The No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns (2-2) host the No. 4 seed Dallas Mavericks (2-2) Tuesday for Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals playoff series. Tip-off at Footprint Center is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we look at the Mavericks vs. Suns Game 5 odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Dallas evened the series with a 111-101 Game 4 victory Sunday despite Phoenix shooting better from the field, grabbing more rebounds and throwing more assists. Three-point shooting was the difference in Game 4 as the Mavs outshot the Suns 45.5-36.0% from behind the arc and sunk 11 more 3’s.
Phoenix All-Star PG Chris Paul struggled while the series was in Dallas, averaging just 8.5 points with 5.5 assists and 4.5 turnovers and he fouled out of Game 4. Mavs All-Star PG Luka Doncic has been the best player in this series, scoring 33.0 points with 9.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists.
Mavericks at Suns odds and lines
- Money line (ML): Mavericks +220 (bet $100 to win $220) | Suns -280 (bet $280 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Mavericks +6.5 (-112) | Suns -6.5 (-108)
- Over/Under: 213.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
Mavericks at Suns key injuries
Mavericks
- None
Suns
- None
Mavericks at Suns picks and predictions
Prediction
Suns 110, Mavericks 106
Money line
PASS with a lean to the Mavericks (+220) because I like Dallas’ spread and typically will sprinkle on an underdog’s ML when betting them to cover.
However, the Suns averaged 125.0 points in the first 2 games in Phoenix, and they are outperforming the Mavs in three of the “four factors” for the series.
Phoenix’s adjusted series price is -250 even though this series is tied 2-2. The Suns’ most likely path to a series victory is to win both of their remaining home games (Game 5 and 7).