They’re still a work in progress defensively but the Golden State Warriors are having no trouble scoring the basketball during a three-game winning streak that put them over .500. And they also learned how to win on the road taking down Minnesota, 137-114, on Sunday night for their second road victory in the last three tries after going winless in their first eight away games. The Warriors look to continue their streak when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday in the first meeting between the clubs since last season’s Western Conference Final won by the Dubs in five games.
Tuesday’s game will air live on TNT with tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET from American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game on the NBA schedule.
GSW vs Dallas Mavs
Golden State Warriors (Check Back Later)
Dallas Mavericks (Check Back Later)
Total (Check Back Later)
Season to Date
The Warriors are back to where most expected them to be. Maybe not all the way back, but three straight wins and five in their last six games put them over .500 for the first time since the second week of the campaign. And with the defense scuffling, the Dubs simply decided to outscore opponents with their point producing arsenal. During their current three-game winning streak the Dubs are averaging 130 points while going 3-0 ATS and cashing the OVER in all three. Starting with a win over the Rockets on Nov. 20, the Dubs went four games with a different leading scorer.
A loss to the Bucks on Sunday gave the Mavs a winless three-game road trip and sent them to their fourth consecutive defeat. They went 0-4 ATS in those games and are the least profitable team in the NBA with an overall record of 4-14-1 ATS. The Mavs have just one payout in their last 15 games going 1-13-1 ATS and they didn’t put up much of a fight against Golden State in the playoffs losing in five games while going 1-4 ATS. Their one win came at home and the Mavs are 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five games with the Warriors in Big D.
Golden State Warriors
With scorers like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole offense hasn’t been an issue for the Warriors. Curry put up 50 against the Suns a few weeks ago and averages 31.4 points to rank among the NBA leaders with a guy he’ll be going against on Tuesday. What’s stood out for Golden State during their championship runs is their efficiency on offense, which they’ve maintained all season. The Dubs average nearly 118 points while ranking among the top-5 in field goal and three-point percentage.
What’s kept the Warriors from having a better record at this point is their defense. An underrated part of their game during their title trips, the team has floundered at that end of the floor. They rank 22nd in defensive rating giving up 117.3 points per game. They’ve been a little bit better during their current winning streak allowing 113 points, but the combo has been a boon for OVER bettors with the Dubs exceeding the total in all three games. The OVER is 6-3-2 in their 11 road games and 12-7 overall.
Dallas Mavericks
Trying to end a losing streak with a game against the hot defending champs is a difficult chore for the Mavs. But just like their opponent the Mavs have been good at home winning eight of 11 games. But even that’s tainted with two losses in their last three home games. They played without Luka Doncic in a 101-92 loss to the Rockets and were foiled by an undermanned Nuggets squad in the game before the road trip started. That was a painful setback since Denver was without MVP Nikola Jokic as well as starters Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
The Mavericks never recovered from that painful loss dropping all three games on a recent road trip. And we typically don’t see teams struggle as badly as the Mavs to get a payout. They did get some reinforcements back in the lineup to help Doncic. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber returned during the road trip to give the team secondary scoring. Doncic averages 33.4 points but the Mavs score just 109.1 points per game to rank near the bottom in that NBA stat category.
Warriors vs Mavericks Prediction
The Mavs advancing to the West Final last season was a blessing for the Warriors, who faced little resistance en route to another NBA title. And with the teams going in opposite directions we could easily have a similar result. It isn’t a given that the Warriors will continue their improved play on the road and the Mavs have been good enough at home to make this an interesting matchup. I do have to side with the underdog Mavs, though.
Prediction: Dallas Mavericks and UNDER
