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Betting and Beating The NBA Playoffs
A good way to approach betting the NBA playoffs at a sportsbook is to first give respect to organizations and coaches who have “been there before.” While this is certainly not the ONLY approach to take when betting the playoffs at a sportsbook, it’s a good first reference. While some of these teams may be sportsbook “public” teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, others such as the San Antonio Spurs can often bring good value and reliable profits.
Larry Brown, head coach of the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons, is a great coach to pay attention to when betting the NBA playoffs at a sportsbook. Wherever Brown goes, he wins, and he has the long time experience to keep a team on an even keel through the emotional ups and downs of the NBA postseason. Brown was one of the few coaches that I could see doing what he did last year: Overcoming huge odds, along with the perception of both experts and the general public and getting his team to believe that they could defeat the almighty Los Angeles Laker powerhouse. To pull off what Brown and his Pistons did requires something special: The combination of motivating his players, drawing up the strategy and tactics and perhaps most important of all, convincing this team that had accomplished very little in its previous few seasons that they were good enough not just to take the floor against LA, but to BEAT LA. While the overwhelming majority of the public took a bath and the sportsbook drowned in cash, astute NBA bettors got fantastic value on their dollars with a Brown coached team that was undervalued.
Another factor to consider when betting the NBA playoffs at a sportsbook are negative records/traditions of such teams as the Minnesota Timberwolves and coaches like George Karl, who was recently named the new headman of the Denver Nuggets.
Prior to this season Minnesota has been an excellent regular season team that has put up quite impressive records along with having the league’s MVP in Kevin Garnett. But year after year Minnesota comes up short in the NBA playoffs. Those betting the NBA playoffs at a sportsbook have learned to be careful in regards to the Timberwolves, as their team chemistry and makeup, while well suited for the grind of the long monotony of the regular season, has lacked the spark that the championship playoffs demand.
George Karl, like football’s Marty Schottenheimer, has been highly successful wherever he has gone in turning around sorry franchises into contenders. He does this with his intense, demanding, perfectionist nature, which pays off during the regular season when so many teams are napping. Problem is, as those betting the NBA playoffs at a sportsbook know, NOBODY naps in the NBA playoffs and the great motivating job that Karl pulls off with teams that have average talent catches up with him in the playoffs, when more talented teams bring their “A” game. It will be interesting to see how Karl works with superstar Carmello Anthony in Denver, and whether he can buck his own history of playoff failure. |