While the main focus this week will be the Kentucky Derby odds as the week winds down, for now it's all NBA.
Game 5 between the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks goes down Tuesday evening in Dallas. If the Mavericks are able to stay alive, the teams will return to San Antonio for game 6. With Dallas unable to get a win in San Antonio's backyard, the outlook looks bleak for the Mavs.
Despite Tim Duncan struggling, the Spurs came from behind and were able to beat the Mavs, bringing the series to 3-1 for San Antonio. Tempers flared in game 4, and many fans of sports betting are expecting game 5 to be a rough, physical affair.
In the third quarter, the Mavericks lost a 14-point lead, which caused tempers to flare, before cooler heads ultimately prevailed. In the action however, Eduardo Najera was ejected from play after a hard foul on Manu Ginobili. Najera wrapped his arm around Ginobili's head during play and swatted him to the floor, which nearly touched off a firestorm of emotion.
San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich nearly stormed the court, before eventually being restrained by his assistants. With Dallas frustrated, and tempers flaring on both teams, many fans of NBA finals betting are predicting a tense game 5.
It was a rough birthday for Tim Duncan as the aging star shot only 1-for-9 in game 4. While the team rallied and helped compensate for Duncan's ineffectiveness, San Antonio will need their star to get his head back in the game, not just to close out this series, but going forward. Following his phenomenal game 3, Tony Parker had an underwhelming performance for the Spurs, scoring just 10 off the bench. That's less than half the number of points that Parker delivered his previous game.
It comes as a surprise to many fans of NBA betting that the number two-seeded Mavericks now find themselves on the verge of being bounced in the very first round. That would mark their third first-round exit in just four years. Indeed, many are questioning if the Mavericks' problems are with morale, or confidence. It is disappointing that the team with the best road record in the NBA during the regular season couldn't pick up one win over San Antonio at home.
For the Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler continued their valiant efforts, with both players scoring 17 points each in Dallas' losing effort. While Nowitzki has been playing well, the Mavericks cannot expect their star to deliver the series purely on his own efforts. Improved defense as well as tighter passing game are vital for the Mavericks to win at home. They cannot afford to let a double-digit lead just slip away like they did in the third quarter of game 4.
As far as San Antonio is concerned however, this series is a foregone conclusion. For those looking for Spurs vs Mavericks odds, the team's come-from-behind win despite poor showings from stalwarts signals that they have the Mavericks' number. Look for San Antonio to close out the series in a rough and tumble affair
