Can the Indiana Pacers upset the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals? Most people seem to think Miami will take this series and move on to the Finals versus the winner of the Memphis Grizzlies-San Antonio Spurs Western Conference Finals.
Not so fast.
Indiana played Miami tight down to the very last second of overtime in game one. On the road, the Pacers took the Heat to extra time before falling 103-102. Unfortunately, coming up short on defense in the final possession. The Pacers also had to deal with the referees swallowing their whistles in crunch time too. In the series opener, Indiana shows it has a real fighting chance in this series.
The sports wagering strategies of the experts believe the Heat will move on to the championship round. That’s certainly not a foregone conclusion though. The Pacers took a 2-1 series lead on the Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year; before falling in six. If you’re going to wager on NBA playoff games, remember the Pacers were Eastern Conference champions very recently (2000). In total, the team has won six conference titles and eight division titles. Experts who know how to wager on basketball always consider past history when forecasting the future. And the Pacers were a dynasty in the ABA; where they won three championships.
Those seasoned in NBA betting also know that you need a solid interior game to win in the postseason. The Pacers will need to lean on Paul George, a big scorer-rebounder with some similarities to the Orlando Magic’s Tobias Harris. Having a consistent inside game will help turn the odds in favor of the Indiana Pacers. When placing your wager, remember the Pacers won the central for the first time since 2004 this season. They’re a #3 seed. No pushover. Most sports betting websites are thinking the defending champion Heat will win this thing. However, it’s still anyone’s series after game one.
The twitterverse is overwhelming in favor of the Pacers right now. Checking the tweets tonight of those closely monitoring the game, most of America is fatigued on Miami and hoping for the upset. I think most basketball fans are sick of seeing the Heat in the Finals and hoping for some new blood. And Americans always love rooting for the underdog. While the Heat have the star power of the big three, critics of the Pacers point out their lack of marquee names. They’ve made it this far, the NBA’s semifinal round, without a true superstar. And they’ve done it without Danny Granger, their true true go-to scoring option. Granger has been sidelined for virtually the entire 2012-13 season with a knee injury.
Paul George did win the league’s Most Improved Player award this regular season though. And he barely cracked the NBA top 25 in points per game (17.4). Teammate David West was tied for 27th at 17.1, and George Hill ranked 50th at 14.2. This trio comprises most of Indiana’s offense, but who steps up to take the last shot? Miami has a few “closers.” The Heat have a few superstars who can be clutch. The Pacers really don’t. Maybe that was the difference in game one? The Pacers haven’t been in such situations much during these playoffs. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals as the exception. They need to find an alpha dog with ice water in his veins for this series.