The first of the NBA’s four second-round games has been made official thanks to a couple of irregular winnings in Round 1. Now the NBA betting odds preferred Miami Heat will look to maintain their energy rolling versus an Indiana Pacers team that made little work of the Orlando Magic.
But just because the Pacers may have lucked out with a Dwight Howard-less Orlando in the first round doesn’t mean they’re future looks any brighter in the conference semifinals. Not only are the Heat the No. 1 team on the NBA odds list, they also won the season series, counting one game by as many as 35 points.
Privileged since preseason, all eyes will be on LeBron James and the Heat as they try to live up to the snooty hopes they failed to meet in the NBA Finals last summer. Is a Miami championship all but inevitable in 2012?
Fans willing to think outside of the box might say no.
Though the Pacers don’t have the household names that the Knicks may have, they had the fifth best record in the NBA this season for a reason – one of which being their intimidating front court.
Can Indiana’s big men take advantage of Miami’s relative hole at the No. 5 spot? 7’2” All-Star center Roy Hibbert, along with forwards David West and Danny Granger, could very well play a role in the most intriguing potential upset on the NBA betting line this postseason.
