Sports betting

Betting Lines, NBA basketball Betting, NBA Betting Lines

by Kevin Taylor | May 12 2009

NBA Playoff Betting

The Lakers weren't supposed to be playing Game 5 trying to get a step ahead of the Rockets; they were supposed to be playing Game 5 at home ready to close out this beat up Houston team. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Western Conference Finals… the Rockets pulled off a big upset and sent the Lakers back to LA knowing they are in a real series and there won't be a free pass.

The sports betting community also had a little wakeup call in Game 4 back in Houston. Bettors jumped all over the Kobe Bryant and the Lakers after it was announced Yao Ming was not only going to miss that game, but the rest of the playoffs after suffering an injury.

The NBA lines on the game immediately shot up as sports bettors poured money in on the visiting Los Angeles side. Online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.COM reported a significant surge in betting action on the game right when the announcement was made and as you might expect, 85% of all the money was coming in on the Lakers.

The pointspread for the Game 5 has the line on the Lakers at most online sportsbooks set at -12. For an NBA playoff line, especially a second round one, it is steep. Double digit favorites aren't the norm when betting on the NBA playoffs after the first round. But this year, the sports betting world has seen the Cleveland Cavaliers and also the Lakers with some big numbers.

Obviously bookmakers feel that the sports bettors feel that Kobe and the Lakers will not only win Game 5, but win big, covering the 12-point line. Houston are playing loose, but after embarrassing the Lakers in their last game, they likely won't catch an LA team sleeping. They will be ready to play.

The Lakers have a record of 5-5 ATS in their 10 playoff games. LA is 3-3 ATS at the Staples Center. They are 1-2 ATS at home when trying to cover a double-digit pointspread.

It is going to be incredibly difficult for the Rockets to win this series and in fact, let's just say it, they won't. But they can cover the spread. NBA betting can be tricky, as teams who get big leads often allow opponents to close the gap as the final gun nears, meaning sports bettors who bet on the favorites watch a team that has no chance of winning still covers the spread with meaningless points late.

So bettors need to be careful when betting on double digit favorites.

NBA betting online on this game has been steady, as the Lakers are getting most of the action. By game time I wouldn't be surprised if LA has close to 80% of all the action bet on the game being wagered on the Lakers.

There are also plenty of good NBA prop bets available on Kobe Bryant at SPORTSBETTING.COM.

Good luck on all your NBA betting for this series and for the rest of the games.

Author: Kevin Taylor is a veteran sports handicapper and student of the sports betting world. He has written for several media outlets, focusing on sports, sports betting and online poker.