Like the 2006 World Cup betting final, which went to penalty kicks, Orlando’s Game 4 win over Boston needed extra time, and the Magic needed to pull a couple of tricks out of their hat to avoid elimination. The two will resume their series in Orlando on Wednesday night, and the Magic will have their back against the wall once again.

Bet Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic – Wednesday, May 26, 8:30 PM ET

The Magic played like a team whose season was in jeopardy in a 96-92 overtime win over the Celtics in Game 4 in Boston, and Dwight Howard was a force with 32 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. Jameer Nelson had 23 points, nine assists and five rebounds before he fouled out for the Magic, who hit 10 of their 28 three-point attempts. There were a couple of negatives to take from this game for Orlando, such as 19 turnovers and a 60.6% clip at the free-throw line. But the Magic kept their NBA championship betting odds alive with a performance that reeked of desperation, and it may have been enough to get them back into the series.

The Celtics got 32 points and 11 rebounds from Paul Pierce, while Ray Allen added 22 for the Celtics, but Boston never played with the sense of urgency you got from watching them against Cleveland. The Celtics struggled from long distance, missing 17 of their 22 attempts, and outside of the Big Three, no one else scored more than nine points, which came from Rajon Rondo. The point guard had nine points and eight assists, but he was only 3-of-10 from the floor and wasn’t as aggressive as we’re used to seeing.

NBA betting odds are favoring the Magic by four points at home, and this looked more like the Orlando team that romped through the regular season, and the team that swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs against Charlotte and Atlanta. That said, they can stand to take better care of the ball because the Celtics are going to have a spark in Game 5 after their performance in Game 4. The Magic also got 12 big points off the bench from J.J. Redick, who was better than the entire Boston bench by himself.

This made up for a poor game by Vince Carter, who had just three points on 1-of-9 shooting. The Celtics know they missed a golden opportunity to take the Magic out in the previous game, but they won’t get down on themselves as they have more than enough experience to bounce back. But the Magic are awake now, and they’re far better at home than what they showed in the first two games of the series. The Magic will take this series back to Boston.

Sports betting pick: Orlando -4

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The NBA playoff betting odds for Wednesday’s Game 2 between Phoenix and Los Angeles will look back at Game 1 and see how the stars of the two teams fared, and they’ll see that the Lakers’ former MVP had a distinct advantage in the first game. Unless his Phoenix counterpart picks it up, the Suns could be going back to the desert down two games to none.

Bet Suns Lakers – Wednesday, May 19, 9:00 PM ET

Steve Nash struggled to get going in a 128-107 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles, going 5-of-10 from the field for 13 points, although he did add 13 assists. To be fair to Nash, he wasn’t even close to the worst players on his team as Amare Stoudamire scored 23 points, but had just three rebounds and was a -23 on the night, while Jason Richardson’s 15 points were offset by a -24 rating, most of which came from guarding (or trying to guard) Kobe Bryant. The Suns made just five of their 22 three-point attempts, with Nash missing both of his, and they couldn’t get out on the fast break, which is why Nash wasn’t as effective. A lack of rebounds and forced turnovers could have caused this.

Bryant exploded for 40 points on the night, making 13 of his 23 field-goal attempts, and he gave Richardson a nightmare of a game with jumpers of various lengths, turnarounds, it didn’t matter. When Bryant is in “Black Mamba” mode, there isn’t a lot that teams can do against him. Pau Gasol had 21 points, and even though he had only four boards, he also had five assists and a couple of blocks, while Lamar Odom came off the bench with 19 points and 19 boards. The Lakers took the lead of their star, who was aggressive from the opening tip, and that was the key to their Game 1 win.

NBA betting odds should have the Lakers as the favorites at home in this contest, and the Suns have now dropped five in a row at the Staples Center, where the Lakers are now 6-0 in the postseason. Bryant came out and set the tone for a first half in which the Lakers scored 62 points, and even though the Suns’ defense won’t be confused with the Pistons or Knicks of the 1990s, they can’t afford to let the Lakers just do whatever they want at that end of the floor. The Suns are also going to have to improve on the boards, so Nash can get this team out and running. But we’re thinking that the Suns are snakebitten in Los Angeles, like Oklahoma City and Utah before them.

Online betting pick: Los Angeles Lakers

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Inter Milan Bayern Munich betting features a pair of teams that aren’t that familiar with each other, but in the NBA’s Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns are very familiar with each other, both in the regular season and the playoffs. The two will meet once again, this time in the conference finals, which tips off next Monday night in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.

The Suns swept San Antonio, a team that had taken the Suns out of the playoffs on four separate occasions in the past. Steve Nash was the ringleader, averaging 22.0 points and 7.8 assists, and his performance in the clinching game is the stuff stories are made of. Nash caught an errant elbow from Tim Duncan which essentially shut his right eye, then he scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter of a 107-101 win in San Antonio. You could see that there was no way that Nash was going to let this team lose to the Spurs again, and it showed a toughness than many thought the Suns were lacking.

The Lakers also swept their opponent in the last series when they got rid of Utah in four games, and Kobe Bryant shook off his numerous injuries to average 32.5 points against the Jazz, which was 8.5 points more than he averaged against Oklahoma City in the first round. Bryant also shot 52.3% from the field, up from 40.8% against the Jazz, and if he’s on, it keeps the opposition from doubling in the post. NBA championship odds have had the Lakers near the top of the list all season, but some were counting out Bryant and his team after the Oklahoma City series. They showed why they’re champions against the Jazz.

Basketball betting odds have the Lakers as a -300 favorite in this series, but it was the Suns who eliminated the Lakers in a pair of first-round matchups in 2006 and 2007. The Lakers won three of four against the Suns this season, and they’ll have a big advantage at home where they have beaten the Suns in seven of their last 10 meetings. On the other hand, the Lakers have won four of their last six in Phoenix. The Suns will have to find a way to deal with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in the post, as Phoenix isn’t known as a very physical team defensively, although they have improved. The Lakers have had some problems with point guards so far, and now they’re dealing with a two-time MVP, but Nash averaged just 13.8 points and 9.0 assists against the Lakers this year. We’re also going with the Lakers on the bench, as Phil Jackson’s ten rings earns him the edge over Alvin Gentry.

Sports betting pick: Los Angeles Lakers -300

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NBA playoff betting players should have renewed faith in Phoenix during this postseason, as this edition of the run-and-gun Suns is far improved from years past, and San Antonio got their first taste of the Suns on Monday. Game 2 goes on Wednesday night.

Spurs Suns Betting – Wednesday, May 5, 9:00 PM ET

Steve Nash scored 21 of his 33 points in the first half of a 112-101 win over the Spurs, and he added 10 assists as the Suns shot 51.9% from the floor. Jason Richardson was next with 27 points, while Amare Stoudamire notched 23 points and 13 rebounds. Nash was bothered by a hip problem in the first-round series against Portland, but he looked completely healthy against the Spurs as he was +18 on the night and he did an excellent job of dictating the pace of the game. The Suns did turn the ball over 16 times, but they also outrebounded the Spurs 44-38.

The San Antonio “Big Three” of Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan led the way with 27, 26, and 20 points respectively, but the rest of the team combined for 29 points. If it wasn’t for Parker coming off the bench, their second-unit would have been awful. The Spurs shot 45.8% from the field, but only 4-of-19 from the three-point line. If the Spurs are going to win this series, they’re going to have to impose their will on the Suns physically, on the boards and on defense because they have a significant mental advantage, given their elimination of the Suns in four straight playoff series.

The Suns are favored by NBA odds by 2.5 points, and they’ve now beaten the Spurs in three straight games at home in Phoenix, although overall, the two have split their last 10 meetings at US Airways Arena. The Suns got out to a fast start and didn’t look bad, powered by Nash, who must be sick of losing to the Spurs in the playoffs at this point. The Spurs may have to go to Parker off the bench over George Hill, who was torched by Nash. Parker is a much better fit against Nash, as he can offset Nash’s offense by attacking himself.

The Spurs also have to find a way to slow down Richardson, and if he does well, the Suns usually win: with Monday’s game, the Suns have now won 11 in a row when Richardson goes for 20 or more points. But ultimately, the Spurs are going to have to choke off Nash if they want to beat the Suns, and Nash looked about 10 years younger on Monday. We’re taking the Suns in our online betting picks on Wednesday.

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If you’re looking to bet on the Kentucky Derby, you’re aware that Calvin Borel has jockeyed two of the last three horses to victory at his home track, Churchill Downs. There’s another matchup going down in the NBA where homecourt is crucial as the home team has won all four games in the Atlanta-Milwaukee series. The series switches back to Atlanta on Wednesday night.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks odds – Wednesday, April 28, 8:00 PM ET

The Bucks shot a startling 55.1% from the floor in a 111-104 win over the Hawks to tie the series up at two games apiece, and Brandon Jennings was one of three Bucks over 20 points with 23, while John Salmons and Carlos Delfino had 22 apiece. This was easily Delfino’s best game of the series, as he had just 20 points in the first three games of the series, and if he is on, it opens the floor up for Jennings and Salmons. The Bucks also held a distinct advantage at the foul line, going 28-of-32.

The Hawks were 18-of-21 from the line, and on most nights, if you shoot 47.5% on the road, you’ll win the game, but Atlanta’s defense couldn’t stop the Bucks. Joe Johnson dropped a game-high 29 points to go with nine assists as the Hawks hit 10 of their 19 three-point attempts, and they outrebounded the Bucks 12-8 on the offensive glass. But again, all of that will mean nothing if you can’t slow down the other team, and Atlanta had no answer for the Bucks at that end of the floor.

NBA odds should favor the Hawks at home after winning the first two games of the series at Philips Arena rather handily, and the Bucks have now dropped eight in a row in Atlanta. It’s no surprise that the Hawks are much better at home than on the road, and they have to shut down whoever will step up to be the Bucks’ third option, most likely Delfino. The Hawks can get away with letting Jennings and Salmons have their shots, but they have to shut down the rest of the team like they did in the first two games. The odds are very good that the Bucks aren’t going to shoot 55% from the floor on the road, which means they’ll have to shore up on the defensive end, but at home, the Hawks seem to have an energy that they definitely don’t have on the road. Look for an improved performance from Al Horford, who had 35 points in the first two games in Atlanta, but only 18 on the road, and with no Andrew Bogut in the post, he should have his way with the Bucks.

Sports betting pick: Atlanta

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Dwight Howard should be the sportsbetting favorite to win his second straight Defensive Player of the Year award, and he proved why by dominating Orlando’s Game 1 win over Charlotte. If the player they call “Superman” can avoid foul trouble and add a few more points on the offensive end, the Magic may rout the Bobcats in their Game 2 matchup on Wednesday.

Charlotte Bobcats vs Orlando Magic odds – Wednesday, April 21, 7:00 PM ET

The Bobcats held their own in a 98-89 loss in Game 1, but they failed to get out on Orlando’s three-point shooters, allowing the Magic to go 13-of-30 from beyond the arc. Gerald Wallace had a huge night with 25 points and 17 rebounds, while Stephen Jackson netted 18 points, but he played through a sore knee as he banged legs with Wallace in the second quarter, and coach Larry Brown sat an unhappy Jackson for the last few minutes of the game. An MRI revealed that Jackson had a bone bruise on his knee and while he’s sore, he expects to start in Game 2. Bringing Jackson to Charlotte ranks as one of the best moves of the season as he is a great two-way player, and his defensive ability (along with Wallace) allows the Bobcats to do a lot of different things.

Howard had just five points and seven rebounds, but four of those boards were on the offensive glass, and he swatted nine shots, including eight in the first half. Howard changes the way a team attacks, and you can bet that he was in the Bobcats’ heads. However, Howard got in foul trouble, which was how Charlotte managed to claw back from a 22-point deficit, but the Magic got 32 points from Jameer Nelson, who missed most of last year’s playoff run with a shoulder injury, and then he was clearly less than 100% for the Finals.

The Magic should be the NBA betting favorites in this contest, and the Bobcats have now dropped 11 of their last 13 in Orlando. The Magic should be a little worried that they let such a big lead slip away, and Howard has to do a better job of being disciplined. If he stays on the floor, the Magic are a much more effective team at both ends of the floor. The Bobcats are also fouling Howard instantly as they know that he shot 61.2% from the free-throw line this season, and he either needs to start converting those chances, or getting to the hoop quicker. It’ll be interesting to see how healthy Jackson is, because he did a good job on Vince Carter, who was just 4-of-19 from the field.

NBA playoffs betting pick: Orlando

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