Posts Tagged ‘NBA odds’

June 8th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The pivotal Game 5 picks for the NBA Finals will be made here at Cappers Info, as the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat engage in a battle to beat the NBA Finals odds. The winner of this game will break the 2-2 series deadlock and determine which team will be fighting for the right to win the title this weekend in South Beach for Game 6.

NBA Playoffs Preview: Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks Game 5
Date: Thursday, June 9th, 9:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Game Line: Dallas -1
Over/Under 184.5

Heat Notes: The man that is going to be taking all of the heat in the world for Miami over the course of the rest of this series is LeBron James. The man that was the “Chosen Boy” for the Cleveland Cavaliers was never quite able to get the Cavs all the way through the Promised Land, and now, he is coming off of one of the worst performances of his entire career with a chance to really stamp the NBA Finals on the line. James shot just 3-of-11 from the floor and scored eight points. He had more turnovers (4) than made baskets (3), and that really erased the fact that he had a ton of assists (7) and rebounds (9). Of course, the 86-83 Game 4 loss also marked the first time in this series that no one was really able to step up off of the bench or in an unexpected role to help out the Heat. Mario Chalmers didn’t hit a single three point basket and only had five points, and Mike Bibby was held scoreless. Mike Miller did hit two three pointers, but he was really the mass majority of the production for the bench. As always, the game really belonged to Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Bosh scored 24 points and had six rebounds, while Wade accounted for 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the floor. Still, Miami held a big lead in the fourth quarter before the Dallas comeback, marking the second time this series that it was able to fight all the way back in a game late on. The Heat need to clean up their sloppy play late in games, or they’re going to lose a championship series in which they were clearly the better team.

Mavericks Notes: The job isn’t nearly done yet for the Mavericks, but they’re certainly working on improving themselves for the rest of this series. For the mass majority of this series, they have been outworked and outperformed by the Heat, but they still sit level after four games and are the same two steps away from a title that Miami is. For the second time in this series, Dirk Nowitzki really didn’t have a great game. After all, he only shot 6-of-19 from the field and scored just 21 points on Tuesday night in Game 4. However, this was the second time in which he was held to relatively iffy numbers on the stat sheet (relatively speaking, anyway), and the second time in which he was huge down the stretch to prompt a big time comeback to spark a Dallas victory. Head Coach Rick Carlisle also deserves some credit for the way that he handled his starting lineup. DeShawn Stevenson didn’t look good as a starter, and Carlisle moved him to the bench instead. Stevenson came off of the bench and knocked down three big time triples in 26 minutes of action, and he looked to play a lot better with Jason Terry off of the bench than he was as a starter. Jose Juan Barea scored eight points as a starter. Again, Tyson Chandler had a big game in the point. He scored 13 points and had 16 boards, including just a dominating performance on the offensive glass, accounting for nine rebounds on the offensive end of the court. Still, it has to be concerning that the Mavs only shot 39.7 percent from the field and had just 13 assists in total for the game.

The Final Word: We’re not all that concerned about the fact that Nowitzki is battling an illness right now, but we are concerned that we just don’t feel as though Dallas has the better team in this series. The Heat know that there is little pressure on their shoulders right now, as they just need to hold serve at home to be able to win the title. They’ll get the job done on Thursday night though, amidst a raucous crowd in Big D, and LeBron and the crew will rebound to move within one step of the NBA championship.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks: Miami Heat +1
Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks Prediction: Miami 89 – Dallas 86

 
June 6th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Miami Heat have swung home court advantage back in their favor by winning Game 3 of NBA Finals betting action. Now, the Dallas Mavericks pretty much have to make for great NBA picks in Game 4, or they’ll have to win three games in a row against one of the hottest teams in the league.

NBA Playoffs Preview: Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks Game 4
Date: Tuesday, June 7th, 9:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Game Line: Dallas -3
Over/Under 187

Heat Notes: It’s amazing that the Heat are still talking about having turmoil about who the “star” of the show really is in South Beach in spite of the fact that they are just two games away from winning their second championship in team history. LeBron James has largely been accepted as one of the biggest stars in the game to never win a title, and that’s why he brought his trade to Miami. He didn’t have the greatest game in the world on Sunday night, accounting for just six made baskets. LeBron had 17 points, nine assists, and three rebounds, and he was largely MIA down the stretch. The truth of the matter though, is that this is Dwyane Wade’s team, and it really always has been. Even the recently retired Shaquille O’Neal admitted that this team belonged to the “Flash” when the Heat won the title all those years ago against these Mavericks. Wade had the big time game on Sunday night, coming up with 29 points, the highest for all Miami scorers, and he had 11 boards as well. Chris Bosh, who was marred with foul trouble and had a horrible time defensively, hit some big shots down the stretch and had 18 points to boot. Mario Chalmers again came up big from beyond the arc, knocking down four three point baskets to turn up with a dozen points in his third straight big time game in this series. Miami shot just 43.6 percent from the floor, but it did have double the amount of assists (20) as turnovers (10). It overcame accounting for no more than 21 points in any of the final three quarters after jumping out to the 29-22 lead at the end of the first.

Mavericks Notes: If you’re a fan of the Mavericks, you just have to wonder whether Dirk will ever have his day or not. Dirk Nowitzki did everything that anyone ever could have asked of him in Game 3, going off for 34 points and 11 rebounds. However, when push came to shove, he missed the shot at the gun that could have sent the game to overtime instead of Dallas fans suffering a crippling 88-86 defeat. Still, it’s really hard to argue with the man that is top scorer in this series. Jason Terry really needs to step it up. He has put together some decent games, but he hasn’t had that huge game like he did here on this court against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. He scored 15 points in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but he definitely needs to do better than this and to blow up for the Mavs to come back and win this series. Tyson Chandler had a nice Game 3 on the glass with 11 boards, but he just wasn’t an offense threat at all, accounting for just five points. He is going to need to come up with more than this to be able to make the big time difference in the series. Shawn Marion, who had a huge second game of this series, only scored 10 points and four boards in his third ever NBA Finals duel. Dallas did outrebound Miami 42-36 in this game, but it only shot 40.0 percent from the field. Fourteen turnovers were just too many over the course of this game, especially when the Mavericks only forced 10.

The Final Word: The Mavericks really badly need this game, but this is a chance for the Heat to stick their foot on their foes’ throats. Miami lives for this moment, and after days and days about hearing how this is D-Wade’s team, we tend to believe that this is the moment that LeBron steps up and shines. Don’t be shocked if he puts on an absolutely remarkable outings, and when push comes to shove, he’ll be the one to outshine Dirk once again to give the Heat the crucial fourth game of this series. In series that were tied at one game apiece in the NBA Finals, the road team has gone on to win the third game 11 times before. They’re 11-0 in the Finals.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks: Miami Heat +3
Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks Prediction: Miami 91 – Dallas 85

 
June 4th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The 2011 NBA Finals are ready to rock and roll here at Cappers Info, and we have our NBA picks for the third duel between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.

NBA Playoffs Preview: Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks Game 3
Date: Sunday, June 5th, 8:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Game Line: Dallas -2.5
Over/Under 189

Heat Notes: The Heat haven’t run across a whole heck of a lot of adversity in their run in the postseason to date. They won all three of their series in five games, and save for a blip on the screen in Game 1 against the Chicago Bulls, they haven’t trailed any of the three teams that they have faced. Now, they certainly have their adversity. Miami had a huge 15 point lead with just seven minutes to play before collapsing down the stretch. It couldn’t make free throws. It wasn’t driving the ball to the basket. It wasn’t getting any help from the supporting cast. Simply put, nothing was going right. The Heat did shoot 46.6 percent from the floor for the game, but when you consider the fact that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade must have had a half dozen dunks or easy lay ins between them, that shooting percentage doesn’t seem all that great. Shooting 16-of-24 from the charity stripe proved to be a killer. Give Wade and James credit, though. For the majority of 40 minutes, they were both aggressive with the basketball and got the ball to the hoop. Whereas it was the combination of Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller that really got the job done from the three point line in Game 1, it was Mike Bibby in Game 2 who had four three pointers. Wade ended the day with 36 points, six assists, five boards, and three steals, as he once again really stuffed the stat sheet. James had 20 points, eight boards, and four steals, but he also turned the ball over five times. Chris Bosh really hasn’t looked right in this series, as he is shooting just 9-of-34 from the field. He scored just 12 points in Game 2, numbers which just aren’t going to cut it for a man as important as this in this series.

Mavericks Notes: Dirk Nowitzki has now proven himself a worthy battalion in these playoffs. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he led the 15 point comeback in just four minutes that ended up breaking the backs of the new kids on the block in the Western Conference Finals. Sure, that was a fine display, and it was as good of a showing as we have seen since LeBron took over against the Detroit Pistons in 2007 and basically played them 1-on-5 on the road at the Palace of Auburn Hills. However, this one was even better and even more important for Nowitzki. The German national star looked like he was really struggling the entire night in Game 2 with his shot, perhaps being hampered by his newly injured finger with some ligament damage. However, he scored nine points in a row down the stretch, including a three pointer that capped the huge comeback to give Dallas a lead that it would never relent. Five years ago, Nowitzki was the man that the finger was being pointed at for the Mavs blowing that 2-0 series lead going back to Miami. Now, he knows that he needs just three more wins, all of which can come on his home court, to erase all of those memories and to finally bring a title to Dallas in something other than football. Of course, it wasn’t just Nowitzki that was big for Dallas. Jason Terry came off of the bench, and in a tough assignment against James, scored 16 points, while Tyson Chandler had a huge game with 13 points and seven rebounds. Shawn Marion was outstanding as well, and he was really the unsung hero on the day, scoring 20 points and coming down with eight boards. DeShawn Stevenson also hit a trio of three pointers to help out the Mavericks to boot.

The Final Word: Miami needs to be very, very careful over the course of these next two games especially. The Heat really can’t afford to fall behind 3-1, knowing that there is a do or die Game 5 that will also be played in Dallas. We definitely believe that the Heat are the better team, and we do certainly think that this series is going to end up going back to South Beach. However, on this night for Game 3, we tend to believe that Dallas is going to ride the wave of emotions over arguably the best chance that the team has ever had to win a title, and parlay that into a Game 3 romp.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks: Dallas Mavericks -2.5
Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks Prediction: Dallas 101 – Miami 84

 
June 1st, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Miami Heat are just a few games away now from beating the NBA Finals odds for the second time in team history. They’re going to be back at it again on Thursday night in NBA betting action against a Dallas Mavericks team that badly needs a pick me up after a bad 92-84 loss on Tuesday.

NBA Playoffs Preview: Dallas Mavericks @ Miami Heat Game 2
Date: Thursday, June 1st, 9:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami , FL
Game Line: Miami -4.5
Over/Under 186.5

Mavericks Notes: The Mavericks picked a really, really bad time to have their worst shooting game of the postseason. Game 1 of NBA Finals betting action was a disaster for them, as they shot just 37.3 percent from the field and knocked down just 16 shots from inside the three point line. In fact, it’s truly amazing that Dallas had a better shooting percentage from the outside at 40.9 percent. Tyson Chandler was definitely missing in action. No, he isn’t the most athletic player on the court, but he definitely is one of the more physical bodies out there. He only had four rebounds for the game, and he spent plenty of time on the bench in foul trouble. Nine points won’t cut it either if the Mavs are going to win the NBA title, and Head Coach Rick Carlisle knows that he needs more out of his big man in the middle to be able to beat the Heat. Jason Kidd only had nine points as well, while for Jason Terry, a dozen points on 3-of-10 shooting was awful. In fact, the whole bench only shot 4-of-22 for the game, and we know that that just won’t get the job done. To make matters worse Dirk Nowitzki ended up hurting his finger in the first duel of these two titans, and though he won’t end up missing any time with the injury, his shooting could definitely be harmed. He only shot 7-of-18 from the floor in a relatively bad effort, but he did knock down all 12 foul shots that he attempted and ended the game with 27 points, a game high. Shawn Marion had a nice game with 16 points and 10 boards, but it wasn’t nearly enough to lead Dallas to a Game 1 win, marking its fifth straight loss in the NBA Finals, all of which have come against Miami.

Heat Notes: The King is really starting to look like he is ready to accept his crown as the man sitting atop the NBA betting world. LeBron James knocked down nine of his 16 shots, including 4-of-5 from long range to lead the way for Miami with 24 points. He also had nine boards and five assists, but most importantly, he only turned the ball over once. Dwyane Wade was the second player that caused double the trouble for the Mavericks in terms of their defense. Wade scored 22 points and 10 boards, and six assists, the latter two of which were game high and team high numbers. However, we know that it is going to take more than just these two to be able to win it all, as all of the best teams in the history of this league have had role players to go with their stars. Chris Bosh had a great showing against Chandler and the rest of the Dallas bigs in Game 1, scoring 19 points and accounting for nine rebounds, and he had the best +/- for the game of any player on either side at +11. Off of the bench, Udonis Haslem scored seven points and had six boards in spite of the fact that he battled foul trouble all night, while Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller proved to be sparks with five triples made between them. If the defense for Miami can keep up like this and Dirk has problems with his hand though, this really could be a short series, and Head Coach Erik Spoelstra knows that this is truly the key to victory.

The Final Word: What we found out in Game 1 is that the Heat and the Mavericks just don’t belong on the same court together. Miami has hit its stride at the right time this season, and there is nothing that is going to deny it from being a champion. The Heat are the real deal, and they’re going to once again make relatively short work of a Dallas team that doesn’t have enough talent, doesn’t have enough confidence, and doesn’t have enough willpower to win a game on the road in this series. Don’t be shocked if this series is half over by the time that Thursday night’s NBA betting festivities are said and done with.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks: Miami Heat -4.5
Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks Prediction: Miami 91 – Dallas 80

 
May 30th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The 2011 NBA Finals are ready to rock and roll here at Cappers Info, and we have our NBA picks for the first duel between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.

NBA Playoffs Preview: Dallas Mavericks @ Miami Heat Game 1
Date: Tuesday, May 31st, 9:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami , FL
Game Line: Miami -4.5
Over/Under 187

Mavericks Notes: After several days off, the Mavericks are going to be back in action in South Beach on Tuesday night. They really did play well this year against the Heat, winning both games, including the one here at the American Airlines Arena. In fact, Dallas really has played well against Miami over the course of the last several seasons. The Mavs haven’t lost a game to the Heat outside of the 2006 NBA Finals since 2004, and they have gone 3-1 ATS in those games as well. The road team is 19-7 over the course of the last 26 meetings between these two teams, which also has to help out the confidence of this bunch going forward. Dirk Nowitzki has been fantastic this year, but he has especially been outstanding in the playoffs. He has averaged 28.4 points per game on the postseason, and he has really taken over some games late on that are incredibly close. He was probably on pace to be the MVP of the NBA Finals in 2006 after two games against Miami, both of which ended in victory, but when push came to shove, he wasn’t able to close the deal, and the Mavericks lost the last four games. Do keep a close eye on Tyson Chandler in this game. Play on the inside is going to be crucial, and Chandler has double-double potential every single night on the court. If he can get the best of the likes of Joel Anthony, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Udonis Haslem, Chandler could become the most unheralded star in this series.

Heat Notes: This is the game in which LeBron James really needs to step up. The man they simply call “The King,” isn’t brand new to the NBA Finals, but he still hasn’t broken his maiden in terms of winning a game. The Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in James’ first visit to the NBA’s version of the Promised Land, and he came to Miami to prove that he can win it all with the right pieces in place. Giving up home court advantage would be horrible for the Heat, as they haven’t lost a game in the playoffs at the American Airlines Arena, and they have only won one game in Dallas since 2002, that being Game 6 of the NBA Finals. James has averaged 26.0 points per game in the playoffs this year, and he is also the team’s top rebounder with 8.9 boards per game. Chris Bosh is going to have to be the man that has to get the job done in the paint as well. He is right there with James at 8.9 rebounds per game, but he is obviously not quite the same scorer at 18.6 points per game. Bosh knows that he has the ability to have some absolutely remarkable games in these playoffs, as he did against the tremendously athletic Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. And of course, there is the one man that has not only won a title, but has an MVP of the NBA Finals to boot, Dwyane Wade. Wade has come up with 23.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game here in the playoffs, but he needs to do better from beyond the arc, where he is shooting just 24.1 percent.

The Final Word: Dallas just doesn’t feel like a team that is going to win it all this year, and we really don’t see how things are going to look that great in South Beach for it either. The Heat are just playing too well on their home court, and they are covering spreads left and right to show for it. The Mavericks will keep this series competitive, but with as hot as Miami is right now, we don’t see it getting the job done in Game 1.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks: Miami Heat -4.5
Chicago Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks Prediction: Miami 95 – Dallas 88

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

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Back in 2006, the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks squared off in a terrific NBA Finals that ended up landing the Heat their first championship. Can they do it again, giving LeBron James his first ever title, or will Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs beat the NBA Finals odds for the first time in team history? Check it out our NBA Finals picks right here at Cappers Info!

How the Heat Can Win This Series
Boy, are the Heat just on fire right now! It seems like every game that comes down to the wire, they find a way to win. Miami closed out the Chicago Bulls in come from behind fashion twice in the Eastern Conference Finals, and they really have taken over games in spite of the fact that they really don’t have the size and bulk on the inside to be able to compete with the likes of the Bulls and the Boston Celtics, both of which they blew through in just five games.

Of course, this is a series that is hopefully fit for a King, if you’re a Heat fan. LeBron James came to South Beach to win a title — multiple titles in fact. This is a fantastic shot for him to put away the demons of the past failures with the Cleveland Cavaliers and to validate his career once and for all even though he still has a number of years still to dazzle us. James averaged 26.7 points per game during the regular season, and he isn’t that far off of that number here in the playoffs at 26.0 points per game. He’s also stuffing the stat sheet with 8.9 boards, 5.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game to boot. Sure, these numbers aren’t near what he had with the Cavs back in the day, nor has he been as outstanding in terms of dominance (though he certainly has had his moments), but James has still given the Heat 44 outstanding minutes per game.

Of course, no King would be fit to win a title without the rest of his court. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are proving to be worthy subjects to help out the King. Wade has been outstanding down the stretch in games, and he is averaging 23.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in the playoffs. Bosh hasn’t always been fantastic, but he has had some absolutely remarkable games. The former member of the Toronto Raptors has never felt pressure like this before, and we might be afraid of him cracking when push comes to shove, but he has some great numbers at 18.6 points and 8.9 rebound per game.

How the Mavericks Can Win This Series
The Mavs know that they can beat the Heat on a regular basis, as they did so twice this year. Dallas has struggled at times against teams that it perhaps shouldn’t have, but against some of the best teams this year, the Mavericks have been outstanding; look no further than the sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs for proof of that.

Of course, the playoffs have always been difficult for Dirk Nowitzki. He might be one of the best players to never win a title in league history, and that’s a distinction that no player wants to have in his career. In years past, the German national star has been able to score boatloads of points, but he hasn’t been able to come up with the big points when it matters down the stretch of the biggest games in the playoffs. He has no such problem anymore. Just ask the Oklahoma City Thunder how well Dirk has played in these playoffs. Nowitzki has averaged 28.4 points per game in the playoffs, over five points per game more than he averaged in the regular season.

Just like James though, Nowitzki would be nowhere without some help from his teammates. Jason Terry has had his moments of brilliance off of the bench, and he has averaged 17.3 points per game in the playoffs. Shawn Marion has been good for 11.2 points per game, while Jason Kidd has done a little bit of everything with 9.9 points, 7.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. Do look out for some great players off of the bench like Jose Juan Barea and Peja Stojakovic, both of which have been lethal from beyond the arc at times.

The Last Word – The Heat just seem like they’re the better team in this series, and that’s really undeniable. Sure, the Mavs have done great in their time in the playoffs, but they just aren’t going to be able to get the job done when push comes to shove. Don’t be afraid to go with the Heat to top Dallas on the NBA betting lines for the second time in the last five years between these two behemoths of the NBA betting world. NBA Playoffs Picks: Heat in 6

 
May 25th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Ever since winning Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Chicago Bulls have basically been MIA in this series against the Miami Heat. Now, their season is on the line, and they have been forced into a do or die situation against the Heat on their home court. Check out our NBA picks for this clash!

NBA Playoffs Preview: Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls Game 5
Date: Thursday, May 26th, 8:30 ET
Location: United Center, Chicago, IL
Game Line: Chicago -3
Over/Under 180

Heat Notes: We suppose that we have to give the Bulls some credit for at least hanging in there in spite of the fact that the Heat really did get a great game both out of their stars and out of their role players on Tuesday night. However, it’s becoming pretty clear that a dominating effort by Miami, regardless of what Chicago does, just isn’t going to be beaten. The Heat really didn’t have that great of a shooting game at 42.7 percent, especially knowing that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade only went a combined 16-of-42 from the floor. However, when you look at their final stat lines, you have to be impressed. Wade did a little bit of everything, coming up with 14 points, five rebounds, two steals, and four blocked shots. LeBron did as well, ending the night with 35 points, six rebounds, six boards, and a pair of blocks and steals. The unsung hero of these two games at home though, was Chris Bosh. Bosh has absolutely been amazing in this entire series, one in which many expected him to get his lunch eaten by all of the Chicago bigs. Instead, he followed up his 34 point performance with a 22 point showing on Tuesday. Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers came off of the bench to hit a pair of three point baskets apiece, and they shot a combined 8-of-11 from the floor for 21 points. Miller also had nine rebounds. The Heat only got outrebounded by one, an accomplishment against these Bulls, and though they turned the ball over 15 times, they forced 19 blunders. Miami also won the blocked shot battle 10-5, something that we never really saw happening in this series.

Bulls Notes: What we’re seeing out of the Baby Bulls is basically the same thing that we are seeing out of the Oklahoma City Thunder. These two teams are just too young to be playing at this level, and though they are gaining an abundance of experience that will be able to help them out on the road to glory in future seasons, they just don’t look like a side that is really ready to blossom into a champion quite yet. Joakim Noah has totally checked out of this series, and it is the Miami crowd that finally got him out of his element once and for all. Ever since that anti-gay slur, he has been terrible, and though he had some relatively gaudy stats in some departments in Game 4 (14 boards, 6 assists), he also had some awful stats (6 points on 3-of-10 shooting and six fouls). Kyle Korver and the rest of the bench, which was on fire early in these playoffs, have been nowhere to be found against Miami. The only good news is that Carlos Boozer has really come to shine in these last two games. He played well down in Miami in those two games, especially in Game 4 when he came up with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Luol Deng also had 20 points and eight boards. The man that is really struggling though, is the league’s MVP, Derrick Rose. At just 23 years old, we know that Rose has plenty left in the tank for the future, but this just doesn’t look to be his year. He had another dreadful shooting game on Tuesday night, coming up with just eight made baskets on 27 attempts, and though he scored his points, coming up with 23 overall, he also shot the ball terribly and ended the day with seven of the team’s 19 turnovers.

The Final Word: This just doesn’t look like the same Chicago team that absolutely dominated on its home court for the mass majority of this season. The Bulls just never really fully hit their stride at one time, and their season is going to end up coming down to a crashing halt at the United Center on Thursday night. Don’t be overly shocked if Dwyane and LeBron run Chicago off of the court in the final game of its season.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks: Miami Heat +3
Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat Prediction: Miami 96 – Chicago 81

 
May 22nd, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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NBA betting action has been hot and heavy in this battle between budding regional rivals in the Western Conference Finals. We’re here to sort it all out with our NBA picks on Monday in the Game 4 duel between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks.

NBA Playoffs Preview: Dallas Mavericks @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 4
Date: Monday, May 23rd, 9:00 ET
Location: Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
Game Line: Oklahoma City -4.5
Over/Under 195.5

Mavericks Notes: The Mavericks probably didn’t play their best game of this series in Game 3, but their win really has to resonate in their locker room, knowing that they have stolen back home court advantage in this series. Head Coach Rick Carlisle has to be thrilled with the fact that his defense finally showed up big time in a game, marking the first time that his Mavs have held the Thunder under 106 points in this series. He knows if that type of defensive intensity continues, Dallas is going to be a hard side to beat, not just now in the Western Conference Finals, but on the NBA Finals lines as well. There is definitely some room for offensive improvement, especially out of Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. These two normally reliable stars only combined for 31 points on Saturday night, but the bigger question is how they only shot 10-of-33 from the field between them. The rest of the club really stepped it up though, and for Nowitzki, who has carried this team in the entire playoffs, this is a very, very welcome sign. The rest of the team shot 26-of-49, a healthy 53.1 percent. Shawn Marion knocked down nine of his 13 shots and tied for the team high with Dirk with 18 points. Jason Kidd chipped in with 13 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and four steals in his prototypical stat sheet stuffing game as well. The only problem that Carlisle might have with the way that things ultimately panned out in Game 3 is that his team had a 23 point lead and watched it dwindle down to just four, and he knows that that type of play again in the second half of Game 4 will probably see his team coming back to Big D in a good old fashioned shootout tied at two games apiece.

Thunder Notes: Oklahoma City’s back is officially against the wall, and for as tough as it is to win in Dallas, it really cannot afford to lose this game, knowing that it would have to win three in a row to make it to the NBA Finals. Unlike Nowitzki, who picked up a lot of help from his friends on Saturday night, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were basically left out to dry. No one on the team scored more than nine points aside from them, and even though they were dreadful shooting the ball at 15-of-42 between them, the rest of the squad wasn’t all that much better at 12-of-32 combined. The only good thing that Head Coach Scott Brooks was very quick to point out was how aggressive his team was in that comeback attempt in Game 3. This was actually a winnable game at the death, but that comeback just took everything out of them. The Thunder outrebounded Dallas 45-37, including picking up 12 offensive boards, and they blocked a whopping nine shots. In addition to that, Durant and Westbrook fought their way to the foul line a whopping 25 times between them. As a team, Oklahoma City ended up with 36 free throws, and it converted on 32 of them. Dallas only shot 14-of-18 from the charity stripe. Durant’s numbers didn’t look that bad, as he scored 24 points, had 12 rebounds, and five assists, but he went 0-of-8 from beyond the arc, pacing a dismal effort of just 1-of-17 for the Thunder as a team. Westbrook had 30 points, but he only had four assists and turned the ball over seven times.

The Final Word: History will tell us that the Thunder are going to find a way to fight back again in this series. After all, Oklahoma City fought off that 1-0 series hole, and it darn near fought off a 23 point deficit in Game 3. We wouldn’t expect anything less than another stellar effort from Westbrook and Durant, and as long as they keep taking the ball to the rim and drawing contact, good things are going to come their way. In spite of the fact that they have been beaten in their first two home games of their last two series, we are fairly certainly that the Thunder are going to strike back and score a victory in Game 4 by a relatively comfortable margin.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks: Oklahoma City Thunder -4.5
Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction: Oklahoma City 105 – Dallas 97

 
May 21st, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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After two games in the Eastern Conference Finals, we’re down to a best of five, as both the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat have won a game apiece. We’re back with our NBA picks for pivotal Game 3 in South Beach on Sunday night.

NBA Playoffs Preview: Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat Game 3
Date: Sunday, May 22nd, 8:30 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
Game Line: Miami -5
Over/Under 179

Bulls Notes: Head Coach Tom Thibodeau hopes that a few days off gives his team legs again after playing absolutely horrifying ball in the second half against the Heat on Wednesday. To Chicago’s credit, it did have to claw back to tie up the score late in the fourth quarter, but in essence, it was just run right off of the court in the back half of the fourth quarter. There wasn’t a starter on the court that had a positive +/- for the game. Derrick Rose, the league’s MVP had a horrendous shooting night and never really looked the part of the best player in the NBA. He only went 7-of-23 and was clearly outplayed by the Big 3 for the Heat. He had 21 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end. Luol Deng scored 13 points, but he and the rest of the bigs were really kept off of the glass as well. Carlos Boozer had just seven points and eight rebounds, while Joakim Noah had nine points and eight boards. The bench had its moments, but the disappearance of Kyle Korver has been harmful in this series. He only went 1-of-7 from the field and 1-of-5 from downtown. Korver was only a part of the problem though, as the whole team shot just 34.1 percent from the field and 15.0 percent from downtown. Even from the foul line, Chicago couldn’t help its own cause, going 16-of-26 (61.5%). The biggest problem was getting outrebounded though, and that was in spite of the fact that the Bulls had 17 offensive rebounds on the day.

Heat Notes: LeBron James has officially taken over. He was the man down the stretch that put the Bulls away, and he ended the night with 29 points and 10 rebounds to go with a team high five assists. Sure, he turned the ball over five times as well, but aside from that, the rest of his game was impeccable. Dwyane Wade did fantastic as well running the show from the guard spot. He scored 24 points and had nine rebounds, shooting 8-of-16 from the floor. He also only turned the ball over once, which more or less offset the fact that he had just two assists. The big man of the hour in Game 2 was Udonis Haslem. Again, we’ve always said that someone else would have to step up to help the “Big 3″ do their thing, and Haslem was just what the doctor ordered. He scored 13 points and had five rebounds, and though it clearly wasn’t the greatest effort in the world, it was certainly good enough to really aid the rest of the crew. Even Mike Miller, a man who has been criticized all season long, came up with seven big time rebounds in 19 minutes of work. The team definitely has some room for improvement though, as the Heat shot just 23.1 percent from beyond the arc. The offense for Head Coach Erik Spoelstra hasn’t scored even 90 points in its last four games against the Bulls, and that really isn’t going to ultimately get the job done in this series in all likelihood.

The Final Word: Chicago is going to have its work cut out for it in these two games in South Beach. Only one win is needed to get home court advantage back, and it goes without saying that two losses would be absolutely catastrophic. The Bulls may or may not ultimately end up winning this game, but they are going to be able to keep this one close every step of the way. Don’t be surprised if this game never get separated by more than 10 points at any point, and in the end, Chicago will keep this one inside of the number.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks: Chicago Bulls +5
Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat Prediction: Chicago 88 – Miami 86

 
May 18th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Dallas Mavericks were able to romp through Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, and they are all set to move on to take a 2-0 series lead on Thursday night. Standing in their way will be the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are going to hope to slow down the Dallas assault in this big time clash of the last two teams standing in the Wild, Wild West.

NBA Playoffs Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Dallas Mavericks Game 2
Date: Thursday, May 19th, 9:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Game Line: Dallas -5.5
Over/Under 199.5

Thunder Notes: Maybe fatigue really did have something to do with the way that the Thunder played in Game 1. Head Coach Scott Brooks was determined to convince the NBA betting public that his team was in a lot better shape having not had the full week off like the Mavericks did. After watching Dallas roll off 121 points, we don’t exactly believe him anymore. To Oklahoma City’s credit, it did get the Mavericks to play the style of game that it would have wanted, one that is up and down the court for the full 48 minutes. And, much to the Thunder’s credit as well, they didn’t ever give up on the game and fought down to the very last shot in spite of the fact that they were never really able to get within striking distance in the second half. More good news: The leading scorer in the NBA acted like he was the leading scorer in the NBA. There was never a doubt that Kevin Durant would have a field day in this series, and he definitely didn’t disappoint. He shot 10-of-18 from the field and 18-of-19 from the charity stripe, accounting for 40 points and eight rebounds, both of which led the team. The problem came in the form of Russell Westbrook, who really hasn’t played all that well over the course of the last few weeks in the postseason. He shot just 3-of-15 from the floor and had 20 points, but he also only had three assists and turned the ball over four times. That just won’t cut it in this series, as he is going to have to both shoot the ball better and keep better tabs on the rock for the Thunder to be able to win games.

Mavericks Notes: You thought that the Thunder did an awesome job with Durant getting all of his points? Dirk Nowitzki is scoffing at Durant. The German National star was absolutely a one man wrecking crew out there, and every time that he touched the basketball, something good happened. He was a terror to the interior defenders for Oklahoma City, coming up with 48 points. Half of those came at the foul line, where Nowitzki went a perfect 24-of-24. He wasn’t too shabby from the field either at 12-of-15. The rest of the starters for the Mavs only combined for 20 points, but it certainly didn’t matter. Between what Dirk and the bench were able to come up with, nothing else mattered. Jason Terry was expected to go absolutely bananas, and he did just that, scoring 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including hitting four of the nine three pointers that Dallas nailed on the night. The unexpected star was the littlest man on the court, Jose Juan Barea. He shot 8-of-12 from the field and had 21 points in his biggest game of his career, and he was really the difference maker, as no one was able to guard his slashes to the hoop. Dallas as a team shot 34-of-36 from the free throw line and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. A shooting performance of 53.4 percent from the field was tremendous, and if those numbers keep up, there is no way that Oklahoma City is going to be able to compete.

The Final Word: It’s pretty clear that Nowitzki isn’t going to be able to give more than he gave in Game 1, nor will Terry nor Barea. Will there be another star ready to step up? We’re really not all that certain that there is anyone else out there that can make it so the Mavericks improve much from Game 1. Oklahoma City definitely has some room to improve, especially with Westbrook’s shooting. We love how aggressive that the Thunder were on Tuesday night, and as is the case in a lot of situations, blind aggression is usually rewarded. Oklahoma City is too young to realize that it should be intimated right now, and it will come back and spring the upset in Game 2 to level this series at a game apiece.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks: Oklahoma City Thunder +5.5
Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction: Oklahoma City 102 – Dallas 98