The last couple of games have proven just how important secondary players are to NBA championship odds. Michael Jordan proved that. It wasn’t until Scottie Pippen came on board, as well as a host of others, that MJ could really prove his worth.

Los Angeles Lakers - Lamar Odom could be the biggest factor in this year’s Lakers odds, including bigger than Kobe Bryant. Odom has an insane skill set for a man his size, and he dominated the Nuggets in Game 5′s win with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Not only can he play in the post, but he can bring the ball up the floor, and he may be the best 6’11″ passer in the NBA. When his heart is in it, of course.

Denver Nuggets – Chris “Birdman” Andersen brings insane rebounding and defensive skills to the Nuggets off the bench, but it’s more the energy he contributes. The Denver fans love Andersen, who has bounced back from a drug suspension, and that sparks the crowd. His play in Game 4 was the difference.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Pick one. Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 16 in Game 5 with Mo Williams adding 24, meaning LeBron James didn’t have to score 40 again (he ended up with 37, but whatever). I’ll take Ilgauskas because Williams is supposed to be scoring. Ilgauskas brings Dwight Howard out of the paint, leaving James space to do his thing.

Orlando Magic – Mickael Pietrus gets the nod over Rafer Alston because Alston was awful in Game 5, and Pietrus not only adds points off the bench, but he gets the task of guarding James as best he can. Pietrus hasn’t shut down James, but really, who can? But he makes him work, which makes James tired by the end of games. If they win Game 6, which they are favored to by NBA odds, Pietrus will have a huge hand in it.

Also before Saturday’s Game 6 between Cleveland and Orlando, check out some boxing betting action. There are two fights in Finland and Florida worth watching, which will pass the time.

Evans Machida odds players are watching Denver battle with the Lakers and thinking, “I hope Machida can take down the champs like the Nuggets are”. The first two games of the Western Conference finals were supposed to be romps for the home team, but no one gave the Nuggets the memo, especially Carmelo Anthony.

Much has been made about the acquisition of Chauncey Billups, and it’s well deserved, but Anthony deserves some props as well. He somehow was missing from the All-Star team, and he had a little problem with coach George Karl when he was subbed out of a game, but the media made more a big deal about it than the team did. In the playoffs, ‘Melo has raised his game, putting up 28.6 points, 6.6 boards and 4.3 assists, and he’s even (gasp) playing hard on the defensive end of the floor. All of this improvement has boosted Denver’s NBA odds dramatically. 

Lakers Nuggets odds had Denver as a massive underdog in this series, but they’re now rated at +120 to pull off the upset after giving away a win in Game 1, and stealing a victory in Game 2.  Anthony has averaged 35.5 points in the first two games, and now he’s going home. ‘Melo knows that if his Nuggets beat Kobe Bryant’s Lakers, he’ll have to be considered one of the best players in the game, especially if he keeps up his play. Basketball betting players could be seeing the next step in the emergence of Carmelo Anthony.

Kobe Bryant will be checking out next week’s Champions League betting odds, as he is a big Barcelona fan and wanted to play for AC Milan while growing up in Italy. However, he took some time out form being a soccer fan to save his team from a shattering loss in Game 1 of their series with Denver.

Lakers Nuggets odds – Thursday, May 21, 9:00 PM ET

Bryant scored 18 of his 40 points to power the Lakers to a 105-103 victory, while no other Lakers had more than 13 points (Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher). The Lakers can’t win with Bryant jacking up 28 shots a game….or can they?

The Nuggets really should have won this game, as they had 11 more free-throw attempts than the Lakers (at the Staples Center, that’s impressive), but managed to go 23-of-35 from the line. Carmelo Anthony lit up the Lakers for 39 points, but free throws and a -9 deficit on the glass killed the Nuggets, who may have missed their best chance to win a game in Los Angeles, where they have beaten Denver nine of the last 10 games.

Lakers Nuggets odds are backing the Lakers by 5.5 points, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Nuggets come out after losing a seven-point deficit in the final 12 minutes of the game. They should keep feeding Anthony the ball as much as possible, as he’s too big for Kobe to guard, and well, then there is Trevor Ariza. J.R. Smith is usually a hot hand off the bench, but he was more wrapped in guarding Bryant, for obvious reasons. Defensively, you have to think the Lakers will step up their game on Thursday, and they could have been a little tired after being taken to seven games by the Rockets, while the Nuggets got a break after beating Dallas in five. Look for a much more balanced Los Angeles team. (Basketball betting pick: Lakers to cover)

The Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference series are something like Rafael Nadal’s French Open odds….it’s pretty much a lock. And while Roger Federer beat Nadal to end his win streak on clay, let’s be frank: the Nuggets are no Roger Federer.

Nuggets vs Lakers odds – Tuesday, May 19, 9:00 PM ET

The Nuggets steamrolled Dallas in five games, but their defense still leaves a lot to be desired. Before Chauncey Billups, they were terrible, now, they at least show a fleeting interest. They still won’t be mistaken for the Celtics or Spurs. 

The Lakers somehow were taken to seven games by Houston, which is a bit worrying because when the Lakers won, it was like they were toying with the Rockets. Must be nice to conserve energy throughout the playoffs. The Lakers need more from their bench to put this series away early.

Nuggets vs Lakers odds are favoring Los Angeles at -265 for the series, and they have a 6.5-point spread in Game 1 at the Staples Center, where they have beaten the Nuggets in nine of their last 10 meetings. The Nuggets’ defense is awful on the road, not something their fans want to hear heading into arguably the second-toughest arena in the league to play in. The Lakers will win the series, and kick off the matchup with a decisive basketball betting victory.

Preakness betting players know the importance of a good thoroughbred, and Dallas has that in Nowitzki. The problem is, they don’t have much else, and that will hurt them tonight in Denver.

Mavericks vs Nuggets odds – May 13, 9:00 PM ET

The Mavericks only pulled out Game 4 because of a monster effort from Nowitzki, who had 44 in a 119-117 win at home. However, unless Josh Howard can shake off an ankle injury to score another 21 points and grab 11 boards, it could be a long night. The Nuggets are 10-point favorites at home according to NBA odds, and Denver will come out with fire because of their defensive performance in Game 4. A lot of that had to do with a missing Chris Andersen, who sat out the game with the flu, while Kenyon Martin was a mess due to his mom getting harassed in the stands. Carmelo Anthony’s girlfriend also had some problems and was ejected from the building in Game 4, so the Nuggets will have revenge on their mind. This could be a blowout.

Basketball betting pick: Denver to cover

The second of the NBA playoffs just got underway yesterday with Denver’s romp over Dallas. Here’s a quick run-through of who you should go with in your US-friendly sportsbook.

Nuggets vs Mavericks – I was already going to pick the Nuggets, who blasted the Mavericks at home and will do so again tomorrow night. Denver is now 5-0 against Dallas at home, and the Mavericks will squeeze out a couple of wins at home. However, they have three players who can guard Dirk Nowitzki, and more importantly, Game 1 showed the Mavs can’t stop Denver in the paint. (basketball betting pick: Denver in six)

Rockets vs Lakers – I’m setting the over/under of Kobe Bryant/Ron Artest staredowns at five. Artest and Shane Battier will share defensive duties on Bryant, while the Andrew Bynum/Yao Ming and Luis Scola/Pau Gasol matchups are also intriguing. The X-factor is Lamar Odom, as the Rockets don’t really have anyone to match up with him. NBA odds have the Lakers as a huge -1200 favorite, and this will be a hotly-contested series. (basketball betting pick: Lakers in five)

Hawks vs Cavaliers – NBA odds have Cleveland as a huge -2500 favorite, and I heard someone say over the week that if the Hawks were to get past Miami, Josh Smith could contain LeBron James. Awesome. Quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve heard this year. Mo Williams needs to be better than he was in the Detroit destruction, while Joe Johnson needs to carry the Hawks on his back for them to have the slightest chance. Atlanta may steal one at home, but not much else. (basketball betting pick: Cavs in five)

Magic vs Celtics – NBA odds have Orlando as a -125 favorite over the defending champions, who are coming off a grueling seven-game classic with Chicago. Paul Pierce looked exhausted near the end of the series while Ray Allen, who is two years older, looked like a 25-year-old jackin’ clutch threes from everywhere. Rajon Rondo won’t be able to have his way in the paint with Dwight Howard in the lane, and D-12 should dominate the Celtics’ interior defense without Kevin Garnett. It was a good run, but the Chicago series may have taken it all out of the Celtics, and the long it goes, the more it’s in Orlando’s favor. (basketball betting pick: Orlando in seven)

-Looking at those boxing odds? Pac-Man will knock out Hatton by the fifth round on Saturday night.

-This Chicago-Boston series has been the best thing for the NBA since…..shoot, I don’t even know. I thought about the Warriors-Mavericks series of ’06, but that was more for the upset factor. Six games, five decided by three points or less, four overtimes games, including Game 6′s triple-OT classic. Game 7 goes Saturday night in Boston, and the Celtics’ experience, homecourt advantage and the clutch shooting of Ray Allen will end the Bulls’ season. (basketball betting pick: Boston outright, not to cover the 6.5-point spread)

-Thanks Philly, for making me look stupid last night. No Dwight Howard, no Courtney Lee, on homecourt, and you lose by 25? You deserved to get booed.

-Dallas and Denver open up their series on Sunday afternoon in Denver, and the Mavericks won’t have anything for the Nuggets on the road. It won’t be a blowout, but…..(basketball betting pick: Denver to cover the 5.5-point spread)

-Tonight should mark the end of the Heat’s season. Dwayne Wade is obviously hurting with a back injury, and without him at less than 100%, Miami doesn’t stand a chance. (basketball betting pick: Atlanta as a 5-point underdog)

Following up yesterday’s basketball betting picks for the Eastern Conference, here comes the wild, wild West, where the eighth seed would be fourth in the East.

No.1 Los Angeles vs No.8 Utah

The Jazz only have a shot because they’re a great team at home, but even still, the Lakers should be able to steal one in Utah. Andrew Bynum + Pau Gasol + no Utah interior defense = bye bye Jazz. (basketball betting pick: Lakers in five)

No.2 Denver vs No.7 New Orleans

The Hornets have to be the most dangerous seventh seed in recent memory, but the Nuggets have a lot of depth, and Chauncey Billups has changed the culture of the team. Billups vs Chris Paul is a matchup any aspiring point guard should watch. (basketball betting pick: Nuggets in six)

No.3 San Antonio vs No.6 Dallas

The Spurs had injuries to their Big Three, and still won 54 games. The Mavericks rallied late to jump into the picture, but the Spurs have a big edge on defense and coaching, which is essentially what gets you through this time of year. (basketball betting pick: Spurs in six)

No.4 Portland vs No.5 Houston

Neither team will win on the road, so it’s good that the Blazers have homecourt. They also have one of the NBA’s best fourth-quarter players iin Brandon Roy. The Rockets are a solid team, but another first-round exit (with no crying Tracy McGrady, this time) awaits them. (basketball betting pick: Trailblazers in seven)