NBA championship odds has Dallas as the team most likely to challenge the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference, and if they get performances from Dirk Nowitzki like they did in their first-round series against San Antonio, they stand an excellent chance of beating the Leakers. Game 2 goes Wednesday night in Dallas.
Spurs vs Mavericks odds – Wednesday, April 21, 9:30 PM ET
Nowitzki was lights out in the Mavericks’ 100-94 win in Game 1, going 12-of-14 from the field and nailing all 12 of his free-throw attempts for a game-high 36 points to power Dallas. The Mavericks also outrebounded the Spurs 45-37, including 13-8 on the offensive glass, and they were 25-of-34 from the foul line as opposed to 12-of-14 for the Spurs. Caron Butler added 22 points, while Jason Kidd had yet another near triple-double with 13 points, 11 assists and eight boards, with four steals for good measure, and the Dallas offense was working like a well-oiled machine. Of course, it’s easy for a team to look good when a player of Nowitzki’s caliber is feeling it, and he certainly was in Game 1.
It wasn’t all bad for the Spurs, as they shot 50% from the field, but they didn’t get to the line enough, and 17 turnovers is far too many to survive in the playoffs. Tim Duncan had 27 points and eight rebounds, while Manu Ginobili chipped in with 26 points. Tony Parker started on the bench, but had 18 points in 34 minutes for the Spurs, and you can pretty much bet that he’ll be in the starting five for Game 2 as coach Gregg Popovich was trying to save him. Parker missed a month late in the season because of an ailing hand, but now Popovich’s hand (no pun intended) has been forced.
The Mavericks should be the favorites in this contest if you’re betting on sports, and the Spurs have now lost six in a row in Dallas, and eight of their last 10 trips to “Big D” overall. The Spurs’ “Big Three” of Parker, Duncan and Ginobili played well, but outside of 10 points from Antonio McDyess, no other player scored more than five points, and Richard Jefferson is arguably the biggest free-agent disappointment of the season. The Mavericks have a lot of weapons and didn’t even get a good game from Jason Terry. The center duo of Erick Dampier and Brendan Haywood combined for 15 points and 18 rebounds, and which allows Nowitzki to have more offensive freedom, which can mean nothing but good things for the Mavericks. The Spurs are going to need all of their championship experience to steal one here, but we think they just don’t have enough talent.
Bet NBA: Dallas
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