Close
Help
Settings
Dallas Mavericks Playoffs

NBA Betting Picks: Take Dallas ATS vs. Houston in Game 1

Written by on April 18, 2015

NBA News and Rumors
Thanks to their season-finale win over Utah, and some much-needed help from the Pelicans (who beat the Spurs on Wednesday), James Harden and the Houston Rockets enter the 2015 NBA Playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. This Saturday, the Rockets will be looking to put their home-court advantage into good use when they host the 7th-seeded Dallas Mavericks at the Toyota Center. The Mavericks, on the other hand, are hoping that this game offers a chance for them to rejuvenate their Championship ambitions after they ended the regular season shakily. Interested in wagering on this matchup? If so, you are in the right place, as the section below offers an all-inclusive preview and game analysis of the clash, including free NBA betting picks. Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas Date: Saturday, April 18, 2015 Time: PM ET TV: ESPN/ WATCH ESPN

Mavericks at Houston Game 1 Preview and NBA Betting Analysis

Though there haven’t been that many differences in the up-and-down seasons of both Dallas and Houston, the Rockets come into this game with a 3-1 regular season advantage over Dallas. Moreover, whereas the Mavericks have been a shadow of their flying start to the regular season, Houston has been able to clean up a good number of its mistakes, looking stronger in their finish to the regular season. But even with their uncharacteristic slump in the second half of the regular season, the Mavs are a team that overflows with talent in big-named NBA veterans like Dirk Nowitzki, Rajon Rondo and Tyson Chandler, who are all equally adept in the offense and defense, and a host of other talented big-game players, including Chandler Parsons and Monta Ellis, who are both well-endowed with sharpshooting skills. On a good day when these Dallas players are clicking, the Mavs can be unstoppable.

Dallas Maverics

So, without having to delve into the discussions about Rondo’s inefficiencies and the Mavs’ defensive struggles that have already been well-documented here, let’s just say that, if the Mavs bring their good side to Houston, then Nowitzki and his teammates will be walking out of Houston with a win. On the flipside, it is great to note that Dwight Howard (15.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in 41 games) is back in Houston’s line-up and has been doing a great job in supporting Harden. So, although the injured Donatas Motiejunas and Patrick Beverley will be greatly missed, the Rockets should be able to use their home advantage to give a strong showing now.

Houston Rockets

Furthermore, Trevor Ariza and Jason Terry are also more than capable scorers within the paint and from downtown, and the Rockets boast of a league-best 11.4 threes per game this season. With such players getting involved in the game, and Harden (the second-best scorer in the league at 27.4 PPG plus 7.0 assists) continuing to deliver his MVP-caliber performances, Houston should have more than enough options to out-match the Mavericks.

Top NBA Betting Trends

  • Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
  • Houston is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
  • Dallas is 6-14 ATS in its last 20 games
  • Houston is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
  • Dallas is 3-9 ATS and 4-8 SU in its last 12 games on the road
  • Houston is 18-7 ATS in its last 25 home games and 4-1 SU in its last 5 home games
  • Dallas is 1-4 ATS/SU in its last 5 road games against Houston
  • Houston is 4-1 ATS/SU in its last 5 overall games against Dallas
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas’ last 7 road games against Houston
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston’s last 5 games at home

Game Prediction

In spite of the fact that Houston will be playing at home, the Mavericks’ arena and Rockets’ arena are simply separated by less than 250 miles, negating the perceived home advantage. I would therefore not be surprised if the Mavericks surprised the home-favored Rockets with an upset. Still, the Rockets have looked stronger than the Mavs’ recently, so I believe the Rockets should be able to eke out a close win here, though with Dallas doing enough to cover the spread, with an OVER in the total.
Help Center