Mavericks at Spurs – Fending off Elimination

The San Antonio Spurs (55-31 SU, 41-43-2 ATS, 42-42-2 O/U) will be in full ‘desperation’ mode when they host the Dallas Mavericks (53-33 SU, 43-43 ATS, 41-45 O/U) in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series tonight at the AT&T Center at 9:30 PM ET.

The Mavericks took a 3-1 series lead over the Spurs with a 99-90 victory at American Airlines Center in Game 4 on Saturday, covering the spread for BetOnline NBA sports betting backers as 4.5-point home favorites while the final score played over the 188-point total.

The Spurs got a game-high 43 points from all-star point guard Tony Parker and 25 points from all-star power forward Tim Duncan, but couldn’t keep pace with the Mavericks who got a team-high 28 points from Josh Howard to lead five Mavericks players in double figure scoring.

The Spurs will look to avoid being knocked out of the playoffs in the first round for the first time since 2000.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Picks.

The Mavericks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 2 days rest.

The Mavericks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.

The Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. loss.

The Spurs are 24-8-1 ATS in their last 33 playoff games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.

The Favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.

The Home team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

The Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

The Mavericks are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

The Mavericks are 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings in San Antonio.

NBA Odds

Dallas Mavericks +5 -110

San Antonio Spurs -5 -110

Over 189½ -110

Under 189½ -110

Analysis: While the San Antonio Spurs clearly aren’t the team they used to be and won’t be around in this postseason much longer, I like them to show their former championship mettle and beat back the Dallas Mavericks in a big way tonight.

As the Spurs’ 105-97 win in Game 2 suggests, the Spurs can still get the job done when they put their minds to it, just not on a nightly basis anymore.

Take the Spurs to cover the spread and the Over to play out for the fourth time in this riveting series.

NBA Free Picks: San Antonio (-5.5)