Clippers vs. Mavericks Game 6 Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
The Clippers opened as 8.5-point favourites on the NBA odds with a massive total of 240.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Dallas will be the “home” team as it was for Games 3-4 in this series.
Tuesday was a great day for the Clippers. Not only did they play their best game of this series (and probably the entire restart) by far in trashing the Mavericks 154-111 to take a 3-2 lead, but Denver staved off elimination with a 117-107 win over Utah earlier Tuesday. The Clippers, assuming they advance (and we think they do Thursday), would play the Nuggets-Jazz winner, with their Game 6 earlier Thursday. It’s a benefit to L.A. that Utah didn’t finish off Denver on Tuesday and get a few days extra rest ahead of a semifinal matchup.
Teams that win a Game 5 in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series that was tied 2-2 win the series around 82 per cent of the time. The Clippers are +125 to win the Western Conference and +350 favourites to win the NBA title. Dallas is +2200 and +5000, respectively.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers had not looked championship-worthy for much of this series, but they absolutely did Tuesday. Paul George had been shooting terribly and drawing heavy criticism, but “Playoff P” was great in Game 5 with 35 points on 12-for-18 from the field. George admitted afterward that he had been dealing with some depression in the bubble. No family has been allowed in the bubble, but that will change after the first round of the playoffs. “I underestimated mental health, honestly,” George said. “I had anxiety, a little bit of depression, from being locked in here.”
Former Raptor Kawhi Leonard was typically great as well with 32 points on 12-for-19 shooting to go with seven rebounds and four assists. Leonard and George became the first teammates to each score 30 points in under 30 minutes in postseason history. The Clippers shot an unthinkable 63.1 percent from the field overall and 62.9 per cent from deep. That’s not sustainable. Starting point guard Patrick Beverley missed his fourth game in a row with a left calf injury, and it would be a shock if he plays Thursday. The Clippers seem to have this series in hand now and will surely rest him ahead of the next round.
Dallas Mavericks
If you watched Tuesday’s Game 5, the Mavericks were simply flat and lacking energy off their incredible overtime win in Game 4. Obviously, it didn’t help that the team’s second-best player, Kristaps Porzingis, missed his second game in a row with a sore knee. You don’t sit playoff games if an injury isn’t serious, so it would be a minor surprise if Porzingis plays Thursday as the team won’t risk his long-term health.
Frankly, the biggest difference from Game 4 to 5 for Dallas was 21-year-old superstar Luka Doncic. He was historically good Sunday but didn’t look close to healthy with a sore ankle – he could be seen wincing at times and getting treatment often – Tuesday. The Clippers also trapped him with a double-team whenever possible. Doncic was 6-for-17 shooting for 22 points and the Mavs were outscored by 23 points with him on the court. Presumably, he will gut it out Thursday but this thing is over.
LAC
DAL