NBA Playoff Odds: San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks Game 4
After a convincing win in Game 2 to even the series, the San Antonio Spurs laid an egg in Game 3 with a 21-point loss that was even worse than the final score would have you believe. The Spurs had only 42 points through the first three quarters of the game before ending up with just 67. San Antonio will try to bounce back Saturday, April 25th at 4:00 pm EST on TNT. NBA odds makers feel San Antonio will have its work cut out for itself again, listing the Spurs as 4.5-point underdogs with the total set at 188.
During a timeout early in the third quarter, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs starters headed to the bench and never returned to action. Future Hall of Fame forward Tim Duncan played just over 15 minutes and scored only four points. Former NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker, who scorched the Mavs in Game 2, scored only 12 points in just over 21 minutes. After an embarrassing loss like that, you can expect this proud Spurs team to perform much better in Game 4. With Manu Ginobli out for the rest of the season, the Spurs have little margin for error. They must get a lot of point production from their stars, they must play very well defensively, and they must shoot a high percentage from beyond the arc. The Spurs are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA, but they were just 2-of-17 in Game 3. The Spurs depend on Tony Parker’s penetration to create points in the paint, three point shot opportunities, and foul shot opportunities. Parker only shot four free throws in Game 3 and Duncan didn’t get to the line at all. If you think San Antonio got a wake up call Thursday night, bet the Spurs at +4.5 at BetUS in Game 4.
The Dallas Mavericks used superior defense, Dirk Nowitzky’s shooting touch, and an energetic crowd to send a message to the Spurs Thursday night. In the win, it was evident that the Mavs have a lot more fire power than San Antonio. In fact, five Dallas players scored in double figures while the Spurs only had two double figure scorers. The Mavs know that the Spurs are going to come at them strong in Game 4, just like they did in Game 2, but this time the Mavs have home court on their side. I think it will be very important for Dallas to jump on the Spurs early again to get the crowd into this game. Plus, the Spurs are not an explosive offensive team and therefore have trouble erasing large deficits. J.J. Barea has been a big surprise for the Mavs this season, and he is a big reason why they are up 2-1 in this series. The Mavs already have lots of star power with Nowitzky, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, and Josh Howard, and that really opens things up for the lightning quick Barea as the Spurs must first worry about the aforementioned. Barea has gotten into the heart of the Spurs defense at will as he has proven to be quicker than San Antonio’s rotations, and he also takes a lot of pressure off of Jason Kidd to do it all as the Mav’s setup man . If you think Dallas can put the Spurs in a 3-1 hole, bet the Mavs at -4.5 at BetUS.
Make sure you consult Jimmy Boyd’s NBA picks before doing any NBA betting on the playoffs!
