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The NBA playoffs have
already produced several interesting storylines and entertaining games.
Shaquille O'Neal, who
was acquired by the Phoenix Suns to try and provide an answer to the Spurs' Tim
Duncan, hasn't been able to foil the San Antonio star, which is one of the reasons Phoenix is down 2-0 in the series.
The Washington Wizards
have been smacking Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James around but the King
has risen above the knocks and has his team up 2-0.
Looking at a couple of
upcoming playoff matchups, there are some interesting trends to make note of.
Boston
Celtics at Atlanta
Hawks
Everyone is expecting
the Boston Celtics to come out of the Eastern Conference-the Celtics are a
steep -600 fav to be the Eastern champion and the odds-on to win the whole
thing at +140.
Boston's first round opponent is the Atlanta Hawks
and the Celtics currently have a 2-0 series lead-having defeated Atlanta SU and
ATS in both postseason matchups. The two teams meet on Saturday in Atlanta, with the Celtics as an 8-point favorite.
Of interest to bettors
might be taking a look at the Over/Under numbers. Atlanta and Boston have not only stayed Under the number in both
playoff games; they've gone Under in every one of their matchups this season.
As it stands, the
Celtics and Hawks have produced no overs and 5 unders in their last five
meetings. The total is set at 187 at SPORTSBETTING.COM
So far, early betting
volume is coming in on the Under at a 61% clip.
Will the streak go up
to six?
New Orleans
Hornets at Dallas
Mavericks
From a geographical
perspective, the New Orleans Hornets are playing in the wrong conference and
division, and the travel can be taxing on the players through 82 regular season
games, but the Hornets aren't playing like a worn-out group.
After finishing the
regular season as the Western Conference's second seed and Southwest Division
champion, the Hornets have a 2-0 series lead on Dallas. Now they will play the next two games on the
road. They are a 5-point dog in the first matchup in Dallas.
New
Orleans
was favored in the first two matchups of the series and has made it look easy,
covering the numbers while beating the Mavericks by a combined 36 points
(104-92 and 127-103).
However, New Orleans dropped two matchups at American Airlines Center in Texas SU and ATS during the regular season.
Looking at the
Over/Under numbers in this one, these two have combined for a mark of 6 overs
and only 1 under the last seven times they've hooked up. Early bettors are
hitting the "Over" at a 73% clip so far.
We're in store for another great weekend of NBA hoops
action.
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