Online NBA Basketball Playoffs Betting – Beasts Of The East
The first game of the Eastern Conference NBA Finals is in the sports book and the 2011 Preakness Stakes betting is up next. But hoop bettors have to resist any inclination to read too much into what occurred but to look at the big picture.
During the sportsbook promo regular season Chicago won all 3 games with Miami but the games were close. Miami lost by 3 and then 4 in Chicago, and fell by a point at home.
LeBron James did not play in the first game and Chris Bosh was only one for 18 in the second loss by the Heat. But the Bulls won third game despite shooting only 3 from 14 from long range.
All the hype will surround Miami, but I love the way the Chicago Bulls are structured.
They have the best point guard in the league in Derrick Rose and that is the weakest link for Miami. That means that either D. Wade or LeBron will be assigned to slow down Rose at one point or another.
At two guard for Chicago is the much-underrated Keith Bogans, who not only makes very few mistakes mentally and plays tough defense but he is a very good three-point shooter. He shot a career best 38% from the long range and he has no qualms about putting up the big shot.
Small forward Luol Deng is the second most important player on the Bulls and he will have to be very good on offense to take some of the steam out of either LeBron or Wade, whoever will get the defensive assignment on Deng.
When Deng slashes and can get to the basket he is very good because he is a willing passer. He averaged 17 points a game but is equally as important on the defensive end.
He contained LeBron in the first game of the series holding him to 5 for 15 shooting and if that continues, the Heat will be feeling the heat.
Carlos Boozer will have to reach back for his best game as he will likely have to deal with LeBron from here on in. He broke out with a 23 point and 10 rebound game in the final against the Hawks but he is also a great interior passer.
At center, the edge has to go to Chicago, as Joakim Noah does not have a slow down button on his body. He will have a tough time out muscling Joel Anthony down low but he is much quicker and he will get to all the 50-50 loose balls. His emotional lift is something that is the kind of intangible that can change a series.
Throw in a talented and unselfish bench of sharpshooter Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Omer Asik, Taj Gibson, C.J. Watson and the venerable Kurt Thomas and you have a beautifully meshed and focused group.
For Miami, all the pressure will be on the Big Tree and even if the Bulls can let those guys get there normal output of points, they can still win and cover in the series if they thwart the questionable bench of James Jones, Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller.
The feeling is that Miami will be over bet in every single game and that may be a prime opportunity for all hoop bettors.
