ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) passes the ball after splitting San Antonio Spurs defenders Kawhi Leonard (2) and Boris Diaw (33) during the first half of Game 4 in the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Oklahoma City.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 | 1:40 p.m.
Tuesday's Game One
- Spread: — Miami +5 @ Oklahoma City
- Moneyline: — Miami +195 @ Oklahoma City -230
- Total: — o/u 195
- Talking Points' Pick: — Thunder 95, Heat 90
- Numbers from Cantor Gaming
NBA Finals Series Result Odds
- Heat win in 4 — 20-to-1
- Heat win in 5 — 6-to-1
- Heat win in 6 — 7-to-1
- Heat win in 7 — 7-to-1
- Thunder win in 4 — 10-to-1
- Thunder win in 5 — 6-to-1
- Thunder win in 6 — 3-to-1
- Thunder win in 7 — 5-to-2
- Talking Points' Pick: — Heat in seven
- Numbers from Cantor Gaming
Owners of the last five scoring titles will take to the floor tonight when the NBA Finals tip off with Game One in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder’s Kevin Durant has won the coveted title each of the past three regular seasons, while Dwyane Wade and LeBron James pulled it off in 2009 and 2008, respectively.
With so many gifted scorers, it’s no surprise the public is leaning toward the game going over the total. Action has driven the over/under up to 196 after it opened at 192 last weekend.
All those “over” bettors are dancing with fire when considering recent history. The last three meetings between the Heat and Thunder have gone under the total posted in Las Vegas sports books.
Defense has dominated the series. One meeting between Oklahoma City and Miami in “The Big Three”-era has gone over, and that was the first showdown in January of 2011.
Only one of each team’s three stars — James, Wade and Bosh for the Heat and Durant, Westbrook and Harden for the Thunder — has averaged more than their scoring average against their finals opponent.
That’s Wade, who has actually out-scored James against the Thunder, and Durant, who has unsurprisingly scored more than anyone else in the regular-season series.
This is all worth taking into account when analyzing the hot-off-the-presses player proposition bets for Game One. Look below for the over/under points total Station Casinos posted for each of the six stars in Game One.
LeBron James: 30.5
James has averaged 23 points in four games against the Thunder since joining the Heat.
Dwyane Wade: 23.5
Wade has averaged 23.5 points against the Thunder in the last two years.
Chris Bosh: 15.5
Bosh has averaged 18 points against the Thunder since joining the Heat.
Kevin Durant: 28.5
Durant has averaged 30 points in four game against the Heat in their current form.
Russell Westbrook: 23.5
Westbrook has averaged 20 points against the Heat in the last two years.
James Harden: 17
Harden has averaged 12 points against the Heat in their current form.
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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