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The Betting Corner: NBA Finals Game 7 Jun 20, 2013

June 20, 2013 by 1 Comment

San Antonio Spurs @ Miami Heat 9PM (ET) ABC

(Series Tied 3-3)

San-Antonio-Spurs-VS-Miami-Heat-Wallpaper-HD-2013As a sports fan, today is the day that we all look forward to: a winner take all, Game 7 finals game. Nothing is more thrilling, exciting, nerve-wracking, and heart clenching than the last game of the season for all the marbles. At the end of today, we will have a NBA Champion.

After one of the best playoff games in recent history, it is now or never for the aging Spurs and the Heat. Tim Duncan dominated the first half of Game Six with 25 points but was held to just 5 in the third quarter by a stingy Miami defense. Lebron James played like a man possessed in the fourth quarter and overtime.

In today’s matchup, the major factor will be the coaches. Let’s be honest and admit that in the NBA coaches aren’t as important than in other sports- except for today. Spoelstra and Popovich have been in a chess match all series long. With a majority of the population questioning Popovich’s decision making in the fourth quarter, it is now or never for the Spurs.

Miami must be able to get points from Wade and the role players. Bosh, who has taken a beating all playoff long, must play even better than he did last game. Lebron James will not be stopped and will continue to dominant the game.

For the Spurs, Manu Ginobili is the key. After being inserted into the starting lineup for Game 5, Ginobili flat out balled. In Game 6, he was the worst player on the court posting a -21 +/- and finishing with 8 turnovers.

NBA Finals Game 7 Prediction: Spurs +6

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The Betting Corner: NBA Finals Game 6 Jun 18, 2013

June 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

San Antonio Spurs @ Miami Heat 9PM (ET) ABC

(San Antonio Leads 3-2)

945206_10151571486403463_897263452_nWith the Spurs on the cusp of finals glory, the Miami Heat must pull out all the stops if they want to send this series to a game 7. Currently the Heat are an astonishing 7-0 on games after a loss. Lebron and Co. seem to know how to get it done when its all on the line. The real question though is if the Heat can win back to back games, something they haven’t done this postseason.Although these stats look very good from afar, don’t count out the veteran Spurs. With the insert of Ginobili into the starting lineup, the Spurs have add the extra offensive spark they need to keep the Heat guessing on defense. If the Heat want to tie up the series they must play with the same physical pressure and heart as they did in game 4 otherwise the Spurs franchise will be a perfect 5-0 in the NBA finals. For the Spurs, keep the offensive pressure up for 4 qtrs with Green, Parker, and Ginobili as well as find a way to limit the big 3 to mediocre performances. Finally, this game will come down to, as it has every game in this series, defensive intensity and “superstar” play. With the current trend pointing to Miami now and the 7-0 post loss stat, I am going against my typical behavior and reflecting back on games 1 and 2 where the high spread favored the dog and taking the points.

Play:
Spurs +7.5
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Alex Plumb
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TheCover4.com is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.

All information regarding gambling is intended to be purely educational from an academic perspective, and not to actually encourage gambling.  We are in no way condoning gambling and are not affiliated with any and all casinos/sports books mentioned.

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The Betting Corner: NBA Finals Game 5 Jun 16, 2013

June 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs 8PM (ET) ABC

(Series Tied 2-2)

nba_u_heatspurs_ESPNNow that the first four games have been played with no team breaking away in this series, we are down to a best of 3. With the resurgence of Dwayne Wade playing like the old “flash” again, the Spurs must now find an answer to this new threat. Based of the current trend we are seeing in this series spurs-heat-spurs-heat, the ball is now in San Antonio’s court to make a move. A loss for either team could prove to be the series but especially for Miami, where they lost in a game 5 two seasons ago to Dallas, and then ultimately lost the series. In a must win for both teams, two questions must be answered:  Which supposed slump or injury plays a factor more? Which Dwade and Tony Parker are we going to get in this game? After debating which way I wanted to go in this one, this stat is what persuaded me decide on my pick. In game 5s, in the NBA finals, the Spurs are 2-0 in the big 3 era. Since the same players for the most part who played in those series still play for the Spurs currently, as well as the trend say San Antonio, ill take the points at home in this one.

Play:
Spurs +2
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Alex Plumb
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TheCover4.com is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.

All information regarding gambling is intended to be purely educational from an academic perspective, and not to actually encourage gambling.  We are in no way condoning gambling and are not affiliated with any and all casinos/sports books mentioned.

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The Betting Corner: NBA Finals Game 4 Jun 13, 2013

June 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs 9PM (ET) ABC

(Spurs lead series 2-1)

130606110847-nba-finals-2013-big-three-miami-heat-san-antonio-spurs-single-image-cutAfter two back to back blow outs by both teams, the Spurs have proven they can contend with the defending champs. With the Spurs role players outperforming the Heat’s superstars last game, Miami will have to again pull something extraordinary in game 4 to even the series back to 2 a piece. This game has yielded a few news lines so far which should make this game very intriguing to watch. Some of these are: How will Tony Parker’s hamstring hold up? Will Miami continue its 6-0 streak after a loss? Which big 3 will step up? Where did this Danny Green fellow come from? Is Chris Bosh ever going to play like a star in the playoffs (My Favorite)? Now I know what you are all thinking, this guys sees stats that are very persuasive and goes for it. Well until these stats are proven to be a “non factor” which they apparently aren’t until I say something about it, then I go with the numbers. Heat roll tonight and find a way to steal one on the road.

Play:
Miami +2
__________________________________________________________________________

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Alex Plumb
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TheCover4.com is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.

All information regarding gambling is intended to be purely educational from an academic perspective, and not to actually encourage gambling.  We are in no way condoning gambling and are not affiliated with any and all casinos/sports books mentioned.

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The Betting Corner: NBA Finals Game 3 Jun 11, 2013

June 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs 9PM (ET) ABC

(Series Tied 1-1)

969343_10151572973928463_1713121083_nGame 3, which determines who wins the series 90+% of the time, will be one for the ages. For one team in this bout, this will be the game that turns the tide and places them one step closer to the championship. With the Heat and Spurs both tied at one a piece, this game will be a battle. For the Heat to take the firm grip back in this series, they must get production from the Big 3 (mainly Bosh and Wade) and continue to have Allen, Miller, and Haslem to provide a secondary scoring option as they did in game 2. For the Spurs, they need to have Parker to continue his inside penetration and either have Green or Splitter to step up and provide balance to the Spurs superstar play. The keys to tonight’s game will be who controls the turnover battle and the boards. Although the game is shifting back to San Antonio and a potential momentum swing back in the Spurs favor, I see this game going down to the wire. Quoting Brian Windhorst,”there is something about Miami in game 3s on the road. They won against Indiana, Chicago, and Milwaukee this postseason”. With that said I’ll take the points on the road.

Play:
Miami +2
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Alex Plumb
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TheCover4.com is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.

All information regarding gambling is intended to be purely educational from an academic perspective, and not to actually encourage gambling.  We are in no way condoning gambling and are not affiliated with any and all casinos/sports books mentioned.

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The Betting Corner: NBA Finals Game 2 Jun 9, 2013

June 9, 2013 by 2 Comments

San Antonio Spurs @ Miami Heat 8PM (ET) ABC

(San Antonio Leads 1-0)

936031_633624763323036_1689835067_nAfter a phenomenal last 30 seconds of game 1, the Miami Heat find themselves in a 0-1hole. Watching this game and the post game press conference, I see the Heat’s ability to dominate at home slipping away from them and the attitude toward struggling teammates during the game intensify. The Spurs on the other hand are thriving on Miami’s mishaps. If they can continue to pressure Lebron and force the rest of the Heat to win games with role players, they have a great shot to bring another title to San Antonio. The key to tonight’s game will be the affectiveness of Dwayne Wade on both fronts and Tony Parker’s ability to drive to the basket. If one of these occur, we could see an evened up series on out hands or a potential sweep on the horizon. With much needed rest and playing at home in a must win game 2 for Miami, I see the Heat winning by double digits here on a heroic Lebron performance.

Play:
Miami -6
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Alex Plumb
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TheCover4.com is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.

All information regarding gambling is intended to be purely educational from an academic perspective, and not to actually encourage gambling.  We are in no way condoning gambling and are not affiliated with any and all casinos/sports books mentioned.

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The Betting Corner: NBA Finals Game 1 Jun 6, 2013

June 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

San Antonio Spurs @ Miami Heat 9PM (ET) ABC

spurs_crop_northWell we have finally reached the pinnacle of the NBA season: the Finals. After two dramatically different paths these two teams have faced, they both deserve to be in this position. San Antonio superstars have played lights out in the playoffs sweeping a Memphis team which many thought would make it to the finals. If the Spurs can force Miami to play isolation basketball and dominate the boards as the Pacers did last series, the Spurs can run away with game 1. For the Heat, they must distribute the ball, and play the fast paced game they have dominated so many teams this season with. The Spurs are 1-4 against the Heat in the big 3 era and will have to play aggressive basketball tonight against a hungry Miami team to take game 1. Ultimately I think the Spurs will come out rusty and overpowered by a high octane Heat team looking to prove themselves after a rugged eastern conference finals.

Play:
Heat -5
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Thank you for reading The Cover 4! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook & Twitter.

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Alex Plumb
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TheCover4.com is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.

All information regarding gambling is intended to be purely educational from an academic perspective, and not to actually encourage gambling.  We are in no way condoning gambling and are not affiliated with any and all casinos/sports books mentioned.

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The Betting Corner : NBA Round 1, Day 3 & 4

April 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

NBA Betting Corner Round 1, Day 3 & 4

Bracket

Welcome! To the NBA Playoffs Betting Corner.

4/22/13

8PM ET on TNT

Series 0-1

          Chicago Bulls @ Brooklyn Nets          

 –

10.30PM ET on TNT

Series 0-1

Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Clippers

—–

4/23/13

7.30PM ET on NBATV

Series 0-1

Milwaukee Bucks @ Miami Heat

 –

8PM ET on TNT

Series 0-1

Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks

 –

10.30PM ET on TNT

Series 0-1

Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets

  –

Our Sunday started out with an easy win as the total in the Indiana-Atlanta game went over. The Lakers-Spurs game (+9) was really close. The Bucks kept it close in the first half but just had a total meltdown in the second half. In the last game of the night, we had the total over 213 and the final score totaled up to 211,If you watched the game, you’re just as frustrated as me.

YTD Season: 3-4-1

22nets-pic-articleLarge

In the first game of the night, the Brooklyn Nets will continue to route the Chicago Bulls. I had the Bulls +5 because the Bulls are still a great defensive team and with Joakim Noah back, things were promising. Apparently not. The most productive center in the league, Brook Lopez, is playing great along with Deron Williams who’s been on a tear since the All-Star break. Noah came back but wasn’t a huge factor. The Chicago starters combined for just 50 points while the Brooklyn starters combined for 78.

Key(s) to winning- Rebounds

1 Unit (Brooklyn Nets -5)

clippers reserve

In primetime comes the highlight reel Los Angeles Clippers who will try to take a 2-0 lead in their series. The Clippers’ bench only scored nine more points than the Grizzlies bench but the difference in the game was rebounding, The Clippers out-rebounded the Grizzlies 47-23. There’s a saying in basketball, you control the board/paint, and you control the game. The Grizzlies just don’t have enough intensity to match up with the Clippers, especially in Los Angeles.

Key(s) to winning- Rebounds + Bench Production

1 Unit- (Los Angeles Clippers -5.5)

large-20130421213602

On Tuesday we have the Miami Heat taking on the Milwaukee Bucks in what looks to be a four-game sweep for the King and his gang. Even though Brandon Jennings showed up and played a decent game in Game 1, the picture shows exactly what happened on Sunday. King James took matters into his own hands and flirted with a triple-double as the Heat erased any doubt in Jennings’ mind that the Bucks will win in six. In summary, the Bucks simply can’t handle the Heat. And with another blowout in mind, I don’t see any value in taking either the total points because it could go either way in a blowout situation.

Key(s) to winning- King James leading the way

0 Unit- (No value in either points or total)

628x471

In more Tuesday action we have the still emotional Boston Celtics at New York taking on the Knicks and like I predicted in Game 1, the Celtics did put up a fight and could have easily covered the game, but were held to eight points in the fourth quarter. Boston also turned the ball over several times in the final two minutes. While emotions ran high during the first game, I feel like the Knicks showed the Celtics first hand why they are 31-10 at home this season. With New York’s stellar defense in the second half forcing turnovers, and with Boston lacking a true point guard, the Celtics had plenty of trouble taking care of the ball. I predict that the Celtics will win outright in Game 3 at home for their home crowd, but for Game 2, take the Knicks.

Key(s) to winning- 3pt% & FT%

1 Unit- (Knicks -6.5)

David-Lee-will-miss-the-rest-of-the-season.-Garrett-Ellwood-NBA-Getty-Images

The nightcap on Tuesday features a GoldenState team that is missing David Lee for the remainder of the playoffs. I had predicted that the Warriors would put up a fight and make it a tough series with Lee and Andrew Bogut being paint problems for the Denver Nuggets but it’s not happening now.The Warriors lost their main low-post threat and about 20 points per game to go along with 10 rebounds per game. With that in mind, the Nuggets were lucky to come out with a win via a buzzer-beater by 37-year-old veteran Andre Miller, who came off the bench with 28 points. It doesn’t look like George Karl will have the need to play Kenneth Faried with Lee out of the picture, so were going to keep going with the under for Game 2.

Key(s) to winning- Points in the paint

1 Unit- (Total under 207)

____________________________________________________________________________
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Chin Tan
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http://www.facebook.com/thecover4
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TheCover4.com is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.

All information regarding gambling is intended to be purely educational from an academic perspective, and not to actually encourage gambling.  We are in no way condoning gambling and are not affiliated with any and all casinos/sports books mentioned.

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The Betting Corner: Round , Day 2

April 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

Bracket

1 p.m EST on TNT

Atlanta Hawks @ Indiana Pacers

Series 0-0

 

5:30 p.m. EST on ABC

Los Angeles Lakers @ San Antonio Spurs

Series 0-0

 

7 p.m. EST on TNT

Milwaukee Bucks @ Miami Heat

Series 0-0

 

9:30 p.m. EST on TNT

Houston Rockets @ Oklahoma City Thunder

Series 0-0

 

Pacers/Hawks

At 1p.m. EsT we have the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks featuring Josh Smith and Jeff Teague visiting the  third-seeded Indiana Pacers with Paul George and David West. Indiana is trying to build on its great season despite missing star Danny Granger. The Pacers are 30-11 at home while the Hawks are 19-22  on the road.

 

11/7/12 Indiana @ Atlanta 86-89

12/29/12 Indiana @ Atlanta 100-109

2/5/13 Atlanta @ Indiana 103-114

3/25/13 Atlanta @ Indiana 94-100

 

As you can see the matchups these two teams have had in the regular season, home court advantage is HUGE and can determine the momentum of the series. I don’t want to sound like a broken record but the NBA playoffs are all about defense and limiting turnovers is a huge key to winning games. The Pacers and Hawks are similar in that category, with the Pacers committing 1227 turnovers while the Hawks committed 1219 for the whole season. While the Hawks are not known for their three-point prowess they rank 7th in the league in three-point percentage at 37.1 percent while the Pacers converted 34.7 of their three-point attempts. Whichever team can take care of the ball and limiting 3’s from the opposing team will win the game. But I do see this game going over the total 185.5

 

Key(s) to winning:Limiting turnovers and three-point percentage

 

1 Unit (Total over 185.5)

 

Lakers/Spurs

At 3:30PM EST comes one of the most exciting matchups we have in the West. The seventh-seeded Mamba-less Los Angeles Lakers visit the playoff experienced second-seeded San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are 35-6 at home while the Lakers are an ugly 16-25 away from Staples Center.

 

11/13/12 San Antonio @ Los Angeles 84-82

1/9/13 Los Angeles @ San Antonio 105-108

4/14/13 San Antonio @ Los Angeles 86-91

 

With and without Kobe Bryant, the Lakers have managed to keep all three regular season meetings close. Both teams know each other very well and without a doubt the key players for this game will be Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard versus Tony Parker and Tim Duncan., Ever since the All-Star break and the passing of Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss, the Lakers have found a sense of urgency and have clawed themselves back into the playoff picture. The Spurs however have been well… the Spurs, despite several injuries throughout the season, with the  managed playing times of his star players, Gregg Popovich has a full squad ready for another championship run. It will be a close game and even though the final score will not show, free-throw percentage will determine the outcome of the game as the Spurs shoot .791 while the Lakers shoot a disastrous .692 from the charity stripe.

 

Key(s) to winning- Free-throw percentage along with  the Gasol/Howard versus Parker/Duncan matchup

 

1 Unit (Lakers +9)

 

 

Heat Bucks

 

Interesting matchup coming in at 7 p.m. EST, the top-seeded defending champions Miami Heat host the eighth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat are 37-4 at home and the Bucks are 17-24 away from home.

 

11/21/12 Milwaukee @ Miami 106-113 OT

12/29/12 Miami @ Milwaukee 85-104

3/15/13 Miami @ Milwaukee 107-94

4/9/13 Milwaukee @ Miami 83-94

 

First questions that comes into mind, how many eightseeds have upset the No. 1 seed to move on to the second round? The answer is five.

 

  • The Denver Nuggets defeated the Seattle Supersonics 3-2 in 1994.
  • The New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat in 1999, 3-2.
  • The Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks in 2007, 4-2.
  • The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs in 2011, 4-2.
  • The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Chicago Bulls in 2012, 4-2

 

Both teams will be healthy to start their playoff run, and as I’ve highlighted in red above, we have had upsets in the past twp years in a row where an eight seed knocked off a oneseed. Will Miami share the same fate or will it be the Thunder that will be a part of history? Opening games are always hard to predict even more so for this matchup, but 13 is just too much in a playoff game to be favorite by even when you’re the Heat.

 

Key(s) to winning- Big 3 of Miami Heat versus the entire Milwaukee Bucks

 

1 Unit (Milwaukee +13)

 

Thunder/Rockets

No hard feelings?  At 9:30PM EST we have another great matchup between the eighth-seeded Houston Rockets visiting the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are 34-7 at home while the Rockets are 16-25 away from Toyota Center.

 

 

11/28/12 Houston @ OKC 98-120

12/29/12 OKC @ Houston 124-94

2/20/13 OKC @ Houston 119-122

 

If you’re looking for an up-tempo/transition type of game and you absolute HATE defense, look no further, we bring you Houston at Oklahoma City. Why no defense? The Houston Rockets are an atrocious 28th in the league at holding their opponents to 102.5 points per game while the Thunder sit 9th at 96.5 points per game allowed. Knowing that the Rockets can’t play defense, offense will be key to winning this game as the Rockets rank second in the league with 106 points per game and the Thunder just slightly behind at third with 105.7 points per game. Will The Thunder feel the effects of missing James Harden in the playoffs and be the sixth team to lose to an eighth seed? Or will  Harden finally get his revenge on his former team?

 

Key(s) to winning- First team to 100 wins.

 

1 Unit (Total over 213)

 

____________________________________________________________________________
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Oh yeah, tell your friends too!

Chin Tan
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http://www.facebook.com/thecover4
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Filed Under: Basketball Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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