Golden State Warriors will host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday evening. The hosts want to capitalize on the home-court advantage and take the lead in this series. The away side boosted its confidence after eliminating the Suns, and they hope to pick up where they left off.
Golden State has been excellent in front of its fans in the playoffs, winning eight times in a row. They want to continue in the same fashion and open this series with a win. On the other hand, Dallas enjoyed great success against Phoenix. The visitors don’t want to stop here, and they seek another positive result on the road.
Golden State Warriors – Will they continue their run on the home court?
The Warriors have been pretty confident in the post-season, and they didn’t have many troubles reaching the Western Conference Finals. After eliminating the Nuggets 4-1, they were better than the Memphis Grizzlies in six games. In the most recent match, they celebrated a 110-96 victory on Friday evening. Although Memphis managed to hold the game tight, Golden State won the final period by 13 points. The Warriors didn’t have a great field goal percentage (39.4), but they dominated the paint with 70 rebounds in that encounter.
Stephen Curry has been the most efficient player for the Warriors in the post-season, with 26.9 points, 5.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest. Klay Thompson has produced 20.4 pts, while Jordan Poole has contributed to Golden State’s offense with 19.3 points in the playoffs. Andrew Wiggins is another player with a double-digit number of points, while Draymond Green tops the rebounds and assists charts with 7.2 and 6.6, respectively. On the other hand, the Warriors still cannot count on James Wiseman, Andre Iguodala, and Gary Payton II.
Expected Line-Up: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green
with best odds
Dallas Mavericks – Can they produce another surprise?
Despite being underdogs in the series against the Phoenix Suns, the Mavericks fought for a 4-3 victory in the conference semi-finals. They booked four wins in the last five matches of the series and deservedly earned their place in the Western Conference Finals. Dallas celebrated a convincing 123-90 victory at Chase Center, and they controlled the game from its start. The Mavs allowed only ten points to their opponents in the second quarter and had a 30-point advantage by halftime. They had an excellent 56.8 field goal percentage, hitting 48.7% of their three-pointer shots. Dallas hopes they can keep their numbers high in this encounter as well.
Luka Doncic leads the Mavs’ offense with 31.5 points per contest, followed by a team-high 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals. Jalen Brunson has also contributed a lot to Dallas’s offense with 22.6 pts, while Spencer Dinwiddie produces 13.2 points per match. Dorian Finney-Smith scores 11.6 pts per game, while Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber have chipped in with a double-digit number of points per match. Thanks to an injury-free roster, Dallas won’t have selection issues ahead of this match.
Expected Line-Up: Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell
Expert Pick #1 – Golden State Warriors -5.5 @110
It’s a clash between the two in-form teams, but I think the hosts are capable enough of opening the series with a win. They booked eight straight victories on the home court and have enough experience in the playoff games. Therefore, I’ll back the Warriors to win and cover as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 214.5 @-110
Dallas was excellent in shooting against Phoenix, and they can continue in the same fashion in San Francisco. Golden State has also been pretty productive lately, and this game can go over a 214.5 margin. Give me the Over as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Golden State Warriors Over 109.5 @-115
Although the Mavs are among the best defensive teams in the NBA, I don’t think they will hold Curry and the lads under a 109.5 margin. The odds are a bit lower than for the first two picks, but this one will be my second alternative for this matchup.
