The NBA schedule just wrapped up its first half of the season, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are making our All-Star Game predictions for which man will beat the odds to win the MVP of the All-Star Game in Houston on Sunday night.

There really are only a handful of players that we think can legitimately win this award, and we would have no problem backing these four men that we are going to highlight against the field without hesitation. The man in the West that is going to be the most likely hero is the man that won the MVP award in the All-Star Game last year, Kevin Durant (Current All Star Game MVP Odds: 11 to 2 at Bovada Sportsbook). Durant never has fear putting the ball up, and he is one of the most respected shooters in the game. We’re inevitably going to see the Oklahoma City standout throw down some dunks and jack up tons of threes, and in the end, we expect to see him score somewhere in the neck of the woods of the 36 points that he had in last year’s game in Orlando to take the honor.

Next in line in the Western Conference is clearly going to be Kobe Bryant (Current Odds To Win All-Star Game MVP: 15 to 2 at Bovada Sportsbook). Kobe is the vet of this game, and he has made a tremendous habit out of being the man of the hour when push comes to shove. The argument could have been made last year for him to be the MVP of this game for the second straight season, as he scored 27 points and knocked down some huge shots. Bryant not only was the MVP in 2011, but he was the co-MVP in 2009 and the MVP in 2007. (For the record, Bryant won his first All-Star Game MVP award in 2002.) If you just keep following the “every other year” thing, Kobe could be in for a big time performance. If the Western Conference wins this game, it’s tough to see how either Durant or Bryant won’t ultimately win the MVP award.

List Of Past NBA All-Star Game MVPs (Since 2000)
2012 – Kevin Durant
2011 – Kobe Bryant
2010 – Dwyane Wade
2009 – Shaquille O’Neal/Kobe Bryant
2008 – LeBron James
2007 – Kobe Bryant
2006 – LeBron James
2005 – Allen Iverson
2004 – Shaquille O’Neal
2003 – Kevin Garnett
2002 – Kobe Bryant
2001 – Allen Iverson
2000 – Tim Duncan/Shaquille O’Neal

Shifting our attention to the Eastern Conference, it is clear again, that there should only be two teammates that have a chance at claiming glory. LeBron James (Up To Date All Star Game MVP Bettng Lines: 6 to 1 at Bovada Sportsbook) is the obvious choice. He scored 36 points in last year’s All-Star Game, and he would have been the MVP had he stepped up and knocked down the three-point shot at the end of the game instead of dishing it off and watching as a teammate failed at a last ditch effort instead. The bottom line with James right now is that he is on such remarkable fire, it’s not even funny. He has seven straight games with at least 30 points scored, and he is shooting the daylights out of the basketball. If the basket keeps looking like a beach ball could fit through it, we wouldn’t put it beyond James to put up 40, or even maybe 50 points in this one in spite of the fact that his teammates are inevitably going to have to score a ton of points as well.

With Head Coach Erik Spoelstra calling the shots though, we know that we have to give at least a little bit of play to Dwyane Wade (All-Star Game MVP Odds: 12 to 1 at Bovada Sportsbook). There are others such as the hometown hero, James Harden and Russell Westbrook that have a shot on the Western Conference team, but if Carmelo Anthony really is slowed by a hand injury or cannot play in the game, we just don’t know where the scoring is coming from on the Eastern Conference team. Last season in the All-Star Game, Wade almost quietly had a triple-double in defeat, putting up 24 points, 10 boards, and 10 assists. He has the ability to do it all, just like LeBron does. We really do believe that a split MVP would be about as good of a chance as Wade has against his teammate from South Beach, but we still think that there has to be better than a one in 12 chance that the man from Marquette walks away with the MVP trophy from this game in the Lone Star State.

Odds to Win 2013 All Star Game MVP @ Bovada Sportsbook (as of 2/14/13):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at Bovada.lv When Using This Link)
Kevin Durant 11 to 2
LeBron James 6 to 1
Kobe Bryant 15 to 2
Blake Griffin 14 to 1
Carmelo Anthony 9 to 1
Dwyane Wade 12 to 1
Chris Paul 15 to 1
James Harden 9 to 1
Kyrie Irving 15 to 1
Dwight Howard 18 to 1
Russell Westbrook 18 to 1
Kevin Garnett 20 to 1
Tony Parker 20 to 1
Jrue Holiday 25 to 1
Brook Lopez 25 to 1
LaMarcus Aldridge 25 to 1
Chris Bosh 30 to 1
Paul George 35 to 1
Zach Randolph 35 to 1
David Lee 45 to 1
Luol Deng 45 to 1
Tyson Chandler 50 to 1
Joakim Noah 50 to 1
Tim Duncan 60 to 1

The 2013 NBA Dunk Contest odds are posted all over the internet. This isn’t quite the spectacle that it once was when some of the biggest stars of the game were partaking in the event, but it is still one that we think is quite intriguing and has some great NBA betting possibilities. Join us today, as we analyze the 2013 NBA Slam Dunk Contest field and the dunk competition odds at this weekend’s All-Star Game.

2013 All Star NBA Dunk Contest Picks & Info
2013 NBA Dunk Contest Date/Time: Saturday, February 16th, 2013, 8:00 (ET)
2013 NBA Dunk Contest Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
2013 NBA Dunk Contest TV Coverage – Network: TNT

The favorite to win the dunk competition is little used New York Knicks’ James White (Slam Dunk Contest Odds: 5 to 4 @ Bovada Sportsbook). White was out of the NBA for a few years and was mired in the D-League, but now, he is back with New York and is averaging right around six minutes per game… when he gets on the court. He has only been active in 34 games on the campaign. Of course, this is a man that is talking big from the Big Apple, as he says that he has “five dunks that will get a 50.” Those are big words from a man who is just a 6’7″ guard/forward without all that much of an NBA career. We do give this much to White, though. At least he was a Rocket once upon a time in the 2008-09 season, and that can’t hurt his cause.

Next comes a man who claims that no one really “know what I’m capable of,” the Toronto Raptors’ Terrence Ross (Odds to Win the 2013 Slam Dunk Contest: 7 to 2 @ Bovada Sportsbook). We do know that Ross can jump out of the building, and we know that this is his biggest moment thus far in his professional career. Ross is only playing around 17 minutes per game for the Raptors, but at least he is a reasonable contributor. He’s averaging 6.4 points per game. Of course, he only has a handful of dunks on the season and isn’t necessarily known as a dunker, which is why people are really doubting what his abilities really are at the rack.

List Of Past NBA Slam Dunk Contest Winners
2012 – Jeremy Evans
2011 – Blake Griffin
2010 – Nate Robinson
2009 – Nate Robinson
2008 – Dwight Howard
2007 – Gerald Green
2006 – Nate Robinson
2005 – Josh Smith
2004 – Fred Jones
2003 – Jason Richardson
2002 – Jason Richardson
2001 – Desmond Mason
2000 – Vince Carter
1997 – Kobe Bryant
1996 – Brent Barry
1995 – Harold Miner
1994 – Isaiah Rider
1993 – Harold Miner
1992 – Cedric Ceballos
1991 – Dee Brown
1990 – Dominique Wilkins
1989 – Kenny Walker
1988 – Michael Jordan
1987 – Michael Jordan
1986 – Spud Webb
1985 – Dominique Wilkins
1984 – Larry Nance

Gerald Green (2013 Slam Dunk Odds: 4 to 1 @ Bovada Sportsbook) is up next at 4 to 1. We have seen Green throw down his share of dunks in his career, like this shot at the top of this article when he was with the Boston Celtics. This is his first chance to shine right now on this type of stage, and he is going to be representing his newest team, the Indiana Pacers. Green is only good for 6.6 points per game this year and is used in a reserve role for sure, but he is going to be a very interesting man to try to watch in this competition.

No one could convince the actual LeBron James to join the NBA Dunk Contest, so instead, the competition got the man known as “Mini LeBron,” Eric Bledsoe (Odds to Win the Slam Dunk Contest: 5 to 1 @ Bovada Sportsbook) of the Los Angeles Clippers. Bledsoe is clearly the best player of the bunch this year, but this isn’t a competition that is won and lost by great players. It’s won and lost by the flashiest man in the bunch. At just 6’1″, Bledsoe is clearly the smallest man in the competition. It worked for Nate Robinson for all those years though, and it certainly could be the factor that gets Bledsoe the crown as well. Of the six men in the slam dunk contest, Bledsoe is probably the one that we would want to back the most with the most value.

The biggest man with the most dunks on the campaign of all of the competitors is one of the two top underdogs as well. The Denver Nuggets are sending Kenneth Faried (Dunk Contest Odds: 8 to 1 @ Bovada Sportsbook) to the All-Star Game to be a part of the dunk contest, and for good reason. The man from Morehead State has really thrown down some massive dunks in his day, and he can absolutely leap out of a building. If anyone is going to be able to replicate some of the dunks that Dwight Howard has had from his days in the dunk contest, Faried is the man to do it. Faried ranks sixth in the NBA this year with 90 total dunks, and that experience should come in handy.

What’s most interesting is that the man that is the defending champion of this event, Jeremy Evans (Jeremy Evans Dunk Competition Odds: 8 to 1 @ Bovada Sportsbook) is tied as the longest shot on the board in this contest. He is the only man with any dunk contest experience, and he won the honor last year as a late entry in place of Iman Shumpert. Evans was the biggest underdog on the board last year as well though, and there is no doubt that he is going to be the man that has his eye on the prize in the biggest of ways. He threw down some awesome jams last year, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store this season.

2013 Slam Dunk Contest Odds @ Bovada.lv (as of 2/14/13):
(Get a HUGE $100 Free Bet at Bovada When Using This Link)
James White (New York Knicks) 5 to 4
Terrence Ross (Toronto Raptors) 7 to 2
Gerald Green (Indiana Pacers) 4 to 1
Eric Bledsoe (Los Angeles Clippers) 5 to 1
Jeremy Evans (Utah Jazz) 8 to 1
Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets) 8 to 1

The 3 Point Shootout odds are posted at some of our top sportsbooks, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are going to take our best long range shot on the contenders for the three point contest odds at this year’s All-Star Game!

2013 All Star NBA Three Point Shootout Picks & Info
2013 NBA Three Point Shootout Date/Time: Saturday, February 16th, 2013, 8:30 (ET)
2013 NBA Three Point Shootout Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
2013 NBA Three Point Shootout TV Coverage – Network: TNT

There are some tremendous sharpshooters that are going to be taking aim at the three-point shooting title this year, and the man that is the favorite is the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (Three Point Contest Odds: 5 to 2 @ UCA Bet Sportsbook). Curry is one of the top three-point shooters in the league, and he is averaging over three triples per game thus far in the regular season. The man from Davidson has always had a knack for shooting the long ball, and he can catch fire like few in the NBA can. This is the second time that Curry has been in the competition, and he is going to hope to make this a special competition. Neither he nor his father ever won a Three Point Shootout, and the hope is that this is a first for the family in its combined fourth try.

With defending champion Kevin Love on the shelf with a hand injury, there isn’t a man that has ever won this title shooting on Saturday night. That’s why it becomes interesting to back a man like Steve Novak (Odds to Win the 2013 Three Point Contest: 5 to 2 @ UCA Bet Sportsbook) of the New York Knicks. Remember that Novak does literally nothing but shoot three-pointers for the Knicks. Last year, he averaged 5.2 three-point attempts per game and 6.2 total shots per game. This year, the split is just about the same. He is averaging 1.1 shots per game from inside the arc and 4.4 shots per game from the outside. Novak can has knocked down well over 46% of his three-point shots over the course of the last three seasons, and that’s one of the highest percentages that you will see, not just now, but ever in NBA history.

Ryan Anderson (2013 Three Point Contest Odds: 4 to 1 @ UCA Bet Sportsbook) is back for the second straight season in this competition. He leads the NBA in three pointers made this year with 156, and he is sure to be one of the top guns in this one. Anderson has attempted a whopping 811 three-point shots in his last 113 games over the course of the last two seasons, and there really isn’t anyone in the NBA that comes even close to that mark. Don’t get fooled by the fact that Anderson is darn near seven feet tall. He is the real deal from long range, and that’s why he is such a terror to try to guard now that he is with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

List Of Past NBA Three Point Contest Winners
2012 – Kevin Love
2011 – James Jones
2010 – Paul Pierce
2009 – Daequan Cook
2008 – Jason Kapono
2007 – Jason Kapono
2006 – Dirk Nowitzki
2005 – Quentin Richardson
2004 – Voshon Lenard
2003 – Peja Stojakovic
2002 – Peja Stojakovic
2001 – Ray Allen
2000 – Jeff Hornacek
1998 – Jeff Hornacek
1997 – Steve Kerr
1996 – Tim Legler
1995 – Glen Rice
1994 – Mark Price
1993 – Mark Price
1992 – Craig Hodges
1991 – Craig Hodges
1990 – Craig Hodges
1989 – Dale Ellis
1988 – Larry Bird
1987 – Larry Bird
1986 – Larry Bird

The other man who is the third favorite in this contest along with Anderson is Kyrie Irving (Odds to Win the Three Point Contest: 4 to 1 @ UCA Bet Sportsbook). You don’t necessarily think of the second year man as one that shoots a ton of threes, but when you go back and look at his stats, you see a man that has knocked down 2.0 threes per game and is shooting 42.7 percent from long range. Over the course of his last nine games (coming into Wednesday night), Irving has knocked down 61.2 percent of his three-point shots, so we know that he can really get on fire in a hurry. The question is whether the stage is going to be too big for the Dookie. Irving can do it for his Cleveland Cavaliers, but he isn’t necessarily going to be able to light it up with no one guarding him.

There isn’t a hometown man from the Houston Rockets involved in this contest, so the Lone Star State crowd will probably gravitate towards the San Antonio Spurs’ Matt Bonner (Odds to Win the Three Point Contest: 5 to 1 @ UCA Bet Sportsbook). Bonner has been around in this league for a long time, but he has never been asked to be in this event in spite of the fact that it is what he does best for the Spurs. Over half of the shots that Bonner puts up are from long range, and this year, he is hitting 45.1 percent of those shots, one of the best percentages in the league. At 6’10”, Bonner is kind of a poor man’s Ryan Anderson, and he might be able to get the job done here in Houston to prove that he is one of the top three-point shooters in the whole league.

Finally, there is Paul George (2013 Three Point Shooting Competition Odds: 15 to 2 @ UCA Bet Sportsbook) of the Indiana Pacers. Here’s a very interesting case where a man was in the Slam Dunk contest last year and the three-point shootout this year. That’s a heck of a feat that not many have pulled off in the past. George is a great three-point shooter for the Indiana Pacers though, he is almost quietly hitting 5.8 triples per game in addition to the fact that he can leap out of the building and dunk the ball with ease. George is by far the worst shooter in this contest in terms of accuracy, as he is “only” knocking down 38.8 percent from downtown, but he still could be a force to be reckoned with come Saturday night.

Odds to Win 2013 NBA Three Point Shootout @ UCA Bet Sportsbook (as of 2/13/12):
(Get a big 170% NBA Betting Bonus at UCA Bet When Using This Link)

Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) 5 to 2
Steve Novak (New York Knicks) 5 to 2
Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) 4 to 1
Ryan Anderson (New Orleans Hornets) 4 to 1
Matt Bonner (San Antonio Spurs) 5 to 1
Paul George (Indiana Pacers) 15 to 2

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
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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.

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