The Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors have been moving in completely different directions in the last couple years. Dallas has been on the way down after winning an NBA Championship over the Miami Heat in LeBron James’ first season in Miami. Golden State has been on the rise as they look more and more like a contender as their young stars mature.

Dallas failed to make the NBA Playoffs last year, while the Golden State Warriors essentially announced their arrival as a contender in last year’s playoffs thanks to their performances against the Nuggets and Spurs. Both teams made some significant changes in the offseason, and it is going to take some time to judge exactly how those offseason moves worked out.

The Western Conference playoff race already looks like it will be a real logjam this season. That means that every single game between potential playoff teams has increased importance. This matchup means a lot to both teams.

Mavericks at Warriors Betting Story Lines

One of the reasons I expect both teams to come out ready to play in this one is their performances in their last game. Golden State was beaten by the lowly Charlotte Bobcats. Charlotte is a bit better this year, but the Bobcats were without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and still upended the Warriors. Golden State allowed 115 points in that game. Charlotte is averaging just 90.8 points per game for the season as a whole. Mark Jackson had to be disappointed with his team’s effort on the defensive end on Monday night.

Dallas beat Portland at the Rose Garden on Saturday night, but then the Mavericks inexplicably didn’t show up for Monday night’s game in Sacramento. The Kings put up 112 points against a Dallas team that looked lethargic all game long. Rick Carlisle said after the game, “We didn’t compete hard enough.”

Monta Ellis has been a nice pickup for the Dallas Mavericks. Ellis is averaging 21.5 points per game, and he also leads the team with 5.6 assists per contest. Ellis has teamed up with Dirk Nowitzki to provide a nice one-two scoring punch. Big man DeJuan Blair has also made some nice contributions on the boards for the Mavericks. The problem with this Mavericks team has been their inability to get stops on the defensive end. Dallas is giving up 102.3 points per game.

Golden State’s big signing in the offseason was forward Andre Iguodala. Iguodala clearly fits into the system well. He is the team’s top perimeter defender, and he gives the team another ball-handler and distributor on offense. Iguodala is injured right now, and he has missed the team’s last five games. He is listed as “questionable” for Wednesday’s game against Dallas.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are an amazing shooting duo in the backcourt for the Warriors. Curry is 41 percent from long range and averaging 23.6 points per game. Thompson is shooting 46 percent from three-point range and averaging 21.0 points per contest. Not surprisingly, Golden State leads the NBA in three-point shooting percentage.

Both Dallas and Golden State clearly have potential to be dangerous this year, but both teams are going to have to be more consistent. So far this year, both of these teams have been very up-and-down. In order to advance very far in the playoffs, it is essential to be able to bring your best effort on a nightly basis.

Mavericks at Warriors NBA Betting Odds and Key Trends

According to odds from BetOnline, the Golden State Warriors are favored by five points in this one. The posted total is set at 210.5 points. Dallas has been extremely good on the road against the number. The Mavericks are an impressive 26-10 ATS in their last 36 road games. They are 22-7 ATS in their last 29 following a loss. Golden State is 11-5-2 ATS in their last 18 games following a loss. The Mavericks are just 15-31-2 ATS in the last 47 meetings between these two teams. The “under” is 4-1 in the last five meetings between these two.

Free NBA Picks: Mavericks at Warriors Betting Predictions

The Dallas Mavericks are unlikely to come out and play as bad as they did Monday night in Sacramento. At the same time, I expect a bounce-back from Golden State off their poor performance in Charlotte. I think the Warriors will win this game, but without knowing the status of Iguodala, it’s hard to recommend backing them laying five points. The best move in this one should be to take the “over”. These teams like to play fast, and these defenses have been disappointing of late. Expect a game that is exciting and sails over the posted total.

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