NBA Odds: Portland Trail Blazers vs Dallas Mavericks Preview & Game 2 Free Pick
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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks
Date: Tuesday, April 19, 9:30 p.m. ET
Venue: American Airlines Center
Broadcast: TNT
Blazers vs. Mavericks betting lines from Sportsbook.com
Money Line:
Spread: -3.5 -110
Over/Under: 183 -110
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The Dallas Mavericks grabbed a 1-0 series lead with their 89-81 win over the Portland Trial Blazers on Saturday. Portland—a popular first-round upset pick—will try to even things up in Game 2, which gets underway on Tuesday.
Dallas hit its stride right before the playoffs and kept on rolling on Saturday. The Mavericks have won five consecutive games and, more importantly, are 5-0 against the spread in that span.
The biggest surprise in Game 1 was the play of Jason Kidd, who turned the clock back 10 years and enjoyed a spectacular night. Kidd finished with 24 points thanks to six three-pointers. Surely, the 38-year-old can’t be expected to deliver that kind of performance again—though Kid has made 10 of his past 16 three-pointers and has adjusted his shooting grip after some advice from Dirk Nowitzki.
Speaking of Nowitzki, he was one of just three Dallas players to score in double figures. The big German finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds, and he was a perfect 13-for-13 from the charity stripe.
Free throw shooting was a tremendous difference-maker in Game 1. Dallas and Portland ranked 27th and 28th in free throw attempts this season, respectively, but the Mavs had it going in Game 1. They went to the line 29 times, while Portland had just 13 attempts. Dallas had a 19-2 free throw advantage in the fourth quarter.
Speaking of the Blazers, they’ve lost back-to-back games both straight up and against the spread. The momentum from a late-season three-game winning streak is all but gone.
Portland needs to get the offense going again. Limiting Dallas to just 89 points is great work, especially considering the night the Mavericks had from the free throw and three-point lines. Staying out of foul trouble is a great place to start. Guard Wesley Matthews, for example, picked up two fouls in the first three and a half minutes. He played just 19 minutes and finished with two points—well below his season average of 15.9 points per game. Portland certainly can’t afford to have that happen again.
If there’s a good sign, though, it’s that LaMarcus Aldridge dominated. The big man scored 27 points in Game 1, and he’s a good bet to do it again on Tuesday. With Aldridge dominating and a more even night on the free throw line—and fewer unlikely heroics from Kidd—Portland will keep it close enough to cover, if not outright win.
NBA Trends:
Under is 6-2 in POR last 8 road games.
Under is 7-3 in POR last 10 Tue. games.
Under is 6-2-1 in DAL last 9 home games.
Under is 11-3 in the last 14 meetings in Dallas.
Portland at Dallas pick: Trail Blazers
Ian Van Den Hurk has covered amateur and pro sports for years, including a successful run handicapping anything from football to mixed martial arts.
