Sports Betting Tips

The NBA Finals begin tonight and JustBet Sportsbook has all of your NBA Betting needs covered when the Orlando Magic face off with the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. The Magic won the last meeting in LA with a 109-103 victory over the Lakers back on January 16. The Lakers got the nod for Game 1 as 6-point favorites with the ‘total’ set at 206.

Dwight Howard 20.6 PPG, 13.8 RPG

Kobe Bryant 26.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG

The Magic shocked LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games to take the Eastern Conference Championship for the first time since the 1995 season. The biggest question surrounding this Orlando team is will G Jameer Nelson be back from what was supposed to be season-ending shoulder surgery? One weapon the Magic will have for sure is C Dwight Howard who dominated Game 6 against the Cavs scoring 40 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and dishing out four assists. “Superman” silenced his many critics by hitting his free throws on a consistent basis making 47-of-67 (70%) for the series. If Howard continues to play that well Orlando will be a very serious threat to Los Angeles in this game. The Magic are a stunning 7-3 ATS in their L/10 contests overall and a respectable 5-5 ATS on the road in the 2009 NBA Playoffs.

The Lakers have been up and down the entire postseason, but managed to dispose of the red-hot Denver Nuggets in six games to enter the Finals for a second consecutive season. LA dominated offensively in the Western Conference Finals averaging 105.6 PPG including a 119-point performance in a Game 6 blowout victory. Lakers G Kobe Bryant played his heart out in the Denver series averaging 34 PPG and scored a series-high 41 points in a Game 2 win. In his last game the “Black Mamba” put up a double-double with 35 points and 10 assists to close out the Nuggets. The Lakers are 5-5 ATS in their L/10 games and 4-5 ATS at home in the postseason.

The Lakers have an extreme advantage in this series having been to the Finals just last season and the Magic have only two players that have participated in a Finals series on their roster. The edge has to go to LA in Game 1 with the young Magic just not used to playing with such high-stakes. The Lakers didn’t cover a single spread in the 2008 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics going 0-6 ATS; that streak ends tonight.

Selection: Los Angeles Lakers (-6)

The NBA playoffs are finally here! Whether you plan on believing in Magic or backing Kobe and the gang, JustBet Sportsbook has all of your NBA playoff betting needs covered. Sign up for an account and take advantage of all of the great promotions at before it’s too late!