NBA Playoffs Basketball Betting Lines & Predictions for April 23rd 2010

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat 7:00 ET ESPN
The Miami Heat enters a do or die NBA playoffs betting spot in tonight’s Game 3 match-up with the Boston Celtics. No team in NBA history has ever battled back from a 3-0 deficit to come back and win a seven-game series in NBA history. After crashing and burning in each of the first two games of this series, the Heat return home where they won 24 of their 41 overall regular season home games. However, they went a bankroll depleting 18-22-1 ATS for their betting backers. As for the Celtics, they were the only team to win more games on the road (26) than at home (24) in the regular season. If that’s not enough to have Heat fans shaking in their boots, maybe the fact that Paul Pierce and company have taken each of the L/7 meetings SU is. That’s right folks, Boston has Miami’s number and they enter Game 3 full of confidence after administering a 106-77 beat down that saw them make a mockery of the fact that they went off the board as one-point chalks in Game 2. Boston is 8-2-1 ATS the L/11 times it was tagged a playoff underdog, and the Heat are just 11-24 ATS at home when hosting a +.500 road team.

NBA Playoffs Betting Line: For Game 3, Miami currently sits as four-point favorites with the game ‘total’ set at 182.

Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs 9:30 ET ESPN
The San Antonio Spurs snapped the Dallas Mavericks four-game win streak both SU & ATS in Game 2 by scoring a 102-88 outright victory as underdogs in Game 2. In doing so, head coach Gregg Popovich’s squad stole home court advantage from the Mavericks. This was one of the veteran teams main objectives considering they haven’t beaten the Mavericks in the playoffs since 2003 (0-2 SU since). Now it’s up to them to carry that momentum over and grab a series lead when they lock horns in Game 3 on ESPN Friday night. That said; Dallas was the best road team in the NBA this season. It won 27 of its 41 overall contests as a visitor, and posted a healthy return for its betting backers by going 26-15 against the closing NBA odds. San Antonio was no slouch at home though, as the Spurs went 29-12 SU and posted a solid 24-16-1 ATS record. Though the home team is 7-3 ATS in the L/10 overall meetings between these division rivals, the Mavericks have won five of their L/10 overall visits to the AT&T Center outright while going 6-4 ATS. The under has cashed in four of the L/6 overall meetings (4-1-1 ATS), but the over has been the way to go when these teams locked horns in San Antonio with is going 4-1 ATS the L/5 NBA betting battles.

NBA Playoffs Betting Line: San Antonio currently sits as 3.5-point favorites with the game 3 ‘total’ set at 194.

Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz 10:30 ET ESPN2
The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz are all knotted up at a game apiece heading into their Game 3 match-up at the Energy Solutions Arena on Friday night. Utah scored a huge 114-11 NBA playoff betting victory over the Nuggets in Game 2 as six-point road underdogs to steal home court advantage away from Carmelo Anthony and company. The combo of G Deron Williams and F Carlos Boozer was simply outstanding as the duo combined to score 53 points, haul down 17 rebounds, and dish off 16 assists. After allowing the Nuggets to hit at will from the field in Game 1 (57.1%), Utah’s defense flustered the Nuggets all night and held them just below their seasonal output from the field ( 46.8%). HC Jerry Sloan’s crew was in attack mode all night, and it paid off for them at the free throw line where they converted 36-of-47 free throw attempts. Denver holds a 6-4 SU & 7-1-2 ATS advantage over Utah in the L/10 overall meetings, but the Jazz have beaten them up in their own house going 4-1 SU & 3-1-1 ATS the L/5 meetings in Salt lake City.

NBA Playoffs Betting Line: The Jazz currently sit as short two-point home chalks for tonight’s crucial Game 3; the ‘total’ has been set at 216-points.

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