Brandon Lang
Thursday ...
40 Dime Bulls (if this line works it's way up to 3 1/2 you buy the 1/2 and only lay -3) -
10 Dime Bulls FIRST HALF Play
10 Dime Lakers FIRST HALF Play
5 Dime OVER Lakers/Jazz
5 Dime OVER Celtics/Bulls
5 Dime Spurs FIRST HALF Play
Free pick - White Sox (See daily video for your analysis on this game)
40 Dime Bulls (if this line works it's way up to 3 1/2 you buy the 1/2 and only lay -3) - Kevin Garnett, Leon Powe and the Atlanta Hawks ... all three are relevant to why Michael Jordan will be smiling tonight. Fact is, getting by without Garnett was enough of a chore, but now with Powe gone for the postseason, the Celtics are without a key role player off the pine. Now if the Celtics struggled the way they did in Beantown, how do you think they're going to perform in Chicago against a confident, riled-up team in front of a frenzied crowd?
As for my point about the Hawks, well, let's not forget Boston almost didn't make it to the NBA Finals last season thanks to them, and now it's facing a similar team out of Chi-town. And with a chance to go up 2 games to 1, the running of the Bulls continues tonight.
It all starts with a dominating first half, given my 10 Dime Bulls FIRST HALF Play, as Chicago will want to knock the wind out of the Celtics immediately and steal all life from the defending champs, while getting the crowd into it.
Derrick Rose delivered his Rookie of the Year season for the Bulls, and he's carried the momentum over to the playoffs. I believe he will continue to play his game and impress us with his ability to keep the offensive pressure on the C's, while Ben Gordon can continue to challenge fellow Connecticut-grad Ray Allen as the top sharpshooter in this series. And let's not forget about Joakim Noah, who snatched 25 rebounds in Boston in the first two contests.
Bottom line, the Bulls are sticking with the Celtics. Two games into the series, two thrillers and a split in Beantown. That means the home-court is in Chicago's hands. If it wasn't for Allen hitting the tiebreaking 3-pointer with two seconds left, I believe the Bulls eventually come away with the win and go up 2-0.
Look, the ailing Celtics are vividly missing Garnett, they're having to readjust against without Powe and making matters worse, Rajon Rondo hurt his ankle, and even though he finished with 19 points and 16 assists to go with 12 rebounds in Game 2, it was sore enough to keep him out of practice Tuesday.
Face it, the Celtics don't stand a chance in the United Center tonight, with everything going Chicago's way. Not in the first half and not in the game. And by blowing this team out, my 5 Dime OVER will be a cinch when the Bulls force the uptempo. The Over has cashed in the last four times these two have danced. And since the Bulls are on over runs of 6-1 in the conference quarters, 4-1 when playing on two days rest, 8-2 when laying up to 4-1/2 points and 8-3 against Atlantic Division foes. Let's roll with a 3-0 sweep in this game alone, as we take the Bulls in the game, in the first half and with the Over.
10 Dime Lakers FIRST HALF Play - We've seen the Lakers dominate Utah in two straight games, ahem, two straight first halves. It's the second half the Lakers have the problem. So, let's do the best thing we can with Kobe's crew. We simply need Los Angeles to outscore the Jazz in the first half to get this money. It shouldn't be a problem, as the Lakeshow has outscored the Jazz in the first half in every meeting this year: 63-61, 57-43, 56-55, 62-40 and 66-55. That includes the lone date in Utah, so the atmosphere shouldn't be an issue. And by counting on the Lakers to run out to a huge lead in the first half, we can count on my 5 Dime OVER cashing in, marking the ninth straight time these two have eclipsed the number. They've also gone high in 20 of the last 27 meetings, so I don't think we'll have a problem playing this one total to go high.
5 Dime Spurs FIRST HALF Play - San Antonio can't afford to get down to the Mavericks and Dallas, and the only way keep the home team off its game is to come out firing in the first half and to build a lead behind a veteran lineup that has been in this position many times. There should be enough familiarity between the two, that San Antonio won't be intimidated by the Dallas crowd and should be able to sustain its status as an upper-echelon seed in the Western Conference behind Duncan and Parker. Those two alone know the importance of home-court advantage, and they'll be attempting to steal it tonight. Whether they win the game is another thing, but the first-half is where it all begins. Take the Spurs in the first half.
hno:
arty: What a great day to fade!! 
