Mavs vs. Warriors Odds
| Mavs Odds | +6 |
| Warriors Odds | -6 |
| Over/Under | 214 |
| Time | 9 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here. | |
The Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks will once again battle one another in Game 2 of this best-of-seven series.
Dallas has shown that it is a team that is more than capable of winning the West, but Game 1 of this series was not quite the performance we have been used to seeing from the Mavs this postseason.
Golden State walked into halftime with a nine-point lead in that game and never looked back, eventually defeating Dallas by a score of 112-87.
Is another blowout on deck in this one, or can Dallas regroup and steal a win on the road to even the series before heading back home for Games 3 and 4?
Dallas to Recover From Uncharacteristic Game 1?
After torching the Phoenix Suns in Game 7 of the Western Conference semis, the Mavericks came out slow and dug themselves a hole to begin this series.
The Mavs scored just 18 points in the first quarter and then struggled to recover, shooting 36% from the floor overall and 23% from 3, while posting an Offensive Rating of 90.6.
However, those struggles have not been the norm for Dallas this postseason, and what we witnessed in Game 1 does not portray an accurate picture of who this team really is.
Through 14 postseason games, the Mavericks have posted an Offensive Rating of 112.7, which ranks seventh out of the 16 playoff teams. They've managed to shoot 45% from the floor and 37% from deep as well, further proving that their inefficiencies in Game 1 seem to be an outlier.
Spencer Dinwiddie shot 5-of-11 from the floor in Game 1, but no one else in the main rotation shot above 37.5%.
A quick turnaround and having to stay on the road could be to blame, but either way, I think everyone on the Mavericks will come back up to their usual production levels.
Warriors' Balance Shining Bright
Not everything about their postseason play has been pretty, but the Warriors look like the Warriors of old. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have all pieced together solid performances in the playoffs, and as a result, find themselves three wins away from once again returning to the NBA Finals.
However, this team is much more than just those guys, and that is the reason why Golden State has been such a difficult matchup all season.
For starters, Jordan Poole has stepped up to the plate, becoming quite the offensive force. Poole is averaging 19.3 points per game this postseason and is shooting the ball with incredible efficiency (51% overall, 38% from 3), piling onto the success he found in the regular season.
Andrew Wiggins is another guy that has been relied on heavily to take some pressure off of Steph and Klay on the offensive end. In the playoffs, Wiggins has risen to the occasion, averaging 15 points per game and shooting 49% from the floor.
Combine those two with solid bench production from guys like Otto Porter Jr., and it is easy to see how the Warriors are inside the top five in Offensive Rating and leading all playoff teams with 114 points per game.
They are tough to stop, and Dallas will simply have to play much better if it has any chance of halting Golden State's momentum.
Mavericks-Warriors Pick
Dallas' no-show of a performance in Game 1 does raise some concern, but I'm willing to bet it responds nicely to the blowout and keeps this game close.
In the regular season, the Mavs went 3-1 overall against the Warriors, showing they have what it takes to go stride-for-stride with them.
Luka Doncic dominated the regular-season series, putting up an average line of 31.5-9-5.5, and four other Mavs players averaged double-digit points across those four games.
It's tough to say what caused the sluggish start to this series, but I'm willing to bet Dallas will put that performance in the rearview mirror and come out with more fight in this one.
Getting six points here is great, and I would play it down to five.
Pick: Mavericks +6 (-105)
