Game 2 between the Mavericks and the Suns is set for tonight, May 4. The Mavericks are behind in the series 0-1 but can even it up with a win here.
After being unable to stop the offense of the Suns, will they come out with a better game plan here? Or will they try to produce more on offense to keep up with Phoenix? We’ll find out tonight at 10:00 PM EST.
Although Phoenix won the first game of the series, they can’t ease up. The Mavericks lost a few games to the Utah Jazz but ended up winning the series. Devin Booker being healthy definitely gives the Suns an advantage here.
The question is, whether that advantage will continue to result in wins? Let’s take a look at the game itself and make some single-game parlay picks, or even our bet of the day.
Game Preview: Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns
There’s one thing that the Mavericks do better than most teams in the NBA, play defense. On average, the Mavericks only allow 104.52 points per game, ranking first in the NBA.
The problem is, they don’t have a very strong offense to go along with it. Averaging only 107.87 points per game during the regular season, the Mavericks ranked 24th overall.
The Phoenix Suns don’t have very many issues when it comes to scoring. In the first game of the series, they put up 121 points on the best defense in the NBA.
The Suns have the highest field-goal percentage in the entire NBA. If they can match their 48.73% shooting percentage, they’ll be in good shape tonight. We do know that the Mavericks will focus on Devin Booker.
Against the Spread: Dallas Mavericks +6.5
This is a tough pick because we think the Suns will win the game. However, covering a 6.5-point spread against the Mavericks’ defense will be tough. The Mavericks only lost by seven points in Game 1; we think it’ll be much closer here.
Taking the Mavericks +6.5 on the road seems like a much smarter bet. The Mavericks have gone 5-1 against the spread in their last six games.
The Total: OVER 215.5
Defense will be an important factor in this game, but the total will likely go over. We saw the total easily go over in the first game of this series, and it was set at 214.5. The total has gone over in 6 of Dallas’ last eight games on the road.
For Phoenix, the total has gone over in five of their last six games. Although the Mavericks play great defense, stopping the Suns will be a tall task.
To Score 20+ Points: Chris Paul +162
Now, he might not lead the team in scoring, but Chris Paul can put up a lot of points. In Game 1 of the series, he put up 19, nearly eclipsing 20 points. In the game before that, when the Suns faced the Pelicans, he put up 33.
With more attention being put on Devin Booker, we think this will be a great game for Paul. He can shoot, drive the lane, and be the scorer the Suns need.
Win Margin – Phoenix Suns (1-10) +170
This is another great pick for those of you looking to up your winnings. We already mentioned that we believe the Suns will win this game but by a small margin.
The Mavericks are 0-10 against the Suns, having not beaten them since before 2020. Adding this pick will increase your winnings, and it’s the most likely outcome.