Thunder vs. Mavericks: Analyzing the 4.5-Point Spread and Odds

Watch Thunder vs. Mavericks: Analyzing the 4.5-Point Spread and Odds - SportsGrid on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Joe, just to tidy up the point on the Mavs and the Thunder, four and a half points spread

00:09in favor of OKC, 230 and a half is that total.

00:14We'll see the availability based on whatever bug is going around with the Mavericks in

00:20that locker room.

00:21Right now, nobody has been listed out in full for tonight's game.

00:26OKC has been one of the best cover teams in the NBA the last year plus.

00:30They have been a favorite in their last 24 games since the season opener and winning

00:35outright as a short underdog against the Nugs.

00:38They are 13 and 9 against the spread as the favorites.

00:42You mentioned the Mavericks, who have won seven straight, 11 of their last 12.

00:46They have covered in 10 of those 12 games in this recent good form span.

00:52And as an underdog this year, Joe, both five and three straight up in five, two and one

00:58against the spread, meaning when Dallas covers as a dog, they often win outright, which is

01:04what they are trying to do here in the quarterfinals to advance to the semis in Sin City.

01:10Yeah.

01:11And OKC has not been a great home favorite, just six and five there, Ben.

01:17So this is, yeah, listen, they've done a great job of blowing out the bad teams, OKC,

01:24and winning by double digits.

01:26This is a different animal.

01:28And yes, this is going to be personal for OKC since it was Dallas that, you know, bounced

01:34them last year on their way to the finals.

01:37But this is a different test.

01:38Hartenstein now back and available here for OKC, but still no Chet Holmgren.

01:46They've had to change things up here a little bit.

01:48It's still a matchup nightmare to me for OKC.

01:54Dallas has only lost one game by five or more points since November 4th, Ben.

02:00I don't think with the playoff atmosphere that we're going to have here, anything is

02:04going to change.

02:05They're going to throw everything at Donchik, who's 100 percent healthy, unlike what he

02:09was in the playoffs a year ago there in the Western Conference Finals.

02:13I think they're going to have their hands full here tonight, provided everyone's available.

02:19P.J. Washing, Najay Mar, as long as they're there, that's enough depth on Dallas to make

02:24this a game in which I'll take as many points and sprinkle on the money line for the Mavs.