NBA First Round Parlay – Bulls Saturday and OVER Sunday

It’s the NBA Playoffs which means BetOnline members should be ready to lay down some lucky dollars on the teams they believe will be successful in the NBA post-season.

Although there are a number of storylines in the NBA post-season this year, the two biggest have to do with the two participants in last year’s NBA Championship Series, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Let’s analyze both of those teams in their respective games this weekend.

Best NBA Saturday Game

Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics

BetOnline Spread: Celtics -8 ½

BetOnline Total: 196 ½

Analysis: The Celtics will most likely be without Kevin Garnett for the entire playoffs. Since that’s more of a fact than an opinion, the Men in Green could be in trouble starting with this series against Chicago who has the ability to play a nice inside/outside game with their strong front line and even stronger guards. The last time these two teams met, Garnett wasn’t a factor and Chicago won straight-up as 1 ½ point underdogs, 127 to 121.

Was that an anomaly? I’m not so sure. If gamblers look closer at the game, they realize that the Bulls outscored the Celtics 58 to 44 on the front line and had 17 fast break points as opposed to Boston’s 6. Boston did rack up a 13 point lead in that game, though.

The bigger question is which style is going to win out in the end. Will Boston’s style of slowing the game down and playing defense win out? Or will the Bulls try to run and gun knowing that Garnett isn’t in the middle to defend?

I have to take the Bulls and the points in this game. Even though Chicago will be playing on the road, and the Celtics will be expected to step it up in the first game of the NBA Playoffs, 8 ½ points is just too many to give up in this game. Since Garnett has been out, the Celtics haven’t beaten a team by more than 8 ½ points since 3/29/2009 when they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder by 9.

I like Chicago at +8 ½ ATS in the sportsbook.

Best Sunday NBA Game

Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers

BetOnline Spread: Lakers -11 ½

BetOnline Total: 210

Analysis: The Lakers have been downright scary towards the end of the season, especially now that they have a healthy Andrew Bynum. The issue surrounding the Lakers is a good one. How much better will they be in the playoffs with Bynum on the court? I’m thinking a lot better.

Bynum had 22 points the last time these two teams played. The Lakers won 125 to 112. Despite that margin of victory, the better wager appears to be on the BetOnline Total.

In three games played between the two teams this season, not a single game totaled less than 213 points. I know that there is a belief that defenses rule during the NBA Playoffs but I’m willing to test that theory.

I see this game going over the BetOnline Total of 210 points.