NBA Championship Predictions Game Two: Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs

NBA Finals Picks, Game Two: Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs

We have almost identical analysis for this one, except that Lebron James hopefully won’t be cramping up through the entire game as the Spurs pull away. The problem when one player shifts your opinion of a series is that his absence or an off day will completely destroy a game for you.

The computer agrees. After hitting a confident ML play in Game One the signal is basically the same. I still think Lebron James makes the difference here. If he’s healthy and has his fluids, I think he’ll return  ... 

NBA Playoffs Finals Picks: Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs

NBA Finals Picks: Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs

Miami made us our money and closed out the Pacers as expected, and the Spurs battled through a very good team in the Thunder. I think this series is exactly what it’s supposed to be… the two best teams in basketball are playing.

The Spurs are out for revenge, but the Heat have the best player in the basketball world. I think Lebron James can taste another win. I don’t know how San Antonio can stop them.

I expect really great things from these two teams and I’m excited to watch this  ... 

NBA Playoffs Picks: Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers

NBA Playoffs Picks: Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers

It’s a tough week here for me… We’ve hit all our baseball posts, but I’ve only bet four games. We’ve been off both hockey series because the teams I want to see win don’t look sharp. We’ve been off the Spurs Thunder series because I don’t see enough of an edge either way. That leaves us hammering the Heat every other night, but so far it’s worked out wonderfully.

With house money, my suggestion is to bet on Miami again, for the same reasons laid out in our previous posts. They’ve been  ... 

NBA Playoffs Picks: Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers

NBA Playoffs Picks: Miami Heat Vs Indiana Pacers

This is the series we’ve been waiting for all year in the East, but it’s certainly not how we thought we’d get there. The Heat coasted against two mediocre teams, but the Pacers really struggled.

Still, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Pacers suddenly snapped out of their dysfunctional month and found themselves just in time to play the Heat tough. They’ve been thinking about this for a year now, and they’ve been talking about it too. It’s time to put up or shut up.

I think Lebron James is the  ... 

NBA Playoffs Picks: Oklahoma City Thunder at LA Clippers

NBA Playoffs Picks: Oklahoma City Thunder at LA Clippers

What an incredible, exciting, wonderful series! For me, the value has been on the points all series. I think these are two evenly matched teams with explosive offenses and big star power. The Thunder have a bit more playoff experience, the Clippers have a bit more offense, and the coaching on both sides is phenomenal.

As such, home field doesn’t do much for me. Points and teasers have paid out nicely in two of three so far. Can the home team bounce back?

The computer is conflicted here and two parameters  ... 

NBA Playoffs Picks: LA Clippers at Golden State Warriors

NBA Playoffs Picks: LA Clippers at Golden State Warriors

This line has moved a couple points since it opened. I got in at -1, now it’s -3. I now prefer the money line to the spread if you got in late.

I think the LA Clippers are too big, too strong, and too dynamic for Golden State. I hate betting against the Warriors because they can shoot so well, but I think the Clippers are so much more consistent that they’ll be fine, even on the road. If Curry goes off for 50 and Thompson scores more than seven, we might be in trouble, but I think the Clippers can control this game.

The computer agrees with me to an extent, with a slight lean on the Clippers here. Without Bogut, there’s just not enough of a presence inside for the Warriors to be competitive. The last game proved that the Clippers can have their way with the Warriors.  ... 

NBA Picks: Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets

BA Picks: Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets

Z-Code is all over this one, and I’ll follow along with a money line parlay tonight. I like the Nuggets as well, the Jazz are on the road and Denver is the better team.

The Nuggets have a sharp, clear signal of support from the computer. With five-stars of money line value for the game and a 93% chance to win, this is a good time to invest in the home team. The spread is a little sharp, but this should be a blowout. I’m on the spread with low confidence and the  ... 

NBA Picks: New Orleans Pelicans at Atlanta Hawks

NBA Picks: New Orleans Pelicans +6 at Atlanta Hawks

The Pelicans aren’t a very good team on the road and the Hawks have all the momentum in the world, winning five in a row and surging deeper into the playoff picture. Still, the computer and I see some value in the points here.

After hitting our first post of the NCAA Tournament, we dance back to the comforts of the NBA. This is a bold pick too, but I think the Pelicans will give the Hawks a game here. I don’t think the Hawks have an answer for Anthony Davis  ... 

NBA Picks: Golden State Warriors at Portland Trailblazers

NBA Picks: Golden State Warriors at Portland Trailblazers

I appreciate that the Blazers have a pretty good team this year.  They have some superstar scorers, a streaky offense, and they were the hottest team in basketball at the start of the year.  Since they’ve come down, though, I think the Warriors are obviously the better team – particularly after the blowout win they earned the last time these two met.

The computer gives a four-star prediction on the over, expecting a high-scoring game.  This one is in played in Portland, so the Blazers do have a bit of an edge  ...