Event Feature: TNT Doubleheader Preview

by Bodog Sportsbook | Apr 14 2009

There are no NBA games scheduled for Thursday - the 2008-09 regular season wraps up the day before. But we still get our weekly dose of TNT basketball coverage, as the leading show in the industry sneaks in one more doubleheader on Tuesday. We've got two very interesting matchups to look at from a betting perspective involving four playoff-bound teams. Let's start with a quick glance at the other dozen contenders for the title.

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers: Ben Wallace is out again with a strained knee and could miss the playoffs.
Orlando Magic: 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS in their last five games
Atlanta Hawks: Marvin Williams (13.9 points, 6.3 rebounds per game) is back in the Hawks lineup.
Miami Heat: Jermaine O'Neal and Jamario Moon are both day-to-day with injuries.
Chicago Bulls: 12-3 SU and 9-6 ATS over the past month
Detroit Pistons: The worst home record of all the playoff teams at 21-20 SU and 13-28 ATS

Western Conference

Denver Nuggets: On an amazing 14-2 SU and 10-6 ATS run
San Antonio Spurs: 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five despite losing Manu Ginobili for the season
Houston Rockets: Yao Ming (19.6 points, 9.9 rebounds per game) missed just the one game last week with his foot injury.
Portland Trail Blazers: 12-3 SU and ATS this month
New Orleans Hornets: Tyson Chandler (8.8 points, 8.9 rebounds per game) is expected to face the Spurs Wednesday.
Dallas Mavericks: Coming off a poor effort in a 96-94 win over Minnesota (+11.5)

Boston at Philadelphia

Injuries are the first item on the docket for the Celtics (60-20 SU, 41-39 ATS). Kevin Garnett has been shut down for the remainder of the regular season to protect and heal his ailing right knee. Glen Davis has performed as well as could be hoped in his place with 12.7 points and 5.7 boards per game in 15 starts at power forward, all the more important because Leon Powe has been out nearly a month with a knee injury. The C's are 10-2 SU and 7-5 ATS during his absence.

Powe might be able to make his return on TNT against the Philadelphia 76ers (40-40 SU, 36-42-2 ATS), who are thin on the frontline themselves with the loss of Thaddeus Young for perhaps the first round of the playoffs. Young (15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds per game) has kept the Sixers pointed toward the playoffs with Elton Brand only able to start 23 games this year. Rebounding specialist Reggie Evans has picked up some of the slack, but is hardly a gifted scorer with a combined 34 points in his six starts at power forward. Philly is on a five-game losing streak at 1-4 ATS.

The Sixers can still leapfrog Chicago for sixth place in the East and a chance to play the Magic in the first round instead of the Celtics. But the C's took their first three meetings this year at 2-1 ATS.
 
Utah at L.A. Lakers

This is the last game of the regular season for both the Lakers (64-17 SU, 42-39 ATS) and the Jazz (48-33 SU, 39-42 ATS). Again, it's the No. 8 Jazz with the most at stake, as they try to inch up to No. 7 in the West and secure a much more desirable matchup against the No. 2 Nuggets. Los Angeles goes into the playoffs with the No. 1 seed and has very little to play for after Cleveland sewed up the best record in the NBA and home-court advantage in the Finals.

That doesn't mean the Lakers are going to completely tank this one. Coach Phil Jackson insists he's going to play his starters - although fewer minutes can be expected for veteran players like Derek Fisher, who was worked hard in January and is now down to 22.4 minutes per game in April. The Jazz have been forced to juggle their lineup all year; Mehmet Okur (17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds per game) is uncertain for this matchup with a strained right hamstring, the last thing Utah needs with Andrew Bynum warming up for the postseason.

The Lakers and Jazz have already split a pair of games this season with the home team winning and cashing in both times. The over is on a 5-0 run dating back to last year's Western semifinals, which the Lakers took in six games at 3-2-1 ATS.

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