Pointspread: Chicago -4.5 Over/Under: 189 The Chicago Bulls take their show on the road in Thursday night?s Game 3 of their best-of-seven first round matchup against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Tip-off from Conseco Fieldhouse is set for 7 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV. Chicago has opened up a 2-0 lead in this series but it has not been easy. It won the opener last Saturday 104-99 but could not cover as an 11 ½-point home favorite. The Bulls were favored by 11 ½ points again in Game 2 on Monday night, but they came away with just a six-point 96-90 victory at home. The total went ?over? the 188 point line in Game 1, but stayed ?under? the 193 point closing line in the second game. Derrick Rose has been unstoppable so far; accounting for close to 40 percent of Chicago?s points with 39 last Saturday and 36 on Monday night. Luol Deng added 18 points and 10 rebounds to the winning effort in Game 1 and Carlos Boozer chipped in 17 points and 16 rebounds in Game 2. The Bulls have owned the boards with a 106-67 edge over the Pacers in rebounds. Indiana actually led most of the way in Game 1, but was outscored 33-20 in the fourth quarter in the five-point loss. It was tied with the Bulls heading into the fourth quarter of Monday night?s game, but could not stop Rose and Co. from pulling away down the stretch for the second straight time. Danny Grainger has led the Pacers in scoring with an average of 21.5 points a game. Darren Collison, who scored 17 points in Game 1 is currently listed as questionable and will most likely be a game time decision after spraining his ankle on Monday night. Head-to-head, the Bulls have now won five of the six games this season straight-up, but the Pacers are 3-0 against the spread in the last three. The total has gone ?over? in three of the last four meetings. The loss of Collison will hurt, but stick with Indiana to keep this game close enough to cover as a 4 ½-point home dog.

NBA Playoffs Preview- Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers

The NBA Western Conference playoffs get underway this weekend and one of the featured matchups pits the No. 6 seed Portland Trail Blazers against the No.3 seed Dallas Mavericks in a first round best-of-seven series.

Portland won five of its last seven games to finish the regular season 48-34 straight-up and 43-36-2 against the spread. It was 30-11 SU at home, but just 18-23 SU on the road. The total stayed ?under? in five of its last seven games and in 43 of 82 games overall.

Much of the team?s success this season can be attributed to the play of LaMarcus Aldridge. He led the team with 21.8 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. The Trail Blazers averaged 96.3 points a game, while giving up an average of 94.8. They were ranked 27th in the league in rebounds with 39.3 a game.

Dallas finished the season on a wild ride with a five and four game winning streak wrapped around a four game losing streak to finish 57-25 SU and 44-36-2 ATS. Its 28-13 SU record on the road was the best in the Western Conference. The total went 5-4-1 in its last 10 games and 46-35-1 overall.

It will be up to Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, and Jason Kidd to keep this team from making another early exit from the playoffs. The Mavericks have been eliminated in the first round three of the past four seasons, but are counting on their veteran leadership to get them over the hump this time around. Nowitzki led the team in scoring with 23 points. Chandler averaged 9.4 rebounds and Kidd had a team-high 8.2 assists to lead the way.

These two teams split the season series two games apiece, but Portland won the last two at home both SU and ATS including a 104-96 win as a five-point favorite on April 3. The total went ?over? in three of the four games. This series sets up as another first round trap for the Mavericks, but this time around they find a way to advance in a seven-game thriller.

NBA Playoff Betting Preview - Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks

It took until the final day of the regular season, but the first round matchups in the NBA Western Conference playoffs have been set and the No. 5 seed Denver Nuggets will square-off against their Northwest Division rival, the No.4 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in this best-of-seven series.

Denver finished the regular season on a roll with seven victories in its last 10 games and was 6-2 against the spread in its last eight. The Nuggets ended the year 50-32 straight-up and 44-34-4 ATS. The total stayed ?under? in six of its last 10 games and in 42 of 82 games overall.

Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler have done a great job filling the void left by Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. They have combined for 27.2 points a game to help lead Denver to the highest scoring average in the NBA, with 107.5 points a game.

Oklahoma City also won seven of its last 10 games to finish the season 55-27 SU and 43-38-1 ATS. It was tied for the third-best road record in the West at 27-14 SU. The total went ?over? in four of its last five games and in 45 of 82 games overall.

Kevin Durant made a strong case for this season?s MVP with a league-high 27.7 points a game. Combined with Russell Westbrook?s 21.9 points a game, these two have accounted for 47.3 percent of the team?s points this season. Kendrick Perkins leads the team in rebounds with 7.9 a game since coming over from Boston.

The Thunder went 3-1 both SU and ATS against the Nuggets this season including a 101-94 victory on April 5 as a 4 ½-point underdog and a 104-89 romp as a 4 ½-point favorite on April 8. The total stayed ?under? in the last three meetings.

Oklahoma City is poised to make a deep run in this year?s playoffs but getting by Denver in this series will not be as easy as it looks. These two teams have a genuine dislike for one another and this should be a battle to the end. Home-court advantage prevails as the Thunder wrap this series up with a win in Game 7.

NBA Playoff Betting Preview - Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

The NBA Eastern Conference playoffs get underway this weekend and one of the matchups features a Central Division battle between the No.8 seed Indiana Pacers and the No.1 seed Chicago Bulls in a first round best-of-seven game series.

Indiana was the final team in the East to clinch a playoff spot but it enters the postseason with some momentum after winning five of its last seven games heading into Wednesday?s season finale against Orlando. The Pacers are 37-44 straight-up overall and 38-41-2 against the spread. The total has gone ?over? in five of their last seven games but has stayed ?under? in 54.3 percent of the games this season.

Led by Danny Granger?s 20.5 points a game, Indiana is ranked 11th in the league in scoring with an average of 100.1 points. Darren Collison and Roy Hibbert are each averaging around 13 points a game and Hibbert leads the team in rebounds with 7.6. The Pacers are ranked 18th in the NBA in points allowed; giving up an average of 101 a game.

Chicago?s run over the past few weeks has been impressive to say the least with 20 wins in its last 22 games. The Bulls still have a shot at ending up with the best overall record in the NBA with a win in their season finale against New Jersey. They are 61-20 SU and 49-30-2 ATS and the total has stayed ?under? in 46 of 81 games this year.

Derrick Rose has had a monster year with 25.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.8 assists a game. Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng are each averaging over 17 points a game and Joakim Noah leads the team in rebounds with 10.4. Chicago is ranked 19th in the league in scoring with 98.6 points a game, but has the best scoring differential in the NBA with a +7.34 advantage over its opponents.

The Bulls have won three of the four meetings this season, but lost to the Pacers 115-108 in overtime on March 18 as a four-point road favorite. The total was split 2-2 overall, but it did go ?over? in the last two games.

Chicago looks like it is ready to make a long run in this year?s playoffs but this series will not be as easy as it looks. Indiana actually matches up well with the Bulls and should be able to steal a game or two at home, but in the end Chicago advances in six.

NBA Playoff Betting Preview - Indiana Pacers vs. Chicago Bulls

The most intriguing matchup in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs pit the No.6 seed New York Knicks against the No.3 seed Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven series.

The combination of Amar?e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony in New York has appeared to gel at just the right time as the Knicks are steam-rolling into the playoffs with seven wins in their last eight games to run their record to 42-39 straight-up and 46-33-2 against the spread. The total has stayed ?under? in their last four games and in 41 games this season.

Stoudemire is averaging 25.4 points and 8.2 rebounds and Anthony is averaging 26.3 points and 6.7 rebounds to lead the way for New York. Chauncey Billups has also made his presence felt with 17.5 points and 5.5 assists a game. There is little doubt that this team can score as it is ranked second in the NBA with 106.6 points a game. The question is can it stop the Celtics or anyone for that matter, after giving up an average of 105.7 points a game.

There is some genuine concern among the Boston faithful given how this team has played down the stretch. The Celtics have lost three of their last four games and are currently 55-26 SU and 37-42-2 ATS. The total has stayed ?under? in five of their last seven games and in 54.3 percent of their games overall this season.

The regular cast of characters, including Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo are all healthy and ready to go, but you get the feeling the path to another Eastern Conference Championship will be a rough one starting with this series. The Celtics are hoping to get Shaquille O?Neal back sometime over the next week or so, but it remains to be seen how much of an impact he can still make.

These teams square-off against one another in Wednesday night?s regular season finale, but do not expect to get any clues to this series from the outcome of the game as most of the starters will be sitting this one out. Boston has won all three previous meetings this season including a 96-96 victory as a 1 ½-point road favorite on March 21. The total went ?over? in two of the three games.

New York has the ability to make this series extremely interesting, but the Celtics? past playoff experience pays off with a series-clinching win in Game 7 in Boston.

NBA Playoff Betting Preview - New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

Philadelphia -120

Atlanta +115

7o -110

The Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves play the first of a three-game weekend series tonight in an early season showdown in the NL East. The first pitch in the Braves? season home opener at Turner Field is set for 7:35 p.m. (ET) and the game will be available on MLB.TV.

Philadelphia is off to a hot start with five wins in its first six games. The Phillies? bats have also been hot with 43 runs in those six games. Led by Ryan Howard?s eight RBI and two home runs, they have the best team batting average in the league at .353 and lead the NL in total hits with 76.

Cliff Lee makes his second start of the season tonight for Philadelphia. The left hander recorded a win in his first outing; giving up four hits and three earned runs in seven innings of work. Last season with Seattle and Texas he was 12-8 with a 3.18 ERA in 28 starts. Lee is 1-1 with an ERA of 5.06 against the Braves in his career.

Atlanta comes into this game fresh off three straight losses to Milwaukee after taking two out of three from Washington to open the season. Pitching has been solid so far with a 2.75 team ERA, but the Braves? bats have struggled a bit with with a .226 team batting average in their first seven games. They only managed to score six runs in the three losses to the Brewers.

Right hander Tim Hudson gets the call tonight for Atlanta. He looked extremely good in his first start this season; giving up just three hits and one earned run in seven innings of work against the Nationals. Last season he went 17-9 with a 2.83 ERA and a WHIP of 1.15 in 34 starts. Hudson is 6-7 with an ERA of 3.79 lifetime against Philadelphia.

Head-to-head, the Phillies have won five of the last six games overall with the total going 2-3-1, but these teams have split the last four games at Turner Field with the total going 2-2. Atlanta went 2-1 against Philadelphia last season with Hudson as the starter.

Stick with the Braves and the ?under? this time around as Atlanta does not disappoint the home-town crowd in its season opener at Turner Field.

MLB Betting Preview - Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves

NBA Betting Preview - Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks

Pointspread: Dallas -2

Over/Under: 205

The Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks will both be trying to generate some momentum heading into the postseason when the two teams square-off tonight at the American Airlines Center. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. (ET) and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

Denver is pretty much set in fifth-place in the Western Conference with five games left to play in the regular season. The Nuggets are 7-3 straight-up in their last 10, but coming off a 101-94 loss to Oklahoma City as a 4 ½-point home favorite on Tuesday night. The loss dropped them to 47-30 SU overall and 40-33-4 against the spread.

The Nuggets may no longer have Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, but they are still the highest scoring team in the NBA with an average of 107.3 points a game. Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are combining for 28.1 points a game since coming over from New York and Nene? is averaging 14.7 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds.

Dallas comes into this game reeling a bit from a three-game losing streak, including Sunday?s 104-96 loss to Portland as a five-point road underdog. The Mavericks are currently in third-place in the West with an overall record of 53-24 SU and 40-35-2 ATS. They have a two-game lead over Oklahoma City in the standings with five games left to play.

Tyson Chandler is listed as questionable for this game after hurting his back in Saturday?s loss to Golden State. He is the Mavericks' leading rebounder with 9.3 a game. If he cannot go, look for Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Merion to try and fill the void under the boards. Nowitzki leads the team in scoring with 23 points a game followed by Jason Terry, who is averaging 15.9 points.

Head-to-head, the Nuggets have won three of the last five games SU including a 121-120 victory as a three-point home favorite on Feb. 10. This time around, stick with Dallas to successfully defend it home court even with Chandler out of the lineup with a win that covers the two-point spread.

NBA Betting Preview - Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks

BetAnySports.com is a Top Rated Sportsbook and Casino (SBR Rating A-). They have been in business for over a decade and have enjoyed positive reviews since their inception due to the fact that they have been paying their customers flawlessly since day one. They feature 1,000 betting options every day, live in game wagering, nickel overnight lines and dime lines everyday in baseball. Their special drop down menu allows you to choose from alternate lines on every game spread and total. BetAnySports also features three casinos to choose from including the new live dealer casino!

Bet on anything from lotto to NASCAR or even the Nathan?s Hotdog eating contest! Unless of course you prefer to bet on MMA fighting or to wager on who will win the next American Idol. Their featured promotions include initial and reload bonuses, buddy referral bonus, and an industry leading rebate program that gives you, the player, 30% of your net losses back twice a year! Be sure to register today at BetAnySports.com and click on ?Live Chat? to speak with their award winning customer service department, be sure to ask about the exclusive GIQ30 promotion!

 

GIQ Would Like To Welcome A- Rated Sports Book BetAnySports.com To Our Great List of Sponsors!!!!!