2010 NBA Playoffs Betting: Spurs vs. Mavericks Prediction: April 18th 2010

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks
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The entire state of Texas will be tuned into TNT on Sunday night for Game 1 of the NBA playoff betting Lone Star State series between the San Antonio spurs (50-32, 44-37-1 ATS) and Dallas Mavericks (55-27, 37-44-1 ATS). The Spurs punched their tickets back to the post-season even though the squad had its play hampered by a multitude of injuries throughout every stage of the season. Dallas parlayed a huge move at the trade deadline to shoot up through the standings and eventually land the Western Conference’s #2 overall seed.

HC Gregg Popovich did a masterful job of coaching the Spurs this season, as one of his stars was out for a prolonged amount of time for almost every game this season. The one injury concern for the Spurs is the bum ankle of G George Hill who left after just six minutes against the Mavs in both teams regular season finale. He is listed as questionable for tonight’s game. The trio of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan are once again at the forefront of the Spurs scoring attack. Together, they rank in the middle of the pack offensively (#15 at 101.4 PPG), but San Antonio still plays solid “D” only allowing opponents an average of 96.3 PPG (#8).

The Mavericks have an elder statesman of their own in F Dirk Nowitzki. At 25.0 points and 7.7 points per game, the German national player is always a threat to take over a game from either the inside or the outside. His supporting cast is better than it has arguably ever been, though. Caron Butler is averaging 15.2 points per game as a Maverick, and the backcourt of Jason Terry (16.6 points, 3.8 assists per game) and Jason Kidd (10.3 points, 9.1 assists per game) is as good as any in the NBA. The Mavs head into the playoffs on fire having gone 8-2 both SU and ATS in its L/10 games.

San Antonio picked up the SU win and cover in these teams first meeting of the year back in November, but the Mavericks took each of the next three both SU & against the closing NBA odds most recently scoring a 96-89 home win and cover on Wednesday. The home team has covered six of the L/8 overall meetings in this NBA betting series, and the Spurs have gone a woeful 1-6 ATS the L/7 times they were tagged playoff underdogs in the 0.5 to 4.5-point range.

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