NBA Finals Odds – Desperation will fuel Orlando victory
A couple of different bounces and some successful shots, and those who bet on sports would have Orlando as a favorite right now – because they would be up 3-1 against the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the Magic stumbled down the stretch in Game 4, and now have their backs against the wall for Sunday night’s Game 5 at Amway Arena as the offshore sportsbook favorites at home.
NBA Finals Odds – Magic don’t want to end their season at home
- Magic need to execute better late in the game
- Lakers need more balanced attack
- Desperation trumps momentum
Derek Fisher may have missed his first five three-point attempts of the game, but the wily veteran didn’t panic and hit a pair of treys late in regulation and overtime to get the Lakers a 99-91 win in Game 4. Kobe Bryant had a game-high 32 points on 11-of-31 shooting, along with eight assists and seven boards for the Lakers, who had a mere seven turnovers to Orlando’s 17. Trevor Ariza and Pau Gasol had 16 points apiece, but the key was Fisher, who has hit many game-saving threes for the Lakers in his career. A player like that is always essential to a team’s NBA betting odds this late in the season.
Dwight Howard just missed a triple-double with 16 points, 21 boards and nine blocks (an NBA Finals record), but he missed eight of his 14 free-throw attempts, including a pair late in regulation when one would have probably sealed it. That’s disheartening for Howard, who has shot very well, by his standards, from the foul line during the playoffs. He also had seven of Orlando’s 17 turnovers. Hedo Turkoglu had a team-high 25 points for the Magic, while Rashard Lewis had a nightmare evening, scoring six points on 2-of-10 shooting. Mickael Pietrus, who had 15 off the bench, is waiting for the league to review his flagrant foul on Gasol at the end of Game 4, but it’s not likely that he’ll be suspended.
Early NBA Finals odds have the Magic as a 3-point favorite in this contest, and there is an old saying that “desperation trumps momentum”. The Magic are playing for their season right now, and they won’t want to lose on their home court. They’ll need the same type of effort from Howard, who was unstoppable in the paint, and they’ll need Lewis to venture into the lane if necessary as six of his 10 field-goal attempts in Game 4 came from beyond the arc. The Lakers need to spread the ball around, especially to Gasol, because they usually don’t win when Bryant puts up 30 shots or more. Look for the Magic to put up the fight of their lives on Sunday.
NBA Finals odds pick: Magic
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Craig Parsons is an avid sports fan, but his true love has always been basketball. Too short to realize his dream of playing in the NBA, he did the next best thing: sports betting and covering basketball for a living. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
