NBA Playoffs Betting: Wild Wild West, Thunder and Mavericks
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
By BetOnline.com
For years, NBA betting fans were used to having either the Los Angeles Lakers or San Antonio Spurs lined up for action in the Western Finals, but there is unique changing of the guard this season and hoop bettors have to adjust sooner, like Tuesday, rather than later in order to cash in. The NBA provides exciting action in addition to the upcoming Preakness betting race.
I don’t think there has been another year like this one when powerhouse after powerhouse was sent packing.
And the defeats by those teams were not a fluke.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies are young and will be around the NBA betting scene for years to come so hoop bettors should get used to it.
Oklahoma was slightly better on the road against the spread at 23-18 and they were a plus 5 overall against the spread.
Oklahoma is also no one-hit wonder. Sure, they have the two-time leading scorer in the league in Kevin Durant but Russell Westbrook is among the elite point guards in the Association.
James Harden gives them a double-digit threat off the bench and even though Kendrick Perkins is not 100%, he is still an intimidating force in the paint.
Serge Ibaka is a flat-out shot-blocking machine and he has an underrated 15 footer to boot. While Nick Collison provides the muscle for the second time and Daequan Cook is a scorer that can get lost in the shuffle as far as defenses are concerned.
Oklahoma played very hard for 48 minutes forcing the exit of Memphis and Dallas played them tough during the season. They won the first 2 games this season by 8 and then 10 and then lost by 4 in the only game they failed to cover this season.
As for Dallas Mavericks, online sports betting enthusiasts have to know they held their own against the spread all season with a 44-36-2 slate for the 82 games. They were excellent as a road cover team during the season at plus 9 and they have been nearly flawless against the spread in the post season.
The won 9 of 10 games vs. the number with a push and they have done it with defense.
They held the Lakers to 88 points a game and that is an area of their overall game that has not been noticed.
Tyson Chandler has been a leader on the floor and in the locker room and by him being vocal gave the Mavericks something that they were missing all of these years.
Deshaun Stevenson is an underrated two guard and the venerable Jason Kidd proved against Kobe that even at this advanced age, he can still playing swarming defense.
Stir in a rejuvenated Shawn Marion, one of the best bench players in the game in Jason Terry, the little engine that could in Jose Barea and the best big man shooter in the game since Larry Bird in Dirk Nowitzki and any team that teams Dallas lightly is likely to regret it.
Expect the experience of the Mavericks to come to the forefront in the Western Finals in the first game of the series as a 6-point favorite as the upstart Thunder will know first hand what it takes to be on one of the biggest stages in the world.
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daequan cook - dallas mavericks - deshaun stevenson - dirk nowitzki - james harden - jason kidd - jason terry - jose barea - kendrick perkins - kevin durant