Wednesday, June 07, 2006

The match-up is set and the odds are up! According to Sportsbook.com, the
largest sportsbook and casino in the world, the Larry O'Brien Trophy will be
awarded to the Dallas Mavericks in seven games. Current odds for game one
have the Mavs favored as a -205 bet with the Heat sitting at +125. The last
time the two teams met, Miami suffered its worst loss in the regular season
(76-112) at the hands of a punishing Mavericks offence. The Miami squad has
since declared and proven that they are a cohesive team that will not
breakdown - the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons are evidence of that.

Statistically speaking, Dwayne Wade is the best player still on the court in
the NBA, and with Shaquille O'Neal dominating the paint Miami will be a
force. Wade is listed at 2-1 to be the series MVP, O'Neal is a 7-2 bet.

But the Mavs can certainly answer back with a deep bench and quickness that
is lacking in the Heat line-up. Pressure will be on Udonis Haslem to contain
prolific scorer, and MVP favourite Dirk Nowitzki, listed at 10-13. Across
the court, swingman Josh Howard (10-1) will be called upon to shut down
D-Wade.

"History is being made with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Final for the
first time," said Alex Czajkowski, Sportsbook.com. "Everybody bets and
sportsbook.com has plenty of wagering options to add to the excitement from
series odds, to player props and live in-game betting."