Who knows if tonight’s meeting between the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks would be the last time Charlie Villanueva Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan would share the floor in a regular season game? It’s the last game of the regular season for both teams but this is still a must-watch basketball.
Read on for more about this matchup. You can also check out our preview of Kobe Bryant’s swang song against the Jazz.
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San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks Betting Preview
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
When: Wednesday, April 13, 2016, 8:00 PMET
Line: Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs– view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (66-15)
Moreover, the Spurs have sent Dallas careening into a ditch three times this season, going 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in the matchup.
The Spurs most recently defeated Dallas on February 5, 116-90. Kawhi Leonard imposed his will in that game, coming up with 23 points on a silky 9-for-16 shooting from the field. He could’ve done more but the game went into garbage time early, thus limiting Leonard’s minutes. Should he play tonight, he’ll be a great matchup problem for Dallas, which doesn’t seem to have the right pieces to stay in front of Leonard. The San Diego product is averaging 21.3 points on 53.5 percent shooting versus Dallas this season.
San Antonio will also try to bomb away from beyond the arc against Dallas’ lousy perimeter defense that allows opponents to knock down 9.1 threes per game. The Spurs went 12-for-22 from deep in the February game against Dallas.
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Betting on the Dallas Mavericks (42-39)
For the 15th time in 16 years, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks are headed to the playoffs. With a 101-92 victory over Utah on Monday, the Mavs were able to get ahold of the Western Conference’s No. 7 spot
Deron Williams continued his great play after a four-game absence due to a hamstring injury, as he fired a team-high 23 points and added six assists in the Jazz game. Williams will have to carry that form later tonight if the Mavs are to eke out their first win versus San Antonio this season. Williams averaged just 8.0 points on 29.0% shooting in the past three matchups with the Spurs.
The burden isn’t all on Williams’ shoulders, though, as Dallas only has one player—Wesley Matthews—who has averaged in double figures scoring against the Spurs this season. As the leader of the team, Nowitzki needs to produce better than the 9.0 PPG he put up in the previous three Spurs games.
Speaking of Matthews, the shooting guard scored had 15 points in a close 88-83 loss to the Spurs way back November 25.
The Mavs are averaging only 11.3 fast break points per game but they’re mustering 13.3 against the Spurs this campaign.
Dallas is 4-2 ATS in its last six home games versus the Spurs.
Writer’s Prediction
San Antonio wins, 105-101.
