Game 1 of the second round series between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder will take place on Tuesday night, with the young Thunder retaining home court advantage and defeating the experienced Mavericks as the No. 1 seed in the West. Oklahoma City quickly defeated the Pelicans in the first round and took some time off, but Dallas finally got a win over their recent playoff rivals by defeating the Clippers in six games.
Tim Hardaway Jr. missed most of the first game against Dallas and has been removed from the injury report, while Maxi Kleber is out with a sprained shoulder. That is likely as Luka Doncic has been battling knee pain. Oklahoma City is unscathed in terms of injuries.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Thunder are 3.5-point favorites with 218 total sets. Oklahoma City is -162 on the money line and Dallas is +136.
Mavericks vs. Thunder, 9:30pm ET
Select ATS: Thunder-3.5
The Mavericks had some time to breathe after their win over the Clippers, but they still come into this game with a rest disadvantage. Dallas is 10-7 ATS in this category this season. Somewhat surprisingly, the Thunder are 9-9-1 ATS with a rest advantage despite being one of the top teams against this number all season.
Oklahoma City's defense in the first round was exceptional, especially the job Lou Dort did against Brandon Ingram. He will likely be tasked with handling Doncic, and the outcome of that matchup could decide the series. As for Game 1, I think the Thunder can continue their excellent home record this season and start the series with a win. Cover Oklahoma City.
Top/Bottom: Under 218 years old
The first three games of Dallas' season opener were below the total, but the next three games were above the total. The Mavericks had lower totals in all six games compared to their numbers from Tuesday's Game 1. The Thunder exceeded that total just once in the four-game sweep, but all four of their totals were below this line. Oddly enough, all four regular season games exceeded this number. Given the current postseason trends for both teams, I'm going to back the under for Game 1.
