NBA Basketball Picks: Bulls, Lakers in Tough Positions for Game 2
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
by BetUS.com
Those who are into basketball betting are aware that the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers are in tough positions for their respective playoff series, and so they are looking to come back strong.
The Bulls play host to the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center and are a nine-point favorite, while the Lakers, looking to even things up with the Dallas Mavericks, are laying 7.5 points in the NBA Basketball odds.
BetUS Sportsbook Basketball Betting
- Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls
East Playoffs - Game 2
(Hawks lead 1-0)
Live at United Center
Wednesday, May 4 -- 8 PM ET
NBA Basketball Odds:
Chicago -9
Atlanta +9
Total 179.5
Kirk Hinrich continues t be out with a bad hamstring, but that doesn't seem to have hindered the Hawks in Game 1 of this series, as they held Derrick Rose scoreless in the first quarter; despite him scoring 27 points overall, he hit only 11 of 27 shots and then pulled up lame at the end of the game. And the Hawks shocked some basketball bettors with a workmanlike win. Rose insists that his ankle, which was injured during the series with Indiana and continues to bother him, will be healed enough for him to play. Of course, we always worry when a guy who is going to force up far more shots than anyone else on his team is hurting, because that has the potential of taking down the whole offense. Rose shot 27 times, and Luol Deng was next on the list with twelve.
That has to even itself out somehow.
Jamal Crawford was a huge story for the Hawks in Game 1, with 22 points off the bench. There would appear to be room to improve for Al Horford, who had 31 points the first time these two teams met, but had only nine points in the opener. Of course, basketball bettors know that the same can be said for Carlos Boozer, who had just 14 points. When the Bulls acquired him, Boozer was supposed to be the big scorer, inside or outside, but Rose has completely taken over. I don't know that this amounts to a formula that is going to win an NBA title, despite the fact that Chicago can play great defense, but they might be able to get something to work here. I say that because the Hawks laid down against Orlando in Game 5, content to go back and win one at the Philips Arena. I wonder if they are content to have a split here. When Atlanta lays down, they REALLY lay down. And they have scars from the 18 and 33-point losses to the Bulls this season to prove it. Lay the points in basketball betting.
BetUS Sportsbook JAY'S PLAY: CHICAGO -9 ***
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
BetUS Sportsbook Basketball Betting
- Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers
West Playoffs - Game 2
(Mavericks lead 1-0)
Live at Staples Center
Wednesday, May 4 -- 10:30 PM ET
NBA Basketball Odds:
L.A. Lakers -7.5
Dallas +7.5
Total 186.5
Was it an accident that Dallas beat the Lakers at the Staples Center? I don't think so; remember that the Mavs are now 30-15 SU on the road, and they are now nine games over .500 as a visitor in the basketball betting odds. Kobe Bryant didn't show many effects from his foot injury, as he scored 36 points. But did that help the Lakers very much? there was zero balance in this offense; as we mentioned in the Chicago-Atlanta analysis, here's a guy who was shooting so much more than his teammates that is was almost obscene. Bryant took 29 shots and Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom were next with ten apiece. They're not going to fool anybody that way.
If anyone came into this series thinking the Lakers had superior depth, that was surely a myth. Aside from Odom, who plays enough minutes to be considered just like a starter, Los Angeles doesn't have anything that is very threatening, and the Mavs got six three-pointers and ten assists from its reserves in Game 1. Dirk Nowitzki is tough for the Lakers to guard, and he had 28 points with 14 rebounds in the opener, and his presence will probably draw Odom into the game for a lot of minutes. Dallas' pointspread roll has to be respected; the Mavs are now 10-0-1 ATS over their last eleven games in basketball betting.
BetUS Sportsbook JAY'S PLAY: DALLAS +7.5 ***
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
Related Articles
- NBA Odds: Atlanta Battles Chicago and Lakers Take on Dallas
- NBA Playoff Betting Picks: Dirk Nowitzki vs Kobe Bryant ! FINALLY!
- Vegas NBA Basketball Odds: Chicago Bulls vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Basketball Betting Pick: Which Teams Should You Bet On Friday ?
- Las Vegas NBA Picks: Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers
Category
Tags
atlanta hawks - basketball betting - chicago bulls - dallas mavericks - derrick rose - dirk nowitzki - jamal crawford - kirk hinrich - kobe bryant - lamar odom
