The Dallas Mavericks will travel to Chesapeake Energy Arena to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarlerfinals. The game starts at 9:30 pm ET on Saturday, Apr. 16 and will air on ESP, FxK and TXA.
The Thunder are expecting a better outcome after their 102-98 loss to the Spurs on Tuesday. Steven Adams was the best player for the Thunder, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 96-91 loss at the hands of that same Spurs squad on Wednesday. Raymond Felton had a good shooting night, leading the team with 22 points.
The Thunder come into this game 55-27 Straight Up (SU) and 36-43-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 55-27 SU and 36-43-3 ATS against the Western Conference. The Thunder will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In the last 10 games, Oklahoma City has only averaged 95.9 points per game compared to the 110.2 they’ve averaged on the season. The Thunder have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the top-ranked rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 48.6 per game, while the Mavericks rank 19th in the league with 43.1 per game. Oklahoma City’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 94.2 during that span, compared to its 102.9 season average. The Thunder have really locked down opponents, ranking fifth in the league with a .438 opponent field-goal percentage.
Over on the other bench, the Mavericks head into the game with records of 44-36-2 ATS and 42-40 SU. In Western Conference games, Dallas has gone 42-40 SU and 44-36-2 ATS. During the last 10 games, they averaged 110.2 PPG, above their 102.3 PPG season average. Dallas is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the league, hitting .794 of their shots from the line.
Oklahoma City won the last meeting this season between these two teams, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the past 10 meetings. However, with a 6-4 record, the Mavericks have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC
Notes
“Oklahoma City is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Oklahoma City is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games “.
“Oklahoma City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City’s last 7 games “.
“Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City’s last 6 games when playing Dallas”.
“Oklahoma City is 4-12 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Dallas”.
“Oklahoma City is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Dallas”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City’s last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas”.
On average, Dallas puts up 102.3 points per game (ranked 16th), while Oklahoma City gives up 102.9 points per game (ranked 15th).
Dallas scores an average of 100.3 points per away game (ranked 17th), while Oklahoma City allows 99.7 points per home game (ranked 10th).
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Mavericks are 28-7 on the season. When the Thunder score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 3-13.
The Dallas Mavericks have a subpar 14-33 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Oklahoma City Thunder are 52-14 when they hit the century mark.
The Thunder have a defensive rating of 103.5 (ranked 11th), while the Mavericks rank 10th for their offensive rating of 105.3.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the league with a FG% of 47.6%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Dallas Mavericks have a subpar 6-20 record.
On average, the Oklahoma City Thunder attempt 23.0 three point field goals per game and the Dallas Mavericks attempt 28.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Oklahoma City has a winning 21-11 record, while Dallas is 31-30.
Oklahoma City has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.48 this season (ranked 24th). Dallas ranks higher with an A/TO of 1.79 (ranked sixth).
The Thunder earn a league-high 48.6 rebounds per game, while the Mavericks rank 19th with 43.1 per game.
Oklahoma City ranks second in defensive rebounding, placing the team near the top of the pack. Dallas, however, ranks 26th in offensive rebounds.
On average, the Mavericks force a turnover rate of 13.8%, ranked eighth in the NBA. When the Thunder turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 36-20 record.
