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NBA Playoff Odds: Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers Game 2

Kobe Bryant looked like a man on a mission in the Lakers 100-75 blowout win over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals Thursday night, scoring 40 points and adding eight boards and eight assists to lead his team. The Orlando Magic have been able to steal home court in both the Eastern Conference Semifinals and Eastern Conference Finals and they will try to add the NBA Finals to that list with a Game 2 victory. Game 2 takes place Sunday, June 7th at 8:00 pm EST on ABC. NBA odds makers expect LA to take a 2-0 series lead, listing the Lakers as 6.5-point favorites with the total set at 202.5. While there may have been some first game jitters involved for the Magic, the bottom line was that they did not shoot the ball well. The Magic are at their best when Dwight Howard gets touches in the post and when they shoot well from the perimeter. Neither happened Thursday. The Magic shot just 8 of 23 (34.8 percent) from beyond the arc and first team All-NBA center Dwight Howard had just six shot attempts. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, who came up so big for the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals, were a combined 5 of 21 for just 8 and 13 points respectively. That’s just not going to get the job done, especially when Dwight Howard goes just 1 of 6 from the field for 12 points. In all, the Magic shot just 29.9 percent as a team. Orlando is at its best in the secondary fast break when it swings the ball quickly for open three pointers. Expect to see the Magic try to get out on the break more often in Game 2. Defensively, they are going to have to consider doubling Kobe early to make the other Lakers beat them. If you think Orlando has what it takes to bounce back with a Game 2 win, bet the Magic at +6.5 at BetUS and receive up to 145 percent in sign up bonuses. The Los Angeles Lakers had come out flat in each of their previous two Game 1 contests, but that was not the case Thursday night. Kobe Bryant gave his team no chance to let him down and he was even ripping them from the bench even when the Lakers had a big lead. It’s apparent that Kobe wants this one badly. While Bryant caught all the Game 1 headlines, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom also played well. Gasol scored 16 points and added eight boards and Odom chipped in 11 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. These two players figure to be pivotal in Game 2 if the Magic decide to double Kobe early and often. Defensively, it’s hard to find anything wrong when you only give up 75 points, but the Lakers gave up a lot of open three point shots that the Magic will not continue to miss. It’s important that LA continues to close hard on the three points shooters, chasing them off the three point line if necessary. If you think Los Angeles will win Game 2 and cover the number in the process, bet the Lakers at -6.5 at BetUS. Jimmy Boyd’s NBA picks are now 7-1 his last 8 and he has nailed 15 of his last 18 NBA sides. Make sure you’re doing your NBA betting with Jimmy for Game 2 Sunday night.

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