2011 NBA Finals Historical and Statistical Analysis

In the 2010-11 regular season, The Heat finished one game better than Dallas. From 1947 through the 2011 NBA third round, when NBA teams finished one game better than their best-of-7 playoff series opponents , they have posted a 16-17 (.485) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. This is the 25th best-of-7 playoff series for the Dallas Mavericks, and the 19th for the Miami Heat. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, Dallas has a 11-13 overall series record, a 0-1 Finals-round... 

2011 NBA Final’s Breakdown

Well sports fans, as another NBA campaign comes to a close, we must talk about what has changed this past season. For starters, both the Celtic’s and Laker’s are watching the Championship on TV instead of being in it. So are the Spur’s. The talented and athletic Bull’s and Thunder certainly made a respectful run at it. But lack of post-season experience proved fatal. And the dream partnership of Carmelo and Amare are still in need of another major talent. Maybe Chris Paul? The regular season... 

NBA Playoffs Betting: Beware of Blowouts

The NBA playoffs are in full swing, which means overall the better teams are battling each other. This is different from the regular season when many nights great teams are playing bad teams and bad teams are playing worse one. Astute sports bettors should pay very careful attention to blowouts. For instance, after losing Game 1 114-101 at home, the Thunder bounced back and topped Memphis, 111-102 the next game, covering as six-point chalk. The Lakers blew out the Hornets in Game 3, 100-86, then... 

NBA Betting Tips: Crashing the Boards

The REAL NBA season is starting to unfold, weeding out the lousy teams in the postseason and getting down to the Final Four. There are many ingredients to piecing together a championship team. Star power, a dominant low post player (or two), defense, a coach who can teach team-oriented play, depth. This time of year, many times you can simplify things as one stat often pops out of the box scores: Rebounding. It’s not easy to win when the other team has an edge on the glass, especially the offensive... 

NBA Playoffs: The Zig Zag Theory

Let’s talk about zigzags. No, that’s not some ski slope maneuver. Nor is it someone who says one thing and then does another. Sports bettors may be familiar with zigzagging when it comes to handicapping the NBA playoffs. One rule many bettors keep in mind during the playoffs is that teams that lose a game and play poorly may look very different the next game. That is, they can get that bad game out of their system, make adjustments, and come back playing very well the next game. The team that... 

NBA Playoff Betting: Earlier Meetings

As the NBA playoffs roll on, handicappers should take careful note of how teams did against each other during the regular season. Examine head to head matchups individually and as a group. Does one team dominate another? If so, are the reasons for this, or was it merely a fluke during the long grind of an 82-game schedule? The Celtics went 3-1 SU/ATS against the Miami Heat this season. They won the first three games with relative ease when Miami was still trying to mesh Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and... 

NBA & NHL Playoff Betting: Road Warriors

In this piece we will examine the unusual amount of road teams that have surprised their opponents with upset wins. We will also take a historical look at the NBA and NHL Playoffs to get a better understanding on the magnitude of these big wins. With Wins on Monday May second from Atlanta and Dallas, three of the four 2011 NBA Quarterfinals Game ones were won by the road team. Only two other times, in 1977 and in 1969, had as many as three of the four best-of-7 NBA second round Game ones been won... 

Defense and Totals in the NBA Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are rolling along, which is a good time to revisit an old sports adage: Defense wins championships. Look at some recent Super Bowl winners. You might not realize this, but Colts QB Peyton Manning didn’t have a stellar postseason five years ago, with 3 TDs and 7 INTs. The real story for the Colts’ run to the title was their improved defense, especially against the run, that allowed 14 ppg to opposing offenses in the postseason. Little brother Eli followed up with another... 

NBA Playoffs: Halftime Wagering

There are several advantages to second half wagering. One is that you get a chance to see the action and can make judgments on what you see in the first half that might affect second half play. Injuries are one example, and that is especially true in this particular NBA playoffs, with nagging injuries to star players like Manu Ginobili, Shaq, Chauncey Billups and Amare Stoudamire. Another is that you can hedge for the second half and perhaps hit a middle, if you have a wager on the side or total... 

NBA Playoffs: The Best of the West

Start your engines! The NBA playoffs are in full swing, time for endless full court action every night as the league crowns another champion. Let’s take a look at the best of the West, the conference that has won eight of the last 11 NBA titles. Lakers: The defending champs began the season raising another banner and looked to be the team to beat again. However, they were not the top team in the in the West and the Lakers limped down the stretch. Boredom? Saving themselves for the real season?... 

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