Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1: Western Conference Playoffs – Second round
The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks are opening the second playoff round tonight in Paycom Center.
The Mavericks look like a real contender
The Dallas Mavericks came back to the playoffs after missing it last season, and they have much higher ambitions than just to play. The Mavs proved their cavalry in the series against the Los Angeles Clippers, dominating in the last couple of games. We are used to seeing Luka Doncic take over games, but what makes the Mavericks real contenders is the fact that Kyrie Irving plays like he is in his prime. The 2016 NBA champion averaged 26.5 points per game in the series against the Clippers, while Doncic was at 29.8 points, 9.5 assists, and 8.8 rebounds per game.
Are the Thunder worth the top seed?
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the regular season at the top of the Western Conference, becoming the youngest team to ever do that. The Thunder swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the opening playoff round. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team, averaging 27.3 points per game, followed by Jalen Williams with 21.7.
Betting Trends
Oklahoma City has covered the spread in 8 of the last 10 games against Dallas. The Thunder are 7-1 ATS in the last 8 games overall and 1-4 ATS in the last 5 games played in May. They have won the last 9 games overall and the last 7 home games. The Mavericks are 4-1 ATS in the last five games overall and 5-1 ATS in the last six games against teams form the Northwest Division. Dallas has won 4 of the last 5 games overall and 13 of the last 17 against teams from the Eastern Conference.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Oklahoma City Thunder are going into this game after almost a week, while the Mavericks had to play two more games in their opening-round series. The Thunder won three of the four games against the Mavs in the regular season. It will be interesting to see the matchup between two of the top three scorers in the league, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic. The Thunder had the best record in the league, but the Mavs have two extra players who have been through many playoff battles. The Mavs are the better team at the moment, and they will at least cover the +3.5-point spread tonight.
