NBA: Big game in Big D

Dallas, Texas is the site of a huge Western Conference matchup between the Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors. Tip-off is set for Wednesday at 9:30 pm ET on ESPN.

There is a three-way battle going on for the last two playoff spots in the West between Dallas, Golden State and Denver, and this game could ultimately decide who makes the postseason and who goes golfing early.

Click here for the latest odds of this contest and the entire Wednesday night NBA schedule.

Dallas (46-28) has played its last four games without their superstar, Dirk Nowitzki, and he is questionable for this game. Jerry Stackhouse has also missed two straight games with a groin injury and his status is up in the air as well.

The Mavs have gone 2-2 since Nowitzki sprained his ankle against San Antonio. They beat the Clippers at home before heading out on a three-game road trip that included losses to Denver and Golden State, before concluding with another win over the lowly Clippers.

In the Golden State game, Dallas jumped out to an early 12-0 lead, but gave it all back by the end of the quarter. It was a four-point game (102-98) with under four minutes left, but a Warriors’ three-pointer cemented the win and the Mavericks failed to cover as five-point dogs, 114-104.

The loss was the latest indignity suffered at the hands of the Warriors. Last year, Dallas got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by them despite winning 67 regular season games. The fact it was done by former Mavs’ coach, Don Nelson made it even harder to swallow, and Dallas is desperate to turn around their fortunes on Wednesday.

If Dallas is going to succeed, they must do a better job defending guard Monta Ellis. Ellis torched them for 30 points last Sunday and is averaging almost 24 PPG in his last five, four points above his season average.

There are a couple of good omens for Dallas heading into this game. The first is that Jason Kidd and Josh Howard have both upped their games since Nowitzki’s injury. Kidd has averaged over 17 points and 10 assists, and he looks like the player they thought they were getting when they acquired him from New Jersey. Howard has pumped in over 30 PPG in the last four.

The other good omen is that Golden State played at San Antonio on Tuesday and they are sure to be a little tired after battling the physical Spurs.

Make sure you check the latest health status of Nowitzki and Stackhouse and then head over to Sportsbook.com to place your wager.

Don’t forget about two of our hot promotions at Sportsbook.com, Man on Fire and Overtime Blues. These promotions allow you to earn up to 50% back on your bets and are easy to signup and fun to follow. Don’t delay!


Online Sports Betting at Sportsbook