With so much football action on the docket, many people forget that the 2014 NBA Basketball season is just a few short days away.  Here at Bankroll Sports, we are very excited for the upcoming season and look forward to bringing you lots of free NBA picks and basketball handicapping advice.

Listed at the bottom of this article/page you will find the current odds to win the NBA finals in 2014 from some of the best sportsbooks on the web.  As sports betting enthusiasts who get to speak with very sharp handicapping wiseguys daily, such as the Bankroll Sports expert, we wouldn’t feel like we were doing our part if we didn’t offer you some sensible advise before displaying the full list of NBA Championship odds for 2014.

It’s obvious that the Miami Heat are the obvious and clear cut favorites this year, the casual bettor may look at the list of teams and assume there isn’t any value anywhere else.  Some squares may actually assume that the three-peat is inevitable and may actually take the Miami Heat’s NBA finals odds at 2 to 1 (@ Diamond Sportsbook).

The truth is that the 2 to 1 price on the Miami Heat is basically the sportsbooks sending a message that says; “We took a bath on the Heat last year & we’re not letting that happen again”.

Last season, the heat went off at 6 to 1 to win the NBA Finals and the Vegas sportsbooks tried to lure the sports betting public into playing them.  They paid the price for it.  This year, they aren’t feeling so generous after LeBron James & Dwyane Wade made a mockery of the entire league last season.  While the Heat’s chances of winning the NBA finals look extremely high, they aren’t without some flaws and a 50% chance (which is what 2 to 1 truly is) is a little higher than it should be.  When you account for possible freak injuries and unforeseen circumstances, the 2 to 1 number starts to appear a bit ridiculous.  Therefore, if you are going to make a future bet for someone to win the NBA 2014 NBA Championship, we advise you to look for value elsewhere.

Our advice is look at the teams that were almost there last year and might push themselves over the hump in 2014. Always remember when betting futures that if the favorite is absurdly high, you can usually find a lot more value down the board.  There are a some other contenders that we feel have some value.

We feel that the Los Angeles Clippers are worth taking a serious look at.  You’ll find the Clippers at a very lofty 10 to 1 or higher at a lot of books.  The Clips re-inked their superstar point guard in Chris Paul and look to be trying to add more experienced role players rather than star power.  There were some rumors that that Clippers were looking to trade Blake Griffin, but we believe the team was just doing their due-diligence and testing the market to see what they could get in return.  It goes without saying that Blake Griffin along with DeAndre Jordon currently make up one of the best front-courts in the league.  They also needed a bit more experience out of the guards in 2013 and want to add a solid three-point shooter.  They got just that in guards, JJ Reddick and Jared Dudley. When you add in their acquisition of Doc Rivers, who is no stranger to playoff success, we feel that 2014 may be the year that the Clipper find their groove and make a run at a Championship.  If the Clippers get hot early, those 10 to 1 odds could seem like a gift.

There was no NBA team more exciting than the Golden State Warriors who rallied their fan base last season.  They showed that they might have the best guards in the NBA.  Stephon Curry may be the best shooter in the game and his side-kick, Klay Thompson makes them a matchup nightmare.   Their post players in Andrew Bogut along with David Lee aren’t the league’s best, but they compliment the guards well.  They showed a lack of defense in 2014, but if you factor in their off-season signing of Andre Iguodla & new head coach Mark Jackson, sports fans in the Bay area may have reason to be excited for the NBA basketball playoffs again in 2013.  At around 30 to 1 to win the NBA Finals next year, the Warriors offer a very lofty price and may be worth a small play.

Current Odds To Win The 2014 NBA Finals @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 10/22/13)
(Get a AWESOME 100% Sportsbook Bonus at JustBet.cx When Using This Link)

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: 725 to 1
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS: 1000 to 1
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: 450 to 1
CHICAGO BULLS: 9 to 1
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: 80 to 1
BOSTON CELTICS: 175 to 1
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: 13 to 1
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: 33 to 1
ATLANTA HAWKS: 215 to 1
MIAMI HEAT: 2 to 1
UTAH JAZZ: 175 to 1
SACRAMENTO KINGS: 180 to 1
NEW YORK KNICKS: 27 to 1
LOS ANGELES LAKERS: 60 to 1
ORLANDO MAGIC: 950 to 1
DALLAS MAVERICKS: 75 to 1
NEW JERSEY NETS: 13 to 1
DENVER NUGGETS: 55 to 1
INDIANA PACERS: 10 to 1
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: 130 to 1
DETROIT PISTONS: 130 to 1
TORONTO RAPTORS: 450 to 1
HOUSTON ROCKETS: 12 to 1
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: 11 to 1
PHOENIX SUNS: 650 to 1
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: 6 to 1
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: 150 to 1
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS: 85 to 1
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: 23 to 1
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: 125 to 1

We aren’t exactly firm believers that the San Antonio Spurs are going to be in the thick of things once again next season. There are a bunch of teams in the Southwest Division that could overtake them, and that could leave the door open once again for the Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA Finals Odds: 6 to 1 @ JustBet Sportsbook). F Kevin Durant wasn’t able to get to the NBA Finals for the second straight season, but the fact of the matter is that he challenged one of the best teams in the West, the Memphis Grizzlies essentially all by himself. G Russell Westbrook will be back in the saddle after getting hurt in the playoffs.

List Of Past NBA Finals Champions
2013 NBA Champions: Miami Heat
2012 NBA Champions: Miami Heat
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

As for the longshots, some may think it may be worth it to put a small play on Cleveland Cavaliers (Odds To Win 2014 NBA Championship: 120 to 1 @ 5 Dimes Sportsbook). Kyrie Irving is one of the best young guards in the NBA.  The Cavs are building a core of players that can compete in the Eastern Conference. While it’s clear there aren’t that many great teams in the Eastern conference, a good young team like the Cavs could surprise some people and make a run. If the Pacers were able to get the job done in the Central Division this past year, Cleveland could easily do it in 2013. Obviously we’re not saying that we actually believe Cleveland is going to win the NBA title in 2012. However, this is a team a we feel offers great value in their 2014 futures odds.

Up To Date List of 2014 NBA Finals Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 10/22/13)
(Get a 50% Deposit Bonus @ 5Dimes Sportsbook & Casino When Using This Link)

Miami Heat – 1.75 to 1
Oklahoma City Thunder – 6 to 1
Chicago Bulls – 8 to 1
Brooklyn Nets – 11 to 1
Los Angeles Clippers – 12 to 1
Indiana Pacers – 13 to 1
San Antonio Spurs – 13 to 1
Houston Rockets – 14 to 1
Golden State Warriors – 23 to 1
New York Knicks – 29 to 1
Memphis Grizzlies – 32 to 1
Los Angeles Lakers – 44 to 1
Denver Nuggets – 58 to 1
Dallas Mavericks – 70 to 1
Cleveland Cavaliers – 120 to 1
Atlanta Hawks – 175 to 1
Minnesota Timberwolves – 175 to 1
Utah Jazz – 200 to 1
Detroit Pistons – 200 to 1
Portland Trail Blazers – 205 to 1
Boston Celtics – 210 to 1
New Orleans Pelicans – 210 to 1
Washington Wizards – 210 to 1
Milwaukee Bucks – 350 to 1
Sacramento Kings – 350 to 1
Toronto Raptors – 475 to 1
Philadelphia 76ers – 575 to 1
Phoenix Suns – 575 to 1
Charlotte Bobcats – 600 to 1
Orlando Magic – 600 to 1

The NBA Finals odds are getting hot and heavy, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking a look at the odds to win the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics series gets underway this week!

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Boston @ Miami (Monday 5/28, 8:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 2: Boston @ Miami (Wednesday 5/30, 8:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 3: Miami @ Boston (Friday 6/1, 8:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 4: Miami @ Boston (Sunday 6/3, 8:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 5: Boston @ Miami (Tuesday 6/5, 8:30 PM, ESPN) (If Necessary)
Game 6: Miami @ Boston (Thursday 6/7, 8:30 PM, ESPN) (If Necessary)
Game 7: Boston @ Miami (Saturday 6/9, 8:30 PM, ESPN) (If Necessary)

Key #1: Rajon Rondo has to be the best quarterback on the court
When the “Boston Three Party” first came together, all eyes were pointed at Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. Everyone knew that the C’s were going to need a fourth player – some sort of a role player to try to get everything to come together. That man turned out to be the fourth man in the “Big Four” in Rondo. All of a sudden, the man from Kentucky that no one seemed to want on their team at the beginning of the year has nine triple-doubles in his playoff career, including two here in this postseason. Rondo has the ability to take over a game at the point guard spot as a slasher or a passer, and in the end, he might be the most dynamic player on the court. Rondo is really the only one that has young enough legs for the Celtics to keep up with the Heat when they are running up and down the floor as well, and that might be a big time difference making factor in this series.

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Series Odds at
Wager Web Sportsbook
Boston Celtics +415
Miami Heat -525
Click Here to Bet The Celtics vs. Heat Picks!

Key #2: Boston has to exploit any Miami weakness in the paint
When the Celtics were busy winning championships, Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis were doing the job in the paint. They weren’t always good for the biggest numbers in the world, but those two were pulling down the important rebounds and altering shots that opponents were taking in the middle of the court all game long. Now though, both are gone, and the bigs for Boston just aren’t as good as they once were. Brandon Bass really isn’t your prototypical center, and there isn’t one that is going to be on the court for either side. Chris Bosh is still hurting for the Heat, and he might end up being out of this entire series with that abdomen injury. If that’s the case, it is up to really just Udonis Haslem for the first two games of this series, and Dexter Pittman as well after that when he returns from his suspension. Whether it be Bass, Garnett, or one of the other big men that the Celtics have to bring off of the bench, someone is going to have to find a way to dominate in the paint the way that Roy Hibbert did at times for the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs against Miami.

Key #3: The Super Friends have to continue to be super
It seems to go without saying that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are going to have to be the two best players on the court for the Heat to win this series. Miami has had its wakeup call, though. The team was pushed just a bit by Indiana, but in the face of adversity, D-Wade and LeBron both game up with huge games down the stretch of the series to make that series look ultimately like Secretariat pulling away from the rest of the field at the Belmont Stakes. This Miami team was assembled specifically to beat Boston, and LeBron knows that he has already had his NBA Finals dreams shattered by these Celtics once before. Not only could the Super Friends figure out how to get their first NBA title together if they can get past Boston, but they might be able to end the legacy in Beantown once and for all. That being said, if LeBron and Wade go back to what they were doing at the end of last year, alternating which one has the ball at the most important junctures of the game instead of playing the best matchups that are on the court, all of a sudden, Miami might find itself to be in a lot of trouble for the second straight series against a clearly inferior team.

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

Of all of the great games that we have seen on the 2012 NBA Playoffs Schedule, the best of the bunch may have yet to get started. The top two teams in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, are set to get it on in the Western Conference Finals, and the winner will move on to play for all of the marbles on the 2012 NBA Finals odds! Don’t miss our 2012 Western Conference Finals preview and series picks!

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Oklahoma City @ San Antonio (Sunday 5/27, 8:30 PM, TNT)
Game 2: Oklahoma City @ San Antonio (Tuesday 5/29, 9:00 PM, TNT)
Game 3: San Antonio @ Oklahoma City (Thursday 5/31, 9:00 PM, TNT)
Game 4: San Antonio @ Oklahoma City (Saturday 6/2, 8:30 PM, TNT)
Game 5: Oklahoma City @ San Antonio (Monday 6/4, 9:00 PM, TNT, If Necessary)
Game 6: San Antonio @ Oklahoma City (Wednesday 6/6, 9:00 PM, TNT, If Necessary)
Game 7: Oklahoma City @ San Antonio (Friday 6/8, 9:00 PM, TNT, If Necessary)

Key #1: The post defenders for the Thunder have to stay strong
This could really be the key to the whole series. The Spurs are going to be using their depth for sure to consistently give the Thunder everything that they could ever want, and that means a heck of a lot of driving into the paint and trying to control the low block. Battling it out in the paint, there just hasn’t been a team that has been able to body with San Antonio yet. That being said, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, and Nazr Mohammad are going to be waiting in the lane this time around for the slashing guards and the bigs for the Spurs, and we think that this is going to be a remarkable matchup. It isn’t about the stats for the big men for the Thunder. They just need to play well defensively, clean up the glass, and alter (or block) a ton of shots to make the Spurs uncomfortable. If they don’t and San Antonio can slash into the lane freely, this series is going to be a one-sided romp.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs Series Odds at
5Dimes Sportsbook
Oklahoma City Thunder +175
San Antonio Spurs -210
Click Here to Bet The Thunder vs. Spurs Picks!

Key #2: The Spurs have to be careful with the pace of this series
Depth has been the key for the Spurs over the course of the first two rounds of the playoffs. They clearly had more bodies to throw at both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz, and they were able to just keep running up and down the court to take care of those teams without all that much in the way of problems. Save for Tony Parker and Tim Duncan though, no one averaged more than 26 minutes per game. The good news is that it kept legs fresh. The bad news in this series though, is that the Thunder are ready, willing, and certainly able to keep up at this type of a pace with the Spurs. San Antonio has to be careful to say the least. Yes, this is a team that has the experience of winning NBA Finals, but those wins all came in situations where defense won championships. Now, the Spurs are going to try to run their way to a title. When it ran into a younger team that was willing to run last year in the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio was in some trouble and eventually got knocked out of the playoffs. We know that this is what got the Spurs to this point, but the possibility is there that the Thunder could force this tempo even faster, and that could make things very uncomfortable for the flow of the Spurs.

Key #3: The Spurs cannot commit too many fouls and send the Thunder to the foul line
If the Spurs are going to lose this series, there is a good chance that they do it at the charity stripe. For all of the good things that they do, the Spurs really don’t shoot foul shots that well. Tim Duncan is a liability from the foul line for sure, and though the guards are usually all good shooters, there are too many on the court that could be fouled and sent to the line for crucial free throws that might be nervy. The argument could be made that Oklahoma City had that issue last year when it was deep into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history (since moving from Seattle), but this year, with the experience that the team has, there should be no jitters. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden are all great free throw shooters, and these are the men that are going to have the ball in their hands. We have seen this team knock down foul shots all postseason, making teams pay for trying to get too physical with them, and the Thunder are going to continue to do that in this series. The Spurs have to find ways to stay out of foul trouble, not so much for their depth, but just to keep Oklahoma City off of the charity stripe.

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

The San Antonio Spurs are going to be back in action against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the playoffs, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are going to make our NBA playoff predictions and our Spurs vs. Clippers series picks for what could be quite the entertaining series!

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Los Angeles @ San Antonio (Tuesday 5/15, 9:30 PM, TNT)
Game 2: Los Angeles @ San Antonio (Thursday 5/17, 9:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 3: San Antonio @ Los Angeles (Saturday 5/19, 3:30 PM, ABC)
Game 4: San Antonio @ Los Angeles (Sunday 5/20, 10:30 PM, TNT)
Game 5: Los Angeles @ San Antonio (Tuesday 5/22, TBD, If Necessary)
Game 6: San Antonio @ Los Angeles (Friday 5/25, TBD, If Necessary)
Game 7: Los Angeles @ San Antonio (Sunday 5/27, TBD, If Necessary)

Key #1: CP3 has no choice but to take over
The Clippers are just tremendous underdogs in this series, and for good reason. If there is any chance to pull off the upset though, Chris Paul needs to be the man of the hour. CP3 went off for 36 points when these two teams last met at the AT&T Center, and it took all 36 of those points to be able to get out of Dodge with a ‘W’. Of course, Mo Williams also put together 33 points off of the bench that day to help out, and that made all of the difference in the world. Still, it is going to come down to what CP3 can do. He is still hurting with a hip pointer, and it is clear that that is going to hamper him for as long as the Clippers are in the playoffs. Still, this is why Paul was brought to Tinseltown, and he is going to have to be the man that does everything for the Clippers if they want to stand any chance.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs Series Odds at
5Dimes Sportsbook
Los Angeles Clippers +1350
San Antonio Spurs -2200
Click Here to Bet The Clippers vs. Spurs Picks!

Key #2: Gregg Popovich has to continue to rotate his players
Well, at least we know that that shouldn’t be all that much of a problem. The Spurs use at least 11 players seemingly every single night, and Popovich is known to use all 13 that he has available to him regardless of whether the game is close or not. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker can’t all play 40 minutes per game like they used to, and that means that the likes of Tiago Splitter, Danny Green, Gary Neal, etc. have no choice but to step it up. None of them really need to contribute more than perhaps about 20 minutes on the court, but those 20 minutes are key, especially the ones that come without the big time scorers on the hardwood.

Key #3: The Clippers absolutely cannot get killed on the glass
Even dating back to 2010, it is quite easy to see the key to winning games in this series. The team that controls the glass is the one that is going to have the best chance to win. The Clippers outrebounded the Spurs 41-35 in the 120-108 win back in March at the AT&T Center, and they held the 53-42 edge in a 103-100 loss at Staples Center in overtime in February. The Spurs were +13 in a 115-90 win right at the outset of the season in December, while the Clippers won the battle on the boards 50-43 in the last meeting of last season, a 90-85 win. That means that Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and the likes really need to make sure that they are sure-handed on the glass and don’t let a somewhat undersized San Antonio team have its way. If the Spurs win the rebounding battle every night, the Clippers are going to be in a heck of a lot of trouble.

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

The Western Conference finally gets involved in the second round of the playoffs on Monday night, and the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers are set to square off. Check out our keys to the game for the Thunder vs. Lakers, as well as our Lakers vs. Thunder series picks and a preview of what should be a great, two-week battle.

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City (Monday 5/14, 9:30 PM, TNT)
Game 2: Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City (Wednesday 5/16, 9:30 PM, TNT)
Game 3: Oklahoma City @ Los Angeles (Friday 5/18, 10:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 4: Oklahoma City @ Los Angeles (Saturday 5/19, 10:30 PM, TNT)
Game 5: Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City (Monday 5/21, TBD)
Game 6: Oklahoma City @ Los Angeles (Wednesday 5/23, TBD)
Game 7: Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City (Sunday 5/27, TBD)

Key #1: Oklahoma City has to get its head back in the game quickly
About the only disadvantage that a team generally has when it finishes off a sweep in the first round is that it could show some rust. We aren’t as worried about this with the San Antonio Spurs as we are with the Thunder, knowing that the Spurs have some veteran leadership to lead the way during the absence. However, no matter who you are, nine days off is going to be tough to say the least. The Thunder are going to have to hit the ground running in this series though, knowing that they are going against an LA team that only finished its first round series two nights ago. If Oklahoma City is going to slip at home, Games 1 and 2 are going to be quite dangerous for sure, especially with Kobe and the gang starting to pick up some confidence.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Series Odds at
Wager Web Sportsbook
Los Angeles Lakers +390
Oklahoma City Thunder -430
Click Here to Bet The Lakers vs. Thunder Picks!

Key #2: Kobe needs some help from his bench
There are two things that we know for sure from the Lakers every single time we see them on the court. 1: Kobe Bryant is going to be amazing. He has averaged just under 30 points per game in the playoffs this year, and the truth of the matter is that it is always disappointing when he doesn’t play 42 minutes and score 35 points when he is out there this time of year. 2: The rest of the team is going to be a giant crapshoot. Sure, once Metta World Peace came back to the lineup, matters helped dramatically. He put up 15 in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. However, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are below the numbers that we are expecting, and that is putting the pressure on the bench. Steve Blake shot the ball well from beyond the arc in the first round, and that has to keep up. Where is the rest of the help coming from, though? Ramon Sessions? Jordan Hill? Devin Ebanks? No matter who it is from, the Lakers are going to need their supporting cast to really step up, or they will get blown away in this series.

Key #3: The team that keeps its composure will win this series
We have seen it with the Lakers time and time again. They are a team that is able to be frustrated. The Dallas Mavericks did it to the point last year that they were able to sweep LA out of the second round of the playoffs. However, we know that Oklahoma City can be ruffled as well. Metta World Peace has the ability to be a stifling defensive player (as long as his elbows are staying close to his own body), while the combo of Gasol and Bynum in the paint is usually fantastic defensively. If Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook start to have some issues driving to the basket and become strictly jump shooters, the Thunder are in trouble. Whichever team is able to really play its game and forget what the other is trying to make it do will be in the best shape in this series.

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

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!

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

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
Click Here to Bet The 76ers vs. Celtics Picks!

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!

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

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.

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