The Western Conference Semifinals tip off Tuesday night between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder. This series will be a battle between a veteran team with plenty of playoff experience and one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Nonetheless, it should live up to the hype. Below is my series prediction.
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Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Series Betting Preview and Predictions
These two teams matched up four times during the regular season, and the Thunder won three out of the four matchups. However, the Mavericks did not have Luka and Kyrie Irving in the final meeting of the regular season. The question for me will be, does the lack of playoff experience catch up to the Thunder?
The Thunder made easy work of the Pelicans, who were decimated by injuries, and we could make the same argument for the Mavericks, who faced a Clippers team without a healthy Kawhi Leonard.
The key in this series for the Thunder will be: can they slow down Luka and Kyrie? Further, can the Mavericks take advantage of the boards against a Thunder team that does not have a traditional big man?
To my surprise, the Thunder were the best three-point shooting team in the first round. That is going to be key in this series again. Another key is going to be whether the Thunder can defend the Mavericks’ backcourt. Since 2022, Luka has averaged a triple-double against the Thunder and has scored at least 30 points in the last five head-to-head matchups.
For the Thunder, it almost seems like they are playing with house money. As the saying goes this team is a year away from being a year away.
However, this Thunder team plays good defense, and if they are consistent from beyond the arc again, they will challenge the Mavericks for the series.
However, I believe the Mavericks will be too much for the Thunder to handle. The Mavericks will be without Maxi Kleber. However, the Mavericks could get Tim Hardaway Jr. back, which would be huge for this team’s depth. Both teams rely on their star players, but the key will be which team’s bench steps up in this series.
Best Bet: Mavericks To Win Series -105
