It wasn’t pretty for the Dallas Mavericks, but they find themselves in a familiar spot after dropping Game 1 of the Western Conference final to the Golden State Warriors. The Mavs dropped the opener in each of their first two series and trailed the NBA best Phoenix Suns 0-2 before rallying to win that series in seven games. And while the second round series was close most of the games weren’t with four of them decided by 20 points or more. So Dallas fans needn’t get discouraged after losing Game 1 by 25 points. The outcome did affect the opening spread, though. Some shops had the Dubs as a 7-point favorite for Game 2 after laying 5.5 points on the Game 1 closing line.
Game 2 of the Western Conference final between the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors will air live on TNT with tip off at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, May 20, 2022 from Chase Center. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game on the NBA Playoff schedule.
NBA Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Dallas Mavericks +6.5
Golden State Warriors -6.5
Total 214
Playoff Analysis
I guess you could say the Mavs have the Warriors right where they want them. No one expected Dallas to beat the No. 1 overall seed Suns in the previous round, but they won every game at home and had a devastating performance in Game 7 on the road to advance. They opened that series with a pair of losses and failed to cover the spread both times. The Mavs also lost the opener of the Utah series at home again failing to cover the line. The Mavs were likely still catching their breath after the Phoenix series while the Warriors had a couple extra days of rest. All things being equal I expect the Mavs to be more competitive as the series moves on.
The Warriors have yet to play seven games in a series this postseason improving to 9-3 SU and 6-6 ATS with the Game 1 win. And while the Dubs are known for their offense with guys like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson knocking down triples, their defense has been the key recently. They held a second straight opponent to less than 100 points closing out the Memphis series with a 110-96 victory. It’s also the third time in the last four games they allowed double digits. They are 3-0 in those games cashing the UNDER every time. The Warriors have also been stellar at home with the NBA’s second-best record at 31-10 during the season. They improved to 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS at Chase Center this postseason.
Dallas Mavericks
The Warriors held Luka Doncic in check on Wednesday, now it’s time for Jason Kidd and the Mavs to make adjustments to allow their superstar to do his thing. Luka scored 20 points in Game 1 but shot just 6 of 18 and 3 of 10 from behind the arc. And let’s face it, the Mavs don’t have the firepower to keep up if Doncic struggles. After scorching the nets in Game 7 against Phoenix, the Mavs shot just 36 percent and were 11 of 48 on three-point attempts. That won’t get it done.
With some time to catch their breath after an exhausting series and travelling all over the western part of the country, the Mavs should settle down for Game 2. As long as they hold serve at home the Mavs need only one road win. And they already showed they can do that.
Golden State Warriors
There is something to be said about finishing off a series early. The Warriors eliminated Denver in five games in the opening round while Memphis went seven games to advance. Getting additional rest and having Jordan Poole take out Ja Morant helped the Dubs move on in six games while the Mavs went the distance to take out Phoenix. It all resulted in the Warriors getting homecourt advantage for the conference final and they’ve been strong in their own barn without a loss this postseason.
The court and the fans don’t win games players do. And the Warriors used the absences of Curry and Thompson to develop depth. Andrew Wiggins and Poole have taken on bigger roles and each scored 19 points in Game 1 as seven players reached double figures.
Mavericks at Warriors NBA Odds Pick
With teams on more even footing now I expect a closer game. The Mavs are going only as far as Doncic takes them and that’s the difference between them. The Warriors have more depth and secondary scoring while playing tough defense. If the Mavs find a happy medium between Game 7 of the previous series and the opener of this one, they should stay within the spread, though they may not win the game.
NBA Odds Prediction: Dallas Mavericks +6.5 / UNDER 214
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