What a series this should turn out to be. LeBron and the Heat host Nowitzki and the Mavericks.
To get to the NBA finals, the Dallas Mavericks overcame the Portland Trail
Blazers and then swept the two-time defending champion L.A. Lakers to book a
date with Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference
Finals.
The Thunder certainly did not go down without a fight, but
in the end Dirk Nowtizki's Mavericks were too experienced to fall victim to the young OKC.
Dallas would win the series in five games.
Miami's road went through Philadelphia, Boston and then
Chicago. The Heat had little trouble with the 76ers and played some great
basketball versus the Big Three of the Celtics.
After taking care of Boston in five games, LeBron and
company again needed only five to get past MVP Derrick Rose and the Bulls.
Heat clear favorites in first matchup
Expect Game 1 to set the tone for the remainder of the
series. NBA odds makers have made Miami the favorites at -4.5 while the total has
held relatively strong at 187.
Unsuprisingly NBA handicappers have been handsomely rewarded by
siding with the Miami Heat and Mavericks throughout the postseason.
Miami has covered in four straight playoff games and is also
a perfect 5-0 ATS in its last five contests in South Beach.
The Mavericks meanwhile are 6-0-1 ATS over their previous
seven matchups as a NBA betting underdog. In their past 26 games overall, they
are an impressive 19-6-1 versus the number.
In two regular season meetings, it was the Mavericks that
won both straight up and against the spread. At home they won 106-95 (-2.5) and
on the road they slipped by Miami with a 98-96 triumph as 6.5-point underdogs.
Dallas has actually cashed in five of its last seven games
against Miami but the playoffs are a completely different animal.
So many different storylines to watch out for
Throughout the postseason, the Mavericks have proven that no
lead is too much to overcome. Their ability to buckle down on defense and hit
clutch shots down the stretch will present the Heat with its toughest challenge
yet.
Of course, Miami is no stranger to comebacks either. Just
look to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals as proof when the Heat stormed
back in the fourth quarter to wrap up the series up in the Windy City.
While LeBron has been sensational all postseason long,
Dwyane Wade was not his usual self in the games against the Bulls. He struggled
to find a rhythm but still managed to make some game-changing plays on both
ends of the floor.
For Miami's sake, let's hope he can regain some of that
offensive magic as Erik Spoelstra's crew will need all the points they can get
up against Nowitzki and the Mavs.
There's really nothing that needs to be said about Dirk that
hasn't been already. He's the heart and soul of this Dallas team and it'll take
a monumental effort to contain the big man.
Look for LeBron to try his hand at guarding Dirk. Seemingly
able to guard any position on the court, his versatility defensively could be a
major difference maker throughout the series.
Still, it's worth noting that the Heat, though they have
yet to lose at home during the playoffs, have yet to face a team as
well-rounded as Dallas. I expect the Mavs to put in an extremely strong
performance in Game 1 and I am backed up by some strong arguments in the forum in favor of Dallas.
Pick: A great showing for the Mavericks in South
Beach as they cover the spread