The finals of the NBA Western Conference are upon us as the Dallas Mavericks travel to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors.
It’s a battle of the superstars as Steph Curry and Luka Doncic prepare to see who will come out on top and lead their team to the NBA Finals.
It’s set to be a monumental match up as this will be the first time since 2019 that the Warriors have advanced this far in the Playoffs, whereas the Mavericks are making their first Western Finals appearance since 2011.
Golden State Warriors vs Dallas Mavericks: Game 1 Preview and Selections
Warriors to win Game 1
This best of seven series could be a classic, as both of these teams can light up the scoreboard.
It isn’t a surprise to see that the Warriors are the favorites to reach the Finals and are the heavy favorites to win Game 1 of the series.
To reach this stage, the Warriors first beat the Nuggets 4-1 and then the Grizzlies 4-2 and will arrive at Game 1 far fresher than the Mavericks.
The Mavericks overcame a plucky Utah Jazz side 4-2 in the first round before being pushed to a seventh game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
That deciding match only finished on Sunday and you have to wonder how much of a physical and mental toll that might have taken ahead of this first game.
The two sides met four times over the course of the regular season with the Mavericks winning three of these contests. The Warriors have only won two of the last eleven when these two have faced off.
However, in the playoffs, the Warriors are a different beast and are yet to taste defeat at home during this playoff run. With the first two games of the series being played at the Warriors’ home court, Steph and co will want to get off to a fast start.
Experience could be crucial. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have all been here before, whereas for the Mavericks this will be an entirely new experience for them.
It’s easy to see why the Warriors have been given the slight edge to come out on top and you can back them to win Game 1 with Draftkings here.
Game 1: Over 214.5 points
This is a series that could go down to the wire, and with special players on either side of the court, we think this first game could explode.
The last four head to head contests between the teams have yielded 206, 229, 199 and 254 total points, with two of these games easily surpassing the predicted points spread that Draftkings is offering for Game 1.
Both the Warriors and Mavericks have shot makers all over the court and we expect this game to be a three-point fest. Both teams can score fast and quickly, and we think backing over 214.5 points could be one of the better betting angles to back.
