At the outset of the season, pretty much all of the expert NBA handicappers out there thought that the Miami Heat would be the representatives in the Eastern Conference Finals playing host to the first two games of the series. Of course, everyone thought that the Boston Celtics would be the team that they were playing. The Chicago Bulls crashed the party though, and they are the team hosting the first two duels in this series. Check out our NBA playoff picks for this very, very highly anticipated series.

NBA Series Prices
Chicago +170 vs. Miami -190 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Chicago +160 vs. Miami -185 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Chicago +160 vs. Miami -200 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
The Heat had a heck of a time trying to beat any of the best teams in the league on a consistent basis this year, and Chicago was definitely no exception. In fact, the Bulls swept the season series with three straight wins, and they went 2-0-1 ATS to show for their work as well. Yet the oddsmakers are favoring the Heat in this series in spite of the fact that both of these teams have clearly hit their stride.

Miami reached this point in the playoffs by taking care of the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, both of which happened in five games. Chicago didn’t have to work all that hard either. Sure, the Bulls know that they struggled a bit more with the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks than perhaps they should of, but when push came to shove, winning out in five games and six games respectively, especially since the last two came in awesome fashion against the Hawks, was nothing to forget about.

The Heat are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning record. They’re also 7-2 ATS in their last nine road games. However, there is definitely a problem going against teams from the Central Division. Miami is only 0-5 ATS in its last five against the Central Division. To make matters worse, it is 0-5 ATS in its last six playoff games as an underdog.

The Bulls, on the contrary, have absolutely nothing to worry about. They dominated this year at home, going 36-5, and they are now 5-1 in the playoffs here at the United Center in the postseason. Chicago is 36-16-2 ATS in its last 54 games against teams with a winning record SU. It is also 12-2-2 ATS in its last 16 home games against teams with a winning road record.

Underdogs are 3-0-1 ATS in the last four games in this series. The home team though, is 5-2-1 ATS, while the Heat are just 1-3-1 ATS in their last five trips to the Windy City.

Keys to the Series
Key 1: Home Court Advantage – The Bulls were never supposed to be able to snare home court advantage in the playoffs, but they did just that by playing well down the stretch and snaring the top overall seed, not just in the Eastern Conference, but in the entire league as well. We’ve already mentioned this great record for Chicago in its own backyard, but the Heat have yet to lose a game at American Airlines Arena as well in the playoffs. Things are amped up another notch in the playoffs, especially in a series like this, and the crowd can really be that sixth man on the court quite a bit. Chicago just cannot lose one of these first two games in this series, or the Heat are most likely going to end up winning this series in six games.

Key 2: The Role Players – Head Coach Tom Thibodeau knows that Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, and Luol Deng aren’t going to be able to do all of this by themselves. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen also had men like Steve Kerr and Dennis Rodman in the Bulls’ great runs in the 90s. Kerr was the man with ice running through his veins, and the truth of the matter is that Kyle Korver could be the same type of player. We know that the Heat have three superstars in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, but these three cannot win games by themselves. Whether it is James Jones, Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, or any of the other role players that this team has, someone else is going to need to step up to be able to run with the Bulls.

Key 3: Series Fit For a King, or an MVP? – LeBron James has had a heck of a career, but the truth of the matter is that he has never won the big one. The Cleveland Cavaliers were never in a position where they were supposed to win the NBA Finals, but this time around, James and his new team in Miami are favored to win it all on the NBA Finals odds. Derrick Rose has stood in the face of every situation that he was never supposed to get through, and he has really played well in all of them. We know that both of these men are going to be taking 20+ shots per game. Though neither one is going to be able to win this series on their own, they can both lose it on their own. Rose and James are going to be the spotlight players in this series, and the NBA is going to know which one of its stars is really going to bring it into the next generation.

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 Chicago Bulls never really had all that much of an issue getting into the second round of the playoffs, and they’re hoping that they can run just as easily into the Eastern Conference Finals as well. The Atlanta Hawks are standing in their way though, and this could make for a great series for NBA picks.

NBA Series Prices
Chicago -800 vs. Atlanta +550 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Chicago -900 vs. Atlanta +600 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Chicago -900 vs. Atlanta +550 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
The Hawks know that they have their work cut out for them in this series, but they do have some good news on their side. They really did play well in the first NBA betting battle of the year against the Bulls, winning 83-80 at home. However, these two teams met twice more in the month of March, and neither of those meetings went all that well, with Chicago winning 94-76 and 114-81. In both cases, the Bulls went on one massive push that was able to just destroy the spirit of the Hawks.

More good news for the Hawks: They’re 7-3 ATS over the course of the last 10 meetings in this series, and they have won seven of those 10 outright as well. The bad news is that Atlanta is just 0-7-1 ATS over the course of the last two times that they were in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Chicago is 6-1 ATS in its last seven against the Southeast Division, but it is just 1-7 ATS in its last eight games against teams with a losing road record.

Keys to the Series
Key 1: Health – Obviously, staying healthy is a big time key in any series, but both teams suffered what could be catastrophic losses in the close out games of their respective series at home last week. Kirk Hinrich was knocked out for the Hawks with a hamstring strain an injury which is likely to at least have him sidelined against one of his former teams for at least the first game in this series. On the other side, Carlos Boozer has a toe injury that he suffered after scoring just two points in Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers. He is listed as probable, but Head Coach Tom Thibodeau knows that Boozer might be limited in what he can do with this injury.

Key 2: The Early Lead – We know that in the NHL playoffs, the team that has scored the first goal has gone on to win a slew of games. No, we’re not saying that the team scoring the first basket ends up winning most of the NBA playoffs betting affairs, but we do know that NBA picks in this series will revolve around which team gets the early edge. For Atlanta, the trick is just going to be staying close. In games that it either stuck close or got out to the early lead against the Orlando Magic, it went 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS. The one game that it did, it was absolutely blown to bits. The Bulls know that these Hawks are generally a lazy bunch that gives up after falling behind early. The hope that Chicago has is that it can step on Atlanta’s throat early and often in this series to take away all of its fight.

Key 3: Controlling the Paint – Atlanta absolutely cannot let this series turn into a knock down, drag out series, or it is going to be in a heck of a lot of trouble. The Hawks really showed nothing on the inside against Dwight Howard, as “Superman” had one heck of a series for the Magic. Carlos Boozer, even if he is injured, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah have to absolutely be licking their chops about the prospects of going against Zaza Pachulia and the likes. Instead, Atlanta has to make this an outside, in series and not an inside, out one. Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson have to be knocking down shots from the outside to try to keep the pressure off of the bigs in the middle. If it doesn’t happen, this really could be an incredibly short series, as Chicago won’t make mistakes in a game based on the glass.

Two teams that weren’t in the best on shape on the NBA Finals odds just a week ago are both smiling and sitting pretty right now. The Oklahoma City Thunder have to love this matchup against a bunch of Memphis Grizzlies that just have to be happy to still be alive after becoming the fourth No. 8 seed to ever upset a No. 1 in the first round of the playoffs.

NBA Series Prices
Oklahoma City -350 vs. Memphis +270 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Oklahoma City -360 vs. Memphis +300 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Oklahoma City OTB vs. Memphis OTB @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
The Thunder have to be a bit scared over how poorly they actually played in this season series. All of the meetings came from the beginning of January through the beginning of March, which at least should let OKC’s NBA betting fans relax just a bit knowing that Kendrick Perkins wasn’t in the fold for any of the games. Still, the Grizzlies came here to the Ford Center back in February and posted a 105-101 win in overtime as 7.5 point underdogs, and they went 3-1 SU and ATS in the season series.

The bad news for Memphis bettors though, is that this is the only time since 2008 that the Grizzlies have either won or covered a game in the Sooner State, something that doesn’t bode well for the rest of this series.

Keys to the Series
Key 1: Containing Durant – There are no two ways around this fact: Kevin Durant is really, really, really good. Amongst players that are still left standing — and there are a heck of a lot of good ones out there — none are averaging more points per game in the second season than the 32.4 that the former Texas Longhorn is putting on the board. Of course, this did come against a Denver Nuggets team that really was never all that great defensively, but that’s still a huge number that cannot be ignored. There really aren’t great defensive matchups for Durant in this series either for Memphis, which means that the key to slowing Durant might be forcing him into bad situations and matchups defensively.

Key 2: Heart and Hustle – Ah yes, the old slogan of the Orlando Magic from back in the day… The Grizzlies have sort of adopted that right now, as they don’t have the talent to match up with some of the best teams in the Western Conference even with Rudy Gay in the fold, let alone when he’s out nursing an injury. Memphis was able to beat the San Antonio Spurs by taking control of the hustle stats in the game and simply outworking them. That’s what it will need to do again in this series. The problem though, is that the Thunder have a team that is much more suited to play well in this situation. Oklahoma City certainly got a lot tougher with Perkins and Nazr Mohammad on the court, and that could make all the difference, not just in this series, but in the rest of the playoffs as well.

Key 3: Believing – Neither one of these teams has ever been to this point, and there really isn’t a heck of a lot of playoff experience on either side. The team that might beat the NBA series odds could be the one that believes that it deserves to be in the Western Conference Finals and believes that it will beat either the Dallas Mavericks or the Los Angeles Lakers. We don’t really know what the Grizzlies have in this department after beating the Spurs last round, but we know that Durant and Russell Westbrook are never short on confidence.

The Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat both have aspirations of beating the NBA Finals odds this year to claim glory. These two titans will run into each other like two runaway trains going in opposite directions starting on Sunday, and only one will be able to survive.

NBA Series Prices
Miami -195 vs. Boston +165 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Miami -200 vs. Boston +170 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Miami -190 vs. Boston +155 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
The Celtics did a nice job in this series this year in the regular season. They won 88-80 in a great game in October and came back to South Beach to score a 112-107 ‘W’. February’s meeting also went Boston’s way in 85-82 form at TD Garden. The difference making win went to Miami, though. In one of the last games of the regular season, the Heat scored a 100-77 victory. Because of that, they finished in front of the C’s in the standings and earned home court advantage in this series.

The Celtics are still 9-3 ATS over the course of the last 12 meetings in South Beach, and they had covered four in a row and seven out of eight before that romp here at American Airlines Arena. The favorite is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 clashes of these titans.

Keys to the Series
Key 1: The Battle in the Paint – There really isn’t anything more important in this series. The Celtics know that they have a huge deficiency without Kendrick Perkins. They might get Shaquille O’Neal back in the fold at some point during this series, but we don’t know whether it’s going to make much of a difference. If Joel Anthony and Zydrunas Ilgauskas can figure out how to give just a few contributions, that should be good enough for the Heat to dominate.

Key 2: LeBron’s Passion – LeBron James is going to be the best player on the court in this series, but that doesn’t mean that he is going to be putting up the best numbers. James was knocked out of the playoffs by these Celtics last year, and he really needs to be at his best to avenge that defeat from last year. Boston figured out how to bottle LeBron up last year, and if it does so again, the Heat are in a ton of trouble.

Key 3: Overcoming the Past – We’ve already mentioned just how badly the Heat played against Boston this year, but this wasn’t the only rock solid team that they didn’t do so great against on the campaign. Miami was knocked off twice by the Dallas Mavericks and all three times by the Chicago Bulls. This has been a huge problem for the Heat, and if they can’t get over their problems against the best of the best, they’ll never be able to beat the NBA Finals odds.

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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

The dance is finally here for the men of the pro hardwood, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’ve got all of the ins and outs covered for the race to beat the NBA Finals odds! Check out the series prices, along with the trends and history that you need to know for all of these teams as we make our NBA Finals picks!

#8 Indiana Pacers vs. #1 Chicago Bulls
NBA Series Prices
Chicago -4000 vs. Indiana +2000 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Chicago -3500 vs. Indiana +1750 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Chicago -5000 vs. Indiana +1200 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
This is the first time that the Pacers have been in a playoff game since 2006, and they haven’t won a playoff series since 2005. Indiana has never won an NBA Championship, and it will be making its 19th appearance in the second season this year. It has an 81-80 record in these games. Obviously, Chicago has had a team rich in tradition and history thanks to the play of Michael Jordan, who brought the franchise six titles. However, none of those have come since 1998, and there is only one playoff series victory in that stretch.

The Bulls are 8-4 ATS against Indiana over the course of the last three series, and more importantly, they are 5-1 ATS and 6-0 SU at the United Center in that stretch. That’s terrible news for an Indiana team that didn’t even come close to finishing .500 this year, especially knowing that there has to be at least one huge upset in the Windy City to win this series.

#7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. #2 Miami Heat
NBA Series Prices
Miami -2000 vs. Philadelphia +1200 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Miami -2000 vs. Philadelphia +1250 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Miami -2500 vs. Philadelphia +900 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
It’s been quite awhile since the 76ers were in the NBA Finals in 2001, and this doesn’t look to be the year that anything changes. The last time they won a playoff series was in 2003, and for proof of just how long ago that was, New Orleans was still playing in the Eastern Conference! This is the third straight playoff appearance in four years for Philly, but both previous times, it bowed out with 4-2 series defeats. Miami hasn’t won a playoff series since winning the 2006 NBA Championship. This is its 14th playoff appearance in team history, and none have ever been considered as important as this one. This is where LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh will be measured, and even one game’s worth of a slip in this series would bring up a ton of questions.

The Sixers really haven’t stood in there against Miami in these last three seasons, going just 5-6 ATS and 2-9 SU over the course of the 11 meetings in the last three seasons. This year, the series was absolutely all in favor of the Heat, as it went 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in this series, winning all three games by at least nine points. Over the last three years, Miami is a perfect 6-0 SU against the Sixers when playing at home at the American Airlines Arena.

#6 New York Knicks vs. #3 Boston Celtics
NBA Series Prices
Boston -400 vs. New York +320 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Boston -360 vs. New York +300 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Boston -500 vs. New York +350 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
You have to go back to 2000 to find the last time the Knicks won a playoff series, but the hype at Madison Square Garden is as high as it has ever been thanks to the assembly of the trio of Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, and Amare Stoudemire. There’s a lot of history hanging in those rafters in Beantown, though. The C’s have 48 playoff appearances, 321 lifetime postseason wins, and 17 NBA Championships to their credit, and many think that this is yet another year in which they can shine.

The Knicks have tried their best against the Celtics, but they just haven’t been able to get over the hump. They were swept in the season series this year season, and they are just 2-10 against the C’s over the last three years. If you like higher scoring series, this might be the one for you, as five of the last six have gone past the ‘total’ in this series in games played at the Garden.

#5 Atlanta Hawks vs. #4 Orlando Magic
NBA Series Prices
Orlando -600 vs. Atlanta +450 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Orlando -600 vs. Atlanta +450 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Orlando -600 vs. Atlanta +400 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
If the Hawks are making a run this season in the NBA playoffs, they are going to have to overcome a tremendously dull history that hasn’t seen a title since 1958. That was also the last time that the team won more than one series in a postseason. Last year they won a series, only to get run out by these Magic. Orlando knows that it has a lot of work to do to get to its third NBA Finals in team history, and it really doesn’t seem like a task that is all that possible. Dwight Howard and company have had a great run over these last few seasons, but this might be the least equipped team to get the job done.

It’s almost like we can throw the season series out between these two teams. Both squads made significant changes since playing each other in games that meant anything, as we put absolutely no stock in Atlanta’s win right at the end of March against an Orlando team that was resting players. One of the wins for the Hawks in this series also came the day after the huge trades that left the Magic with just eight healthy bodies and virtually no stars to rely on. What we do have to remember is that last year’s romp by Orlando in these playoffs was the most lopsided beating in the history of the postseason in terms of margin of victory.

#8 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #1 San Antonio Spurs
NBA Series Prices
San Antonio -360 vs. Memphis +300 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
San Antonio -360 vs. Memphis +300 @ SportBet Sportsbook
San Antonio -500 vs. Memphis +350 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
The bad news for the Grizzlies is that they have never won a game in the history of the franchise. This team has only made three previous postseason appearances, and it is just 0-12 in 12 games to show for its work. We tend to believe that at least one game will go Memphis’ way in this one, but more than that would probably be considered a bit of a triumph. This is the 31st playoff appearance for the men in black and silver, and it is the 14th straight year in which the team was in the playoffs. The only year that the Spurs weren’t in the dance was in 1997, dating all the way back to 1990, and the team has made a number of Western Conference Finals in this run.

The regular season series was actually split between these two teams, as the Grizz really came on strong at the end of the year. We know that Memphis had the best NBA betting record in terms of ATS this season of any team, and as a result, many are on its bandwagon. San Antonio might be without Manu Ginobili for some or all of this series, and if that’s the case, the door might really swing open for the Rudy Gay-less Grizzlies.

#7 New Orleans Hornets vs. #2 Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Series Prices
Los Angeles -2000 vs. New Orleans +1200 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Los Angeles -2100 vs. New Orleans +1280 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Los Angeles -2500 vs. New Orleans +900 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
Since moving to the Crescent City, the Hornets have only won one playoff series, that coming when they were the No. 1 seed in the West in 2008. Aside from that though, the majority of the series have been quite ugly, including that awful 4-1 loss to the Denver Nuggets in 2009 with a ton of lopsided games. There’s no team that has the marks of the Lakers in the Western Conference. They have 429 lifetime playoff wins in 58 appears prior to this year, and they have a whopping 16 titles in the rafters, including championships in back to back seasons.

If the Lakers can stay out of their own way, they have no reason that they shouldn’t be winning this series with ease, especially with David West out of the fold for the Hornets. Kobe Bryant has a sparkling playoff record, and the Lakers are 9-2 SU and 6-5 ATS over the course of the 11 meetings in this series over the course of the last three seasons. LA is also 29-11 SU since 1996 against the Hornets, though some of those games came against the franchise when it was in Charlotte.

#6 Portland Trail Blazers vs. #3 Dallas Mavericks
NBA Series Prices
Dallas -230 vs. Portland +190 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Dallas -210 vs. Portland +175 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Dallas -240 vs. Portland +190 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
Dallas’ playoff history is definitely marred, especially during the tenure of Dirk Nowitzki. He has always been looked at as the player that just can’t win the big one, and he has only taken the Mavericks to one NBA Finals appearance, the only one in the history of the team. Portland hasn’t really been relevant since 2000, which marks the last time that it won a playoff series.

These two did meet up in the 2003 playoffs, with Dallas taking the series in seven games. This is a potentially wicked matchup for the Mavs, who split the season series with the Blazers. Portland hasn’t lost to Dallas since the acquisition of Gerald Wallace, winning 104-101 and 104-96 at the Rose Garden. The Blazers are 37-27 ATS against Dallas since 1996, but the Mavs own the 35-29 SU edge. Still, this could be a series that comes down to the wire, especially if Portland can flip home court advantage in these first two games.

#5 Denver Nuggets vs. #4 Oklahoma City Thunder
NBA Series Prices
Oklahoma City -210 vs. Denver +170 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Oklahoma City -210 vs. Denver +175 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Oklahoma City -210 vs. Denver +165 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
Denver really hasn’t had a great time in the playoffs in team history, as it only has two series victories since 1994, both of which came in 2009. These defeats have been ugly as well in that stretch, as the two games won against the Utah Jazz last year only gave the team eight wins in seven losing series since 1995. Oklahoma City made the playoffs for the first time since moving from Seattle last year, losing out four games to two to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers.

This is probably going to be the best series of the bunch in the first round of the playoffs because both of these teams love to get out and run, and they are certainly going to be keeping the scoreboard operators both at the Ford Center and Pepsi Arena occupied. Sure, three of the four meetings stayed ‘under’ the ‘total’ this year, but it really isn’t likely that the Nuggets are going to be held to a total of 183 points in any two games in this series. OKC won the regular season series 3-1, and it went 3-1 ATS to show for its work as well.