The Portland Trail Blazers host the Dallas Mavericks, Thursday April 21st, as the series shifts to the Rose Garden for Game 3 of the Western Conference quarter-finals. The Mavericks lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 and have won three of five over the Blazers. NBA oddsmakers have the Trail Blazers as -5.5 point home favourites over the Mavericks with the over/under set at 186 points. Be sure to check the Mavericks vs Trail Blazers NBA Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
Dallas (2-0) doesn’t have just one superstar performing well, they have three. First it was Jason Kidd, then it was Peja Stojakovic, and the defending of Dirk Nowitzki was spot on. Stojakovic tied his career playoff best with five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points, while Kidd pitched in 18. Nowitzki, showing more resolve than in the opener, finished with 33. Dallas is shooting 47 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs, as opposed to 36 percent in the regular season. The surprising success of those two veterans has put the Mavs in control. "We've been doing that second scorer by committee. Marion had a great finish to the season, Jet (Terry) has been there all season long and Peja was a great addition at the trade deadline because he's still a great knockdown shooter," Nowitzki said. But, the big test will be winning in Portland. They split the regular season series against the Blazers, with each team winning on their home court twice. Portland is 30-11 this season at the Rose Garden, winning 10 of their last 11. Overall against Dallas, the Blazers have a 46-18 advantage at home in the regular season, and they're 6-1 in playoff games. "We know that the Blazers are a very good home team so we wanted to hold home court here and go up there with a 2-0 lead but this series is far from over," Nowitzki said. "They play well at home, they make shots, and they play tough D so we've got to be prepared for a tough game on Thursday." Dallas is 2-1 overall when they've opened 2-0 in 15 previous best-of-7 series.
Portland (0-2) must get better on perimeter defense. "We've got to do a better job of getting first control of the ball. The basketball is getting to the paint, which is forcing the defense to collapse, and we're losing these guys on the three point line — Jason Kidd, Stojakovic," coach Nate McMillan said. And Portland needs to get more production out of their reserves. In Game 2, the Mavs' backups outscored Portland's 39-11. Nicolas Batum had 10 of those points, Rudy Fernandez had 1, and Brandon Roy and Patty Mills both went scoreless. Brandon Roy struggled to find his place with the Blazers, who had moved on without him. The playoffs have intensified that problem. In Game 2 he played just eight minutes, missing his lone shot. McMillan said he limited both Roy and Fernandez because Dallas was successful in defending them. are getting production from their starting five. Dallas native LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 25.5 points and eight rebounds in the first two games. Matthews and Gerald Wallace were solid in Game 2 after both had a shaky opener, and Andre Miller has been dependably solid with 18 points in each of the two games. "We've got to win the two on our home court and get this thing back to an even ballgame," Wallace said.
Recent Trends to Consider:
Home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Mavericks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win.
Mavericks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
Mavericks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Mavericks are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Trail Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
Trail Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as a favorite.
Trail Blazers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Mavericks vs Trail Blazers
When: Thursday, April 21, 10:30 PM ET
Pick: Mavericks +5.5
Point-Spreads.com recommends you check out NBA Point Spreads before Mavericks vs Trail Blazers game.
The Bottom Line: The Mavs should cover, but don’t be surprised by a Blazer win. Be sure to check Mavericks vs Trail Blazers Basketball Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
