NBA Playoff Odds: Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs Game 5
The Spurs gave a great effort in Game 4 as they took a four-point lead into the half, but the Mavericks proved to be too much down the home stretch and now hold a commanding 3-1 lead with the series shifting back to San Antonio. You can catch Game 5 at 9:30 pm EST on TNT on Tuesday, April 28th. NBA odds makers certainly don’t expect San Antonio to go down without a fight and have listed the Spurs as 5-point favorites with the total set at 190.
San Antonio is really missing Manu Ginobli in this series as he gives the Spurs the third scorer that they are so desperately missing. The stars did not disappoint in Game 4 as Tony Parker scored 43 points and Tim Duncan added 25, but no other Spurs player had over 7 points. For the Spurs to win Game 5, they’ll need Parker and Duncan to perform at a high level once again, and they will also need more production from everyone else. Perhaps, the biggest disappointment for the Spurs in this series has been sharp shooting center Matt Bonner. Bonner averages 8.2 points per game on the season, but he has been held scoreless in two of the games in this series and scored just two points in another game. It is no coincidence that the Spurs won Game 2 when Bonner scored 11 points. Roger Mason was a major disappointment in both games at Dallas as well. If you think San Antonio will come through in Tuesday’s do-or-die Game 5, bet the Spurs at -5 at BetUS.
Dallas has done exactly what it set out to do. The Mavs stole a game in San Antonio and then held serve at home to put themselves in the driver’s seat in this series. The Spurs have done a good job defensively on Dirk Nowitzky and Jason Terry, holding the two Maverick stars well under their season averages, but Dallas’ depth has proven to be too much. The Spurs have basically had no answer for Josh Howard, who went off for 28 points in Game 4, and the penetration of J.J. Barea has given the Mavs a major lift as well. We have heard so much about San Antonio’s defense for so long, but it has been Dallas’ defense that has really shined in this series. Perhaps, no longer a weakness, the Dallas “D” has held the Spurs to only 89.75 points per game in this series. The Mavericks will have to continue to play solid defense if they hope to end this series Tuesday night, and they are going to need Dirk and J.T. to step up. You can bet on San Antonio making the necessary adjustments in Game 5, likely taking the ball out of Josh Howard’s hands. That means Dirk and Terry can no longer have games below their season averages. If you think Dallas is ready to deliver the knockout blow, bet the Mavericks at +5 at BetUS and receive up to 145 percent in sign up bonuses.
Make sure you find out who Jimmy is playing with his NBA picks before doing any NBA betting on the playoffs this season.
