The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns will tip off their second round playoff series on Monday night in Phoenix. Both teams advanced despite their top scorers missing games in the first round, and will look to take advantage of them being back in the lineup in this series. In our NBA betting picks for Monday night, we look at Mavericks vs Suns Game 1 as the second round of the playoffs get into full swing.
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Mavericks vs Suns Game 1 Betting Pick
This game will be played at Footprint Center at 10:00 PM ET on Monday, May 2, 2022.
Why Bet The Suns:
✅ The Mavericks were inconsistent on the road against the Utah Jazz, even if they won two games in Utah. They fell behind by double figures in two of their three games on the road in the first round, as their three-point shooting did not travel all that well. Against the Suns, slow starts in the first half and shaky three-point shooting will really cost this Mavericks team as the Suns can punish them in a way the Jazz could not.
✅ Deandre Ayton is going to have a huge edge in this series from a matchup perspective. While Dwight Powell is a good athlete, the Mavericks lack a true center in their rotation that will be able to handle the variety of ways in which Ayton can score. That will help set the Suns apart in this game as the Mavs try to figure out how to guard him in this series opener.
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✅ Phoenix is going to have a much easier time on the glass than they did in the first round, where the New Orleans Pelicans grabbed offensive rebounds at will with Jonas Valanciunas. Dallas had the second worst offensive rebounding percentage in the first round of the playoffs and were bottom-10 in that category in the regular season as well. Phoenix will have an easier time closing out defensive possessions than they did against the Pelicans, which will help them win with margin.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks were without Luka Doncic for the first three games of their first round series against the Utah Jazz. But they took advantage of the lack of stability with the Utah roster in the postseason, winning two games on the road and winning that series in six games. Now, the Mavs go from facing a volatile Utah roster to facing a rock-solid Suns team.
For the Mavericks, the biggest question coming into this game is how they are going to defend Deandre Ayton. The Mavs have several viable perimeter defenders who can at least make Chris Paul and Devin Booker work for their offensive output. But they lack a true center, let alone multiple bigs who can make things more difficult on one of the most efficient scorers from the center position.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns were pushed by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs, but the leadership of Chris Paul helped them get through a tough series. Paul took over at all the right times offensively, as Devin Booker dealt with injury problems throughout the first round. With Booker back in the Suns lineup, Phoenix is a heavy favorite to set the tone for the series in Game 1 and to win the series as a whole.
Defending Luka Doncic is never an easy task for any team, but the Phoenix Suns have a defensive weapon in Mikal Bridges. Bridges was a contender for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award this season, and will likely be put on Doncic often due to his length and quickness on the perimeter. As long as Bridges avoids foul trouble and forces tough shots consistently, the Suns could run away with this series opening affair.