NBA Betting News

Chicago got 25 points and 10 assists from Derrick Rose en route to an 86-73 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday at United Center.

Chicago won and also put money in the pockets of their supporters by covering the 9-point spread as favorites. Totals bettors, meanwhile, saw the game go UNDER the closing number of 181.5.

Chicago got 19 points from Joakim Noah and another 14 points from Luol Deng. Derrick Rose contributed 10 assists, while Joakim Noah cleaned the glass with 14 rebounds.

The Hawks got a 21-point performance from Jeff Teague, who was supported by 16 points from Joe Johnson. Al Horford had 6 assists in a losing cause for Atlanta, while Al Horford grabbed 14 rebounds.

First-half bettors who backed Chicago were victorious, as the score was 48-37 at the break.

After stunning NBA pay per head fans by taking out the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the opening round, the Memphis Grizzlies continued their improbable postseason run by earning the crucial road split against the Oklahoma City Thunder through the first two games of the conference semi-finals. The Grizzlies will have the chance to take control of the series on their own terms at home in game three Saturday, with the key being the ability to handle the pressure with expectations building.

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies
Saturday May 7, 2011 – 5:00 PM ET
FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
Online Sports Betting Odds: Thunder – 120

Up until their game one win over the Thunder, the Grizzlies had been huge underdogs in both series’, but after proving that they can compete with the best in the conference there will now be an increased amount of pressure on them to get the job done.

The Boston Celtics have been a perennial Eastern conference contender over the past few years, but with an aging veteran core the window to deliver the city another NBA championship could be closing. The Celtics will get another shot in 2011, and although they may be relieved that it’s not the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers that they will face, it certainly won’t be much easier against a talented Oklahoma City Thunder squad. The Thunder have developed with superstars such as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the way, and are now ready to contend for an online sports betting title.

It will be interesting to see how Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins reacts when he lines up against his former team in the championship series. Perkins was undoubtedly the missing piece that the Thunder were lacking a year ago when they couldn’t get past Los Angeles, but with the added presence of a veteran big man with solid experience they wouldn’t be denied a trip to the finals. Durant was one of the association’s most dominant players during the regular season, and his ability to shoot the ball from beyond the arc has complimented his high percentages from the field and made him one of the most dominant offensive threats in the game today.