February 23 - In a strange kind of way, NBA betting fans who back
underdogs, the New Orleans Hornets, tonight in New Orleans against powerhouse
team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, may enjoy the game more, because if their
team manages to pull out a win, they'll be amongst a handful of unsurprised
fans.
I guess what I am trying to say is that given the way the exemplary way the
Cleveland Cavaliers have played this season (43-14), most of the smart betting
money will no doubt be on the visitors. Add to that the fact that Cleveland
boasts the superstar talents of LeBron James, arguably the NBA's best player.
And the Cavaliers' list of credits doesn't end there considering that right now
the team is a smorgasbord of talent. Consider the super cool All-Star trio of
Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams, who have been well-supported
by the likes of Daniel Gibson, Delonte West, J.J. Hickson and others.
But for those NBA betting fans out there with long memories, you'll no doubt
recall that the Cleveland Cavaliers have not always been regarded as such 'hot
stuff.' On the contrary, in the late 1990s the team from Ohio dazzled to make
the NBA playoffs, but that was the last time it tasted glory for about 8 years.
Because it took that long for the team to regain much of its former glory. And
during that dark, transitional period, the Cavaliers were often the butt of
jokes. The team even suffered the league's worst ever record, 17-65, in the
2002-03 season. But then LeBron James arrived on the scene and everything
changed.
With James on board, the Cavaliers won 35 games in the following season and 42
games in the season after that. Cleveland was back. In the 2007 finals they were
eliminated by San Antonio, and were knocked out of the 2008 playoffs. So whether
you believe in Karma or not, the Cavaliers deserve a championship.
And hopefully this is their NBA championship year. But going back to the New
Orleans Hornets, it will be interesting to see if they can muster up enough
resistance against Cleveland tonight in order to demonstrate their 'sting.' For
my money, the Hornets don't have a shot in hell, but then stranger things have
happened.
Here are the betting lines at
Bodog.com for tonight's game between the Cleveland
Cavaliers at the New Orleans Hornets:
| |
Spread |
Money Line |
Total |
| A New Orleans Hornets |
+11½ 1.91 |
5.00 |
o199 1.91 |
| H Cleveland Cavaliers |
-11½ 1.91 |
1.13 |
u199 1.91 |
|
