NBA Playoff Picks - Spurs vs Mavericks odds

The first round of playoff NBA lines offers some mismatches and, while no one would've expected it a few months ago, the Spurs vs Mavericks odds are not one of those mismatches. Not only did the two teams split their season series 2-2, both winning a game in the other's barn, but the Spurs are banged up entering the NBA betting playoffs and the Mavericks may be playing their best basketball of the season right now. So online betting players can't totally write this one off as a sportsbook joke.

When assessing the Spurs odds, there's no getting around the fact that (a) Manu Ginobili is out for the season with a stress fracture in his ankle and (b) Tim Duncan is past his prime, posting his second lowest points and rebounding averages of his career this season. That puts pressure on young (yes, young—can you believe he's only 26?) Tony Parker to carry the team. Luckily for the Spurs odds, Parker seems more than up to the task. His 22.0 points per game were a career high and, more importantly, he really brought it in last year's playoffs, averaging 22.4 points per game. He's ready to be the face of this franchise.

The Mavs won't go quietly, though. There's a ton of pressure on them after years of NBA playoff betting flops and it's pretty likely that a firesale is on the horizon if they fail again. Dirk Nowitzki can still put points on the board and Jason Terry was a revelation as the sixth man this season. They'll need a special performance from him off the bench for the Mavericks odds to stand a chance.

While the Spurs are somewhat hobbled and the Mavs played them evenly in the regular season, online betting fans should realize that playoff basketball betting is a different beast. We know these Mavericks are playoff chokers and we know these Spurs always elevate their game, so you should make the Gregg Popovich's Spurs your sportsbook pick in this series.

Online betting pick: Spurs in six.