much as they can in the transition game. That has been their profile this year on the road which really makes the total a tough call at 182. Take Boston +5 for round two’s first pick, and look for a close game and a very close series.

Free NBA Playoff Picks: Boston Celtics +5

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April 29th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and they are going to really be going at it for what could be an epic second round series in NBA betting action.

How the Celtics Can Win This Series
Boston badly needs to be able to shore up its defense in this series better than it was in Games 1 and 2 against the New York Knicks. However, Head Coach Doc Rivers has a veteran team which really knows how to keep the energy turned up when push really comes to shove. The ‘D’ allowed just 89 points in Game 4 against New York, but this was a significantly better game than the stats really suggest.

It would really help if someone is able to step up to help out the veteran players for Boston. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, and Kevin Garnett all had absolutely remarkable series again the Knicks. Pierce was good for 22.2 points per game in the first round, while Allen was just behind at 22.0 points per game. The man that really made the offense go was Rondo at 19.0 points, 12.0 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game. Garnett averaged a double-double as well at 15.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Glen Davis and Jeff Green only contributed a dozen points between them on average. Their contributions weren’t needed against New York, but you can bet that they will have to be against the Heat.

The big question is whether there is going to be a big man that can help out in the paint. KG can only do so much, and Big Baby Davis just isn’t quite there. Jermaine O’Neal only averaged 5.5 points and 4.0 boards per game, and Nenad Krstic really didn’t make any contributions against the Knicks either.

How the Heat Can Win This Series
Miami might have needed five games to take care of the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, but we tend to believe that this was a better series for its long term health in the playoffs than the short series was for the Celtics. Again, defense is going to be key, as the Heat really didn’t play all that well on this side of the ball at all times against Boston this year.

The Heat are also going to have to get over their own problems of playing against teams that were legitimate contenders to beat the NBA Finals odds. They really didn’t play well against teams like Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and the likes on this season.

Just like Boston though, the Heat are really struggling trying to get production outside of their biggest scorers. Of course, there isn’t a much more talented trio in the league than LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. The three combined for over 65 points, 28 boards, and over 12 assists per game. James Jones and Mario Chalmers both averaged right around seven points per game, while Joel Anthony and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had decent contributions as rebounders and blocked shot artists.

The Last Word – Home court advantage is going to be absolutely key in this series. We tend to believe that both teams can steal one game on the road, but when push comes to shove, Rivers and company are really going to kick themselves for giving up in those last few games of the season when they could have earned Game 7 at home. The Heat will just barely live to tell about a series with the defending conference champs. NBA Playoffs Picks: Heat in 7

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March 5th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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It’s another big time Sunday for NBA betting battles, and our expert NBA handicappers offer up their free basketball picks for the biggest game on a huge slate of clashes!

NBA Matchup: Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 1:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
NBA Odds: Miami -5
Over/Under (Total): 188


The Heat are in bad shape right now, as they have been outscored by a whopping 51 points in their last three halves of basketball. Needless to say, regardless of who you’re playing, that’s not going to get the job done. Miami has been wildly inconsistent this season at home, going just 11-18 ATS over the course of its 29 games played here in South Beach. However, this is the back end of a brutal road trip for the Bulls after beating the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center on Friday night. Sure, Chicago has an incredibly deep team, but Miami just matches up particularly well against this team for whatever reason. Go with LeBron, D-Wade, and company to take care of the NBA odds in this one, as the good run of play for the Bulls will go by the boards. NBA Free Pick: Miami Heat

NBA Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers @ San Antonio Spurs
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
NBA Odds: San Antonio -2.5
Over/Under (Total): 191


If the Spurs were out to make a big time statement on Friday night, that’s exactly what they did when they obliterated the Miami Heat by a whopping 30 points at home. The defense was just locked in, and the lack of depth on the Heat just wasn’t able to keep up with the run and gun style of offense that Head Coach Gregg Popovich is now bringing to the table. Will it keep up against the Lakers? Kobe Bryant and company had better hope not, especially if Derek Fisher is going to be held out of the fold with an elbow injury. There is just so little respect for the Spurs this season, and this is really no exception. Sure, Los Angeles is good, but the time is really going to have to come that the oddsmakers realize that the Spurs really are the best team in the Western Conference, and potentially in the whole NBA. Tony Parker will be back at full strength in this one after getting his feet wet against Miami, and he should help lead this team to a ‘W’ on Sunday. Free NBA Pick: San Antonio Spurs

NBA Matchup: New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 6:30 ET
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA
NBA Odds: OTB
Over/Under (Total): OTB


Neither the Hawks nor the Knicks really thrill us right now, but health could really be a key factor in this one. We know that Chauncey Billups has been out of the lineup for these last two games with a thigh injury, but he is likely to be back to join the team in the Peach State for this NBA betting affair. However, the Hawks are likely going to be without Josh Smith. It is clear which team made the right moves at the trade deadline and which one probably didn’t, though Kirk Hinrich finally had his first big game with the Hawks in the loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. The truth of the matter though, is that the combination of Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Billups could easily combine for 75, or even more points in this one, and if that’s what happens, there isn’t a heck of a lot that the rest of this team is going to have to do to make for great NBA picks in this one. Expert NBA Pick: New York Knicks

NBA Matchup: Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 7:00 ET
Location: Ford Center, Oklahoma City, OK
NBA Odds: Oklahoma City -5.5
Over/Under (Total): 212


This game could be significantly closer than the expert NBA handicappers really think. The Suns have been playing great ball of late, and they really probably found a diamond in the rough when they brought in Aaron Brooks to help out as a scorer. It’d be great if Vince Carter would play in this one, and the possibility is still there, but even if he doesn’t, we still tend to believe that Phoenix is the right play. It really just feels like the Thunder are merely trying to hang on until Kendrick Perkins gets into this lineup for the first time, as the truth of the matter is that the only differences between this team now and the one from a few weeks ago is that Nazr Mohammed is in, and both Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green are out. Not exactly a great deal quite yet, and it won’t look all that great on Sunday either. Free Basketball Pick: Phoenix Suns

NBA Matchup: Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 9:00 ET
Location: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
NBA Odds: Boston -7.5
Over/Under (Total): 182.5


We’ve been talking a lot about injuries in this piece, but we know that there isn’t a team that we feel worse for this season than this one. The Bucks are just all over the board right now, as there aren’t any players that have been in the fold for even 59 of the 60 games this season. Still, grabbing that last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference isn’t totally out of the question, making this one a potential playoff preview. However, Jeff Green has really arrived at this point, and his 21 point effort off of the bench on Friday proved that. The C’s are a dangerous club, and even though they really haven’t turned up the defensive intensity in a few games, they are scoring a ton of late. The Bucks don’t have that inside banger to make up for the lack of bigs that Boston has, and as a result, the visitors should triumph in a big time way in the Bradley Center on Sunday. Free NBA Pick: Boston Celtics

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March 2nd, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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If it’s a Thursday night, that means that it’s time for NBA betting action once again! This week, in the final two duels before the NBA Trade Deadline, we make our free basketball picks on the clashes between the Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz.

NBA Matchup: Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat
Date: Thursday, March 3rd, 8:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
NBA Odds: Miami -5
Over/Under (Total): 198


The “heat” will definitely be on in South Beach on Thursday night between these two Sunshine State rivals. The Magic have clawed back to within 4.5 games of the lead in the Southeast Division, but when push comes to shove, this is the game that absolutely has to be won to keep the pressure on Miami. Dwight Howard is coming off of yet another fantastic game against the New York Knicks in which he scored 30 points and had 16 boards with five blocks. The key though, is the play of Jameer Nelson. Nelson might only be averaging 12.6 points per game this season, but he did go off for 26 against New York in a crucial role. Miami is coming off of a loss to said Knicks, but it is fairly clear that this is a team that isn’t going to be getting beaten all that often, especially on its home court. The Heat should be debuting Mike Bibby in this one, as he has been signed after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards earlier this week. Orlando really got crushed earlier this season in South Beach, getting knocked off 96-70 right at the start of the year. The Magic did end up scoring a big time win at the Amway Center in November, but the most recent meeting back at Mickey Mouse’s house resulted in a win for LeBron James and company. LBJ and Dwyane Wade really cannot be stopped in games like this, while Chris Bosh has always had a great career against Howard and company. Orlando might be 13-6-1 ATS in the last 20 meetings in this series, but the Heat are definitely the key to beating the NBA odds on Thursday. NBA Free Pick: Miami Heat -5

NBA Matchup: Denver Nuggets @ Utah Jazz
Date: Thursday, March 3rd, 10:30 ET
Location: Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
NBA Odds: Utah -3.5
Over/Under (Total): 210


Both the Jazz and Nuggets made big time deals at the trade deadline, but neither one of these teams have their former superstars. Utah no longer has Deron Williams, while Denver is still trying to figure out how to live life without Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. The thing about the Nuggs though, is that they really do have a deep team still with a ton of talent. In a 100-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks was really a great example of this. Wilson Chandler, Nene, Kenyon Martin, Raymond Felton, and JR Smith all put up at least 13 points, while three others had at least six points. Not bad for a team that didn’t really use Al Harrington all that much and still has yet to debut Timofey Mozgov. The Jazz really haven’t figured out how to get back in the saddle without Williams, most likely because the guard situation is really in bad shape without Williams. The team’s defense has totally gone down the drain over the course of these last two games, allowing 107 to the Boston Celtics and a whopping 120 to the Detroit Pistons. If this is going to be the situation in this one on Thursday night, the Jazz are going to be singing the blues. We’re really not all that sure that it’s justified, especially since there is still some payback for the Nuggets to pick up after losing 113-106 at home just a month ago. Free NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets +3.5

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February 26th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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NBA betting action doesn’t get any bigger than this on Sunday night in South Beach, as the Miami Heat play host to the new look New York Knicks. Here at Cappers Info, we have all of your best Knicks vs. Heat free picks and analysis for the biggest game of the weekend!

Matchup: New York Knicks @ Miami Heat
Date: Sunday, February 27th, 8:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
NBA Odds: OTB
Over/Under OTB

Knicks Notes: The Empire State is certainly still buzzing about Carmelo Anthony and the fact that he is now indeed a member of the New York Knicks. However, expert NBA handicappers have to be wondering whether or not this was really that great of a move for the men in blue and orange. Sure, Melo has looked great so far in a Knickerbockers outfit, scoring 27 points in each of his first two games and playing almost 40 minutes in both games. However, in spite of the fact that the team scored 114 and 109 points respectively in these two games, the Knicks are 1-1 SU and 0-2 ATS to show for that work. It’s not like these games were against world beaters either, as the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t exactly the crème de la crème of the Eastern Conference. The lack of defensive intensity is an awfully scary proposition for New York, as the team is already allowing 106.0 points per game this season, a mark which clearly isn’t getting any better with the defensive optional Anthony now in town. There is definitely a toughness missing, and this is something that will likely be exploited by every team that the Knicks run up against for the rest of this season. What has gotten lost in this shuffle about the Knicks is how well Chauncey Billups has really played since coming over to the Big Apple as well. He put up 21 against the Bucks and 26 against the Cavs, dishing out eight assists against just two turnovers in both games. He’ll be the key to holding onto the basketball and preserving possessions for Head Coach Mike D’Antoni and company.

Heat Notes: It doesn’t seem like it’s all that noteworthy right now, but Mike Miller is probably going to be back in the lineup on Sunday night after missing out on four games with an ear injury. Miller was probably Miami’s most tradable commodity at the deadline, but was not moved. He is averaging just 5.9 points per game this year, but he is really the fourth best option on this team at times. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are doing all of their scoring, as they are averaging 26.2 and 25.8 points per game respectively, and they are both triple-double candidates every single night, especially against a team like this one. Chris Bosh rebounded nicely from his 1-for-18 performance against the Chicago Bulls by scoring 15 points and dragging in eight boards in a win against the Washington Wizards on Friday night. The big man is going to be key going against Amare Stoudemire in the paint, one of the best players that the league has to offer. The Heat might be averaging 102.3 points per game this year, but the real key is defense. Seemingly no one scores 100 on this club, as it is surrendering just 94.4 points per game this season. Opponents are only shooting 42.7 percent from the field as well, No. 1 in the league.

The Final Word: Are there enough basketballs to deal with all of the stars that are on the court on Sunday? We know that it’s very likely that at least five different players score at least 20 points, something that you definitely don’t see every day. Still, when push comes to shove, the Heat can make defensive stops, something that we’re really not all that sure the Knicks can do, and that should make the difference in what could be a statement-making romp in South Beach.

Free NBA Picks: Miami Heat

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February 23rd, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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If it's a Thursday night, that means that it's time for NBA betting action once again! This week, in the final two duels before the NBA Trade Deadline, we make our free basketball picks on the clashes between the Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets.

NBA Matchup: Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls
Date: Thursday, February 24th, 8:00 ET
Location: United Center, Chicago, IL
NBA Odds: Miami -1
Over/Under (Total): 192

Injuries (or lack thereof) will be playing a key role in this NBA betting battle on Thursday. Joakim Noah should be back in the lineup on Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors, meaning that this should be the second straight game that he is sharing a lineup with Carlos Boozer, assuming that there are no setbacks on Wednesday night or unexpected trades between now and the 3:00 ET trade deadline. Of course, the Bulls would love to get another game out of Derrick Rose like they got just before the All Star Break, as he put up 42 points on 18-of-28 shooting, while both Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer went absolutely bananas. What we have to remember about Chicago though, is that there is still a huge interest in Courtney Lee, and if a deal gets done, it will likely shorten the bench quite a bit. Miami will certainly be without Mike Miller, who is dealing with an eye injury, though the prospects are there for him to be traded before Thursday's deadline as well. Still, we're talking about LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, who combined for a whopping 76 points in Miami's last victory before the All Star break. These two teams have combined to win seven games in a row between them, but the Bulls are just doing better right now than the Heat are. Chicago has a win here already this season, a 99-96 triumph on January 15th, and it would love to make a statement in this potential playoff tussle against one of the best teams in the East.NBA Free Pick: Chicago Bulls +1

NBA Matchup: Boston Celtics @ Denver Nuggets
Date: Thursday, February 24th, 10:30 ET
Location: Pepsi Arena, Denver, CO
NBA Odds: Boston -3
Over/Under (Total): 204

This is definitely going to be a new look for the Nuggets on Thursday night, as they will be debuting Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, and Wilson Chandler, their new acquisitions in place of the departed Carmelo Anthony . The team did alright even though it was really crippled without any of these players on Tuesday night, coming up with a big win, albeit against the Sacramento Kings. There is a real question about how these pieces to the puzzle are going to gel in Denver, but we tend to believe that transitioning over from the Knicks' up tempo system to this one won't be all that bad. Meanwhile, there is indeed a second team in this game, and it happens to be one of the best teams in the entire league. Boston smacked the Golden State Warriors 115-93 in the first game of the second half of the season, and it hopes that this road trip is one that goes as smoothly throughout as this first battle in Oakland did. Of course, when you get 23 out of Paul Pierce, 24 from Kevin Garnett, 18 from Ray Allen, and 19 from Rajon Rondo, you're going to win a heck of a lot of games. These four make up a cohesive package for certain, but if you're Head Coach George Karl for the Nuggs, this is the game that you can make your big time statement in. Many are just writing Denver out of the postseason right now thanks to this trade, but we're not so sure that that's the case. The Nuggets just might figure out how to pull off the upset in this one. Free NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets +3

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