Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder
Time: Nov 6, 2013 at 9:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: OKC -7
Total: 211
Odds courtesy of Bovada
The Dallas Mavericks have been a pleasant surprise to fans so far, having won three of the team’s first four games, including an impressive 12-point win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Wins over Atlanta and the L.A. Lakers are less impressive, but the team may not be the waning superpower that it was projected to be by many.
Dirk Nowitzki may be taking a secondary scoring role behind the gunner Monta Ellis, who was acquired as a free agent over the offseason. Ellis leads the team in scoring with 25 points per game and is also posting the best PER of any Maverick (25.4). Nowitzki is still doing his thing, with reduced minutes. Dirk has seen just 30 minutes per night, but remarkably is still posting over 20 points per game despite the increased rest.
The Mavs have a good collection of veterans and could be a sleeper in the West, but it really isn’t enough to persuade NBA oddsmakers at Bovada to give the team an edge over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who recently got Russell Westbrook back from the injury he sustained in last year’s playoffs.
Westbrook has been criticized as being overly assertive on a team with Kevin Durant, but he remains a key in OKC’s plans to dethrone the Miami Heat. Durant found out how hard life was without the playmaker in the 2013 playoffs, but still emerged victorious in Round One against the Houston Rockets.
The Thunder are 2-1 and will face Detroit and Washington after tonight’s contest, offering the team a chance to bolster its record before hitting a much tougher stretch of schedule later this month. Expect Durant and Westbrook to come out focused in front of the home crowd and the 7-point spread may be conservative if the Thunder get clicking. The Mavs may be 3-1, but Kevin Durant should have his way with Shawn Marion and Westbrook poses nightmares for the slow footed Jose Calderon defensively.
Dallas Betting Trends: OVER 5-0 in last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in previous game; OVER 4-0 in last 4 after an SU win; OVER 4-0 in last 4 playing second night of back-to-backs
OKC Betting Trends: 0-4 ATS in last 4 following SU win; 0-4 ATS in last 4 when opponent scores 100 or more in previous game; 0-7 ATS in last 7 following ATS loss
Head-to-head: OVER 3-1-1 in last 5 meetings; OVER 5-2 in last 7 in OKC; Mavs 20-8-1 ATS in last 29 in OKC.
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