The world of NBA betting becomes a little easier to navigate in the second round of the postseason. Yes, it's true that every higher seed advanced in the Eastern Conference portion of the first round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs, but look what happened to the Atlanta Hawks. They lost Game 5 of their opening-round series at home to the Milwaukee Bucks. When some people counted them out, they won in Milwaukee in Game 6. The Hawks then regained full form and footing to prevail in Game 7 and eliminate the Bucks after a struggle that was much longer and harder than many sports betting junkies expected. Now comes this Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Orlando Magic.
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Atlanta @ Orlando, Game 1
Tuesday, May 4
Bookmaker Odds: No line (as of yet)
The Hawks comfortably beat back the Bucks in the first two games of that series, but as soon as Game 3 arrived, the same team that cracked the 50-win plateau during the regular season abruptly looked like a .500 team, if that. From Game 3 through Game 6, Atlanta's offense became stagnant, jumper-oriented, and very unintelligent. The defense in Game 5 and Game 6 was sound, but the offense fell apart. It was only because of Milwaukee's case of stage fright in Game 6 – a potential close-out game for the young Bucks – that Atlanta earned a Game 7 reprieve. Milwaukee scored only 69 points in that contest, making the Hawks look comparatively great on a night when they were objectively mediocre.
When Game 7 arrived, though, Atlanta played a complete game against Milwaukee. The Hawks looked inside first on almost every possession. They moved the ball. They created and then exploited driving lanes to the basket. They were selective in taking long jumpers. They powered the ball to the rim. They blended a sense of control with a sense of aggression. As a result, the anxiety left Atlanta for one day, as the home team bumped the Bucks by a resounding 95-74 margin. The team that dismantled Milwaukee in Game 7 is the kind of team that can go the distance with Orlando. The good Hawks – not the bad ones – can match the Magic in terms of athleticism and are actually a little bit better on the wings. It's at the point – with Orlando's Jameer Nelson going up against Atlanta's older Mike Bibby – where the Magic have a better chance of running crisp halfcourt sets, and it's in the paint where Orlando can do damage as well, with superstar Dwight Howard facing the very good but not elite Al Horford in the low post.
Atlanta's best and most intelligent brand of ball will make this a long series, but the Hawks aren't known for their wisdom. Expect the Magic, rested and at home, to get this series off to a good start and make online betting experts look good.
Online basketball betting pick: Orlando
