New Orleans Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers Weds. April 20, 2011 10:30 p.m. EST

One of the biggest upsets of the opening games of the first round of the NBA playoffs was the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers falling to the New Orleans Hornets at Staples Center. Not only did the Hornets beat the defending champs when no one gave them much of a chance to compete with Kobe Bryant and company, but they did it in convincing fashion.

The one thing that everyone was expecting coming into Game 1 between the Hornets and the Lakers was seeing the defending champs dominate inside the paint. With the three-headed monster of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, the Lakers have the best frontcourt in the league and usually impose their will inside the paint, but that wasn’t the case against the Hornets as the Lakers struggled to keep up with Chris Paul and company.

With the New Orleans Hornets being without their biggest threat inside the paint and leading scorer in forward David West, this team was thought to have no chance against the Los Angeles Lakers, but after taking Game 1 the way they did this series might go the distance.

Heading into Game 2, Phil Jackson’s squad will look to get going in the paint and hopefully get a much better game from Pau Gasol. With Gasol struggling in Game 1, the Lakers just couldn’t compete with the Hornets inside, but that will almost certainly change in Game 2 with Gasol probably ready to rebound from his disappointing performance.

As of right now, the Los Angeles Lakers have been given the edge with a -11 point spread. Even though I believe that the defending champs will come out with a new mindset and set on destroying the Hornets, I don’t think they will cover this large spread.

Online Sportsbook odds and predictions:

Take the Hornets at +11

DSI Sportsbook:
Spread: New Orleans Hornets +11.5 & Los Angeles Lakers -11.5
Moneyline: New Orleans Hornets +800 & Los Angeles Lakers -1200
Over/Under: New Orleans Hornets 110 Los Angeles Lakers 110 under (188)

Bookmaker Sportsbook:
Spread: New Orleans Hornets +11.5 & Los Angeles Lakers -11.5
Moneyline: New Orleans Hornets +800 & Los Angeles Lakers -1200
Over/Under: New Orleans Hornets 110 Los Angeles Lakers 110 under (188)

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