SportsOddsAndPicks
NBA Playoff Second Round Series Best Bet (4-1 in first round)
BOSTON (-115) over Orlando
Many observers are saying that the Celtics near-upset loss to the Bulls in Round 1 exposed the defending champs, but we think just the opposite. While the C’s did struggle at times against the Bulls, they also saw a couple of their young players – most notably Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis and Rajon Rondo – step to the forefront and prove they can play big roles in their team’s success.
Simply put, we like how the Celtics match up against the Magic. Orlando’s offense is basically just four outside shooters and Dwight Howard. We expect the Celtics’ perimeter defense to hold the Orlando shooters down and Perkins to play smart enough where he stays out of foul trouble and contain Howard, who is still shaky at best from the free throw line. When the Celtics have the ball, look for Ray Allen to have another huge series with the likes of JJ Reddick and Courtney Lee (who will miss Game 1 with a fractured sinus) trying to cover him. And in the end we expect Paul Pierce to will his team to a victory in this series with a big offensive output as well as a defensive shutdown of Hedo Turkoglu, just like he did last year in the finals against Kobe Bryant. The Celts still have more heart and talent than Orlando -- even with Kevin Garnett on the sidelines wearing a $5,000 suit -- and they also own home court advantage.
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