The All Star break is nearly upon us, and the action on the hardwood couldn’t be any hotter. Here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking a close look at the NBA Finals odds once again and making some of the top NBA picks for the 2012 NBA Championship.

Now that they are starting to open up some breathing room in the Southeast Division, we have no choice but to like what the Miami Heat (Current 2012 NBA Finals Odds: 1.70 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) are offering. The Atlanta Hawks are playing without Al Horford, and it still seems like a matter of time until the Orlando Magic trade Dwight Howard, which will really leave the Heat with all of the stars in this division. They have survived Dwyane Wade’s injuries, and LeBron James is playing arguably the best basketball of his career. Sure, many are going to point out just how bad the Heat looked at times against the lowly Milwaukee Bucks, a team that should have no business hanging around with them, but the boys from South Beach are still just toying around with the rest of the league at this point, and there clearly isn’t a team out there that is going to slow them down until perhaps the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Heat weren’t the first team in the league to reach 20 wins, though. The Chicago Bulls did it in the East, while the Oklahoma City Thunder (Odds To Win the NBA Finals: 5.00 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) were the first in the West to reach that coveted mark. The rest of the Western Conference is starting to fall apart just a bit, especially with the Los Angeles Clippers losing Chauncey Billups for the season with an Achilles injury. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant both feel like they could go off for 30+ points every single night, and the rest of the team surrounding them is tremendous as well. Kendrick Perkins is really teaching this team how to be tough and win as a unit on both sides of the court, and that is going to bode well in the postseason. Oklahoma City has spent the last two years learning how to be one of the best teams in the league. Now, it is the top dog and should be considered one of the biggest threats in the league to win the whole enchilada this year.

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Aside from these first two teams that we mentioned though, we really don’t see any of the favorites that are worth backing. That being said, we are going to go a bit off the board right now and take teams that might surprise you. We think that the Portland Trail Blazers (2012 NBA Championship Odds: 33 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) have a tremendous unit. Sure, they are playing in a stacked division that includes Oklahoma City, but in a short playoff series, they have the outstanding edge of one of the best home court advantages in the game. Portland’s Rose Garden is one of the toughest venues to go into. LaMarcus Aldridge is rounding into one of the best players in the game, and being able to slot in Jamal Crawford in place of the retired Brandon Roy has been a great addition as well. The Blazers have the pieces to make a big splash if they want to before the trade deadline, but the pieces that are here at rock solid. Portland has to learn to win on the road just a bit more though, but if that happens, watch out. We might have a great price here at 33 to 1 on the Blazers.

We are still a bit puzzled as to why the Indiana Pacers (2012 NBA Finals Odds: 50 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) are getting such little respect. Indiana has done a great job this year racking up 17 wins, including one against the Bulls, who are supposed to be the cream of the crop in the Central Division. The Pacers have nothing to worry about in terms of the playoffs, as the East has just so much garbage in it that getting into the second season is a formality. David West’s numbers might make him look like he is slacking this year, but he is bringing a lot to this very talented team, one that has a lot more on it than his former New Orleans Hornets seemingly have had in years. Indiana has been dominating at home as well, save for two losses to Orlando. This might finally be the year that the rest of the NBA wakes up and realizes just how great of a player Danny Granger really is.

List Of Past NBA Finals Champions
2011 NBA Champions: Dallas Mavericks
2010 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2009 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2008 NBA Champions: Boston Celtics
2007 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs
2006 NBA Champions: Miami Heat
2005 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs
2004 NBA Champions: Detroit Pistons
2003 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs
2002 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2001 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2000 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers

The lack of respect for the Houston Rockets (Odds To Win The 2012 NBA Finals: 100 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) just doesn’t seem right. Remember that it wasn’t all that long ago that many thought that the trade bringing Kevin Martin to the Lone Star State was the one that would put this team over the top. Now, the pieces to the puzzle are clearly in place as they should be, and Martin, Luis Scola, and Kyle Lowry are doing a great job in a very quiet manner. The Southwest Division could be had this year, as we know that the Dallas Mavericks aren’t as good as they have been in years past, and the San Antonio Spurs still seem like they are playing over their head to us. The Rockets are likely a playoff team this year, and if that turns out to be the case, getting 100 to 1 odds on them to win the NBA Championship is borderline insane.

Up To Date 2012 NBA Finals Odds @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 2/9/12):
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Miami Heat 1.70 to 1
Oklahoma City Thunder 5 to 1
Chicago Bulls 5.50 to 1
Los Angeles Lakers 10 to 1
Los Angeles Clippers 14 to 1
Dallas Mavericks 16 to 1
San Antonio Spurs 29 to 1
Boston Celtics 33 to 1
Portland Trail Blazers 33 to 1
Denver Nuggets 40 to 1
Orlando Magic 40 to 1
Atlanta Hawks 50 to 1
Indiana Pacers 50 to 1
Memphis Grizzlies 50 to 1
New York Knicks 50 to 1
Houston Rockets 100 to 1
Utah Jazz 125 to 1
Milwaukee Bucks 250 to 1
Minnesota Timberwolves 250 to 1
Phoenix Suns 250 to 1
Golden State Warriors 300 to 1
New Jersey Nets 350 to 1
Cleveland Cavaliers 450 to 1
Sacramento Kings 500 to 1
Detroit Pistons 1,000 to 1
Toronto Raptors 1,000 to 1
Washington Wizards 1,500 to 1
Charlotte Bobcats 2,500 to 1
New Orleans Hornets 2,500 to 1

2011-12 Odds To Win The NBA Finals @ BetRevolution Sportsbook (as of 2/9/12):
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Miami Heat 1.30 to 1
Chicago Bulls 4.25 to 1
Oklahoma City Thunder 4 to 1
Dallas Mavericks 16 to 1
Los Angeles Lakers 8 to 1
Portland Trail Blazers 30 to 1
New York Knicks 65 to 1
Orlando Magic 35 to 1
San Antonio Spurs 20 to 1
Atlanta Hawks 25 to 1
Memphis Grizzlies 55 to 1
Boston Celtics 25 to 1
Phoenix Suns 175 to 1
Houston Rockets 65 to 1
Los Angeles Clippers 14 to 1
Denver Nuggets 40 to 1
Golden State Warriors 200 to 1
Utah Jazz 85 to 1
Indiana Pacers 25 to 1
Charlotte Bobcats 300 to 1
Philadelphia 76ers 20 to 1
New Orleans Hornets 300 to 1
Milwaukee Bucks 150 to 1
New Jersey Nets 220 to 1
Detroit Pistons 300 to 1
Washington Wizards 300 to 1
Sacramento Kings 150 to 1
Toronto Raptors 300 to 1
Minnesota Timberwolves 175 to 1
Cleveland Cavaliers 300 to 1

Of the four series to make NBA playoffs picks on in the second round in the postseason, this one is it. The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Dallas Mavericks, and many think that the winner of this series is going to be able to beat the NBA Finals odds and claim the 2010-11 NBA Championship.

NBA Series Prices
Los Angeles -375 vs. Dallas +275 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Los Angeles -360 vs. Dallas +280 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Los Angeles -355 vs. Dallas +295 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
The road team has been the one to dominate this series over the course of the last 15 clashes. The roadies, much to the surprise of NBA betting fans, is 10-4-1 in these last 15 meetings. Of course, the home team has still won six of the last nine meetings, and that’s the only stat that the Lakers truly care about right now. The last time Dallas won a game here at Staples Center was back in October 2009.

The first two meetings of the year were a split, but the third and decisive game that gave Los Angeles home court advantage in this series was a 110-82 ‘W’ in Tinseltown, the biggest win that this series has seen since January 2010 when LA won 131-96 at home.

Keys to the Series
Key 1: Dirk’s Drive to Be a Champ – Ric Flair had the greatest quote in the world about this series. In order to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man. My, how this will ring. Dirk Nowitzki has never been able to be the man, but at least this is a great chance to beat the man. The Lakers are the two time defending champs, and they have the head coach in Phil Jackson and the superstar in Kobe Bryant to have continued success. Nowitzki might have averaged over 27 points per game in the first round of the playoffs, but if he puts up 70 points per game and the Mavs lose, he is still going to end up with a heck of a problem in the Dallas media.

Key 2: Gasol, Bynum, and Odom Big in the Paint – The paint is typically an area that the Lakers dominate, and against a Portland team that is relatively undersized, this could be another big time advantage in this series. The Mavericks only averaged 41.4 boards per game this year, almost three rebounds per game fewer than what LA put up. Of course, we know that Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom are going to do their thing, as they all averaged at least six boards per game in the first round of the playoffs. They’re all double-double machines though, and we know that Gasol is going to end up being a heck of a lot better than he was against New Orleans (13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds per game).

Key 3: Point Guard Prowess – Both Jason Kidd and Derek Fisher have been around the block a few times in their NBA careers, and both picked a great time to come up big as scorers for their teams in the first round of the playoffs. Fisher, who often was held to just a bucket in a game, averaged 9.3 points per game and shot 55.6 percent from three point range. Kidd, a man who has about a zillion triple-doubles in the career, averaged 11.7 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game in the series against Portland. The one of these two that ends up playing better is almost certainly going to have the team that ends up winning this series, so keep a very, very close eye on the play of the point guards even though neither one might be stuffing the stat sheet.

The NBA Trade Deadline is now here, as teams have less than 12 hours to make their final moves for the rest of the season. The action has been hot and heavy over the course of the last day and change, and here is a recap of what we have seen, plus what we might see in the closing hours today…

The biggest blockbuster deal that we have all been waiting for has finally gone done. The New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets have finally agreed on a deal that will send Carmelo Anthony to the Big Apple, his desired destination. New York is expected to give Anthony a three year, $65M extension that will keep him playing at MSG through 2015. The Knicks also received back Chauncey Billups, who will immediately start at the point guard spot, along with Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman, and Anthony Carter. In exchange, Denver will be getting Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, a first round draft choice, two second round draft choices, and $3M in cash. Melo scored 27 points and had 10 boards in his first game playing with the Knicks, who beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

The wheeling and dealing wasn’t done there, though. New York also sent off Eddy Curry’s expiring contract and Anthony Randolph for Corey Brewer. Brewer didn’t make it into the lineup on Wednesday.

For Denver, the trades are almost certainly not complete. Gallinari and Felton might never suit up for the Nuggs by the time this is said and done. Felton is now the second former North Carolina Tar Heels point guard on the team, joining Ty Lawson. Rumors also have it that Nene could be sent off in a deal before Thursday’s deadline as well, and he is now the leading point scorer still left on the team at 15.0 per game. Al Harrington, who was signed last summer to a huge free agent deal, now could also be traded. The Nuggets play their first game since the trade tonight against the Boston Celtics at home.

The New Jersey Nets were figured to be the biggest losers of the trading deadline, as they once again seemed to miss out on acquiring all of the superstars that were available, just like what happened in the offseason. However, we have learned to never count out Mikhail Prokhorov and company, as New Jersey got its man, and it arguably got a better deal than it would’ve gotten had it picked up ‘Melo. In a late breaking deal on Wednesday, the Nets acquired Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz. Jersey sent packing Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and two draft choices to Utah.

Meanwhile, the Jazz are now absolutely ripe as could be, as they have a ton of pieces to the puzzle that could, but probably won’t be moved by the 3:00 ET deadline today. Favors is a man that a lot of teams are still asking about, especially on a team in which he may never crack the rotation. Remember that Utah still has Al Jefferson, Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, and Paul Millsap, essentially all of which have the same type of skill set as Favors does. The Jazz still need a two guard and would be wise to try to send one of these bigs off to make that happen.

Williams won’t necessarily resign with the Nets, as he is reportedly unhappy with the trade. However, he still has a full season under his belt with his current contract and cannot get out until 2012. New Jersey could always turn around and trade him off next year if things don’t work out, but the hope is that Williams becomes the cornerstone to the franchise as it tries to turn around its misery.

We mentioned two days ago that the Atlanta Hawks were looking for a point guard, and they finally found their man, though it came at a hefty price tag. Atlanta traded Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans, and a first round draft choice to the Washington Wizards for Hilton Armstrong and Kirk Hinrich. If you’re the Wiz, you have to love this deal, as it rids you of Hinrich, who is only standing in the way of the growth of John Wall, and it gives you yet another draft pick to try to build around. Atlanta gets its point guard, but it takes three key players out of its rotation to do so.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a nice move in the middle of the night on Wednesday as well, picking up Baron Davis and a lottery draft pick this coming year to the Los Angeles Clippers for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon. Davis is clearly at the tail end of his career, and it is clear that the team just wanted to move him for the sake of moving him. It essentially cost a first round pick to do so, but this might not be the end of the world for an LA team that does have a ton of players under the age of 25 on its team. It might also be a nice switch for Williams, who has just seemed to be totally lost since losing LeBron James to the Miami Heat this past offseason.

Speaking of the Heat, they could be in on a minor move as well, though teams don’t seem to be all that interested in their most tradeable asset, Mike Miller. Still, keep an eye on this situation, as Miami is trying to bring in another veteran big to help out Chris Bosh on the inside.

Up the road, the Orlando Magic are surely looking to make a move, especially after losing to the Sacramento Kings last night. General Manager Otis Smith knows that he really needs to make a major move sooner than later, or he’ll probably end up losing Dwight Howard in two seasons to free agency, a la LeBron James, something that would seal his fate and cost him his job for sure. The problem is finding the pieces to the puzzle to deal since Orlando already made the big time trade with the Phoenix Suns earlier this season. Could Steve Nash be coming to Orlando? What about Zach Randolph? The Randolph deal makes some sense, though it would require reportedly sending back at least Brandon Bass and Jason Richardson to do so, a heavy price to pay.

Teams are also contacted the Memphis Grizzlies about the availability of Hasheem Thabeet, who has largely been a tremendous bust in his career after being a high draft choice two seasons ago.

The Portland Trail Blazers are still trying to make a move, but it’s a question as to what they’re looking for. There are plenty of bigs to trade on this team, and it seems like the only names that aren’t being bantered around just a bit are those of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Aside from that though, it all seems to be fair game, and anyone coming to the table with the right asking price can seemingly get anyone else they want off of this team. One of those talks are with the Charlotte Bobcats, who have had inquiries about Gerald Wallace. That deal doesn’t seem to be in the makings though, as Wallace is still looked at as the cornerstone of Charlotte’s team.

We’ll keep you up to date here at Bankroll Sports with all of the ins and outs of the 2011 NBA Trade Deadline rumors!

The 2010 NBA Finals lines are out, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’re offering up our opinions on the odds to win the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.

Complete List Of Current Odds To Win The 2010 NBA Finals Can Be Found Below

All season long, the Celtics were the team that underachieved. They only finished the regular season at 24-17 SU at home and just 12-28-1 ATS. They only averaged 99.2 points per game in spite of the fact that they probably had one of the most talented offensive lineups in the game. Heck, only finishing fifth in the league in total defense probably wasn’t anything to write home about either.

However, the C’s talked all about how they just needed to flip the switch and that things would be different in the playoffs. My, how they were right.

The only time that Boston has lost two straight games in the playoffs came in Games 4 and 5 against the Orlando Magic. They have already stolen five wins as the visitors in the postseason, and they are an amazing 12-5 ATS to show for 17 playoff efforts.

The “Big Four” are combining to average scoring 67.5 points per game.

“The Truth,” F Paul Pierce is up to 19.1 points per game after scoring 30+ points in two of the final three games of the Orlando series. His counterpart, G Rajon Rondo has made a real name for himself, as he almost averaged a triple-double in the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

First it was D-Wade. Then it was King James. Finally, it was Superman. They all fell. The Celtics were right. The proverbial switch has been flipped.

However, it’s Showtime in Tinseltown now for the Celtics, which means that the Lakers are going to be rockin’ and rollin’ in an effort to win their second consecutive NBA Finals.

Even though Los Angeles was the #1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, this wasn’t exactly a dominant squad either. The Lakers limped down the stretch of the season and had to sweat just a bit about whether or not they were going to take home court advantage on the road to the NBA Finals or not.

Just like Boston, this was a team that was supposed to limp into the playoffs. G Kobe Bryant looked old. The youthful Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to take all of the energy out of them. F Pau Gasol was supposed to be too soft. The bench wasn’t supposed to be deep enough.

Durant, Boozer, Williams, Nash, and Stoudemire… All names that are now watching as those Lakers that were “finished” are playing to complete the successful defense of their crown.

Bryant has turned the corner in a huge way, as he has been absolutely lights out, particularly since early in that series against the Thunder. He has a streak of four straight 30+ point performances under his belt coming into this series, and his statistics are simply off of the charts. Kobe is averaging 29.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game in the playoffs, shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from beyond the arc.

F Pau Gasol has done plenty of damage as well, scoring right at 20.0 points per game to go with his 10.9 rebounds.

The bench might be under some scrutiny, but F Lamar Odom has done his share. In just under 30 minutes per game of action, Odom has compiled 10.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, which should set up a great clash between he and the secondary big men for the Celtics in the paint.

This is a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals, won by the Celtics in six games. It was the official renewal of a team that had fallen from the days of Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, and all of the other fantastic names that are sitting in the rafters at TD Banknorth Garden. 2009 was the year of the Lakers, as Bryant helped further solidify his name amongst Lakers greats like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

NBA Finals betting action starts Thursday night at Staples Center and will continue with Game 2 on Sunday before the series shifts back to Beantown for Games 3, 4, and 5 (if necessary) starting on Tuesday.

Odds to Win 2010 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Sportsbook	Bonus
JustBet Sportsbook	100% Free Play Bonus	+165	-185
Diamond Sportsbook	100% Match Free Play	+165	-195
BetUS Sportsbook	100% Bonus Up to $500	+155	-190

Only four teams left in the quest to become the champs of the basketball world heading into the Eastern and Western Conference Championship series which begin on Sunday.

With the dismissal of the Cleveland Cavaliers from the postseason, the Orlando Magic (+120 at Diamond Sportsbook) are now the favorite to win it all. And why not? HC Stan Van Gundy’s team has won all eight of its playoff games and just ditched the Hawks by a combined 101 points. The Magic are now 14-0 SU and 12-2 ATS in their L/14 games overall dating back to the regular season, and they haven’t been beaten since the beginning of April. If Boston thinks it is winning this series, it is going to have to buck a very telling trend that is on the side of the men from the Sunshine State. Orlando hasn’t lost back-to-back games since January 18th. That’s 49 straight games without two losses in a row.

As you can plainly see, the Boston Celtics (+600 at Diamond Sportsbook) are deservedly one of the two longest shots on the board to win it all. It’s going to be hard to see how the C’s can get the job done against the Magic. However, Boston did win four out of five games against the team that was easily the favorite to take it all in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. G Rajon Rondo has made a name for himself in these playoffs, especially with his triple-double in Game 4 against Cleveland. The Kentucky product has averaged 18.0 points, 11.1 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game in the playoffs, and no one is questioning the fact that he has been the MVP of the team to date.

In the Western Conference, both teams are coming off of impressive clean sweeps of their foes.

The Phoenix Suns (+625 at Diamond Sportsbook) are the decided underdog to reach the NBA Finals. The Suns swept away the San Antonio Spurs in a series that many thought they were going to lose. HC Alvin Gentry has really gotten his squad together, as he is getting great contributions off of the bench and his starters are continuing to carry the load. F Amare Stoudemire has passed his biggest test to date, as he dominated the paint against F Tim Duncan and the Spurs. Now, he’ll need to take on the team that has arguably had the best inside presences in these playoffs.

In all likelihood, the Los Angeles Lakers (+130 at Diamond Sportsbook) are going to be short underdogs to win the NBA Championship if they run into the Magic in the Finals, which isn’t something that many saw as possible just a few weeks ago. LA rebounded from its iffy series with the Thunder by completely annihilating Utah in four games. G Kobe Bryant has been the subject of a lot of criticism, but he has fired back with five straight fantastic games. Kobe has scored at least 30 in all five and has averaged 32.0 points per game in that stretch. If Bryant can continue his assault on the basket, things are going to be very, very difficult for a Phoenix team that knows that it must shut him down to succeed.

Odds to win 2010 NBA Championship @ Diamond Sportsbook (as of 5/15/10):
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Orlando Magic +120
Los Angeles Lakers +130
Boston Celtics +600
Phoenix Suns +625

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It felt like every season, the Phoenix Suns were being stopped on their quest to reach the NBA Finals at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. Many thought that this year would be no exception, as Phoenix ran into the #7 Spurs in the second round of the playoffs and was the subject of many upset selections.

Upset, shmupset. Bust out the brooms instead.

The Suns absolutely blasted San Antonio in all four games, winning each by at least six points and averaging winning by 9.3 points per game. They went 4-0 ATS and have now both won and covered every NBA playoff betting line that they have faced since G Brandon Roy limped back onto the court in Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

The time is now for the loveable losers in the NBA. The Suns haven’t been to the NBA Finals since 1993 in the Charles Barkley days, and you have to go back to 1976 to find the only other time in franchise history that they pulled off the feat.

The city of Phoenix has yet to taste a championship in the NBA.

The time is absolutely now for Phoenix.

C Amare Stoudemire, by all accounts, will most likely be playing somewhere else next season unless he accepts his hefty player option for the 2010-11 season with the Suns. G Steve Nash isn’t getting any younger. Who knows if G Jason Richardson will ever catch this much fire again?

This team is significantly different than the ones that just flew up and down the court, played no defense, and ultimately were just muscled out of the playoffs.

Are Steve Nash and the Suns tough enough to beat the Los Angeles Lakers? You’d better believe it!

Stoudemire just did his job in the paint and 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game against arguably the best power forward of our generation in F Tim Duncan. Nash was bloody up in Game 4, but came back and ultimately scored 20 points to go with nine assists. Six different players recorded blocked shots in the final game of the series as well.

In fact, Phoenix held San Antonio to 46.7 percent shooting in Game 4, 45.0 percent in Game 3, 50.6 percent in Game 2, and 45.8 percent in Game 1. When you’re the Suns and you shoot nearly 50% from the field in every game and you have eight guys that can shoot three pointers, including several that are at least 6’10″, if you hold opposing teams to those types of percentages, you’re going to win a lot of games.

Enter the Los Angeles Lakers, the defending champs in the NBA. LA was pushed to the brink in what was a very hard fought series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 1, only to dismiss the Utah Jazz in four games in Round 2.

However, many accept the fact that this team isn’t as good as the one that won it all last year. G Kobe Bryant is still producing, but he is most certainly aging and most likely injured. Unlike in the last series when the Lakers absolutely dominated the glass, the Suns have enough big bodies to pound the likes of F Pau Gasol and C Andrew Bynum on the inside.

Depth won’t be an issue either, as HC Alvin Gentry isn’t afraid to call on any number or combination of ten guys to get the job done. Foul trouble won’t be an issue. Neither will fatigue… at least not for Phoenix.

The Lakers have been warned. The Suns are set to rise in the Western Conference Finals.

BetUS Sportsbook has opened up the Suns at +280 underdogs to win the Western Conference.

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2009-10 NBA Finals Odds, Preview & Predictions

List of Odds To Win The 2010 NBA Finals Can Be Found At The Bottom

Last year marked the Los Angeles Lakers return to glory as they recorded their 15th NBA Championship in franchise history just two behind the all-time leading Boston Celtics at 17 in total. The Championship marked Kobe Bryant’s 4th title in his career and for Coach Phil Jackson a record 10th championship. However despite the Lakers dominance especially over the Western Conference in recent years, it was their first championship in 7 years despite 2 failed NBA Finals trips during that period. Heading into 2010, the Lakers are once again favorites to take on the hardware at +180 favorites meaning Phil Jackson will have to start finding additional hands to carry those rings. However, as the NBA proved last year the competition is fierce and there will be many fighting for similar claims including Lebron James who is in search for his first NBA Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers who are receiving +450 odds to win it all. Take a look as we list he odds to win the 2009 NBA Fianls, breakdown each Conference and what to expect from the NBA in 2010, and ultimately giving a prediction for this year’s 2010 NBA Championship.

2009-10 Eastern Conference Preview:

Last year in the Eastern Conference the “Big 3” dominated the conference consistently battling for the best overall record in the league. Those teams were the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic who ended up representing the Eastern Conference in the Finals. Orlando is receiving +700 odds for 2010, but they lost Hedo Turkoglu to free agency who landed with the Toronto Raptors. Orlando will still be a force just from the presence of Dwight Howard. However, shooting guard J.J Redick should be able to provide some more help this season and the Magic also landed a proven veteran in Vince Carter. There is no reason not to expect the Magic to be a force this year as Turkoglu really did not do much during the regular season. Orlando will still be playing catch-up early in the season, but they could be a force by playoff time.

The Cavaliers added Shaquille O’Neal to the roster to help down low. O’Neal has not produced a ton of points over the past few seasons, but he could definitely contribute a lot to the defensive efforts from Cleveland. The Cavaliers were among the best defensive teams in the league last year holding opponents to just 90.4 points per game and those numbers may get even better. Of course James will be Lebron like so there is not much worry with him. James averaged just less than 30 points per game last year 2nd best in the NBA behind Dwyane Wade. The player that may make the biggest difference for Cleveland is Mo Williams. Shaq gives the presence you need down low that teams will respect, and Lebron will draw all the attention. If Williams can be the shooter they think he can be, then the Cavaliers may very well have their shot at glory this season.

The last of the “Big 3” is the Boston Celtics who are receiving solid +300 odds to win the NBA Title. There was not a ton of change in Boston outside of the signing of Rasheed Wallace. Wallace spent the last 5 years in Detroit, but will find a place in the starting rotation for the Celtics. The problem Boston had last season is that injuries plagued the team down the stretch. Garnett missed a lot of the latter part of the season and guys were consistently banged up. If not for countless Paul Pierce clutch shots, the Celtics may not have made it out of the opening round of the playoffs last year. Boston will once again own the most talented lineup in the NBA as they can get huge numbers from any of their starters. The key will be staying together and staying healthy.

A few other teams that could get into the mix this season are the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls. It has been some time since we seen the Bulls get on a level where they could be possible contenders for a championship. While that still may be a few years down the road, Chicago could make similar noise as they did in their opening round overtime thrilling playoff match-up with the Celtics. Chicago signed 2009 Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose to an extension and he should have a future in the windy city. The Bulls have the ability to contend on any given night, but possibly not the depth to contend in the long run. All in all, the Bulls are about 1 superstar away from being back in the NBA Finals contender category.

The Hawks signed rookie Jeff Teague out of Wake Forest who showed countless signs of brilliance in the college ranks. Teague should adapt well in Atlanta since they like to run a fast paced offense. Atlanta also acquired Jamal Crawford from the Knicks. Crawford averaged 20 points per contest last year and he should help make Atlanta even tougher on a nightly basis. The Hawks are sizeable +4000 underdogs, but are a team to keep on the radar with their style of play.

2009-10 Western Conference Preview:

The Lakers really controlled the West last season with just less than an .80 winning percentage. The only team that showed signs that they could slow the Lakers where the Denver Nuggets who got extremely hot on some late season runs. However, the Nuggets still dropped 3 of 4 regular season contest to the Lakers. Los Angeles also ended up taking Denver out in the Conference Finals going 4-2. In the Southwest division, things were wide open throughout the year. San Antonio ended up on the top spot and showed signs of late season magic, but they were destroyed by Dallas 4 games to 1 in the playoffs. In all reality this may be another year of wide open basketball in the Western Conference, but all will still be chasing the Lakers.

The Dallas Mavericks came on late in the year and also in the playoffs last year mainly behind Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavericks added some depth to the roster this season in Drew Gooden and Shawn Marion. Marion should help scoring efforts and Gooden with time will develop into a nice presence as well. Josh Howard battled injuries all last season and it is imperative that he stay healthy in terms of the Mavericks success. Dallas has the scorer’s to contend, but may still lack the down low presence needed. Erick Dampier just is not the big man in the middle you find on most championship teams.

The other contender out of the Southwest will be none other than the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs should take battle with Dallas in the southwest as Houston will likely suffer with the season long absence of Yao Ming whose career may be in jeopardy after foot surgery. However, the Spurs made some moves in the right direction. After campaigning for senior citizens benefits last year, the Spurs added youth with rookie DeJuan Blair and also added Richard Jefferson. San Antonio should be the most experience team in the league and Blair may give more help in his rookie campaign than most would expect. The Spurs should be able to contend, but we just not sold they have what it takes to return to the Finals spotlight.

Outside of the might Southwest, the Denver Nuggets have to be the team that challenges the Lakers for the top spot. Last year’s addition of Chauncey Billups proved to be astronomical for the team’s success. Of course Carmelo Anthony is the superstar, but Billups is a star as well and really gets the team to play together. If J.R Smith can have a similar season to 2009 much less improve, the Nuggets will be even better in 2010. Denver has the talent in the starting lineup to content with anyone, but this is another team that can not afford any injuries. If they stay healthy, they have every opportunity to take down the West. Denver is +1500 underdogs which is a line that may deserve a lot of attention.

The Lakers lost Trevor Ariza, but just when you think Los Angeles takes a step back they sign Ron Artest to the lineup. If you hated the Lakers before, you will hate them even more with Artest now on the roster. Like it or not, it should make Los Angeles even stronger. Kobe Bryant may just be the best player in the league and Pau Gasol has proved he is a good match with Bryant. The scary thing about this team is center Andrew Bynum is just going to get better and better. Hopefully for the rest of the league’s sake, Bynum does not have any huge breakout this season. If so call it checkmate for the defending Champions to repeat.

One final team to keep your eye on in the west includes first and foremost the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland has found their star in Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge is an equally effective helping hand. However, Portland strengthened their lineup over the off season with the additions of Andre Miller and Juwan Howard. Miller should definitely be able to help efforts and depth in the backcourt. Howard is a veteran whose performance will likely wane, but he can still provide some quality minutes. The Trail Blazers really need Greg Oden to step up and be the big inside threat. Oden is a rebounding machine, but has had trouble with injuries as well as foul trouble. If he stays healthy and stays on the court, good things will come for Portland who is receiving +1500 odds.

2009-10 NBA Finals Prediction:

If the Boston Celtics can stay healthy, their lineup is ridiculously talented. The Cavaliers may be even better this season, but the Celtics will be as well. Boston will take down the Eastern Conference and meet up with the Lakers who will again edge out Denver in the Western Conference. However the Lakers will not defend their title, as 2008 repeats itself and the Celtics will beat the Lakers 4-2 while taking home the hardware for the 18th time.

2010 NBA Finals Odds From JustBet Sportsbook (as of 11/5/2009):
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Atlanta Hawks - 40 to 1
Boston Celtics – 3 to 1
Charlotte Bobcats – 100 to 1
Chicago Bulls – 60 to 1
Cleveland Cavaliers – 9 to 2
Dallas Mavericks – 30 to 1
Denver Nuggets – 15 to 1
Detroit Pistons – 75 to 1
Golden State Warriors – 100 to 1
Houston Rockets – 50 to 1
Indiana Pacers – 100 to 1
Los Angeles Clippers – 100 to 1
Los Angeles Lakers – 7 to 4
Memphis Grizzlies – 100 to 1
Miami Heat – 40 to 1
Milwaukee Bucks – 100 to 1
Minnesota Timberwolves – 100 to 1
New Jersey Nets – 100 to 1
New Orleans Hornes – 50 to 1
New York Knicks – 100 to 1
Oklahoma City Thunder – 100 to 1
Orlando Magic – 7 to 1
Philadelphia 76ers – 75 to 1
Phoenix Suns – 70 to 1
Portland Blazers – 15 to 1
Sacramento Kings – 10 to 1
San Antonio Spurs – 7 to 1
Toronto Raptors – 100 to 1
Utah Jazz – 30 to 1
Washington Wizards – 50 to 1

The NBA regular season will end later this week as we head towards the post-season. The Cleveland Cavaliers have locked up home court advantage throughout their Eastern Conference playoff run and are one game away from clinching home court advantage in the NBA Finals if they can make it that far in the playoffs. The Cavaliers are coming off a huge blowout win over the defending Champions the Boston Celtics 107-76 on Sunday. The Cavaliers big win over the number 2 ranked team in the East is actually Cleveland’s biggest victory in franchise history over the Celtics. The Cavaliers amazing home game run extended to a mark of 38-1 inside Quicken Loans Arena with the victory. The Cavaliers appear to be big favorites considering they will get the majority of the games at home were they have been unstoppable. However, the Eastern Conference has been extremely tough this year as Orlando blew out Cleveland a few short weeks ago similar to the Cavaliers big win over Boston. The 3 horse race all season out of the East will carry over to the post-season. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers are still the big favorites after a big win over Denver last Thursday night. The return of Andrew Bynum will only be more beneficial for the Lakers who have appeared as the top notch team in the West all season. However teams like Denver, Houston, and Portland have really closed out the year strong and could be teams to put together impressive runs in the playoffs. We give brief breakdown of the major contenders for the 2009 NBA Playoffs along with their odds to win it all.

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers (7/5)

The Cavaliers extremely impressive home record makes them big favorites in the NBA playoffs. Their 38-1 record is among the best ever string of runs by a home team in NBA history. Lebron James is averaged 28.3 points per game, but more importantly is getting a lot of help from the rest of the team. Cleveland only lost one game all season at home meaning for them to be beaten in the playoffs a team is going to have to win at least one game in Cleveland while sweeping the Cavaliers away from Cleveland. Good luck with that.

Boston Celtics (4/1)

The Celtics chances to repeat as NBA Champions took a big hit with their embarrassing loss to Cleveland. However, Boston has played very well to close out the season winning 8 of their last 10 games. The Celtics are another team that plays very well at home with a 34-6 record for the season. However, Boston is only 4-4 against Orlando and Cleveland on the year meaning they have been anything but dominant over the top teams in the East. Still the Celtics know what it takes to be Champions, but can they do it again?

Orlando Magic (8/1)

The Magic got the big win over Cleveland back in the first week of April, but they have now lost 3 of their last 4 games. Orlando got off to a tremendous start to the season, but really suffered a hit with the loss of Jameer Nelson despite putting together some solid winning streaks in recent weeks. Also, Rashard Lewis will likely miss the final games of the regular season with a knee injury and the Magic simply look to be too banged up down the stretch to be a legitimate threat as they appeared earlier this year.

Team to Watch – Chicago Bulls (100/1)

The Chicago Bulls have won 4 straight games and 12 of their last 15 games during that stretch. Chicago has put together a solid home record this season that is always crucial during the post season. If the Bulls can keep up the momentum and get some more big performances from Ben Gordon, they could really pull off a string off upsets and perhaps take down either Boston or Orlando who they will be likely playing in the opening round.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers (8/5)

Thursday night’s victory over the emerging Denver Nuggets was icing on the cake for Western Conference bragging rights. The Lakers simply looked too strong for their closest competitors in the West and are big favorites at 4/9 favorites to make it to the NBA Finals. The Lakers got beat by a streaking Portland team on Friday 106-98, but they still appear to be too strong in terms of being beat in an entire series. The Lakers have had more problems with the teams in the Eastern Conference this season and until someone proves us wrong we will ride the Lakers bandwagon.

Denver Nuggets (20/1)

The Nuggets are really playing well to close out the season despite their setback to the Lakers last Thursday. Carmelo Anthony and J.R Smith are becoming a dynamic duo posting big figures every night. The Nuggets have put together wins in 13 of their last 15 games The Nuggets could face the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round if things were to stay the same. Denver would not mind the pairing considering they are a perfect 4-0 on the season against Dallas. If the Nuggets could keep the momentum rolling I am sure they will be eager to get their chance at a series with the Lakers.

Portland Trailblazers (25/1)

The Trailblazers are in a heated battle with the Houston Rockets for 3rd place in the West as both teams stand at a mark of 52-28. The Trailblazers and the Rockets have also both put on a solid 4 game winning streak as Portland will get the Thunder and the Nuggets in the final two games. The battle for 3rd dictates whether they will get New Orleans or San Antonio in the playoffs. The Trailblazers have played the most solid basketball the 2nd half of the season and they should give teams problems if they can stay hot.

Team to watch – Houston Rockets (20/1)

The Rockets have put together 4 straight wins along with Portland. The only difference is Houston beat up on the Trailblazers 102-88 to start their winning streak. The Rockets have what it takes to match-up with the other teams from the West in the playoffs giving them a chance to knock off some wins in the postseason. The only thing is the Rockets have failed to beat the Lakers once this season at 0-4 meaning any dream type run at an NBA Finals may be more of a dream than a reality.