Prop bets galore for NBA Finals
After a lengthy break, the NBA playoffs will return tonight with the Lakers and Boston Celtics meeting in Game 1 of the Finals at TD Banknorth Garden.
Traditional bets have the Celtics listed as 2 1/2 -point favorites with the over/under at 192 points.
The moneyline for tonight has the Lakers at +115 and Boston at -135, according to Sportsbetting.com.
For gamblers interested in proposition bets for this year’s NBA Finals, no one gets more attention than the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant.
Pinnaclesports.com has eight different bets connected to Bryant, while Sportsbook.com has six and Bodoglife.com has five.
Here are some of the bets involving Bryant at Pinnacle-sports.com: Will Bryant be named Finals’ MVP? Yes (-169) or No (+149); Bryant’s highest scoring game in the series? Over 39 1/2 points (-118) or uder 39 1/2 points (+102); Will Bryant foul out of any game in the series? Yes (+1,200) or No (-1,700).
From Sportsbook.com: Bryant’s total three-point baskets made in Game 1? Zero (7-2), one (2-3), two (3-1), three (8-1) or more than three (10-1); Will Bryant average more points than Boston’s Larry Bird (27.4 points) did against Lakers in 1984 Finals? Bird +2.5 points (-115) or Bryant -2.5 points (-115).
From Bodoglife.com: Bryant’s average combined rebounds and assists per game in the series? Over 11.5 (-115) or under 11.5 (-115); Bryant’s scoring average per game in the series? Over 28.5 points (-125) or under 28.5 (-105).
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More NBA Finals: The honor for the most interesting prop bet involving Boston goes to Bodoglife.com’s historical wager regarding Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Bird, who combined to average 61.2 points against the Lakers in the 1987 Finals.
And the bet?
Which Big Three will average more combined points? Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen: +1.5 points (+105) or Parish, McHale and Bird (61.2 points): -1.5 points (-135).
Baseball
Two of the National League’s top teams will close out a four-game series tonight when the Atlanta Braves play host to the Florida Marlins.
Atlanta, which won two of the first three games in the series, has a 31-29 overall record, including an impressive 24-8 mark at Turner Field, which is one of the best home records in Major League Baseball. Only the Boston Red Sox (23-5) have lost fewer games at home than Atlanta.
With Jair Jurrjens pitching against Florida’s Ricky Nolasco, the Braves are listed as -163 favorites for tonight’s game. The Marlins are listed at +155 with the over/under combined runs total at 9.5, according to Covers.com.
his story is not intended as a tip sheet but is an account of significant betting taking place in the sports world.
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