Upstart Thunder Tipped to Take Series Lead in Game 1
Mavericks vs Thunder Odds: Dallas Needs One On The Road!
The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday.
Mavericks vs Thunder odds have the home side favored at -3.5, as they look to win their fifth consecutive NBA playoff game.
Looking to cause an upset are Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, who are capable of beating any team in the competition.
Mavericks vs Thunder 
Location: Paycom Center
Day/Time: Streaming: TNT
Mavericks Seek Early Advantage
NBA scores could be in favor of the Mavericks at the end of 48 minutes on Tuesday.
They have a talented roster that’s good enough to handle the Thunder, including the dynamic duo of Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
When Doncic hasn’t played his best during the playoffs it has been Irving stepping up. However, we believe they both need to play well to get past the Thunder in Game 1 of the highly anticipated series.
We’re not worried about Doncic doing his part. He averaged 33.9 points per game in the regular season, and his energy levels don’t dip when the pressure goes on.
Irving is also a former NBA champion, so he knows what it takes to get past the second round of the playoffs. However, the question is whether the supporting cast can do enough to contribute.
NBA game stats don’t favor the Mavericks roster outside their two superstars, but they need to help out Doncic and Irving. Teams don’t often win a series because of two good players, and that’s reflected in Mavericks vs Thunder odds.
The Mavericks are the underdogs, and as we have seen with teams playing with two superstars in the Bucks, Clippers, Suns, and Lakers, it takes a team to win in the NBA.
The +135 for the Mavericks to win outright isn’t a bad price. Their best chance of stealing a road win at Paycom Center is in Game 1, but it will take a concentrated team effort.
Team Ball Working for Thunder
There are superstar players on the Thunder roster, including NBA MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, they play better as a team than most in the NBA.
There is no greed with the young Thunder team, and there are no players on the team looking to pad their stats. That resulted in NBA playoff scores looking great for the Thunder, who rolled past the New Orleans Pelicans with ease.
Game 1 was a tight affair, but the Pelicans failed to score over 92 points in the final three games of the series. That’s excellent defense from the Thunder, who have subscribed to playing team ball.
Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams know their roles, and they’re playing great. Holmgren is a threat inside and outside the paint, and Giddey is great at dishing out assists, similar to what Steve Nash did with the Phoenix Suns early in his career.
Confidence is king, and the Thunder have oodles of it. The -3.5 favorites with Mavericks vs Thunder odds know they’re the top seed in the Western Conference, and we can’t see their run slowing down.
A lack of playoff experience is the only negative, but younger players have no scar tissue, so we don’t think they care about that.
“To win basketball games, a lot goes into it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We just know those little things come with winning and we do it every opportunity we get.”
Thunder to Send Statement
We’re backing the Thunder to send a statement in Game 1.
They are the better team entering this series, and we’re happy with the -3.5 line available for the opening game.
Boasting an impressive home record, the Thunder have everything they need to win, and we thought the line would be around -5.5.
Dallas will pose a challenge, especially if Doncic is in a scoring mood. However, we’re picking team ball to win out.
Under 217.5 points is also worth backing. We can’t see either team scoring a big total, and the final score line could be around 110-103, so we have a few points to work with.
The current team total for the Mavericks is 107, so include the under in your NBA prop bets.
Mavericks vs Thunder Game Odds
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