Celtics, Lakers favored to win NBA title

May 6 , 2008 / By Nick Bailey

The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are the favorites to win the 2008 NBA Championship at online sportsbooks.

Sportsbook.com has both the Celtics and Lakers at 3-2 odds to capture the NBA title as the Conference semifinals get underway this week.

The No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 4-3 in the conference quarterfinal. The Celtics hammered the Hawks 99-65 as a 15-point favorite in Game 7 on Sunday to wrap up the best-of-seven series. The Celtics now face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, with Game 1 going Tuesday in Boston.

Also Sunday, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to their fifth-straight postseason win with a 109-98 victory in Game 1 of their conference semifinal against the Utah Jazz. Bryant had 38 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Los Angeles hosts Utah in Game 2 Wednesday night. The Lakers swept the Denver Nuggets 4-0 in the first round.

Bodog has the Detroit Pistons at 9-2 and the New Orleans Hornets at 5-1.

Detroit beat the Philadelphia 76ers 4-2 in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series and now face the Orlando Magic in the conference semis. The Pistons lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 with Game 3 on Wednesday in Orlando.

The Hornets knocked the Dallas Mavericks out of the playoffs in five games in the conference quarterfinals and are up against the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in the second round. The Hornets lead the series 2-0 with Game 3 on Thursday in San Antonio.

Despite being down two games to none, the Spurs are given 8-1 odds to come back and repeat as NBA champs at Bodog.

The longshots are the Jazz at 16-1, the Cavaliers 18-1, and the Magic 50-1.

» Sports, Gambling and Betting Articles Archive «