Get a $500 Bonus on a $500 Deposit at BetUS!

NBA Playoff Odds: San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks Game 3

Written by Jimmy Boyd

Spurs Mavs Game 3 The No. 3 seed San Antonio Spurs face off against the No. 6 seed Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the Western Conference Playoffs Thursday, April 23rd at 8:30 pm EST on NBA TV. These two NBA Southwest Division rivals are all tied up at one game a piece with the series shifting to Dallas. NBA odds makers expect Dallas to hold serve at home and have listed the Mavericks as a 4.5-point favorite with the total set at 190.

The Spurs are used to making deep playoff runs, but it looked like they might be going home early after their Game 1 performance. The Dallas Mavericks looked like the superior team, taking Game 1 by 8 points as a 4-point underdog despite quiet games from stars Dirk Nowitzky and Jason Terry. But the Spurs bounced back strong in Game 2, assuring everyone that we should not be ready to count them out yet. Tony Parker especially showed the heart of a champion, putting the Spurs on his back with a 38-point performance to rout the Mavs 105-84. Now the Spurs will be out to get their home court back in Game 3. In order to do so, it will take a superb defensive effort against a Mavs team averaging 106.2 points per game at home. This matchup has been as tight as it gets with each team winning 7 games against the other over the last 3 seasons. If you think San Antonio breaks the tie in Game 3, bet the Spurs at +4.5 and receive a 20% cash signup bonus at Bookmaker.

The Dallas Mavericks came into the playoffs playing as well as any team in the NBA, winning 7 of its last 9 games, and the Mavs continued that strong play in Game 1 to steal home court away from the Spurs. They were hit in the mouth in Game 2, but all in all it was mission accomplished by stealing a game. Now it will be up to the Mavs to hold serve at home where they are 32-9 this season. Tim Duncan does not appear to be at 100 percent and Manu Ginobli is out for the rest of the season so winning this series hinges on slowing down Tony Parker. Easier said than done. Parker was getting in the lane at will in Game 2, frustrating the Mavs so much as to provoke Erick Dampier to say he would drop him in Game 3. The key is for Dallas to make Parker a distributor, not allowing him to be a scorer. While he is an improved passer, he is not the great setup artist that Chris Paul and several of the other All-Star point guards are around the league. That strategy gives the Mavs the best opportunity to win this series. Lastly, Dirk Nowitzy has to get going. Nowitzky averages 25.9 points per game, but the Spurs have held him to 19 and 14 points respectively in the first 2 games of this series. He is the go-to guy on this team, and he will have to come up big for Dallas to return to San Antonio up 3-1. If you think Dallas will have San Antonio’s number in Game 3, bet the Mavericks at -4.5.

Consult Jimmy Boyd’s NBA picks page to see if he has a big play on this matchup before doing any NBA betting on your own.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in: