NBA Saturday Preview: Trail Blazers Vs Mavericks

With the main focus this time of the year on the Super Bowl odds, and subsequent NFL picks, a lot of key matchups in other sports go overlooked. This Saturday a game that would be a playoff matchup if the season ended today will take place in “Big D”. This game may not look lopsided at first glance, but a closer look will reveal some intriguing sports betting implications.

Portland Trail Blazers (27-20, 6^th in the west) @ Dallas Mavericks (30-16, 3^rd in the west)

Betting Outlook:

Spread: Dallas -8

Over/Under: 193

Money Lines: Dallas -180, Portland + 160

Key Storylines:

Bronze Medal: Andre Miller vs. Jason Kidd

This classic matchup of pass first, push the play point guards will be exciting to watch. When these two were in their prime, it was like watching poetry in motion. Now slowed by age and declining skills, these two great players still have enough in the tank to start on a playoff team.

Miller has scored better of the two with 12.9 PPG, 5.3 APG and 3.0 RPG while Kidd averages just less than 10 points, with 9.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds a contest. Miller’s role has been in constant flux as the Blazers have been decimated by injuries. Neither is a great defender or shooter anymore, but both will have sizeable impacts on how their team’s offense flows.

Kidd has always been the better player and Dallas flows in his offense, especially at home.

Advantage: Mavericks

Silver Medal: LaMarcus Aldridge vs. Dirk Nowitzki

Aldridge has developed into a solid player in the NBA and has added some muscle to his formerly skinny frame. He will continue to develop over the next few years and All-Star nods will be there in the future for this talented big man who is asked to play out of position at center for stretches due to the lack of a big man on the team. The Blazers can’t afford to keep Juwan Howard’s corpse on the court for too long especially against this opponent.

Dirk has returned to the form that gave him the 2006 MVP. He is averaging 25.1 PPG, with 7.8 RPG and 2.5 APG. Couple that with his unlimited range, variety of ways to free himself and ability to get to the line where he rarely misses (89% FT) and you are dealing with one of the game’s best. Dirk has the ability to come through in the clutch and will be starting for the home team in Cowboys Stadium in this year’s All-Star Game.

Aldridge is certainly going to have his hands full defensively in this one. The Mavs will likely try to flush Aldridge out onto Dirk and abuse the rest of the Blazers with the big body of Erick Dampier down low.  If Dirk can hit his shots, this will spell doom for the Blazers. If he does not, watch Dirk go into the post and create. Either way, the Blazers probably have no answer for the big German forward.

Advantage: Mavericks

Gold Medal: How the Blazers fill in for Brandon Roy

Against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday the Blazers came out flat in their first game without Roy. They cannot afford to trail 37-16 at the end of the first quarter if they plan on winning games against the Western Conference’s elite.  Without Roy’s leadership, clutch play and momentum shifting drives to the hoop, the Blazers are a mediocre team at best. G Rudy Fernandez and G Jerryd Bayless are filling in for the injured Roy (hamstring) for the foreseeable future and have not shown anything that should scare Dallas. G Jason Terry and G/F Josh Howard should have a field day with those two young Portland guards.

Advantage: Mavericks

Prediction: The Blazers are about to get hit by a buzz-saw. A depleted roster playing one of the league’s top teams in their home court does not spell well for the hopes of the Blazers in this game. This would be the 3 vs. 6 playoff matchup if the season ended today in the Western Conference, but without All-Star Brandon Roy, this team is not playoff bound.

5dimes review: Final: Dallas 94 - Blazers 81. Take Dallas and the under.