| 2009 NBA Championships Odds |
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| Written by Scott Burgess | |||||||
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Tuesday, 19 May 2009
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 It’s down to the final four teams in the race for the 2009 NBA Championships. In the East it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic and in the West it’s the LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets. NBA oddsmakers at Bodog.com have the Cleveland Cavaliers as 2/3 odds favorite to win the 2009 NBA Championships. Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Championships Prediction in now at Bodog.comThe Cavaliers haven’t lost a game in eight straight after sweeping Atlanta and Detroit. Nobody has had a better season than Cleveland, who owns the NBA’s best record at 66-16. The Cavs compiled an amazing 39-2 home record this season, which is a scary thought for any of their playoff opponents since Cleveland will have home court advantage throughout the postseason. The Cavs went 40-12 against opponents in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James was named NBA MVP as the most dominant player in the league. The Cavs have won by an average of 16.8 points per game in the playoffs and have yet to win by fewer than 10 points. The Cavaliers defense has improved upon its amazing regular season numbers, holding the Pistons and Hawks to a ridiculous 78.1 points per game on 39.7 percent shooting in the post-season. LeBron James has been an unstoppable force for Head Coach Mike Brown, averaging a post-season best 32.9 points per game (53.2 percent field goal shooting) as well as 9.8 rebounds and 6.8 assist per contest. The Cleveland Cavaliers are listed as 2/3 odds favorite to win the 2009 NBA Championships. The Lakers got past Utah with little troubles, but it took seven games to get past the Rockets, who were without their top two players. The Lakers finished just one game shy of Cleveland’s 66 wins, compiling a 65-17 record and going 36-5 at home. They were also 14-2 in their division, which was the best division record of any team in the league. The Lakers were 44-8 against teams in the Western Conference. Phil Jackson's team is 6-1 at the STAPLES Center in the post-season, but a surprising 2-3 in playoff road action. Their average margin of victory in home games is a stellar 17.7, while they have won by an average of 9.3 in opposing venues. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol have led the Lakers during the post-season, Bryant averaging 27.4 points, 4.5 assists, 2.2 steals, and 5 rebounds per game while Gasol has put up 18.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The Lakers are listed at 9/5 odds to win. The Nuggets can be the team to knockout the Lakers after showing great speed and skill in eliminating New Orleans and Dallas. They finished their season with a 54-28 record while going 33-8 at home. They went 35-17 against opponents in the Western Conference. Denver currently leads all post-season clubs in scoring, averaging a 111.5 per outing and they have shown a penchant for defense in the playoffs as well. George Karl's troops allowed 110.9 per game in the regular season, but limited the Hornets and Mavs to an average of 95.5 in 10 games. The Nuggets have yet to taste defeat at the Pepsi Center in these playoffs, sporting a perfect 6-0 record there. They are 2-2 in their post-season road games, but have lost by an average of just two points per game in their two road playoff failures. The Nuggets are listed at 6/1 odds to win. The Magic will have a tough task getting past the Cavs, let alone winning a Championship. The Magic finished their season with a 59-23 record while going 32-9 at home. They went 37-15 against opponents in the Eastern Conference. Orlando is 4-2 in home playoff games and 4-3 in road action. They are averaging 96.1 points per game on 45.8 percent field goal shooting and holding teams to just 90.2 per contest (44.6 percent allowed). Dwight Howard has been Orlando's biggest playoff weapon, averaging 19.6 points, 16.6 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in the post-season. Rashard Lewis has led the Magic in playoff scoring, averaging 19.9 points per game. The Magic are listed at 20/1 odds to win. Point-Spreads.com 2009 NBA Championships Odds The Bottom Line: Cleveland for sure, but I can see the Lakers getting beat out by the Nuggets. Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Championships Odds in now at Bodog.com and receive a 10% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit!                        |
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