NBA Odds: Lakers Win 16th NBA Title
The Lakers defended their NBA Championship and picked up "one for the thumb" for their superstar Kobe Bryant with an 83-79 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 in Los Angeles.
The Boston Celtics beat the spread!
That’s the bottom line from Thursday night as far as handicappers are concerned. The Los Angeles Lakers are your 2009-10 NBA champions after beating the Celtics 83-79 at Staples Center, but it was Boston bagging the cash as 7-point underdogs.
The Lakers played from behind most of the game and never held a lead greater than six points. It was a clinic in defensive basketball by both teams, an easy 'under' on the total of 186½ points and the fifth straight 'under' in what was a truly amazing series.
Kobe Bryant was named Finals MVP, cashing in as the 4-7 favorite, but he got a lot of help from his teammates on a night when he shot just 6-of-24 from the field. Ron Artest came through in the clutch with 20 points and a stellar defensive effort. Pau Gasol had 19 points and 18 rebounds, nine of those on the offensive glass. Even Sasha Vujacic put in a heroic cameo appearance with a pair of critical free throws in the waning seconds.
The knee injury Kendrick Perkins sustained in Game 6 turned out to be a difference-maker in this series. Without their bruising center, the Celtics were out-rebounded 53-40 in Game 7 and 23-8 in offensive rebounds. Those second chances allowed the Lakers to keep the game within reach even while they were shooting bricks, and even while Andrew Bynum was limited to 19 ineffective minutes (two points, minus-12) with his own knee injury.
Boston still came within an eyelash of beating the top three teams in the league to win the championship. First it was the Cleveland Cavaliers (61-21 SU, 38-43-1 ATS) in the Eastern Conference semifinals, then the Orlando Magic (59-23 SU, 46-34-2 ATS) in the Eastern Finals. The Lakers had the third-best record during the regular season and the best in the West at 57-25 (33-46-3 ATS). The Celtics were only the No. 4 seed in the East at 50-32 SU and a chalky 33-47-2 ATS, but they elevated their game in the playoffs at 16-8 ATS.
While the Lakers get fitted for some more championship rings, handicappers are raising a frosty beverage in salute to the most profitable team of the season, the Milwaukee Bucks. They improved by 12 wins over last year to finish as the No. 6 seed in the East at 46-36 SU and 52-28-2 ATS. Brandon Jennings (14.58 PER) had a respectable rookie season, and that season-ending injury to Michael Redd (12.14 PER) proved to be a blessing in disguise from a betting perspective. Also earning a tidy sum in the East: the Atlanta Hawks (53-29 SU, 48-34 ATS) and the Charlotte Bobcats (44-38 SU, 44-47-1 ATS).
The big money, however, was hiding in the far corners of the Wild West. The Utah Jazz (53-29 SU, 49-30-3 ATS) were the most profitable team in the conference and one of four teams in the Northwest Division to hit the 50-win mark.
The Oklahoma City Thunder (50-32 SU, 48-34 ATS) was another, improving by 27 wins over 2008-09 to reach the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. They gave the Lakers a good scare in the Western quarterfinals; we’re likely to hear a lot more about Kevin Durant (26.23 PER) in 2010-11. The fate of the Phoenix Suns (54-28 SU, 48-33-1 ATS) is less certain after GM Steve Kerr resigned his post earlier this week.
From the penthouse to the outhouse, the biggest wallet-shredder of them all this year was the New Jersey Nets. They flirted with the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers for the worst record in the history of the league before winning five of their last 12 to wrap things up at 12-70 (33-48-1 ATS). New Jersey jettisoned a lot of talent to clear up cap space for 2010, and pretty much everyone except Brook Lopez (20.11 PER, 82 starts) succumbed to injury at some point. We’ll see if new billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov can lure some talent to what will eventually become the Brooklyn Nets.
In the meantime, the first betting odds for the 2010-11 NBA title have the Lakers on top at 7-2, followed by the Celtics and Magic at 5-1. A handicapper’s work is never done.
The Lakers defended their NBA Championship and picked up "one for the thumb" for their superstar Kobe Bryant with an 83-79 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 in Los Angeles.
The Boston Celtics beat the spread!
That’s the bottom line from Thursday night as far as handicappers are concerned. The Los Angeles Lakers are your 2009-10 NBA champions after beating the Celtics 83-79 at Staples Center, but it was Boston bagging the cash as 7-point underdogs.
The Lakers played from behind most of the game and never held a lead greater than six points. It was a clinic in defensive basketball by both teams, an easy 'under' on the total of 186½ points and the fifth straight 'under' in what was a truly amazing series.
Kobe Bryant was named Finals MVP, cashing in as the 4-7 favorite, but he got a lot of help from his teammates on a night when he shot just 6-of-24 from the field. Ron Artest came through in the clutch with 20 points and a stellar defensive effort. Pau Gasol had 19 points and 18 rebounds, nine of those on the offensive glass. Even Sasha Vujacic put in a heroic cameo appearance with a pair of critical free throws in the waning seconds.
The knee injury Kendrick Perkins sustained in Game 6 turned out to be a difference-maker in this series. Without their bruising center, the Celtics were out-rebounded 53-40 in Game 7 and 23-8 in offensive rebounds. Those second chances allowed the Lakers to keep the game within reach even while they were shooting bricks, and even while Andrew Bynum was limited to 19 ineffective minutes (two points, minus-12) with his own knee injury.
Boston still came within an eyelash of beating the top three teams in the league to win the championship. First it was the Cleveland Cavaliers (61-21 SU, 38-43-1 ATS) in the Eastern Conference semifinals, then the Orlando Magic (59-23 SU, 46-34-2 ATS) in the Eastern Finals. The Lakers had the third-best record during the regular season and the best in the West at 57-25 (33-46-3 ATS). The Celtics were only the No. 4 seed in the East at 50-32 SU and a chalky 33-47-2 ATS, but they elevated their game in the playoffs at 16-8 ATS.
While the Lakers get fitted for some more championship rings, handicappers are raising a frosty beverage in salute to the most profitable team of the season, the Milwaukee Bucks. They improved by 12 wins over last year to finish as the No. 6 seed in the East at 46-36 SU and 52-28-2 ATS. Brandon Jennings (14.58 PER) had a respectable rookie season, and that season-ending injury to Michael Redd (12.14 PER) proved to be a blessing in disguise from a betting perspective. Also earning a tidy sum in the East: the Atlanta Hawks (53-29 SU, 48-34 ATS) and the Charlotte Bobcats (44-38 SU, 44-47-1 ATS).
The big money, however, was hiding in the far corners of the Wild West. The Utah Jazz (53-29 SU, 49-30-3 ATS) were the most profitable team in the conference and one of four teams in the Northwest Division to hit the 50-win mark.
The Oklahoma City Thunder (50-32 SU, 48-34 ATS) was another, improving by 27 wins over 2008-09 to reach the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. They gave the Lakers a good scare in the Western quarterfinals; we’re likely to hear a lot more about Kevin Durant (26.23 PER) in 2010-11. The fate of the Phoenix Suns (54-28 SU, 48-33-1 ATS) is less certain after GM Steve Kerr resigned his post earlier this week.
From the penthouse to the outhouse, the biggest wallet-shredder of them all this year was the New Jersey Nets. They flirted with the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers for the worst record in the history of the league before winning five of their last 12 to wrap things up at 12-70 (33-48-1 ATS). New Jersey jettisoned a lot of talent to clear up cap space for 2010, and pretty much everyone except Brook Lopez (20.11 PER, 82 starts) succumbed to injury at some point. We’ll see if new billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov can lure some talent to what will eventually become the Brooklyn Nets.
In the meantime, the first betting odds for the 2010-11 NBA title have the Lakers on top at 7-2, followed by the Celtics and Magic at 5-1. A handicapper’s work is never done.