Only four teams left in the quest to become the champs of the basketball world heading into the Eastern and Western Conference Championship series which begin on Sunday.

With the dismissal of the Cleveland Cavaliers from the postseason, the Orlando Magic (+120 at Diamond Sportsbook) are now the favorite to win it all. And why not? HC Stan Van Gundy’s team has won all eight of its playoff games and just ditched the Hawks by a combined 101 points. The Magic are now 14-0 SU and 12-2 ATS in their L/14 games overall dating back to the regular season, and they haven’t been beaten since the beginning of April. If Boston thinks it is winning this series, it is going to have to buck a very telling trend that is on the side of the men from the Sunshine State. Orlando hasn’t lost back-to-back games since January 18th. That’s 49 straight games without two losses in a row.

As you can plainly see, the Boston Celtics (+600 at Diamond Sportsbook) are deservedly one of the two longest shots on the board to win it all. It’s going to be hard to see how the C’s can get the job done against the Magic. However, Boston did win four out of five games against the team that was easily the favorite to take it all in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. G Rajon Rondo has made a name for himself in these playoffs, especially with his triple-double in Game 4 against Cleveland. The Kentucky product has averaged 18.0 points, 11.1 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game in the playoffs, and no one is questioning the fact that he has been the MVP of the team to date.

In the Western Conference, both teams are coming off of impressive clean sweeps of their foes.

The Phoenix Suns (+625 at Diamond Sportsbook) are the decided underdog to reach the NBA Finals. The Suns swept away the San Antonio Spurs in a series that many thought they were going to lose. HC Alvin Gentry has really gotten his squad together, as he is getting great contributions off of the bench and his starters are continuing to carry the load. F Amare Stoudemire has passed his biggest test to date, as he dominated the paint against F Tim Duncan and the Spurs. Now, he’ll need to take on the team that has arguably had the best inside presences in these playoffs.

In all likelihood, the Los Angeles Lakers (+130 at Diamond Sportsbook) are going to be short underdogs to win the NBA Championship if they run into the Magic in the Finals, which isn’t something that many saw as possible just a few weeks ago. LA rebounded from its iffy series with the Thunder by completely annihilating Utah in four games. G Kobe Bryant has been the subject of a lot of criticism, but he has fired back with five straight fantastic games. Kobe has scored at least 30 in all five and has averaged 32.0 points per game in that stretch. If Bryant can continue his assault on the basket, things are going to be very, very difficult for a Phoenix team that knows that it must shut him down to succeed.

Odds to win 2010 NBA Championship @ Diamond Sportsbook (as of 5/15/10):
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Orlando Magic +120
Los Angeles Lakers +130
Boston Celtics +600
Phoenix Suns +625

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The 2008-09 Orlando Magic were about as close as you can get to winning their first NBA Championship in franchise history. In the offseason, the team cut ties with F Hedo Turkoglu, a man that was largely considered the heart and soul of a squad that is headlined by C Dwight Howard.

In order to replace the Turkish superstar, GM Otis Smith went out and traded G Courtney Lee and a few other minor pieces for G Vince Carter, who was largely thought to be washed up, and a host of role players, including F Matt Barnes, G Jason Williams, and C Brandon Bass.

So just like most Magic fans, I immediately thought to myself, “Fantastic. We just replaced a superstar for a has-been, two stiffs, and a nut case.”

All that has-been has done this year is average 16.3 points per game and rejuvenate his career.

All the nut case does is annoy the heck out of the opposition, score 8.7 points per game, and does a little bit of everything. Oh yeah, and he got down and dirty and got into the face of G Kobe Bryant when the Lakers came to town last weekend.

Believe it or not, this version of the Orlando Magic may really be better than ever. And there’s never been a better time to strike and capture the city’s first major championship ever than right now.

Just take one look at the Eastern Conference. Even though things aren’t as disgraceful this year as they were a year ago when everyone outside of Orlando, Boston, and Cleveland were all god awful, they’re still pretty bad.

Does anyone really believe that the Magic (or Cavs for that matter) are going to even get remotely challenge by Miami, Charlotte, or anyone else in the bottom of the Eastern Conference in the first round?

Setting up a date with the Celtics in the second round seems like a very realistic possibility, and it also feels like a lot easier task than the Magic faced last season when they had to win Game 7 at Boston Garden to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

So let’s just fast forward to the inevitable Orlando/Cleveland matchup, shall we?

Last season, there really wasn’t a warm body that could hang with F LeBron James defensively. Now, that nut case Barnes is the man that can get the job done. F Rashard Lewis and Cleveland’s F Antawn Jamison are largely the exact same player and will cancel each other out.

Who’s stopping Superman again? Shaq? I think not.

Cleveland may be the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but after six games, Orlando will once again be the team playing in the NBA Finals.

However, that’s not good enough in the home of Mickey Mouse this year. It’s championship or bust, and the entire franchise and the city of Orlando both know it.

Unlike last year’s team that lived and died by the three-pointer and Howard in the post, this team has more slashing ability to the paint. Carter isn’t afraid to get his jersey a little messy, and G JJ Redick has developed a lot more of an inside game that he has had in years past when he was nothing but a three-point shooter. The bench is utilized a lot more as well, as any combination of 11 guys can play 15+ minutes any given night. It’s also a team that can play at the sluggish knockdown , drag out pace that both Cleveland and Boston like to play at.

No team in the NBA is holding teams to a worse shooting percentage than Orlando is at 43.6%. Its 95.3 points per game allowed in the sixth best mark in the league.

The one thing that you can’t measure based on statistics is heart, and it’s that heart, along with tenacity, and toughness that has led the Magic to a six-game winning streak that will probably be stretched out to at least 11 before playing at Atlanta on March 24th.

Mickey Mouse has an angry scowl on his face this season, and if he doesn’t walk away from this season with an NBA Championship, he may never get one.

The NBA Playoffs have provided some extremely exciting games during the 2009 playoffs in what has become one of the best postseasons in recent memory. The Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics battled in perhaps one of the best opening round series of all-time. The Orlando Magic conquered Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers who were big favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile out West, some familiar faces have taken down the Conference in the Los Angeles Lakers. Now we are down to only two remaining teams as Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic will battle Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in a best of 7 series for an NBA Title. The stakes are not only high on the court, but also high in the sports betting world. All major sports books are providing various types of props and ways to bet on the 2009 NBA Finals are we will break down some interest bets to consider before Game 1 takes place this Thursday night. We take the opportunity to make some money off these interesting odds and betting lines provided by Betus.com.

NBA Finals Prop Bet #1

Who will be the 2009 Finals MVP?

Kobe Bryant -300
Dwight Howard +275
Pau Gasol +600
Rashard Lewis +850
Hedo Turkoglu +1200
Lamar Odom +2500

Predicting this year’s Finals MVP will not be an extremely difficult task. In fact, it would be pretty safe to say that this is a two horse race. Kobe Bryant will definitely be the most lethal scoring threat on the floor. Bryant who is arguably the best pure shooter in the NBA will be the leading favorite to take home the Finals MPV honors this season. Bryant has been knocking down 30 points per game during the playoffs while shooting 47% from the field. Bryant has high probability to average 30 points during the Finals which make him rightfully the leading candidate for MVP. However, Dwight Howard has already dethroned one King during the playoffs and he could play spoiler to Bryant’s MVP opportunities as well. Howard has dominated the inside game averaging 15.4 rebounds per game and posting 22 points per game during the playoffs. Howard has also knocked down 62% of his shots from the field that leads the 2009 post-season. The Magic’s big man has been very impressive during the last few games and his ability to not only score points, but dominate the glass give him an extra category to help him pull off the MVP upset. Considering the betting odds are so heavily favoring Bryant, we will place some extra cash with Howard and hope for the very profitable payoff.

Pick – Howard +275

NBA Finals Prop Bet #2

Series Total Games – 5 ½ Over -220, Under +175

The 2009 playoffs have been filled with back and forth series and we believe the stage is setting up to be another similar scenario in the Finals. The Orlando Magic have a strong inside game lead by Dwight Howard aided by some outside shooting the looks pretty dangerous at times by Rashard Lewis and an emerging Mickael Pietrus. The Lakers not only have one of the most dangerous shooters in the NBA, but a cast of outside shooters that can get hot on any given night. These two teams are going to find ways to give each other troubles and there is not much of a chance that this will be 4-5 game series. Throw in the fact of how wild everything has played out thus far in the post-season and you can rest assure there are a lot of fireworks left to be displayed. Simple fact is here, that the home court will be huge to each team as it normally is during the playoffs. The Lakers are sure to benefit from the first two being at home, but Orlando should be able to hold their own ground as well. There are those that believe that the Lakers high scoring offense may be too fast paced for Orlando. While that may be true in some ways, the Magic have been able to score more points lately as well. Orlando simply is too good to be shut out or dominated in this series and we don’t believe there is much of a chance for the series to be held under 6 games.

Pick – Over -220

NBA Finals Prop Bet #3

Who will win the first game and win series?

Magic to win game and win series +550
Magic to win game and lose series +500
Lakers to win game and win series -190
Lakers to lose game and win series +500

This particular prop bet is one that should open a lot of eyes. There are so many ways that could make a big payout if just the Lakers lose Game 1 or lose the series. However, that will be difficult considering Game 1 is inside the Staples Center and the Lakers seem to be the rather sizeable favorites for the Championship. However, people are quick to forget that the Magic were 2-0 against the Lakers during the regular season which included a victory on the Lakers home court. The odds are for going against the Lakers in this situation are just very inviting especially considering how well Orlando has played over the last few weeks. Going back to the previous article where we predicted a back and forth series, that would also play favorable to this prop bet. If Orlando is to come out and stun the Lakers in Game 1, either way the series ends is +500 or better odds. The difficult part of this bet is deciding which outside chance bet to take. However, the Magic winning Game 1 before Kobe and company get hot is just too profitable to not take a gamble towards making some extra cash.

Pick – Magic win game and lose series +500

The intense NBA Playoff action has got off to a great start as most teams have at least played 2 games in their opening round match-ups. There have been few upsets and unexpected outcomes like the underdog Chicago Bulls upsetting the defending NBA Champions the Boston Celtics in the opening round. Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Boston are among the most heralded big names heading into the post-season as they are leading favorites to make it to the NBA Finals. However, we will take a look at few of the teams that could play the spoiler role and be the Cinderella type story usually only found in March Madness. If you also have any confidence that these underdogs may have what it takes to pull of big upsets, take advantage of betting odds now while you could really cash-in to make huge profits.

Chicago Bulls

Chicago upset over Boston may have opened a lot of eyes, but this was really not that big of a surprise. The Bulls rallied to close out the season winning 12 of their last 16 games which also included a victory over the Celtics. The emergence of Derrick Rose towards the end of the season has given the Bulls a much needed boost. Rose also dropped 36 in the opening round two point victory in Boston. Chicago’s ability to at least split the two games in Boston was better than expect considering how well the Celtics have played at home. The Bulls could really have a chance to put the defending Champions a way if they could take advantage of the home games. If the Bulls can indeed come out victorious in the series, they will get winner of Philadelphia and Orlando in the semi-finals. Both of those teams have been inconsistent and closed out the season poorly. Of course for anyone to make the NBA Finals out of the Eastern Conference they would have to find away to beat Cleveland at home. Still the +3500 odds are eye catching and even though it may seem nearly impossible for the Bulls to put together this type of run, it is definitely worth the consideration.

Denver Nuggets

Is it that surprisingly that Los Angeles is huge -450 favorites to win the Western Conference. Probably not considering how they have dominated the teams out West all season with a demanding 44-8 record in the conference. However, history tells us that the odds to make it back to the NBA Finals after losing in the Finals the year before are against you by a fairly good margin. Taking the consideration that something will happen to the dominate Lakers along the stretch; there is only one team that could really step up to challenge in the West and that is the Denver Nuggets. Sure the Lakers won 3 out of 4 over the Nuggets through the regular season and it would seem absurd to bet against them. However, Denver is rather streaky team that can put together strings of wins. After a dominating 113-84 victory in Game 1 over New Orleans, you would not expect their to be too much trouble in the series. The next series would include two tough post-season teams in Dallas or San Antonio. Here again Denver talent should prevail and keep building some confidence that will give them a new attitude with the Lakers when the opportunity for a championship is on the line. The +800 odds help make this scenario look better as well. It comes down to this, sure the Lakers are everyone’s favorites to win the West but if anyone can beat the Lakers then who would it be? We say Denver.

Orlando Magic

Think we would forget one of most dominant teams from earlier in the season? Sure Orlando gave up an 18 point deficit to Philadelphia in an embarrassing loss in game 1, but they may have been the best thing to happen for Orlando. Expect them to come out firing in Wednesday’s second game with the 76ers. Remember Orlando for large majority of the season contended with Cleveland and Boston for Eastern Conference supremacy. However, after the injury to Jameer Nelson midway through the season the Magic’s momentum took a crucial blow. Even without Nelson, Orlando handed Cleveland their biggest loss of the season when they blew out the Cavaliers 116-87 back on April 3rd. The most likely scenario that plays out in the Eastern Conference will be Orlando rallying back against Philadelphia and then taking down either Chicago or Boston in the semi-finals. This would set the stage for a classic 7 games series with Orlando and after that huge victory a few weeks ago does anyone really think the Magic will doubt if they can beat Cleveland? Dwight Howard ability to control the glass will make a big difference in the long run and if Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis can find away to score some points then rest assured you have not heard the last from the Magic.

The NBA regular season will end later this week as we head towards the post-season. The Cleveland Cavaliers have locked up home court advantage throughout their Eastern Conference playoff run and are one game away from clinching home court advantage in the NBA Finals if they can make it that far in the playoffs. The Cavaliers are coming off a huge blowout win over the defending Champions the Boston Celtics 107-76 on Sunday. The Cavaliers big win over the number 2 ranked team in the East is actually Cleveland’s biggest victory in franchise history over the Celtics. The Cavaliers amazing home game run extended to a mark of 38-1 inside Quicken Loans Arena with the victory. The Cavaliers appear to be big favorites considering they will get the majority of the games at home were they have been unstoppable. However, the Eastern Conference has been extremely tough this year as Orlando blew out Cleveland a few short weeks ago similar to the Cavaliers big win over Boston. The 3 horse race all season out of the East will carry over to the post-season. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers are still the big favorites after a big win over Denver last Thursday night. The return of Andrew Bynum will only be more beneficial for the Lakers who have appeared as the top notch team in the West all season. However teams like Denver, Houston, and Portland have really closed out the year strong and could be teams to put together impressive runs in the playoffs. We give brief breakdown of the major contenders for the 2009 NBA Playoffs along with their odds to win it all.

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers (7/5)

The Cavaliers extremely impressive home record makes them big favorites in the NBA playoffs. Their 38-1 record is among the best ever string of runs by a home team in NBA history. Lebron James is averaged 28.3 points per game, but more importantly is getting a lot of help from the rest of the team. Cleveland only lost one game all season at home meaning for them to be beaten in the playoffs a team is going to have to win at least one game in Cleveland while sweeping the Cavaliers away from Cleveland. Good luck with that.

Boston Celtics (4/1)

The Celtics chances to repeat as NBA Champions took a big hit with their embarrassing loss to Cleveland. However, Boston has played very well to close out the season winning 8 of their last 10 games. The Celtics are another team that plays very well at home with a 34-6 record for the season. However, Boston is only 4-4 against Orlando and Cleveland on the year meaning they have been anything but dominant over the top teams in the East. Still the Celtics know what it takes to be Champions, but can they do it again?

Orlando Magic (8/1)

The Magic got the big win over Cleveland back in the first week of April, but they have now lost 3 of their last 4 games. Orlando got off to a tremendous start to the season, but really suffered a hit with the loss of Jameer Nelson despite putting together some solid winning streaks in recent weeks. Also, Rashard Lewis will likely miss the final games of the regular season with a knee injury and the Magic simply look to be too banged up down the stretch to be a legitimate threat as they appeared earlier this year.

Team to Watch – Chicago Bulls (100/1)

The Chicago Bulls have won 4 straight games and 12 of their last 15 games during that stretch. Chicago has put together a solid home record this season that is always crucial during the post season. If the Bulls can keep up the momentum and get some more big performances from Ben Gordon, they could really pull off a string off upsets and perhaps take down either Boston or Orlando who they will be likely playing in the opening round.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers (8/5)

Thursday night’s victory over the emerging Denver Nuggets was icing on the cake for Western Conference bragging rights. The Lakers simply looked too strong for their closest competitors in the West and are big favorites at 4/9 favorites to make it to the NBA Finals. The Lakers got beat by a streaking Portland team on Friday 106-98, but they still appear to be too strong in terms of being beat in an entire series. The Lakers have had more problems with the teams in the Eastern Conference this season and until someone proves us wrong we will ride the Lakers bandwagon.

Denver Nuggets (20/1)

The Nuggets are really playing well to close out the season despite their setback to the Lakers last Thursday. Carmelo Anthony and J.R Smith are becoming a dynamic duo posting big figures every night. The Nuggets have put together wins in 13 of their last 15 games The Nuggets could face the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round if things were to stay the same. Denver would not mind the pairing considering they are a perfect 4-0 on the season against Dallas. If the Nuggets could keep the momentum rolling I am sure they will be eager to get their chance at a series with the Lakers.

Portland Trailblazers (25/1)

The Trailblazers are in a heated battle with the Houston Rockets for 3rd place in the West as both teams stand at a mark of 52-28. The Trailblazers and the Rockets have also both put on a solid 4 game winning streak as Portland will get the Thunder and the Nuggets in the final two games. The battle for 3rd dictates whether they will get New Orleans or San Antonio in the playoffs. The Trailblazers have played the most solid basketball the 2nd half of the season and they should give teams problems if they can stay hot.

Team to watch – Houston Rockets (20/1)

The Rockets have put together 4 straight wins along with Portland. The only difference is Houston beat up on the Trailblazers 102-88 to start their winning streak. The Rockets have what it takes to match-up with the other teams from the West in the playoffs giving them a chance to knock off some wins in the postseason. The only thing is the Rockets have failed to beat the Lakers once this season at 0-4 meaning any dream type run at an NBA Finals may be more of a dream than a reality.

The NBA regular season a little more than halfway through and there is a pretty clear sight of who are the front runners with the chance for a few more teams to make a surprise down the stretch. The Eastern Conference appears to be the strength of the league with the powerhouses of Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando. Out West we still await a contender to emerge to be able to challenge the L.A Lakers and the most likely team to take that role is the San Antonio Spurs. At this time in the season is when all the predictions start coming out and the betting lines are changing every day with new future odds. We break down the top 3 teams in each conference and provide some insight on some teams to keep an eye on that could surprise down the stretch.

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics (36-9)

The defending NBA Champions had the best start in NBA history at 27-2. However, the Celtics rang in the New Year poorly losing 4 out of their first 5 games and even 7 out of 9 at one point. The tough weeks of basketball exposed the first sign of troubles from Boston that we have seen in some time. Despite the tough stretch that featured 3 of 4 of their last losses on the road, Boston has bounced back with a vengeance. The Celtics have now knocked off 7 straight wins including a big win over what many call the best team in the league the Orland Magic last Thursday night 90-80. The difference in the wins and losses is how the Celtics play defense. In the Celtics last 4 defeats, the opponents were averaging 100.2 points per game. However, in the last 7 victories the Celtics have held opposing teams to only 88 points. The Celtics are 2^nd behind Cleveland in scoring defense this season and that has always been a big attribute to their success. With the troubles seemingly out of the way, Boston appears to be right back where they left last off last year.

Orlando Magic (33-9)

The Magic that is Orlando comes in the form of 6’11 Dwight Howard. Howard has been superb this year and so has the rest of the Orlando lineup. Howard leads the league in rebounds (14rpg), blocked shots (3.2bpg), and also supports with 20 points every game. However, it has not been all the achievement of one man. Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, and Jameer Nelson are all averaging at least 17 points while the Magic are averaging 101 points per contest. Orlando had won 8 straight games before their loss to Boston on Thursday night and they own a 7 ½ game over Atlanta in the Southeast. Orlando is the only team out of the top 3 in the Eastern Conference to have captured a victory over the L.A Lakers this season which is clearly the best team right now in the West. The Magic are actually 2-0 over the Lakers and many think they are the most complete team at this point in the season.

Cleveland Cavaliers (32-8)

Cleveland appeared to be the best team out of the East only a matter of a few short weeks ago. However, the Cavaliers have gone 2-2 in their last 4 games with losses over the Lakers and Trailblazers. Not to mention Cleveland is facing some key injuries over the last few days. Starting shooting guard Delonte West has a broken wrist and will miss 4-6 weeks. Also starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has a fractured ankle and will miss 3-4 weeks. Despite the small dark cloud that has recently developed over the team, Cleveland is still among the best in the NBA. Lebron James is 2^nd in the NBA in scoring with 27.8 points and the team seems to be playing better behind him than they have in past seasons. The Cavs also are a perfect 20-0 at home meaning that they could be very tough to beat at playoff time.

Team to watch…

Philadelphia 76ers (20-21)

The 76ers have risen from the dead after they were nearly written off with a 13-20 start. However, they have now put together 7 straight wins before a tough loss to Dallas on Monday night. Considering how inconsistent the rest of the East is behind the top 3, the 76ers have a chance to really make things interesting if they can put together another similar streak.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers (34-8)

The Lakers clearly look to be favorites again out of the Western Conference as they have a 5 game advantage over any other team from the West and a huge 10 ½ game lead in the Pacific division. Kobe Bryant’s 26.4 points per game is good for 3^rd best in the league and the Lakers lead the NBA with 108 points per contest as a team. A few short weeks ago the Lakers appeared that they would be unchallenged this year in the conference, but they are realizing that the San Antonio Spurs are playing very well and will attempt to give them a challenge for frontrunner in the West. Los Angeles has won 13 of their past 16 games including big wins over Boston and Cleveland in the process. If nothing else drastically changes, the Lakers will likely make another run towards the NBA Finals.

San Antonio Spurs (29-13)

A lot of questions arose after the Spurs got off to a slow start losing 5 of their first 7 games. However, San Antonio bounced back winning 7 of their next 8 and the momentum has not slowed down much since. The Spurs have now won their last 4 games and 8 of their last 10 including a huge battle where they took down the Lakers 112-111. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker continue to lead the way both averaging 20.4 points per contest. The Spurs win over the Lakers proved that they are back on the right track and not ready to hand over the season quite yet to the Lakers considering Los Angeles is everybody’s pick to win the West. San Antonio gets another big match-up with the Lakers this Sunday and it will be interesting to see how things shake up this time inside the Staples Center. Look for the Spurs to be playing their best basketball as they usually do around post season time.

Denver Nuggets (28-15)

Giving up Allen Iverson may not been a big of mistake as people first thought. Chauncey Billups is averaging nearly 20 points and the Nuggets seem to be in better shape than the Pistons. Carmelo Anthony leads the team with 21 points, but has missed some valuable playing time recently due to a broken hand. Despite their star player missing time on the court, the Nuggets have still managed to win 8 of their last 11 games. Anthony participated in some workouts on Thursday and it should not be long before he rejoins the lineup. Denver will desperately need him back considering they are bout to embark on an 8 game road adventure at the start of February. The Nuggets are only 11-9 on the road this year and how they perform in the next few weeks away from home will definitely make an impact on their ability to maintain their 2 ½ game lead over Portland in the Northwest.

Team to watch…

New Orleans Hornets (26-14)

The Hornets proved last year that they could really come alive during the playoffs. Chris Paul has played like Chris Paul with 21.2ppg and an NBA leading 11 assist per game. New Orleans may have been expected to be in better position at this point in the season, but they are still only a mere 2 games back to the Spurs and definitely in striking range.