Ben Burns Available Picks
May, 12 2008 8:00pm EST
TOTAL: Under 182 (-110)
WIN for +2.73 unit(s)
Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers
I'm playing on the Cavaliers and Celtics to finish UNDER the number. I successfully played on these teams to finish above the number in Game 3, after winning with Boston in Game 2 and the 'under' in the opening game. While the Celts have a momentarily defensive lapse, it rarely happens to them twice in a row and I'm expecting tonight's important clash to result in a "defensive battle."
Despite the Game 3 result, the Cavs have still seen the UNDER go 12-4 the past three seasons when playing in the second round of the playoffs. This year's three games have averaged a mere 167.33 points. Including those three games, the Cavs have now seen the UNDER go 29-15 on the season when faving a team with a winning record. Looking back a bit further and we find the UNDER at an impressive 90-49 the past three seasons when they've faced a team with a winning record. Given that their overall over/under mark (157-128-3) during that stretch favore the 'under' by a much lower margin, the Cavs have shown a strong 3-year tendency to play high-scoring games against losing teams and lower-scoring ones against winning teams.
As for the Celtics, who have now seen the UNDER go 14-6-1 in games against teams from the Central, they view themselves as being the league's best defensive team. Off a rare poor defensive effort, I believe that they'll be extremely motivated to bounce back with a huge effort on that side of the ball this evening. Note that the Celts have seen the UNDER go 6-2 on the season when coming off a game in which they allowed 105 or more points and a perfect 3-0 after a double-digit loss.
The number has gone up a few points after the Game 3 result and I believe that gives us excellent value. Expect a relatively low-scoring affair with the final combined score staying beneath the number.
Ben Burns Past Picks
NBA Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics Tuesday June 17, 2008 9:00 pm
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Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers Sunday June 15, 2008 9:05 pm
I'm playing on the Lakers and Celtics to finish OVER the total. After back to back games which stayed below the number, I believe that we're getting excellent value with the OVER here. On the topic of ... read more
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Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday June 10, 2008 9:00 pm
I'm playing on the Lakers and Celtics to finish UNDER the total. I had the 'over' in both games at Boston. In the opening game, the teams had 97 points at the half and 150 heading into the fourth quarter. ... read more
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Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics Sunday June 8, 2008 9:00 pm
I'm playing on the Celtics and Lakers to finish OVER the total. Despite a relatively slow start (44 points in the first quarter) Game 1 was still on pace to finish OVER the total before the teams combined ... read more
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NBA Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics Sunday June 8, 2008 9:00 pm
I'm playing on the LA LAKERS. As you know, the Celtics took Game 1. Despite a poor shooting performance from Kobe and generally getting out-hustled overall, the Lakers were able to keep things close almost ... read more
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Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics Thursday June 5, 2008 9:00 pm
I'm taking the points with the LA LAKERS. Home teams were dominant through the first two rounds of the playoffs. However, road teams began to catch up last round and the Celtics were beaten by ... read more
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NBA Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics Thursday June 5, 2008 9:00 pm
I'm playing on the Lakers and Celtics OVER the number. I'm well aware that the Celtics possess a great defense. I also respect the Lakers' defensive skills. That being said, I don't believe that ... read more
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Boston Celtics @ Detroit Pistons Friday May 30, 2008 8:30 pm
I'm playing on Boston and Detroit to finish UNDER the number. These teams exploded for 208 points in Game 5. Considering that these were the two best defenses in the league this season, that type of "explosion" ... read more
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NBA Basketball
Boston Celtics @ Detroit Pistons Friday May 30, 2008 8:30 pm
I'm taking the points with BOSTON. I won with the Pistons in each of the last two games. However, I now believe that the "value" now lies with the visiting Celtics. While the Celtics home/road ... read more
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NBA Basketball
San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Lakers Thursday May 29, 2008 9:00 pm
I'm laying the points with the LA LAKERS. I have a great deal of respect for the defending champions and they've been very good to me throughout these playoffs. That being said, I feel that their season ... read more
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