Thursday NBA Playoff Betting – 76ers, Trailblazers and Bulls on the brink
Thursday’s basketball betting lineup has three teams who are on the brink of elimination. The Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trailblazers and Chicago Bulls could all be playing in their final game this year, but the good news is that two of them are favored according to the NBA odds.
Basketball betting fans will have to check on the injury/suspension status of some key players, including Orlando’s all-star Dwight Howard, their starting shooting guard Courtney Lee, and possibly the Chicago Bulls' Ben Gordon.
The sportsbook odds are up so let’s take a look at the NBA odds for Thursday:
Basketball betting playoff picks: Survival Of The Fittest
- Bulls look to live one more day after another overtime loss to the Boston Celtics
- Can the Houston Rockets finally get over their first-round hump?
- Will the Philadelphia 76ers end the Magic’s two-game winning streak?
Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls – BOS leads series 3-2
Thursday, 7:05 PM ET at the United Center
Celtics vs Bulls odds: Bulls -3
The Boston Celtics are an underdog on the NBA odds Thursday night, as they head to the United Center to face the Bulls. The Bulls will have their backs up against the wall, and with a young team, you never know how they’ll respond. The Celtics have the killer instinct that the Bulls seem to lack.
In Game 5, the Bulls blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead only to fail in overtime – again – to the Celtics. Now the Bulls are back home, but they aren’t looking so good. The last time the Bulls were at home they were nervous in both Games 3 and 4. Look for a more poised performance from the Bulls as they force a Game 7.
Orlando Magic @ Philadelphia 76ers – ORL leads series 3-2
Thursday, 7:35 PM ET at the Wachovia Center
Magic vs 76ers odds: NO LINE
As we wait to hear back on the status of all-star center Dwight Howard and shooting guard Courtney Lee, there is no line up for Game 6 of his first round series.
Lee appears to be out for sure for Game 6 as he has a fractured sinus. He accidentally took a shot from Howard as he was coming down with a rebound. Howard was a little careless with his elbow earlier in the game as well, which may lead to a suspension.
Basketball betting fans know that if Howard and Lee are out, the pick is Philadelphia. Keep an eye on the newswire to see his status.
Portland Trailblazers @ Houston Rockets – HOU leads series 3-2
Thursday, 9:35 PM ET at the Toyota Center
Trail Blazers vs Rockets odds: Rockets -4.5
According to the NBA odds, the Portland Trailblazers are expected to be packing it up and packing it in after Thursday’s contest. The good news for them is that the Houston Rockets have choked several times in the first round before, and the Rockets have some ghouls and ghosts to exorcise if they want to advance. Basketball betting fans know that the Rockets have failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs in the Tracy McGrady/Yao Ming era, and it might be somewhat ironic if the Rockets can finally get by even though McGrady is out for the season.
The Trailblazers rely far too much on LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy, which figures to be their downfall. They don’t have a third scorer to take the pressure off or alleviate the defensive attention that their top two guns face. Bet on the Rockets to finally get over their past hurdles and finally advance into the second round.
For daily analysis on the sports betting, keep coming back to the BetOnline.com Betting Edge.
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.
