Lakers win 2010 NBA Championship Title

After a great game, the Lakers won 83-79 against the Celtics in the NBA finals betting game 7.

Los Angeles Lakers have won their 16th NBA championship, dramatically rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 Thursday night in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Pau Gasol won with much suffering its second consecutive championship ring in the NBA. The Celtics got to go ahead by 12 points but the Lakers were able to suffer and drove around a historic match, full of emotion. Pau was instrumental in the fourth quarter with nine points and finished the game with 19 points and 18 rebounds.

Results in NBA championship series in which the Celtics and Lakers have met:

1958-59 - Boston Celtics def. Minneapolis Lakers, 4-0

1961-62 - Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3

1962-63 - Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-2

1964-65 - Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1

1965-66 - Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3

1967-68 - Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-2

1968-69 - Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3

1983-84 - Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3

1984-85 - Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics, 4-2

1986-87 - Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics, 4-2

2007-08 - Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-2

2009-10 - Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics, 4-3

Greece Nigeria Betting – Greece, Nigeria Attempt To Stay Alive Thursday

The pressure is already on both Greece and Nigeria heading in to Thursday’s contest between the two nations, both losers of their Group B opening matches. With another loss meaning an early exit from the 2010 World Cup betting tournament, Free State Stadium will be submerged in the pressure that comes with facing elimination, as both teams play for the pride of their respective nations, and while Greece has made an impact just by getting back to the tournament after a six year absence from international competition on such a grand stage, Nigeria surely does not want to be the first team from the host continent to be disqualified.

6/17/10 – 16: 00

Free State Stadium – Mangaung/ Bloemfontein

Group B

Team Greece: Betting Preview

This is only the second World Cup soccer betting appearance that Greece has made in its history, and with four matches played combined, they have yet to get on the score sheet with a single tally. That will be the first task for the Euro Cup 2004 winners, with the second being to secure at least one point to potentially remain alive as the biggest underdog in Group B. Greece was easily dismissed by the Korean Republic in their opening game, and will need a much better effort if they are going to compete with a Nigerian squad that held the powerful favorites Argentina to a one-goal win.

Team Nigeria: Betting Preview

While all the talk surrounding Nigeria has been on goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who was elected the Man of the Match despite being the losing netminder in Nigeria’s opening 1-0 loss to Argentina because of the incredible performance that he put on, the African side feels as though they still have much to prove in the World Cup predictions tournament. Though Enyeama’s brilliant performance was a big reason they were able to remain competitive with the chance to draw until the final whistle, Nigeria should be playing with tons of confidence give the close result, and that could translate them in to an even more dangerous team. The fact that they won’t be burdened with having to defend against such a lethal attack as that boasted by Argentina could translate in to more pressure at the offensive end

Who Will Win It?

Not much can be said about the performance that Greece put forth against the Korean Republic, who controlled play for the better part of the 90 minutes played. What their opening loss reminded sports betting fans was that this team is a shadow of the one that won it all at the 2004 Euro Cup. Despite the loss, Nigeria still has to play the two teams it was predicted to have the better team than on paper, and with the host nation behind them, should be playing with incredible confidence when they take to the pitch for the opening kick off, and their tournament hopes on the line.

Greece Nigeria Betting Pick: Nigeria

Bet On World Cup – Group G Picks For Tuesday

Those who bet on World Cup odds easily identified Group G as the “Group Of Death” as soon as the draw was made, as Brazil, the Ivory Coast, Portugal and North Korea were put together in South Africa. The group kicks off on Tuesday morning, and while the first match will be difficult to pick, the second one is a shoo-in.

Portugal Ivory Coast Betting – Tuesday, 10:00 AM ET

Portugal is favored at +110 in this 2010 World Cup contest, while the Ivorians are listed at +245, and a draw is rated at +225. This match is all about the captains, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and the Ivorians’ Didier Drogba, and all eyes are on Drogba as he tries to come back from a broken arm suffered on the eve of the World Cup. Drogba has been doing non-contact drills with a cast on his arm, but with his physical and barreling style of play, it’s going to affect the way Drogba carries himself. Portugal has their own injury worry as Nani will miss the World Cup because of a collarbone bruise, and even though they still have Deco and Simao, the Portuguese would have loved to see Ronaldo and Nani, former teammates at Manchester United, rampaging on either wing. This is the first meeting for these two countries, and you have to give the edge to Portugal, as an ineffective Drogba playing for the Ivorians is like the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant being hurt in their NBA championship betting match.

Brazil North Korean Betting – Tuesday, 2:30 PM ET

Soccer betting odds are backing Brazil as a massive -1100 favorite in this match, while the North Koreans are rated at +2500, and a draw is listed at +750 in the first-meeting between these two. In their lone World Cup appearance at England 1966, North Korea shocked Italy 1-0 to make it to the knockout stages, but a win over Brazil would be much, much bigger than that. The Samba Kings are the only country to play in every World Cup, and they’ve won the most with five victories in the big tournament. Brazil manager Dunga has taken some criticism from fans and media alike who say that the Selecao aren’t as flashy and entertaining under him, but Dunga is one of two managers in this tournament (Argentina’s Diego Maradona is the other) aiming to join German legend Franz Beckenbauer as the only players to win the World Cup as a manager and a captain. It’s not a matter of if Brazil will win this match, it’s about how many, and even though they’re going to have to deal with a very defensive North Korean team, it would be the betting upset of the century if North Korean even managed to tie Brazil.