05/10/2008 - (Basketball Betting) - The Boston Celtics attempt to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, as the teams meet tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.
On Thursday, Paul Pierce paced a balanced Boston attack with 19 points and six rebounds as the top-seeded Celtics routed No. 4 Cleveland, 89-73, in Game 2 at TD Banknorth Garden.
Kevin Garnett added 13 points and 12 boards for the Celtics, while Ray Allen, who was held scoreless for the first time since February 26, 1997 in the opener of this series, bounced back with 16 points for Boston, which is a perfect 6-0 at home in the postseason.
LeBron James scored 21 points but was just 6-of-24 from the floor for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers superstar is shooting a miserable 8-for-42 from the field in the series. Zydrunas Ilgauskas ended with 19 points on 9-of-12 from the field for Cleveland, while Wally Szczerbiak netted 13 in defeat
In the opener, Garnett scored 28 points, including the go-ahead layup with 21.4 seconds left, and the put a defensive blanket on James, holding the Cavaliers superstar to only two field goals, as Boston edged Cleveland, 76-72.
On the injury front for Cleveland, Ben Wallace (allergies/inner ear infection) is doubtful for tonight's game.
The Cavaliers have won a best-of-seven series after losing Games 1 and 2. Cleveland defeated the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 East finals after dropping the first two games of the set at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Cleveland has lost two straight Game 3s in the postseason, while Boston has dropped four straight Game 3s.
Game 4 of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Monday at Quicken Loans Arena.
Boston has lost a playoff series after winning the first two games of the set. In the 1990 first round, the New York Knicks knocked out the Celtics in five contests, 3-2.
The Cavaliers are 2-1 at home in this year's playoffs, while the Celtics are 0-3 on the road.
This is the fourth time these teams have met in the postseason. Boston defeated the Cavaliers in six games, 4-2, in the 1976 East finals, and in four contests, 3-1, in the first round of the 1985 playoffs. Cleveland knocked out the Celtics in seven games in the 1992 East semis.
Boston has made it to the East semis for the first time since 2003. That year, the Celtics were swept by the New Jersey Nets, 4-0. The last time the Celtics won in this round was in 2002 when they knocked out Detroit in five, 4-1, before losing to the Nets in the East finals, 4-2.
The Celtics survived a scare in the opening round, as they knocked out the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in seven games. The home team won every game in the series. Boston won its four contests by an average of 25.3 points.
The Cavaliers, who are the defending Eastern Conference champions and knocked out the Wizards in round one, are 3-2 all-time in the semifinals. They defeated the Washington Bullets in 1976, Boston in 1992 and New Jersey in 2007. Cleveland lost in the semis to Chicago in 1993 and Detroit in 2006.
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San Fra
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The Astros, who have won s
<< Dempster leads Cubs vs. D'Backs
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Wrigley
White Sox, Mariners to battle again at Safeco >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In the midst of a 10-game road trip, the Chicago White Sox
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While the W
Red Sox try to stop Twins at Metrodome >>
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Olson leads O's against KC >>
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Rangers, A's resume series in Arlington >>
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Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
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