NBA Finals: Boston vs. LA, Part 12
By Hank Harris • Jun 2nd, 2010 • Category: NBAOne of the classic rivalries in all of sports will add another chapter to its rich history when the 2010 NBA Finals open Thursday.
For the 12th time in their long histories, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers will square off for the NBA championship, at the Staples Center (9:05 pm ET, ABC).
NBA Odds at JustBet have the Lakers as a -230 moneyline, 5.5-point favorite and the over/under total is 191.5.
The Celtics-Lakers rivalry goes all the way back to 1948. Since then, the teams have met 272 times, with Boston holding a 152-120 SU edge.
The teams have met 11 times in the NBA Finals, with the Celtics winning the championship nine times, the last one in 2008. The Lakers will likely be using that 4-2 Finals series loss as motivation, especially since they were blown out 131-92 in Game 6 – on home court.
The Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 4-2 in the Eastern Conference finals to advance to the Finals. Boston clinched the series with a 96-84 win at home on Friday, covering the point spread as a 3.5-point home favorite. The score went under the total of 187.5.
The Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals, closing out the series with a 111-103 win in Game 6 in Phoenix on Saturday. The Lakers cashed a 1.5-point road underdog and the score went under the total of 217.5.
The teams split the season series, with each game decided by one point. Boston is 2-4 SU in the past six meetings in LA but 5-1 ATS in those matchups.
Hank Harris is a professional writer with more than 25 years experience. He has written on sports betting and gambling for more than a decade of that time. He covers all sports, from the NFL to the NBA to NCAA College.
He is originally from the Boston area and is now based out of Las Vegas.
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