Of all of the first round series in the 2008 NBA Playoffs this one has the most potential for an upset as Dallas has the experience while New Orleans has the better record. New Orleans is led by MVP candidate Chris Paul while Dallas has last year’s MVP Dirk Nowitzki. This year Paul became the fifth player in NBA history to lead the league in assists and steals in the same season. Paul is not alone though as he has All-Star David West, rebounding machine Tyson Chandler and sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic.
NBA Playoff Betting Preview
Dallas Mavericks (51-31) at New Orleans Hornets (56-26) (Game 1)
Saturday, 7:05 pm Eastern – ESPN
Check out the current line for this game at SBG Global.
The Mavericks made some adjustments in their roster hoping to have some playoff success. They picked up Jason Kidd from New Jersey and the verdict is still out on that trade. Kidd has looked great at times but on other occasions has looked slow. He did have his 100th career triple-double in the regular season finale win over New Orleans. Dallas wanted to play New Orleans in this matchup and now they get their wish. Nowitzki has traditionally choked in the playoffs and will have to prove that he can lead the Mavericks to a series win. After last year’s debacle against Golden State, a loss in this series against New Orleans may result in the Mavericks retooling their roster.
New Orleans and Dallas have never met in postseason history. Chris Paul averaged 26.5 points per game and 9 assists per game this season against the Mavericks. The teams split four regular season meetings.
Here are the NBA betting stats for Saturday’s game. The Mavericks are 14-2 ATS in their last 16 playoff games as an underdog. The Mavericks are 37-15-1 ATS in their last 53 vs. the Southwest. The Mavericks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Mavericks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games.
The Hornets are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games as a home favorite. The Hornets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games. The Hornets are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games as a favorite. The Hornets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 playoff games as a favorite. The Hornets are 43-16-2 ATS in their last 61 Saturday games. The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between the two teams. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams.
The Over is 9-1 in the Mavericks last 10 games as a road underdog. The Under is 5-1 in the Mavericks last 6 overall. The Over is 5-1 in the Mavericks last 6 playoff games as an underdog. The Under is 8-3 in the Mavericks last 11 vs. the Southwest. The Under is 5-2 in the Mavericks last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
The Over is 4-1 in the Hornets last 5 playoff games as a favorite. The Under is 8-2 in the Hornets last 10 vs. the Western Conference. The Over is 15-6-2 in the Hornets last 23 games as a home favorite. The Under is 5-2 in the Hornets last 7 overall. The Under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings between the two teams.
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