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

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It’s that time of year again, as the playoff rev up to give us some great NBA betting action. With 16 teams still standing in the field, it’s going to be awfully hard to figure out just one player to make NBA Finals MVP picks with, but here at Bankroll Sports, we’re going to give it our best shot and pick out the best prices.

There are co-favorites on the odds to win NBA Finals MVP, and they both very, very predictable. Kobe Bryant (2.50 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook) is the easy choice to make, because he always seems to take over come playoff time. The Lakers have won back to back NBA titles, and though they are going to be hard pressed to figure out how to win a third in a row, we know that Kobe will be the MVP if they get the job done in all likelihood. This is a man that is scored at least 21 points in every single playoff game last year from the second round forward, something that he has done in the past as well. If LA is really amongst the favorites to win it all, Bryant has to be considered the favorite to win this award.

The next in line is Derrick Rose (2.50 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook). Rose is going to win the MVP award of the regular season, and he is playing on the team with the best record in the league, but the Bulls aren’t even the favorites to win the Eastern Conference this year, let alone the NBA title. Odds have it, Chicago would be a dog against at least one or two other teams in the West even knowing that it does have home court advantage through the postseason, and that makes these odds on Rose easy to pass on, especially since both Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer could win the award as well.

If there is a man that is going to win this award on the Dallas Mavericks, it is Dirk Nowitzki (20 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook). Nowitzki has never been able to get over that hump of getting his team a championship, but it is clear that he is the man that has to get the job done for Dallas to win it all. Nowitzki was the difference in the lineup this year for the Mavericks, as the team was absolutely awful when he missed time in the middle of the year. Dallas has reasonable odds to win the NBA title, and this gives Dirk a better than 20 to 1 chance to win this honor.

Another option that might be worth considering is The Field (15 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook). You get names like Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Jameer Nelson, and a host of others that are potential candidates to win this honor. Obviously, if you take the field, you’re betting against the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat to win it all, as there really are no NBA Finals MVP candidates out there that aren’t listed at BetUS from those two teams. However, we have seen one player come out of nowhere to take over a series before, and though generally it’s the big star on the big team that ends up winning the trophy, we could definitely see one of these names that we listed above getting the job done when push comes to shove.

2011 NBA Finals MVP Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 4/14/11):
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Amare Stoudemire 40 to 1
Carmelo Anthony 40 to 1
Chris Paul 200 to 1
Derrick Rose 2.50 to 1
Dirk Nowitzki 20 to 1
Dwight Howard 15 to 1
Dwyane Wade 5.50 to 1
Joe Johnson 200 to 1
Josh Smith 200 to 1
Kevin Durant 12 to 1
Kobe Bryant 2.50 to 1
LaMarcus Aldridge 75 to 1
LeBron James 5 to 1
Manu Ginobili 8 to 1
Nene Hilario 50 to 1
Pau Gasol 5 to 1
Paul Pierce 8 to 1
Rajon Rondo 8 to 1
Ray Allen 8 to 1
Russell Westbrook 25 to 1
Tony Parker 8 to 1
Zach Randolph 200 to 1
Field 15 to 1

So much for a quiet trade deadline! Many of the best expert NBA handicappers on the internet forecasted a very slow day of movement on Thursday, and up until early in the afternoon, that’s exactly what we thought we were getting. However, there was a flurry of action there in the dying moments before the 3:00 ET deadline, and there was even at least one deal that just didn’t get done before the deadline. Check out how we stack up the biggest player on deadline day!

Portland Trail Blazers: A+: Of all of the teams that made moves at the deadline, this was the one that really did the best job. The Blazers picked up Gerald Wallace, who has the ability to be an All-Star caliber player, and they gave up on Joel Pryzbilla and Dante Cunningham for it. It’s a great move to bring another great wing player in to help out Brandon Roy, and with Marcus Camby getting back into the fold shortly, it was only a matter of time until Portland had limited minutes for Pryzbilla.

Chicago Bulls: A: Sure, we know that the Bulls really should have made sure that they picked up a shooting guard to help out, but the price was just going to be too high to do anything. Instead of doing something, Chicago realized that it didn’t really have to do anything at all to succeed, as it already has one of the most dangerous teams in the entire NBA. A move didn’t have to be made, and nothing was done. This team should be in great shape with all of its bigs come playoff time.

New Orleans Hornets: A: Mark Cuban might not like the fact that the Hornets went out and traded for Carl Landry, but it was a great move for a team that really needed a shot in the arm. It was a subtle move for sure, but it will be one that New Orleans love for the rest of the season.

New Jersey Nets: A: Okay, so Mikhail Prokhorov didn’t get his main guy. He got a pretty darn nice second option. It really is still unknown whether Deron Williams is going to be a Net for the rest of his life. If he is, Prokhorov is finally going to be bringing a true superstar into Brooklyn with the team. If not, Jersey could always turn around and deal off Williams next season. The asking price was relatively small, as Devin Harris and Derrick Favors with a couple of draft picks was certainly worthwhile, and it might even give Jersey some hope for a playoff push this year with as bad as the rest of the bottom of the East is.

Denver Nuggets: B: This was just a bad, bad situation for Denver with Carmelo Anthony, but it made the best of it and ultimately got a nice crop of players, most of which were awfully young back for its two biggest stars. It would’ve been nice to see Raymond Felton get moved again, as it is clear that he has no desire to be a bench player, but all in all, it was a decent trade deadline for the Nuggs.

New York Knicks: B: Yeah, the Knicks got their man… It also cost a heck of a lot as well. This could be a move that ultimately works out in the long run, but this season, New York is probably in some trouble, as this team really only has two months to work out the kinks to get ready for the playoffs. Melo did score 27 and have 10 boards in his debut on Wednesday, but the pieces around him have to do a lot better than that for this team to get to the next level.

Oklahoma City Thunder: B-: Oklahoma City has taken a real chance here by bringing in Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed, especially giving up Jeff Green in these deals, but this was a real message being sent to the rest of the West that this is a team that is getting a lot tougher. The Thunder have some real bangers in the post now, and this is going to make for a very interesting situation come playoff time. It could be a move that puts OKC over the top, but Green was a very, very steep price to pay.

Atlanta Hawks: C: We admire the Hawks for at least going out and trying something, but is Kirk Hinrich really the answer? Mike Bibby has been declining for quite some time, and perhaps the time was here to move him, but for a team that really isn’t all that strong to start off with in terms of depth, trading three pieces for two pieces from an awful team doesn’t seem like a move that will the club over the top.

Boston Celtics: C-: The C’s are potentially in a lot of trouble. Five men were ultimately traded for basically Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green. Krstic might ultimately start with Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal are getting over injuries, but this was a definitely downgrade in the post. Sure, Green is a great guy to bring off the bench, but he isn’t going to have the same impact that Perkins did. The Celtics are definitely not as strong of a team defensively as they once were, and they might have spoiled a team chemistry that was absolutely remarkable to this point for the past several years.

Memphis Grizzlies: C-: We aren’t so sure how we would’ve felt about Josh McRoberts and a first round draft pick for OJ Mayo anyway, but how on earth can you not get the deal done at the trade deadline, Memphis? The only reason this isn’t an ‘F’ is basically because Shane Battier for Hasheem Thabeet was a great move, and it is one that could make this team a legitimate contender in the West. However, Mayo was already essentially out of favor in Memphis, and he needed to be traded. Now, he thought he was dealt, yet he is still stuck with the team. It’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out by the end of the season, seeing whether this proves to be nothing but a big time distraction.

Utah Jazz: D: The only reason that the Jazz don’t get an F is because this was a move that had to be made eventually one way or the other. The problem is that the fan base has basically been told that this season is a wash, as there just aren’t enough guards for this team to play with. It felt like Utah really needed to make another move, whether it be to send off Derrick Favors, Paul Millsap, or any of the other big guys on this team. The bottom line is that there are now about 100 big men and no stars in the backcourt for a team that desperately needs some help just to get into the second season out West.

Golden State Warriors: F: If the Warriors were sellers at the trade deadline, why didn’t they really trade any pieces to the puzzle like Monta Ellis? If they were buyers, how come they didn’t actually get anything productive done? Trading for Troy Murphy wasn’t great, especially knowing that he might just be bought out anyway, so this team, as always, is just kind of sitting in a state of flux, not knowing what in the heck is really going on.

Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers: F: C’mon guys, what the hell was this trade really all about? For Cleveland, sure you’re getting a first round draft pick that is going to be a lottery choice, but you’re taking in a guy that is a head case and a known cancer in the locker room when he is unhappy. You know that Davis isn’t going to want to visit the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame all that often, and once that luster wears off, he is sure to become disgruntled. If you’re the Clippers, why are you doing this to a player that you had a lot of faith in once upon a time, and giving up a first round pick to do it? Mo Williams contemplated retirement not that long ago, and he’s certainly not going to help. Goodness knows what this trade really accomplished for either team.

Orlando Magic: F: No team did worse by doing nothing this year than the Magic, who badly needed another move. This big maneuver that GM Otis Smith made to bring in Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu was great, but the one with Gilbert Arenas clearly backfired. Dwight Howard is apparently a bit disgruntled with his position in Orlando, and knowing that he can opt out after next season, the moves really had to start to be made now, not just for this year, but for next season as well. There are too many guards and not enough big men, and if the opportunity was really on the table to pick up Zach Randolph from the Memphis Grizzlies, it was a move that needed to be done.

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

The 2010 NBA Playoffs betting lines are here, and Bankroll Sports has all of the action covered from wall to wall as the 16 teams left standing in the season battle it out for the right to be called champions!

There are three clear cut favorites above all else in this tournament, as one of the three of the Cleveland Cavaliers (+125 at Diamond Sportsbook), the Orlando Magic (+575 at Diamond Sportsbook), and the Los Angeles Lakers (+180 at Diamond Sportsbook) are expected to reign supreme as the champs.

And why not? The Cavaliers had the NBA’s best record this season at 61-21, and their record was largely only that bad because HC Mike Brown treated the L/3 weeks of the regular season as if they were a whole bunch of scrimmages. That’s why F LeBron James didn’t win the NBA’s scoring title as well.

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Orlando, who ultimately only finished two games behind the Cavs for the top record in the NBA, will hold home court advantage through the entire playoffs including the Finals against any team not named Cleveland. The Magic were absolutely fantastic over the second half of the season. They finished up the year having won six straight games and went 33-8 in their L/41 NBA betting battles in the regular season. Last season’s Eastern Conference champs proved that they could play with Cleveland this year, splitting four games, but the final one came without the services of the King for the Cavs, who was resting for the playoffs.

The Lakers don’t seem to be as strong as they were a year ago in their quest to repeat as NBA champs. Even though record wise, 57-25 probably isn’t the year that HC Phil Jackson was hoping for, there’s no doubt that this is still a team to be reckoned with and has to be considered the definitive favorite in the West. G Kobe Bryant, F Pau Gasol, and their supporting cast have gained a ton of experience from title runs of the past, and if C Andrew Bynum can really get back on the court following his Achilles injury, the purple and gold are going to be a difficult team to oust.

We find it awfully difficult to back anyone outside of the “Big Three” for the title.

However, if we had to pick underdogs in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, we’ll go with the Milwaukee Bucks (+5000 at Diamond Sportsbook) and the Phoenix Suns (+3000 at Diamond Sportsbook).

The Bucks are a bit of a long shot because of the fact that they lost C Andrew Bogut for the rest of the season. However, HC Scott Skiles is largely accepted as one of the best coaches in the league and must be remembered for the way that he handled the Baby Bulls in postseasons of the past. Skiles knows how to get the most out of a lesser talented set of players, and even without the team’s star, there are still plenty of scoring options that can stick around with Atlanta in Round 1 of the playoffs.

The Suns did everything they had to do down the stretch to assure that they A) don’t have to worry about the Lakers for awhile and B) get to play at home in the first round of the playoffs. Not only that, but they hit the jackpot as well, as they get to play a Portland team that most likely won’t have Brandon Roy (and certainly won’t have a 100% Roy) for this round of the playoffs. If that’s the case, it’s hard to see how the Blazers are going to be able to keep up with the scoring options of the Suns in a seven game set. If by chance Phoenix does survive into Round 2, it feels like a prospective date with Dallas would inevitably be a seven game set. We’ll take our chances.

Odds to win 2010 NBA Championship @ Diamond Sportsbook (as of 4/15/10):
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Atlanta Hawks +1600
Boston Celtics +1300
Charlotte Bobcats +5000
Chicago Bulls +7500
Cleveland Cavaliers +125
Dallas Mavericks +1600
Denver Nuggets +1600
Los Angeles Lakers +180
Miami Heat +5000
Milwaukee Bucks +5000
Oklahoma City Thunder +1900
Orlando Magic +575
Phoenix Suns +2200
Portland Trail Blazers +3600
San Antonio Spurs +1600
Utah Jazz +1600