NBA Playoffs - Lakers vs Houston Prop Betting

Most NBA betting fanatics know they have a whole menu to choose from when betting on NBA playoff games, meaning that there are props, props, and more props. Today we are going to focus on selected propositions for Game 2 of the playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.

Looking at some props for Game 2 of the Western Conference semi-final series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, which you can find at BetUS by clicking the "Show All Props" link under the game odds:

YAO MING TOTAL POINTS AND REBOUNDS
Over 29½ Points+Rebounds -125
Under 29½ Points+Rebounds -105

It became pretty clear in Game 1 that Yao Ming can get most shots he wants to. he is to big for Pau Gasol to guard one-on-one, and he has the capacity to get Andrew Bynum in foul trouble. The Lakers will have to do a better job of team defense against him, but there isn't a lot of depth on that front line. Yao is also very proficient at the free throw line (86.6%), so he is very economical in making the most of those attempts.

All that having been said, if you looked down Yao's game-by-game in the playoffs, as well as the regular season, you don't see a lot of great back-to-back games. As far as this posted number is concerned, he has topped it only three times in seven post-season games. Against the Lakers this season he got an average of 12.5 shots per game, and had averages of 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds. Obviously we're expecting Phil Jackson to make some kind of adjustment, and if that knee injury he suffered in Game 1 (when his knee collided with that of Kobe Bryant) was enough to make him come off the court writhing in pain, it's serious enough to still be at least a minor problem for this game.

Our Pick: UNDER 29.5 (-105) **

SHANE BATTIER TOTAL POINTS
Over 7½ Points -110
Under 7½ Points -120

Battier averaged 7.3 points per game this past season. Of course, that is not where his principal value lies for the Rockets. Battier is a defensive stalwart, and in fact has just been named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team (along with teammate Ron Artest). Generally Battier is not a big scoring outlet; in seven playoff games this season, he has made just one field goal in four of those games.

There are reasons for Battier to be pre-occupied as well. His assignment is to make sure Kobe Bryant becomes a jump shooter and doesn't drive to the basket with impunity. That's a full-time job. Battier, who played for Coach K at Duke, is from that school that believes if you're going to take a rest, you have to do it on the offensive end. Artest would be the other guy taking care of Kobe, but since Artest is more of an offensive threat, expect that Battier will provide him with more of a breather in that area.

Our Pick: UNDER 7.5 (-120) **

LARGEST LEAD OF THE GAME
Over 18 Points -110
Under 18 Points -120

Here's an interesting one, because I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who believe the Lakers, in the way of bouncing back, are going to come out of the chute and just blow Houston away. The thing about Houston is that the Rockets are not the most explosive offensive team in the league, and even less so, perhaps, without Tracy McGrady in the lineup. At the same time, the Rockets can be a very tight defensive squad. Yao Ming can make the lane a very difficult place to be for Pau Gasol. Perimeter defenders like Artest and Battier are hell-bent to keep Kobe Bryant from getting out of control. Even though Lamar Odom is an acknowledged weapon, most people give the Laker bench a lot more credit than I do. My instinct here is that while Houston may not win this game, they're going to play at a slow pace and keep this within reach for as long as possible.

Our Pick: UNDER 18 PTS. (-120) **

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