Prediction, Odds & Betting Tips for Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Game 1 at NBA
Prediction, Odds & Betting Tips for Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Game 1 at NBA
The first meeting of the West semis is in Minnesota, where the Timberwolves host the Dallas Mavericks. Both teams had rough conference semis, which were filled with excitement, and we expect nothing short in this series as well. This will also be a clash of two future superstars, with Anthony Edwards on one side and Luka Doncic on the other, which will spice up the situation.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games, beating them twice on the road yet allowing one break at home in Texas. Luka was the unstoppable force of the series and the entire playoffs, averaging near triple-double numbers: 27.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.1 assists.
Kyrie is there to help as well with 21.1 points and a whole lot of playmaking duties, but the X-factors are PJ Washington and Dereck Lively, particularly against the Thunder. The first closed the series from the free-throw line, while the second emerged as the guy who controls the glass perfectly.
The only problem for this unit is that they don’t always have consistency. Luka’s dominance is unmatched, yet he, too, has periods of ups and downs, and that’s when they need Kyrie at his best to win the game.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Ant is the next big thing. And we mean big in terms of creating hype like Kobe or LeBron, etc. His Timberwolves overcame a 20-point deficit in Game 7, one of the biggest in the history, to reach the West Finals. Strangely, Edwards wasn’t in the focus here, but Josh McDaniels who became a huge contributor, having 23 buckets, the same as Towns, who added 12 boards.
Edwards averages 30.2 points in the playoffs and is fantastic in both ways. Many look only at his scoring, but this guy is a beast defensively as well.
Minnesota has six players with ten or more points in the playoffs, plus Alexander-Walker, who scores 9.9 per game. This is why they managed to beat the Nuggets. In each situation, there is a player who will step up to give an impulse to the team and push the others to play better.
Dallas Mavericks: Irving, Doncic, Jones Jr, Washington, Gafford
Minnesota Timberwolves: Conley, Edwards, McDaniels, Towns, Gobert
The Timberwolves had three wins during the regular part of the season compared to Dallas’ one. T-Wolves won the first in Dallas, 119-101, then beat the rivals at the Target Center, 118-110, before losing in Texas, 115-108. The last match was a blowout, with Minnesota rolling over the rivals 121-87.
We pick the Timberwolves to open the series with a triumph. They are in excellent shape, with a more diverse offensive arsenal than the rivals and several favorable matchups, the top one being between the KAT and his guards.
Our verdict: Minnesota wins