Dallas Mavericks vs LA Clippers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 25/04/2024, 22:18  by Joseph King in NBA Predictions

The Dallas Mavericks host the LA Clippers for game three in the Western Conference playoffs first round on Friday evening. After losing game one 109-97, the Mavericks were able to bounce back in game two with a 96-93 victory on the road, tying the series at 1-1. This means that the Mavs have stolen home court advantage away from the Clippers as they head back to Dallas for the next two games. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 55 points in the game two win while the Clippers big three of Harden, George and Leonard combined for 59. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Dallas dating back to the regular season. Somewhat worryingly, the Mavs have been held to under 100 points in their last four consecutive games, although Doncic and Irving were out for a few of those.

The game two loss means that the Clippers have lost four of their last five overall. However, they did rest the majority of their big name players down the stretch of the regular season as they were locked into the fourth seed. Kawhi Leonard played 35 minutes in game two after missing game one completely. Despite going 0-5 from three-point range, “Klaw” was able to rip four steals and manage one block on the defensive side of the ball. We expect him to have a better shooting night on Friday after shaking off the rust following an extended stretch on the sidelines. The Clippers can at least look at the upside of the loss in the previous game as they shot 37% from the field and 27% from deep yet only lost by three points. Los Angeles would love to respond with a win in Dallas at the first time of asking to immediately take home court advantage back. We believe they have a good shot at doing just that.