NBA Playoffs

The NBA Playoffs - Read All About It

The regular season is finally over, the playoffs seedlings have been finalised and the games get under way tomorrow.

I like the odd NBA bet as I've mentioned the two times I've put one up on the horses forum. I think the markets are sometimes poorly researched by bookies and there can be the odd bit of outstanding value. To be fair if you looked hard enough every night you'd find a game that's a point the wrong way.

If you are unfamiliar with the format there are two conferences in the NBA. The East and the West. Each conference has eight seeded teams progress to the playoffs who then play each other in a knockout tournament until there's a champion of each conference who play each other to determine the playoff winner.

The Heat are prohibitively priced at 1/5 to win the East. They have Lebron and Wade and Bosh with the strongest supporting cast in the league so are rightfully at the top of the market but I want to take them on for a small interest just because their price is wrong. It should be more like 1/2.

There's only one team I can see being capable of beating the Heat in the conference and that's the Knicks. They have a winning record against the Heat this season and have two scorers in Melo and JR Smith that are basically unplayable when they heat up. With Melo at Power Forward and 3 shooters spacing the floor they are a difficult match up for the Heat to contend with.

Yes, the Heat are a strong favourite but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be taken on when you can get 9/1 about a rugged, highly experienced Knicks team.

I stress I'm putting this on so I have an interest throughout the playoffs and taking the value before it drifts away after the first round. It could easily be the case that the Heat are too powerful and sweep everyone aside but this will keep me entertained for a month.

 

Does look quite good value at 9/1. How many games will it be best of, if the 2 meat?

 

Best of 7. They can only meet in the finals. The rest of the conference isn't good enough so barring poor performances the Knicks should reach the final and then it's a matter of beating the Barcelona of the NBA.

This Boston bomb has me slightly concerned about how the Celtics will play in the first round. That's a hell of a lot of inspiration. Apart from that thebKnicks really should win at a canter.

 

Right so we've had 8 playoff games so far and the home team has won every game.

The Knicks and Heat both won impressively but as most expected. The Pacers played excellently. Their test comes when the play away from home as their record is quite weak for a third seed in away games.

Knicks and Heat play again on Tuesday night. This is a key game for the Knicks. Going to Boston with a 2 nil lead puts them in a great position. Lose and the pressure stars to mount.

 

Knicks and Heatvwon their second games so both lead 2-0 in the Eastern Conference.

Teams holding a 2-0 lead in a best of 7 playoff series have a 94% success rate of going on to win the series in the history of the NBA so I'm confident the Knicks will take their place in the next round.

A key player for the Celtics may have to sit out game three in Boston so there's a good chance thebKnicks can steal one away from home.

 

I wish i could get back into the basketball Bob as i really used to love it when Channel4 used to show a highlights program years ago. It will come no surprise to you, mainly as he was the best player on the planet at the time, that my team is the Chicago Bulls with the unbelievable Michael Jordan being THE top player...

Don't follow it much now but ive seen that Sky are now showing the games and ive caught a few when ive got in after work. If its still going next season, on Sky that is, then i may well get back into it...


Good luck with your bets pal, i hope they come in for you...

 

Cheers Red. Sky usually show a couple of games on a Sunday evening starting around 6.30pm. This week it's the Knicks playing Boston first.

 

Two games tonight. The Knicks are 13/10 to beat the Celtics in Boston. That price is of interest but the Celtics are fairly useful at home and if the Knicks are to win a game on the road I think it'll be Sunday night when the Boston crowd have calmed down. I imagine it will be emotional following the bombings in the first home game since the attack.

The Nuggets go to Golden State who are already without their All Star forward and ex-Knick, David Lee, who has a season ending injury. News has emerged that their best player, Stephen Curry, may also be out injured with a damaged ankle. I'll wait to see if he plays or not but if he doesn't I'll be taking the evens about Denver winning for a confident plunge.

 

Im on Heat at 2/1

 

2/1 to win it all or just the East? I don't think they've been that big for the East.

Whoever wins the East will win it all now that Westbrook is out injured for the Thunder.

 

To win it outright.

 

It's a fair price Boris. You'll get a good run for your money.

 

Knicks win easily.

 

Thats why I took it

Heat 2/1 and Dawn Approach 3/1 were the two bets I wanted and I got them.

 

Curry played. Won the game single handedly.

 

So I had two bets on the Knicks Celtics game last night and they both lost. I took the under at 181.5 points in the game and the Knicks to win. Had it not gone to over time the under bet would have won easily as there was only 168 points in the game at the end of 4 quarters. The Knicks played terribly throughout with 12 turnovers in the first half - something they are the best in the league at! Melo shot dreadfully as did the rest of the team until the 3rd quarter where Raymond Felton got hot and went on a run that pulled the 20 point deficit back to evens. In the final minute the Knicks missed 2 free throws and two easy baskets. Had they scored any of those both bets would have come off.

JR Smith is back on Wednesday night when they contest game five and i've be surprised if the Knicks shoot as poorly again. This series should already be over but I think they'll get the job done belatedly next time they meet.

 

Did the under bet again last night on the Knicks Celtics game at 181.5 points and it won easily.

Both teams are struggling to score. The Celtics because their point guard, Rajon Rondo, is out injured and the Knicks because they have gone icy cold for some reason.

Celtics won the game so it's now 3-2 and they go back to Boston on Friday night. The stats suggest the Knicks will pull through but playing like this they have no chance later on in the play offs.

 

Nice one Bob... Keep it up...

 

Knicks V Celtics again tonight at Boston. This is now game 6 with the series score standing at 3-2 to the Knicks but the Celtics have won the last two games after terrible shooting performances from the Knicks. It emerged today that JR Smith - who as suspended for game 4 because he threw an elbow at a Celtics player in game three - went out on the piss the night before game 5 and played with a hangover. What a complete knob.

I don't know who's going to win tonight. I would have said the Knicks were a lock to beat the Celtics on any given night a week ago but they shot so poorly the last two nights I wouldn't want to risk any money on them at a shade of odds on.

The bet again must be under 181.5 points. Every game in the series so far has fallen under this threshold apart from when it went into over time but at the end of 4 quarters the score was 168 points. Defences have been on top throughout the series and i expect that will be the case again tonight.

5 points at 10/11

 

The under lands with 168 points scored in the contest. Knicks win and progress into the next round.