Equal money is part of the equation. Getting people to bet is the #1 priority. This series has been so schizo that I doubt the smartest of sports bettors are going to put too many units on either side. I just think this will be a purely public play. Tempted to put $ on Rockets to win the title at 18-1 if I can find it.
I don't think either team has played normally this series. rockets losing to Clippers at home without Paul while getting 10 TO's in the first quarter is normal, neither is Clippers blowing 19 point lead in game 6 I think on an average day with the same effort and execution, clippers win just by out talenting us
No it's called hedging your bets. In this case, you're hedging your emotions. However, it's still bad luck to bet against your team.
I kind of disagree with that. I think the Clippers have been more consistent with their execution, and so they've played better in the playoffs overall. But both teams are pretty unstoppable when firing on all cylinders. Both teams have players who can score against great defense. The Rockets are not short on tough shot makers: Harden, Smith, and Jones. All I'm hoping for is the Rockets to bring that focus and intensity all game long. They will always have a good shot to win imo if they play to their potential. Edit: The quotes above are spot on (and when LAC didn't focus the last game, the Rockets got super focused). As an avid NBA fan and degen gambler, I watched a lot playoff and the intensity and level of play in the Spurs Clippers series was incredible. If the Clips bring it tomorrow, the Rockets must match the focus. They're short-handed and don't have more than half a season playing together, but they're still talented and capable.
I appreciate the explanation. It doesn't completely explain (to me) why this series out of 92/93 is the only one in which Vegas has given the home team the odds. I guess it's a combination of the LA market and the fact that this series is schizo. You'd think a small market (Houston is hardly small market) would have hosted a large market team in the past but maybe Vegas is different today.
I saw online on my site +900, and then saw 18-1 on Vegas insider. So it's all over the place unless my insomnia is making me misread the lines. Might have to place a little $$ on the Rockets before the game tomorrow.
I agree both teams are very talented. It comes down to who wants it more. Who plays more physical... Who plays smarter.. who has the intangibles to step out of their comfort zone and do the unexpected. I really hope our guys prove to be hungrier than the Clippers. We need to be. That changes odds.
I got Rockets at 23/1 to win the title during the regular season. Only for $100 though. You could have gotten them at 100/1 when they were down 3-1. If only I had.
Both teams have plenty of talent and at same time, substantial flaws. LAC weak point is the supporting cast; ours is the PG position, lack of strong post threat, poor 3pt %age, lack of roster continuity leading to lack of familiarity, turnovers on O, and blown switches on D. So maybe we are a bit more flawed.. However, Game 7 mental edge matters a lot, and I think we have finally wrestled it from the Clips. Going into the series they had a structural advantage in the mental area: they had nothing to lose and tons to gain in Game 1. If they lose, hey, not a big deal losing on the a road withou CP3, after an exhausting Spurs series... But they won and that put them in the driver seat. They knew they could have our way with us, if they could win under such tough circumstances. Rockets were stung and they were pressing ever since. So what is different now? not the Clippers, but the Rockets and the uniqueness of a game 7. The clippers still think they gave one away, and they can still can show up and take care of business against us. However, now, the Rox have their mojo back. A Game 7 is a unique sports event, this is not a usual game. You need the respect for the moment and the respect for the opponent, in order to rise up. Rockets have respect for the Clips but they won't be cowed no more. the Clipers had that respect against San Antonio, but not sure they have it now. If they approach it as, "yeah, we messed up, but we'll take care against these chumps" they will be in for a surprise. This is important. I remember when in 2009 we took the Lakers to 7, the media was killing them, and it Kobe who was trying to change the narrative: "give these guys credit, they are a heck of a team..." Yeah, right. Chuck Hayes and Aaron Brooks were our stars. lakers were messing up, but Kobe knew he had to build the opponent up for his team to rise. Contempt just doesn't work for Game 7.
This. The actual odds are less an indicator of which team is actually favored as opposed to what line will generate favorable betting in addition to balancing the distribution of those bets. That's how professional gamblers make money, by spotting imbalances between the true odds of winning/losing versus the cash being actually bet. And yes, I agree. I don't see many big money players jumping into the series at this point. Both teams are way too consistent to feel comfortable unless you can find a big enough gap between two different lines.
After learning of the referee staff for this game, I'm putting big money on Clippers to cover and win tonight. At least I can help out my wallet while my heart is crushed
Walking into this series, it was clear that the Clippers were the better team than the Rockets. We all knew that the Rockets were a one-dimensional offense built around Harden driving hard and creating 3 point shots for his teammates. We knew our defense was suspect but better than most. We were running into an LAC team that had just knocked off the Spurs - probably still the best team in the NBA, and had the number one offense and a great defense centered around DJ. The pundits picked the Clips for a reason. LAC's domination wasn't unexpected, it was only surprising to the degree they dominated. Who is the better team now? It's hard to say. We don't know if the Rockets had a fluke run in Game 6 or have they truly turned the corner. Is there something fundamentally different about this team. Are we no longer the live and die with Harden team we have been all year, which frankly has been not the prettiest basketball to watch. It seems that there is a chance that now, Harden is merely another weapon in a different kind of team. An offense built around moving the ball around until a shooter is found with crazy cross court passes. An offense built on a helter-skelter madness of unpredictability where anyone has the green light to shoot. One in which players are completely trusted and encouraged to play "their game". And a defense built on massive switching and rotations and the same hectic energy. So who are we? Are we the James Harden centric team? That crazy comeback team? Or some strange hybrid. And if we are such a hybrid, is it possible that as a "team" we have come into our own? Can one game do that to a team? Can one game truly define a team and a season? I guess that's what we will find out later today.
Meh. Only fans with major blinders on can actually believe it's media bias that the Clippers are favored. Of course, they are favored, they knocked out the defending champions and the Rockets' season was saved only by a miraculous comeback by the bench making shots they don't usually make, i.e. Josh Smith. How often is that going to happen? Seriously, the Rockets are clearly the underdogs. That's actually a good place to be in as it should make them hungrier.
