NBA Thursday

NBA Thursday [B]502 Boston Celtics -2[/B] The Lakers are right in the middle of a six game road trip and so far they are 2-0 defeating Memphis, a game where they struggled for most of the first three quarters, and before that beat the Hornets who are a jekyl and hyde team that can be had by any team in the NBA sans Cleveland. Now, the Lakers face their arch rival Boston in a much tougher spot and this is one of my favorite betting angles where the road team having just played inferior opposition really gets tested by a top squad on their court and usually cannot stand up to the test. The Celtics dominated the Lakers recently 109-96 as a +3 road underdog and this line should be closer to -4 than -2. Paul Pierce looks like he is ready to go despite being sick the last few days and is listed probable.

Here's a quote that reflects the general mindset of the Lakers at this point: “(Tonight) is a big game,” Gasol said. “It’s an important game against a very tough opponent. It would mean a lot if we’re able to pull that one out and beat the Celtics.” Yep, but not important enough to lose sleep over at this point.