Thank you all, for the kind words, it has been a great regular season 
Congratulations to all those up on the year, our hard work has been rewarded! :toast:
Also, I would like to encourage all posters to treat this thread as if it were their own, throughout the entirety of the playoffs..
We all have something to share..
Freely voice your opinions, questions, criticisms etc. as this will help to promote productive conversation concerning all things related to basketball and gambling..
Together our collective efforts, thoughts, and insight will give us a significant advantage when betting!
It as the old saying goes, "Two minds, work better than one"...
So lets make the best of these playoffs :toast:
Congratulations to all those up on the year, our hard work has been rewarded! :toast:
Also, I would like to encourage all posters to treat this thread as if it were their own, throughout the entirety of the playoffs..
We all have something to share..
Freely voice your opinions, questions, criticisms etc. as this will help to promote productive conversation concerning all things related to basketball and gambling..
Together our collective efforts, thoughts, and insight will give us a significant advantage when betting!
It as the old saying goes, "Two minds, work better than one"...
So lets make the best of these playoffs :toast:
Only betting Action plays, and Investment plays in the playoffs..Both will be flatbet so no sense in designating amounts..The ratio, (for the playoffs) between Action and Investment plays, is roughly 2-1..If more or less is ever wagered I will mention it, but I doubt this to become the case..I will tally up units won or lost, at the end of each betting week (Sundays)..Starting the NBA playoffs with 2 separate, 3-team 7-point teasers, to bypass the heavily inflated lines on the Lakers and Cavs in their 1st game at home..good edge, with the teased numbers..GL as always..
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Denver Nuggets +1
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Orlando Magic -2.5
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Denver Nuggets +1
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Orlando Magic -2.5
NBA PLAYOFFS '09
YTD: 0-0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Denver Nuggets +1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Orlando Magic -2.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Conference 1st Round (Game 1): Utah Jazz @ L.A. Lakers (4/19/09 @ 2:00 p.m.)
Action play:
L.A. Lakers/Utah Jazz OVER 209.5
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Eastern Conference 1st Round (Game 1): Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks (4/19/09 @ 7:05 p.m.)
Action play:
Atlanta Hawks -4 (B+1/2) (-120)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YTD: 0-0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Denver Nuggets +1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Orlando Magic -2.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Conference 1st Round (Game 1): Utah Jazz @ L.A. Lakers (4/19/09 @ 2:00 p.m.)
Action play:
L.A. Lakers/Utah Jazz OVER 209.5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Conference 1st Round (Game 1): Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks (4/19/09 @ 7:05 p.m.)
Action play:
Atlanta Hawks -4 (B+1/2) (-120)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA PLAYOFFS '09
YTD: 0-0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Denver Nuggets +1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Orlando Magic -2.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Conference 1st Round (Game 1): Utah Jazz @ L.A. Lakers (4/19/09 @ 2:00 p.m.)
Action play:
L.A. Lakers/Utah Jazz OVER 209.5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Conference 1st Round (Game 1): Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks (4/19/09 @ 7:05 p.m.)
Action play:
Atlanta Hawks -4 (B+1/2) (-120)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YTD: 0-0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Denver Nuggets +1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action play (3-Team 7-point Teaser):
Cleveland Cavaliers -5, to the Los Angeles Lakers -4, to the Orlando Magic -2.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Conference 1st Round (Game 1): Utah Jazz @ L.A. Lakers (4/19/09 @ 2:00 p.m.)
Action play:
L.A. Lakers/Utah Jazz OVER 209.5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Conference 1st Round (Game 1): Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks (4/19/09 @ 7:05 p.m.)
Action play:
Atlanta Hawks -4 (B+1/2) (-120)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A little something to be said for each series in the highly competitive Western Conference:
Utah Jazz vs. L.A. Lakers...
Lakers, the heavily favored team to win the series, and rightfully so, imo..They are by many people's standards, the best team in the NBA and a favorite to win it all...As a result, oddsmakers tax every line associated with their potential success..This leaves us with very little room to take advantage, unless we choose to pick our spots betting against the Lakers, (ATS of course), something which we may end up doing if the right opportunities present themselves down the line..In a nutshell, regardless of outcome, we will rarely, find value, if ever at all, betting on the Lakers throughout the 2009 playoffs..Oddsmakers will make sure of this...Remember, we are operating with in a system, that is based on meticulous design, and public betting tendencies are taken into account, before the line is set..Trying to butt heads with the oddsmakers, is a recipe for disaster..If they suck the value out of the line, knowing the public will still bet it, there is no sense in us following the trend, and contributing to their profits...Keep in mind, that when gambling, matchups, etc etc, are only one side of the coin, the other is VALUE...If there is none, we must acknowledge the lack of opportunity and move on..Avoiding losses, is just as important as picking winners when gambling..As far as this 1st round matchup is concerned, between the Lakers and Jazz, opportunities may present themselves with half-time lines, and if they do we will be right here, ready to take advantage...As far as whole game wagers, I believe we will find the most edge in betting the totals of this series..Only time will tell..
New Orleans Hornets vs. Denver Nuggets...
Here we have, a Nuggets team that has been flying under the radar throughout, most of the NBA regular season...They have an underrated defense, a potent scoring attack, and are for the most part, well coached..Nuggets are a very versatile team, that can adjust their style of play, depending on their opponent, to increase their probability for success...They can matchup, with defensive minded teams, as well as teams that like to run up and down the court..This gives them an advantage that not too many teams have..Hornets, on the other hand, stumble into the series dealing with injuries and inconsistent play...They have a very thin bench, and lack scoring off the bench...This will prove itself, to be a significant weakness for them throughout the series, imo, and will be the cause of their downfall..Hornets rely too much on Chris Paul and David West, for offense, and although they are very good players, they will not be enough against the well balanced scoring attack of the Denver Nuggets..I believe the Nuggets win this series, in 6 games, and advance to the 2nd round..
Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs...
These teams are very much a mystery, imo...On the one hand, you have a Mavericks team, that when on their A game, can matchup with any team in the NBA, and come out victorious..By the same token that is what is troubling about the Mavericks, you never know which game they will show up to play...Of all the playoff teams in the highly competitive Western Conference, the Mavericks, imo, had the most inconsistent regular season..Their inconsistencies are most notable on the defensive end, something that does not bode well for playoff success..The Mavericks, are also structured, as a jump shooting team, which of course means one thing, namely, if their jump shots are falling they will have the chance to win on any given night, but if they are not, where will this team go for points? No threat of post scoring, as Dampier is primarily out their for rebounds, and shot blocking, which makes the Mavericks, more or less one dimensional on offense..Mavs spent the regular season repeatedly losing to lesser opponents, then blowing out some of the better competition, all within the same week! I cannot count the amount of teams I found myself scratching my head with this team's ups and downs..There is also the choke factor..Mavericks notorious for the letdown..Let us not forget this is the same team, that was eliminated as the #1 seed, by an #8 seed not too long ago..Then on the other side of the coin we have the veteran Spurs ballclub..probably the most winning team, in the NBA over the last decade or so..Spurs have advanced past the first round of the playoffs, eight straight years! Also, experience means alot, come this time of the year, something the Spurs have plenty of..Even with Ginobli being lost to injury, Spurs still have Parker and Duncan to lead the charge, with good role players like Mason Jr. and Gooden to complement..This team is very well coached, and will play with the same defensive tenacity night in, night out..I think Spurs make it 9 straight years of advancing past the 1st round, and defeat the Mavericks in 6, possibly 7 games..We will choose are spots carefully in this series, and must exercise some discipline when deciding which games to bet, but I do believe the Spurs will come out on top, and advance to play the Nuggets in the 2nd round...
Houston Rockets vs. Portland Blazers..
This will be an interesting series..On the one hand, you have what I consider to be the better all around team, in Portland, matching up with a very good defensive team in the Rockets, who are more than capable of winning games on the road..Portland, has the Bigs to matchup with Yao, down low, as they can alternate between Pryzbilla, and Oden..These matchups will prove to be crucial, imo, in terms of who will win the series..Portland also, with advantage in terms of homecourt...However, there is something to be said of experience or lack thereof, in this case for Portland..Experience tends to matter alot, in the playoffs, and with the Rockets suffering 1st round exits on a somewhat consistent basis over the last few years, there will be an increased sense of urgency for this team to win...How will the Rockets respond to this pressure? Will the Blazers be able to overcome their lack of experience, and defeat the Rockets to move on and play the Lakers, a team they have had success against, most notably at home? Time will only tell..But I expect this to be a hard fought defensive series, that may end up going 7, with the home team dominating..I will pass on betting the Blazers in the 1st game, as I expect them to come out and play nervous, at least in the early going, as opposed to the Rockets who have been here before..The 1st half, of game 1 last year, with the Spurs vs Hornets, comes to mind..Those of you, who remember this game, know just what I mean..I believe that we will have a good opportunity at half time of game 1, to back the Blazers, as I expect a better number to surface, than that of the whole game...Time will only tell...
Feel free to voice your opinions! In the 2nd round we'll cover the Eastern Conference!
Utah Jazz vs. L.A. Lakers...
Lakers, the heavily favored team to win the series, and rightfully so, imo..They are by many people's standards, the best team in the NBA and a favorite to win it all...As a result, oddsmakers tax every line associated with their potential success..This leaves us with very little room to take advantage, unless we choose to pick our spots betting against the Lakers, (ATS of course), something which we may end up doing if the right opportunities present themselves down the line..In a nutshell, regardless of outcome, we will rarely, find value, if ever at all, betting on the Lakers throughout the 2009 playoffs..Oddsmakers will make sure of this...Remember, we are operating with in a system, that is based on meticulous design, and public betting tendencies are taken into account, before the line is set..Trying to butt heads with the oddsmakers, is a recipe for disaster..If they suck the value out of the line, knowing the public will still bet it, there is no sense in us following the trend, and contributing to their profits...Keep in mind, that when gambling, matchups, etc etc, are only one side of the coin, the other is VALUE...If there is none, we must acknowledge the lack of opportunity and move on..Avoiding losses, is just as important as picking winners when gambling..As far as this 1st round matchup is concerned, between the Lakers and Jazz, opportunities may present themselves with half-time lines, and if they do we will be right here, ready to take advantage...As far as whole game wagers, I believe we will find the most edge in betting the totals of this series..Only time will tell..
New Orleans Hornets vs. Denver Nuggets...
Here we have, a Nuggets team that has been flying under the radar throughout, most of the NBA regular season...They have an underrated defense, a potent scoring attack, and are for the most part, well coached..Nuggets are a very versatile team, that can adjust their style of play, depending on their opponent, to increase their probability for success...They can matchup, with defensive minded teams, as well as teams that like to run up and down the court..This gives them an advantage that not too many teams have..Hornets, on the other hand, stumble into the series dealing with injuries and inconsistent play...They have a very thin bench, and lack scoring off the bench...This will prove itself, to be a significant weakness for them throughout the series, imo, and will be the cause of their downfall..Hornets rely too much on Chris Paul and David West, for offense, and although they are very good players, they will not be enough against the well balanced scoring attack of the Denver Nuggets..I believe the Nuggets win this series, in 6 games, and advance to the 2nd round..
Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs...
These teams are very much a mystery, imo...On the one hand, you have a Mavericks team, that when on their A game, can matchup with any team in the NBA, and come out victorious..By the same token that is what is troubling about the Mavericks, you never know which game they will show up to play...Of all the playoff teams in the highly competitive Western Conference, the Mavericks, imo, had the most inconsistent regular season..Their inconsistencies are most notable on the defensive end, something that does not bode well for playoff success..The Mavericks, are also structured, as a jump shooting team, which of course means one thing, namely, if their jump shots are falling they will have the chance to win on any given night, but if they are not, where will this team go for points? No threat of post scoring, as Dampier is primarily out their for rebounds, and shot blocking, which makes the Mavericks, more or less one dimensional on offense..Mavs spent the regular season repeatedly losing to lesser opponents, then blowing out some of the better competition, all within the same week! I cannot count the amount of teams I found myself scratching my head with this team's ups and downs..There is also the choke factor..Mavericks notorious for the letdown..Let us not forget this is the same team, that was eliminated as the #1 seed, by an #8 seed not too long ago..Then on the other side of the coin we have the veteran Spurs ballclub..probably the most winning team, in the NBA over the last decade or so..Spurs have advanced past the first round of the playoffs, eight straight years! Also, experience means alot, come this time of the year, something the Spurs have plenty of..Even with Ginobli being lost to injury, Spurs still have Parker and Duncan to lead the charge, with good role players like Mason Jr. and Gooden to complement..This team is very well coached, and will play with the same defensive tenacity night in, night out..I think Spurs make it 9 straight years of advancing past the 1st round, and defeat the Mavericks in 6, possibly 7 games..We will choose are spots carefully in this series, and must exercise some discipline when deciding which games to bet, but I do believe the Spurs will come out on top, and advance to play the Nuggets in the 2nd round...
Houston Rockets vs. Portland Blazers..
This will be an interesting series..On the one hand, you have what I consider to be the better all around team, in Portland, matching up with a very good defensive team in the Rockets, who are more than capable of winning games on the road..Portland, has the Bigs to matchup with Yao, down low, as they can alternate between Pryzbilla, and Oden..These matchups will prove to be crucial, imo, in terms of who will win the series..Portland also, with advantage in terms of homecourt...However, there is something to be said of experience or lack thereof, in this case for Portland..Experience tends to matter alot, in the playoffs, and with the Rockets suffering 1st round exits on a somewhat consistent basis over the last few years, there will be an increased sense of urgency for this team to win...How will the Rockets respond to this pressure? Will the Blazers be able to overcome their lack of experience, and defeat the Rockets to move on and play the Lakers, a team they have had success against, most notably at home? Time will only tell..But I expect this to be a hard fought defensive series, that may end up going 7, with the home team dominating..I will pass on betting the Blazers in the 1st game, as I expect them to come out and play nervous, at least in the early going, as opposed to the Rockets who have been here before..The 1st half, of game 1 last year, with the Spurs vs Hornets, comes to mind..Those of you, who remember this game, know just what I mean..I believe that we will have a good opportunity at half time of game 1, to back the Blazers, as I expect a better number to surface, than that of the whole game...Time will only tell...
Feel free to voice your opinions! In the 2nd round we'll cover the Eastern Conference!
Very cool with the write-up here NumberZ. I agree with you on just about everything in there, very well-done. The only thing I would throw in is that, while the Lakers will undoubtedly win the series, the Jazz may be able to surprise some people. If the lines in the Utah games still lean way towards the Lakers (especially in game 3 after Lakers start out 2-0), the Jazz may have some solid value. About a month ago I thought the Jazz were 3rd best team in the West behind Lakers and Spurs, and the biggest threat to actually beat the Lakers because of Boozer's return and their great home-court advantage. However, since then theyve been struggling...so I cant figure them out really and have been interested to see if they would play well come playoff time. Last year they were the Lakers toughest matchup in the Western playoffs remember, with home teams winning the first 5 games and Lakers winning a tight game 6 (if I remember correctly).
BOL to you NumberZ, I'm sure you'll have a great round! :toast:
BOL to you NumberZ, I'm sure you'll have a great round! :toast:
No, I agree that they'll probly just win one game in the series, but I'm just pointing out that Games 3 and 4 (especially 3) the Jazz may have great value with the public drooling over Kobe and hopefully forgetting how good Jazz are at home. I think a lot of people assume a sweep and Jazz may cover ATS in both home games if the lines are in their favor. Thats all I was saying...GL to you man, I hope you keep dominating!
