Subject: NBA Playoff Odds – San Antonio vs Dallas

Here at BetOnline Sportsbook, our analysis of the NBA playoff betting action won’t stop until the champagne corks start flying after the last game of the NBA Finals. Today, we’re taking a look and making our picks on the first game of the Western Conference quarterfinal clash between the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks.

The Spurs aren’t used to being underdogs this time of year, and perhaps if they had stayed healthy for the majority of the season, they wouldn’t be. San Antonio stuck around in the tightly packed Western Conference, but when push came to shove, there were too many glaring losses to give this team home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Dallas was the team that really made a move in the second half of the season, moving from behind San Antonio and several other teams in the West all the way up to the #2 seed by posting the NBA’s best record in that stretch.

#7 San Antonio Spurs (50-32, 44-37-1 ATS) vs. #2 Dallas Mavericks (55-27, 37-44-1 ATS)

Game Date/Time: Sunday, April 18th, 8:00 ET
Game Location: American Airlines Arena, Dallas, TX
TV/Radio Broadcast: TNT, Sirius Radio

NBA Playoff Odds
San Antonio Spurs +4.5
Dallas Mavericks -4.5
Game Total 194.5

If the Spurs are surviving in this series, they’re going to have to do so on the strength of their veteran leadership.

The elder statesman of the group, F Tim Duncan scored 17.9 points and brought down 10.1 rebounds per game in 2009-10. Though he isn’t the same player that stood side by side with C David Robinson back in the good old days, the future Hall of Famer is still a force to be reckoned with every time he steps onto the court.

HC Gregg Popovich has some interesting decisions to make about his bench, as Gs Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, both of which are used to playing 30+ minutes per game, may both be used in relief roles to try to change the flow of games.

The Mavericks just play totally different basketball now than they did at the outset of the season. They’ve acquired a bit of a tough side, as everyone seems to be fighting harder for rebounds and loose balls, and they’re not afraid to take or dish out the tough fouls.

F Dirk Nowitzki is still the same old Dirk though, which is a great sign for the Mavs. He averaged 25.0 points per game this season, and really started to flourish when the team made the move to bring in another prolific scorer in Butler.

NBA Playoff Insider Tip: The home team is 6-2 ATS in the L/8 clashes of these Lone Star State rivals.

It’s hard to want to back a team that is just 7-28-1 ATS in its L/36 games on its home court, but this is playoff time, and the records can all get thrown out the window.

Dallas nailed down the Spurs in the final three meetings of the year, winning 96-79 and 99-94 at home and 112-103 in San Antonio.

Look for the Mavericks to make a huge statement in NBA playoff betting action on Sunday in Game 1.

My NBA Playoff Prediction: Dallas by 12 – SIGN UP HERE