The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers went back and forth with each other all year long in the Atlantic Division. Now, the two have to meet in the playoffs, and we are set to make our NBA picks for the postseason, including our Boston vs. Philadelphia series predictions!

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Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Philadelphia @ Boston (Saturday 5/12, 8:00 PM, TNT)
Game 2: Philadelphia @ Boston (Monday 5/14, 7:00 PM, TNT)
Game 3: Boston @ Philadelphia (Wednesday 5/16, 7:00 PM, TNT)
Game 4: Boston @ Philadelphia (TBD)
Game 5: Philadelphia @ Boston (TBD, If Necessary)
Game 6: Boston @ Philadelphia (TBD, If Necessary)
Game 7: Philadelphia @ Boston (TBD, If Necessary)

Key #1: The 76ers have to keep their emotions in check
All too often what we see in the playoffs with teams that just pulled off big wins is that they fall into the tank and get eliminated very quickly after that. In the case of the 76ers, they were truly emotional in their victory over the Chicago Bulls in the first round, and the celebration really looked more like an NBA Finals type of celebration than a simply first round series triumph. Though there is plenty of NBA experience on this team, there aren’t many that have ever been this far in the playoffs before, and we are just afraid that what we saw out of the Memphis Grizzlies last year when they were finally taken out of the second round of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder could happen again if the Sixers just don’t have the oomph to keep the foot on the gas pedal throughout this whole series.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Series Odds at
5Dimes Sportsbook
Philadelphia 76ers +175
Boston Celtics -210
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Key #2: More than six players will have to be big for the Celtics
Six players. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Brandon Bass, and Avery Bradley. That’s all that played in more than 17 minutes per game for the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, and those are the only players that averaged more than 3.5 points per game as well. Pierce was the catalyst of the bunch, coming up with 21.2 points per game, while KG and Rondo weren’t all that far behind at 18.7 and 16.8 points per game respectively. That being said, there is still a heck of a lot that others can do. Mickael Pietrus was awful in that opening series against the Hawks, and Marquis Daniels was really nowhere to be found either. These are players that play crucial minutes for Boston. It’s not that they are going to have to be double digit point scorers every time out there. However, it would be quite nice if in the end, the Celtics didn’t have to rely on just those main four scorers and two others to account for the mass majority of what they are doing offensively.

Key #3: Defense will be the ultimate key
The Celtics ranked No. 2 in the league in terms of points per game in the regular season at 89.3, and teams only shot 41.9 percent against them, best in the NBA. Philly was third in both categories at 89.4 points per game and 42.7 shooting percentage against. In the playoffs, that has been magnified even more. Boston kept the Hawks down to just 87 points or fewer in all six games of that series, something that isn’t often done. Granted, we know that the Sixers had some help in the form of injuries to Derrick Rose and then Joakim Noah as the series wore on, but regardless of those facts, holding the mighty Bulls, who still had one of the best offenses in the league this season even with Rose missing half the year, down to 82 points or fewer in four straight games to close out that series was quite impressive. Whichever team can impose its defensive will on the other is likely to be the one that ends up advancing in this series.

Click Here to get the best NBA picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our Philadelphia vs. Boston picks and the NBA playoffs picks for the rest of the postseason odds.

The second round of the NBA playoffs gets started on Sunday, May 13th, when the Miami Heat take on the Indiana Pacers. Check out our Heat vs. Pacers series preview and see which one of these teams is going to take one more step towards beating the NBA Finals odds in 2012!

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Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Indiana @ Miami (Sunday 5/13, 3:30 PM, ABC)
Game 2: Indiana @ Miami (Tuesday 5/15, 7:00 PM, TNT)
Game 3: Miami @ Indiana (TBD)
Game 4: Miami @ Indiana (TBD)
Game 5: Indiana @ Miami (TBD, If Necessary)
Game 6: Miami @ Indiana (TBD, If Necessary)
Game 7: Indiana @ Miami (TBD, If Necessary)

Key #1: The Pacers have to control the perimeter
This is what the Pacers really did oh so well against the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs. However, Indiana also knew that Orlando’s only shot of winning that series was by knocking down shots from the outside. If that was shut down, the Magic may as well have just disappeared. In this series though, there are a heck of a lot more things to worry about. The Pacers are going to have to make sure that they don’t abandon the outside shooters, because as we saw with against New York Knicks, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, and Mike Miller all have the ability to hit the shots from the outside when given the chance. Those three have to be silenced by the Pacers, or they have absolutely zero chance of winning this series.

Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat Series Odds at
Wager Web Sportsbook
Indiana Pacers +600
Miami Heat -900
Click Here to Bet The Pacers vs. Heat Picks!

Key #2: The Heat have to get contributions from their big men
And that means you, Chris Bosh. Of course, it won’t just be Bosh that is expected to post up in the lane, as we frequently think that we are going to see LeBron James matched up with David West. The Pacers were the bigger team against the Magic, and that is going to their one big time advantage in this series as well. The Heat might be more of the athletic team, but in terms of height and weight, the likes of West, Danny Granger, and Roy Hibbert are going to rule the day. Hibbert has been known to get into some foul trouble, and if Bosh or the likes of D-Wade and LeBron can get into the paint and cause the big man out of Georgetown to take some bad fouls, there is no doubt in our minds that the Heat have the huge advantage at that point with the paint opened up. Hibbert averaged over 10 boards and nearly four blocks per game against the Magic and is a real force to be reckoned with defensively.

Key #3: The Heat can’t have their eyes on the NBA Finals already
Get used to hearing this for as long as the Heat are playing in the playoffs. Assuming that it stays healthy, when Miami wants to come out and play, it is going to win games in this series by double digits. There’s just no two ways around that. That being said, you do have to go out and win four games out of seven against Indiana before worrying about the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, and this is a dangerous opponent that it is going against. The Pacers did have wins this year against some of the best teams in the league, and that includes going into Chicago (with Derrick Rose) and beating the Chicago Bulls and taking one of the four games in this series (and nearly two of the four) against the Heat in the regular season.

Click Here to get the best NBA picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our Indiana vs. Miami picks and the NBA playoffs picks for the rest of the postseason odds.

With the All-Star Break upon us, we are going to take a look at all 30 teams in the NBA and issue our team-by-team basketball report cards to show which teams are on their way and which ones floundered in the first half of the season.

Eastern Conference NBA Report Cards

Miami Heat (27-7): A – The Heat are easy. They survived Dwyane Wade’s injury. They have survived all of the people that thought that LeBron James’ heart was really back in Cleveland. They’ve done it all. Simply put, this is the best team in the league, and as long as the Heat stay healthy, their fast paced style of play is certainly going to put this team in better shape come the playoffs.

Chicago Bulls (27-8): A – There were a ton of road games at the start of the year for the Bulls, and they were clearly out to do well right away. In spite of the fact the Derrick Rose has missed his share of games, Chicago has been solid this year, and there is no reason to think that this team is going to do anything less than at least make the Eastern Conference Finals this year.

Indiana Pacers (21-12): A – Be honest. You didn’t even know that the Pacers had the third best record in the East, did you? Indiana is absolutely a playoff team this year, and the addition of David West is just what the doctor ordered. The win over the Bulls at the United Center, which is still one of just the two Chicago losses at home this year, was one of the biggest victories that any team has had this year.

Orlando Magic (22-13): B- – We’re going to be rough on the Magic because we think that they have been kidding themselves. They really need to trade Dwight Howard and do it right now, or they are going to end up losing him at season’s end. At times, this team just looks downright pitiful, but at others, it looks like a bunch of world beaters. Until the Magic figure it out, they aren’t going anywhere.

Atlanta Hawks (20-14): A- – Atlanta hasn’t had Al Horford in the fold for basically the whole season, and yet the team is still firmly in the playoffs. The Hawks have big wins over the Magic and Heat this year, and those are good marks when you’re considering the fact that this team just doesn’t seem to be all that talented, especially without Horford out there.

Philadelphia 76ers (20-14): A+ – There is no team in the East that we are more impressed with than the Sixers. They have basically been leading the Atlantic Division from wire to wire, and Andre Iguodala is still not really recognized as the fantastic leader and player on both sides of the court that he is. Head Coach Doug Collins might be Coach of the Year right now.

New York Knicks (17-18): C- – Jeremy Lin is great, and he was a fantastic find, but in the end, this is still a team that just doesn’t look great. Tyson Chandler doesn’t seem to fit in, Amare Stoudemire doesn’t seem to be as athletic as he used to be, and Carmelo Anthony has had some issues meshing with Lin as well. New York just isn’t that great this year, even with Linsanity, and Head Coach Mike D’Antoni might pay the price at the end of the season for it.

Boston Celtics (15-17): F – Sorry, Beantown. Your team has been the biggest underachiever in the East this year. The C’s have some good wins, but they only have 15 victories in spite of the fact that they have already played 19 home games. This is a team that is past its prime, and GM Danny Ainge needs to make a big move, and soon or this team might not even make the playoffs.

Cleveland Cavaliers (13-18): B – We like what Cleveland has done this year. Kyrie Irving is a real ball player and it is showing, and he has helped transform a team that was a living train wreck last year into one that is going to probably get into the bottom end of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee Bucks (13-20): C – Everything is average about this Milwaukee team. So what if there are two wins over the Heat? There are only 11 wins against the rest of basketball. Without Andrew Bogut, this team just isn’t really all that great.

Detroit Pistons (11-24): D – It’s amazing how fast this team fell from one of the best in the league to one of the worst in the league. Ben Gordon was a terrible signing, and really save for the way that Greg Monroe has really quietly evolved into one of the best men in the league, there is nothing to write home about in Motown.

Toronto Raptors (10-23): C – The truth of the matter is that the Raptors have virtually no talent whatsoever. They still come out and compete on a nightly basis even without all of that talent in place, and they are still in the push for the back end of the playoffs.

New Jersey Nets (10-25): D – Sure, Brook Lopez has been hurt, but we just don’t know what this team is going to end up doing at the trade deadline. Getting Dwight Howard seems like a longshot at the deadline with Lopez still injured, and the squad can’t go into the offseason without getting anything back for Deron Williams. This could get messy in a hurry.

Washington Wizards (7-26): D- – The only reason that the Wizards don’t get an F is because they somehow have a victory over Oklahoma City.

Charlotte Bobcats (4-28): F – This is the worst team in the league both offensively and defensively. How in the heck could we give any other rating than that? Michael Jordan’s tenure with this team has been a horror, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better any time soon.

Western Conference NBA Report Cards

Oklahoma City Thunder (27-7): A – Duh. Any time that you can feature Kevin Durant scoring 50, Russell Westbrook scoring 41, and Serge Ibaka putting together a triple-double all in the same game, you know that you are doing something right. The Thunder might be the best team in the league right now, and they are a whopping 15-1 this year at home.

San Antonio Spurs (24-10): A – We knew that the Spurs could play at home, as they left for their Rodeo Road Trip at 13-1 in San Antonio. That being said, they were an awful road team until they left for the longest road trip in basketball, and they came back as three-game leaders in the Southwest Division. Tim Duncan and the Spurs are primed for another great run this year.

Los Angeles Clippers (20-11): B- – Okay, so maybe we’re being a tad harsh on the Clips. They haven’t been good in years, and now, they are sitting atop the Pacific Division. Still, we expected more than this from this team. Chris Paul will really miss Chauncey Billups’ presence in the fold for the rest of the season, but with CP3, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan sharing the court together, this is a team that should be doing better than this.

Dallas Mavericks (21-13): B – Dirk Nowitzki was out of the lineup for some time this year, and players like Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, and Lamar Odom haven’t meshed well together. Still, at 21-13, Dallas is a team to watch out for, because when it figures out how to put this all together, just as it did last year in the playoffs, it is one of the deeper teams in the league.

Houston Rockets (20-14): A – We give Head Coach Kevin McHale all of the credit in the world. The Rockets looked terrible at the outset of the year, and the trade that never did happen that would have brought Pau Gasol to town threatened to kill the team. Houston is the one team of the three that were involved in the offseason in the deal that was voided that truly lived to tell about it.

Los Angeles Lakers (20-14): D – The Lakers traded Lamar Odom for squat just before the season started, and now, they are scrambling to try to figure out what their team is going to look like. Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Kobe Bryant are all that the Lakers have, and if that’s the case, they probably aren’t winning the NBA title this year. This has been a brutal disappointment of a season to date.

Memphis Grizzlies (19-15): B- – The Grizz haven’t played fantastic ball all season long, but they are definitely showing some promise, especially at home. Memphis will get Zach Randolph back for the second half of the season, and that’s when we’ll see just how good this team really has the ability to be.

Portland Trail Blazers (18-16): B – The Blazers have lost Greg Oden and Brandon Roy, yet they still continue to hang around in the West. They are getting great contributions from their top seven players, and though the team doesn’t have an outstanding bench, it is a bench that is good enough to make some noise in the postseason.

Denver Nuggets (18-17): C – Denver’s depth was supposed to carry it this year, but it feels like losing Danilo Gallinari has really cost the team in a big way. There just isn’t that one scorer that is going to step up and knock down that big time shot, and it is going to really cost the Nuggets dearly if that doesn’t change in the second half of the year.

Minnesota Timberwolves (17-17): A – The T’Wolves are at .500? Really? Ricky Rubio has become a legend already in Minnesota, and Kevin Love just keeps doing his thing. This is a fun team to watch, and it will continue to be that way, and if the Timberwolves can get into the playoffs, it will be a real accomplishment, especially in the stacked West.

Utah Jazz (15-17): C – This is pretty much what we thought that we were going to get out of the Jazz this year. They’re a deep team that can play with the big boys, but the talent isn’t all that fantastic outside of Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson.

Golden State Warriors (13-17): B- – Head Coach Mark Jackson has his team playing hard, but again, what we are seeing is that there are plenty of scorers, but no real defenders for the Warriors. The time is here that Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry really need to be split up, as they are the exact same player.

Phoenix Suns (14-20): C – Even though the Suns aren’t very good, they have some good things to look at. Marcin Gortat is rounding into the big man that they thought that they were going to get with the big trade last year with the Magic, and Steve Nash is still seemingly happy. Phoenix owes it to Nash to send him to a contender this year, and it would probably help rebuild the team a bit as well if it were to happen.

Sacramento Kings (11-22): D – The Kings have done alright since Head Coach Paul Westphal was dumped, but we can’t give this team that much more credit than this because of the whole DeMarcus Cousins problem.

New Orleans Hornets (8-25): F – But then again, what did you really expect out of the Hornets this year after having to dismantle the team to get rid of Chris Paul?

Bovada.lv has a plethora of NBA props posted about the phenom that is Jeremy Lin with the New York Knicks. Today, we join in the fun of Linsanity and make our Jeremy Lin predictions for the rest of the 2012 season.

Of course, we know that the first prop that is offered by Bovada Sportsbook is a bit absurd. Lin is listed at +3000 to win the MVP Award this year. Sure, if the Knicks continue to win virtually every single game that they play with the Harvard grad running the point guard spot, Lin would all of a sudden become an MVP candidate. In the end though, this is still a team in which at best, he is going to finish third in scoring behind Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Linsanity is big… but it’s not quite that big.

More realistic is the prop that asks the question whether Lin will hit another game-winning shot with all zeroes on the clock like he did against the Toronto Raptors earlier this week. The odds of +350 aren’t all that great, but we definitely could see it happening. It is clear that Lin, assuming that he can keep this up, is going to have the ball in his hands in some crucial situations. There is a big question though, as to where Melo falls into place in this situation. It’s obvious to say that there aren’t that many games that come down to the wire that require a last shot to win a game. Anthony is one of the best closers that the game has had over the course of the last decade though, and if he wants the ball in his hands, he is probably going to get it. We could see this happening, but in the end, it would take a lot more luck than anything else just to get Lin in that situation for a second time this year with the ball in his hands to win a game at the gun.

And of course, the question still exists as to whether or not the Knicks are going to make the playoffs. They clearly weren’t all that great of a team before Lin came into the fold, and they haven’t lost since that point. Bovada is offering -500 on the fact that the Knicks are going to make the postseason, and we actually think that those are tremendous NBA odds.

Look at the East. The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls are obviously fantastic teams. The Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, and Atlanta Hawks have gotten off to great starts. The Boston Celtics should at least be a competent team the rest of the way. That still leaves one more spot to be filled by the rest of the garbage that is the Eastern Conference. It is clear that the Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons are going absolutely nowhere, which really just leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks to contend with the Knicks. We really don’t even need to factor in the fact that the Sixers are playing above their means, as are the Hawks, and the Magic are clearly going to be trading Dwight Howard before the end of the season as long as GM Otis Smith doesn’t fall asleep at the wheel. The Knicks virtually have to make the playoffs, and it really doesn’t even have all that much to do with Lin calling the shots. They are too talented with Melo and Amare Stoudemire to not make the postseason as long as both of these men stay healthy.

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Dirk Nowitzki Over/Under 26 Points – It’s no real surprise that the ball is running through the hands of Dirk when the Mavericks have possession. In the Western Conference Finals, he had three games with more than 26 points, one with less than that, and one with exactly 26 points. Nowitzki has really been incredibly dominating at times, especially down the stretch in close games. There is no way that Head Coach Rick Carlisle is going to take the ball out of his hands as long as the game stays competitive, and as long as you’re a believer that this one will be interesting down to the wire, there is no way that you can do anything but go with Nowitzki Over 26 Points -115 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook

Tyson Chandler Over/Under 16.5 Points + Rebounds – Chandler had a heck of a tough battle in the second round of the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even still, he had at least 13 rebounds in two of the five games, and he had no fewer than eight in the series. Offensively, thing were tough with Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed on his backside, and his point production was slashed. Sure, we know that Chandler isn’t one of the top options on the floor, but he does have a lot easier time going into the paint against Joel Anthony and some of the other Miami bigs than he did in the last series. He had at least 18 points and rebounds combined in three of the final four games against the Thunder, and there is no way that we can see him not going past this number. Our NBA prop picks on this one are calling for Chandler Over 16.5 Points + Rebounds -115 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook

Shawn Marion +7.5 Points vs. Chris Bosh – This is quite the interesting prop, because we know that Bosh has had a ton of consistent games over the course of these playoffs, whereas Marion has really been hit or miss. But let’s dig just a tad further. We have seen Marion get to at least seven points in the last six games in the postseason, and we know that he averaged over a dozen points per game in the regular season. Bosh has had at least 20 points in four out of five games, and at home in these playoffs, he has really been absolutely remarkable. The difference here though, is that he is going to have his hands full with the likes of Chandler and Nowitzki in the paint. We do tend to believe that Bosh will outscore Marion, but if the vet starts to catch fire from the outside, Bosh stands no chance on this NBA prop pick. Go with Marion +7.5 Points vs. Bosh -125 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook

The stars will certainly be shining in the NBA Finals this year, but only one can be named NBA Finals MVP when push comes to shove. Check out our NBA Finals picks for MVP for this year’s finals starting on Tuesday!

It should really come as no surprise that the favorite to beat the NBA Finals MVP odds is LeBron James (Current NBA Finals Odds: 1 to 1 at Bodog Sportsbook). This is definitely a series that is fit for a King, but it definitely isn’t the first time that he has had this opportunity. James knew that he was the favorite to win on the NBA Finals MVP lines a few seasons ago with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but his team was swept by the San Antonio Spurs. James hasn’t put up the same type of numbers that he did that year in these playoffs, but there is no doubt that he has been absolutely remarkable. James has averaged just under 44 minutes per game in the postseason, and he has averaged 26.0 points, 8.9 boards, and 5.5 assists per game. He’s got a great chance to win this honorable award, but obviously, he is going to need his first NBA Championship to be able to do that.

Of course, James also has to overcome a man that has already won this award once before. In fact, Dwyane Wade (NBA Finals MVP Lines: 7 to 2 at Bodog Sportsbook) is the only player on either side in this game that has ever won the NBA Finals MVP award in his career. He did so against these Mavs in a series in which he was absolutely remarkable in five years ago. Wade isn’t asked to do quite as much as he has over the past few years since Shaquille O’Neal has aged and left town, but he definitely has the best supporting cast that he has had at least since that point, if not ever before. The man they call “Flash” has averaged 23.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

List Of Past NBA Finals MVPs (Since 2000)
2010 NBA Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
2009 NBA Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
2008 NBA Finals MVP: Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics)
2007 NBA Finals MVP: Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs)
2006 NBA Finals MVP: Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
2005 NBA Finals MVP: Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
2004 NBA Finals MVP: Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons)
2003 NBA Finals MVP: Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
2002 NBA Finals MVP: Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
2001 NBA Finals MVP: Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
2000 NBA Finals MVP: Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)

Of course, if you’re looking at players on the Dallas Mavericks, the conversation has to start and essentially end with Dirk Nowitzki (Odds to Win NBA Finals MVP: 2 to 1 at Bodog Sportsbook). Nowitzki has really had the best season of his career both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Sure, we’ve seen Dirk put up better statistics than this in his life, but 28.4 points per game in a season in which he averaged 23.0 points per game. Nowitzki has really done a tremendous job in the postseason, taking games over single handedly at times against some of the best and brightest that this league has to offer.

The only other man that we can see getting the job done for the Mavs is Jason Terry (Current NBA Finals MVP Odds: 12 to 1 at Bodog Sportsbook), and even that would be a huge surprise if he were the one to end up winning the award. For a man to win this award off of the bench would be truly remarkable, but Terry plays the role of a starter even though he’s not on the court when the tipoff happens. Terry averaged the third most minutes in the playoffs for any Maverick at over 32 minutes per game, and he has the ability to catch fire in a ridiculous way from beyond the arc. “The Jet” shot 47.1 percent from the floor and 46.3 percent from downtown on the campaign, and he averaged 17.3 points per game. In the playoffs, this is the man that can really make a difference in a hurry for Dallas, and if it wins this series, there is no doubt that he is going to be the man that has to play above and beyond all expectations.

NBA Finals MVP Odds @ Bodog Sportsbook (as of 5/29/11):
(Get a 10% Signup Bonus at Bodog When Using This Link)

LeBron James 1.30 to 1
Dirk Nowitzki 1.60 to 1
Dwyane Wade 4.50 to 1
Chris Bosh 13 to 1
Jason Terry 17 to 1
Shawn Marion 28 to 1
Tyson Chandler 30 to 1

2011 NBA Finals MVP Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 5/29/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Cash Bonus at Oddsmaker.com When Using This Link)

LeBron James 1.10 to 1
Dirk Nowitzki 1.30 to 1
Dwyane Wade 4 to 1
Field (Any Other Player) 8 to 1

The Western Conference Finals really didn’t set up the way that most expert NBA handicappers envisioned this year, but there are still definitely two fantastic teams in the fold. The upstart Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks would both make great feel good stories to beat the NBA Finals odds, but only one can actually get the job done and make it to the big show. Check out our NBA odds and Thunder vs. Mavericks predictions for the big time series starting on Tuesday!

NBA Series Prices
Dallas -230 vs. Oklahoma City +190 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Dallas -230 vs. Oklahoma City +190 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Dallas -240 vs. Oklahoma City +190 @ Bet Online Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
The regular season this year has been one for the dogs, and one for the roadies, and there is no doubt whatsoever that this series could largely end up being the same, exact way. The Thunder won the one game here in Big D, a 99-95 decision in January, but in comes with a huge asterisk, as Dirk Nowitzki didn’t play in that one. The Thunder, with Dirk in the fold, won both contests in the Sooner State, 111-103 in November and 103-93 in December just after Christmas.

In fact, if you’re talking about a series for the dogs, this is the one for you. The underdog is 9-3-1 ATS over the course of the last 13 meetings. Of course, Oklahoma City is also 9-3-1 ATS in the last 13 meetings, though the two stats aren’t identical to one another. The Thunder have indeed been favorites at times in this series, most notably this past season in the trip to Big D without Dirk in the fold.

The Mavericks have gone 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall, and they are coming off of arguably the biggest series in the history of the team, a four game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers, the two time defending NBA champs. It is 8-0 ATS in its last eight home games dating back into the regular season, and in games in which Dirk has played at least 16 minutes, the team is 62-19 SU and 50-28-3 ATS, numbers which definitely aren’t ones to frown about.

The Thunder have reached the big time stage in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics (which also surpassed the day in which they were just known as the Seattle Sonics). Behind the oomph of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, they have done everything that they have needed to do to keep on keeping on in the playoffs, though it hasn’t always been the prettiest. The Thunder have covered 10 of their last 15 games on the road, and they are sure to be a thorn in Dallas’ side in this series.

Keys to the Series
Key 1: Pace – If you had talked to many NBA betting pundits at the start of the postseason, you would have thought that the Thunder would have needed to really play at a frantic pace to still be alive in the playoffs. They haven’t quite done that this year though, as they are slowing things down and really trying to capitalize on their new found bulk on the inside in trade deadline acquisitions, Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed. Dallas, on the other hand, has transformed itself from an offensive, shoot ’em out team to one that is willing to take its time to run defensive sets and pressure ‘D’. The Mavericks have played devastating defense in this postseason, keeping the high flying Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers down to right around 88 points per game.

Key 2: Pretend Like You’ve Been There – The aforementioned Perkins might only be 26 years old, but he has a bevy of playoff experience that he has brought from his days with the Boston Celtics here to the Sooner State. Sure, his stats haven’t been great (in fact, they’re too embarrassing to even talk about), but we know that he has meant more to this team both on and off the court to measure. Perkins warned his OKC teammates that they hadn’t accomplished anything yet by going up 3-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Grizz. The team came out and got blown away in the second half in Game 6 in Memphis. Now, it’s time for the big time against a big, bad Dallas team that is a heck of a lot more talented than the one on the other side of the court from this past series. If the Thunder seem content with their work, they will be dismissed from the playoffs in relatively easy fashion. They need to play like veterans in spite of the fact that they are all young and most have never been on this stage to succeed.

Key 3: Dirk Must Destroy Bad History in Big D – It’s been pretty well documented just how badly Dirk and the Mavs have struggled in the playoffs in their history. They’ve never won the NBA title. They’ve only been to the Finals once, and in that season, they choked away a 2-0 series lead to the Miami Heat in the finale. Nowitzki says that this team is better than the one that was on the court in ’06 that won it all, but regardless of that fact, there is still a heck of a lot of skepticism in Dallas. Few really believe that this really is the year that things change, especially after so many failed attempts with high hopes as well. Still, owner Mark Cuban and company would love nothing more than to finally give Dirk his ring, and the NBA betting public out there would love nothing more than to cash in with them on that quest as well.