NBA Finals Game 1 – The Inside Scoop

The NBA Finals are here, folks! So grab a beer, order seventy-eight pizzas and make sure your HD receiver is working because this is a series you do not want to miss. As amazing as a LeBron-Kobe matchup would have been, seeing a team like the Magic peak at all the right moments is a sight to behold in itself. And while LeBron vs. Kobe has been the story of these playoffs, I have a feeling that a Dwight Howard is about to assert himself in to the upper-echelon of the NBA’s elite.

Howard has been a monster in the playoffs, averaging 21.7 points and 15.4 rebounds per game while batting 2.2 blocks out of the skies. But it’s his 40-point performance in Game 6 against Cleveland that has me itching. A big man rarely has the overall impact that Howard does. He’s long, athletic, mean, driven and surrounded by talent. On top of that, he’s a gamer. There’s always the argument that a superstar never wins his first date at the dance; that they have to lose to become champions. Well tell that to guys like Ben Roethlisberger and Nadal. Howard may be 23-years of age, but he is not showing up alone. That’s the difference between the 2009 Orlando Magic and the 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Andrew Bynum was supposed to be a behemoth in the middle. But he’s not. He actually plays kind of soft. His inability to dominate in the paint against the more athletic Howard is a reason the Lakers are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against the Magic. And between Bynum and Gasol, the feat of trying to stop a motivated, young, freak of nature is daunting to say the least.

Orlando Magic vs. LA Lakers

Thursday, June 4th — STAPLES Center, Los Angeles – 9:00pm EST

NBA Betting Line: L.A. -6 (205.5)

There is a tremendous amount of pressure on the Lakers. Not a lot of folks expected them to see Orlando in the Finals, but that doesn’t mean that the Lakers should take them lightly. Dwight Howard gives them an unstoppable offensive and defensive presence at center. With the return of Jameer Nelson on the horizon, and the presence of Rafer Alston to begin with, the Magic have two point-guards that could start in place of Derek Fisher or Jordan Famar. That’s no encouraging news if you’re a Lakers’ fan.

Orlando has been a spread busting beast all playoff long, going 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games and pushing the OVER in their last 5-of-6. While the Lakers are a solid 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games, they’ve never done well against the oddsmakers when it comes to Orlando. The matchups for Los Angeles are terrible, especially if Pietrus can slow Kobe down to a sub-30-point game. I really wish Pietrus had blown up Kobe wearing Kobe’s shoes though. Talk about irony.

The fact is that everyone is up in arms about Trevor Arizia’s capability to blow up the offense with his range from beyond the arc. Nobody is talking about the fact that Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu have been doing it for the entire post-season. The two of them have combined for over 32-points a game. To put it simply, scoring is the name of the game in Orlando, and you’re about to find it out the hard way as Orlando steals Game 1 from the Lakers and their betting faithful.

NBA Furious Free Pick: Orlando +6 (UNDER)