Thursday, April 21, 2016

American Airlines Center

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

The Oklahoma City Thunder travel to American Airlines Center to play the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, April 21, 2016. The series is tied 1-1. The opening line for this game has Oklahoma City as 8.5 point favorites and the over/under has been set at 197.

The Thunder had a regular season record of 55-27 and a road record of 23-18. They were 1st in the Northwest Division. They had a point differential of 7.3 as they averaged 110.2 points per game while giving up 102.9 per contest. Oklahoma City was 13-3 against division opponents and they had a conference record of 37-15. The Mavericks had a regular season record of 42-40 and a home record of 23-18. They were 2nd in the Southwest Division. They averaged 102.3 points per game and surrendered 102.6, good for a point differential of -0.3. Dallas had a division record of 7-9 and a conference record of 27-25.

Russell Westbrook comes into this contest after averaging 23.5 points per game while playing 34.4 minutes per night this season for the Thunder. He pulled down 7.8 rebounds per game and dished out 10.4 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage was 45% while his free throw percentage was at 81%. Kevin Durant averaged 28.2 points per game in 35.8 minutes per contest this season. He averaged 5 assists per contest and 8.2 rebounds per game for Oklahoma City. His field goal percentage was 51% for the year while his free throw percentage was 90%.

Dirk Nowitzki averaged 18.3 points per game while playing 31.5 minutes per contest this year for the Mavericks. He grabbed 6.5 rebounds per game and had 1.8 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage was 45% and his free throw percentage was at 89%. Wesley Matthews averaged 12.5 points per game this season and he saw the court an average of 33.9 minutes per contest. He also averaged 3.1 rebounds per contest and 1.9 assists per game. His field goal percentage was 39% and his free throw percentage was 86%.

Oklahoma City averaged 109.9 points per contest this season which ranked them 2nd in the NBA. Their average scoring margin was 7.5 and their shooting percentage was 47% as a team which had them ranked 3rd. Behind the arc they shot 35% which was good for 20th in the league. They averaged 57.1 rebounds per game and 22.8 assists per game which ranked them 1st and 11th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they ranked 26th with 15.9 per game. The Thunder allowed 102.3 points per game to their opponents which ranked them 13th in the league. They also allowed a 44% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the arc ranking them 5th and 7th in those defensive categories. Opponents averaged 49 rebounds a game which ranked 4th and they gave up 21.4 assists per contest which put them in 8th place in the league. They forced 13 turnovers per game which ranked them 26th in the league.

Dallas averaged 101.7 points per game this year which ranked them 20th in the league. Their average scoring margin was -0.7 and their shooting percentage was 44% as a team which had them sitting in the 20th spot in the league. Behind the arc they shot 34% which was good for 23rd in the NBA. They averaged 50.3 rebounds per game and 21.9 assists per contest which ranked them 23rd and 18th respectively. In the turnover department the Mavericks ranked 2nd with 12.8 per game. The Mavericks allowed 102.4 points per game to their opponents which ranked them 15th in the league. They also allowed a 45% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the arc ranking them 15th and 9th in those defensive statistics. Opponents averaged 54.1 rebounds a game which ranked 24th and they gave up 21.8 assists per contest which put them in 14th place in the league. The Mavericks forced 14 turnovers per game which ranked them 17th in the NBA.

The Thunder averaged 110.9 points per game on the road this season and they have scored 96.7 ppg in their past 3 contests. They had an average scoring differential of 4.7 on the road and in their past 3 games their difference is 11 per contest. The Thunder had an offensive rating of 113.1 and a defensive rating of 105.6. In terms of pace they averaged 96.7 possessions per 48 minutes and their effective field goal percentage was 52%. As a team they had a true shooting percentage of 57% and they shot 3 pointers on 28% of their shots. Oklahoma City turned the ball over an average of 14 times per 100 possessions and they forced 11.7 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season was 48%.

The Mavericks scored 104.3 ppg at home and they have averaged 82 points per contest in their last 3 games. They have an average scoring differential of -14 in their past 3 contests and at home this season they had a difference of 2.4 points per game. The Mavericks rating on offense was 106.7 and they had a defensive rating of 107. They had 94.3 possessions per 48 minutes and they had an effective field goal percentage of 50%. As a unit they had a true shooting percentage of 54% and they attempted 3 pointers on 34% of their shot attempts. Dallas turned the ball over on 12 out of every 100 possessions and their opponents averaged 12.8 turnovers per 100 possessions. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the year was 50%.

Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Trends

The Oklahoma City Thunder were 37-43-2 against the spread

The Oklahoma City Thunder were 39-43-0 against the over/under

Dallas Mavericks Betting Trends

The Dallas Mavericks were 44-37-1 against the spread

The Dallas Mavericks were 38-42-2 against the over/under

Oklahoma City Thunder Injuries

No key injuries to report

Dallas Mavericks Injuries

04/19/16 PG Deron Williams Hernia "?" Thursday vs. Oklahoma City
04/19/16 F Dirk Nowitzki Knee "?" Thursday vs. Oklahoma City
04/18/16 PG Jose Juan Barea Groin "?" Thursday vs. Oklahoma City
04/18/16 F David Lee Foot "?" Thursday vs. Oklahoma City
03/22/16 F Chandler Parsons Knee out for season
03/17/16 F Jeremy Evans Shoulder out for season

Josh's Pick: Take Oklahoma City

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