Heat will capitalize on hobbled Celtics
Celtics vs Heat odds: 7:30 p.m. ET
Boy, is the NBA betting landscape ever changing quickly for both the Celtics and Heat. Anyone who likes to bet on basketball knows the Celtics will be a force again come the playoffs, but injuries have made them a very beatable team of late. With Kevin Garnett on the shelf, it’s no wonder they’re a pedestrian 3-3 in their
last six games.
Things could go from bad to worse in the Celtics vs Heat line on Wednesday. Boston will be without five players – Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Glen Davis, Brian Scalabrine and Tony Allen. That means they’ll have to lean on Ray Allen and Paul Pierce again, but Doc Rivers said he wants to limit their minutes.
The Heat are playing pretty solid basketball of late and Dwayne Wade is making a strong MVP push, so the Heat are a good pick to down the Celtics on Wednesday.
Online betting pick: Heat
Lakers vs Rockets odds: 8:30 p.m. ET
With the exception of the Celtics’ KG-less struggles, the prevalent theme among playoff contenders this year is teams playing better without their injured superstars. The Rockets absolutely fit that role and have excelled without Tracy McGrady. They’re one of the hottest teams in NBA betting right now, having won 11 of 13. Yao Ming remains as consistent as ever and diminutive point guards Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry may be playing the best basketball of their young careers.
Winning the Lakers vs Rockets odds obviously will be no easy task; the last time we checked, Kobe was still Kobe. But if there’s one thing that never seems to change in NBA betting, it’s that home teams dominate – especially the contenders. The Rockets are 27-6 at home and the Lakers have lost four straight road games against teams with .500 records or better. The numbers suggest betting on the Rockets, and the numbers should be right on Wednesday.
Online betting pick: Rockets
Mavericks vs Trail Blazers odds: 10:00 p.m. ET
This may be the easiest pick among Wednesday’s marquee NBA lines. On paper, it’s a good Western matchup between a 38-25 team and a 40-23 team. NBA betting fans should look closer, though. It’s no secret that Portland’s future is bright and the future may already be now. The Blazers are 27-5 at home and have won five of six, with wins over the Spurs and Lakers during that stretch.
There’s no reason for online betting fans to worry about the Mavs in this matchup. Not only have the Blazers beaten better competition at home lately, the Mavs usually struggle against major contenders and will be playing their second game of a back-to-back road swing. They have shown flashes of life since Mark Cuban’s tirade, but it that won’t be enough to topple the streaking Blazers.
Online betting pick: Trail Blazers
