Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks will travel to face Lebron James and the Miami Heat in game 1 of their best of 7 NBA Finals championship playoff series on Tuesday night.
Tip off time from Miami is scheduled for 9PM Eastern Time with national television coverage provided by ABC.
The betting odds opened up in game 1 with the home club Miami Heat lined as a -4 ½ point favorite with the total of 188 points.
Early money has been Heat money as Miami has been bet up to a -5 point favorite.
The total has moved down to 186 ½ points.
Miami Heat money line supporters will lay –195 odds with the road underdog Dallas Mavericks bringing back +180 odds to steal game 1 with a victory without the aid of points on their side.
The Miami Heat has been lined as -190 favorites with win the NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks the underdog at +160 odds.
The teams have met twice this season with Dallas winning both games home and away.
They first met on November 27th in Dallas and it was the Mavericks with the 106-95 victory as a -2 ½ point home favorite. The total landed over the number of 188 ½ points.
Dallas opened up a close game at the half with a 31-17 run in the third quarter.
The Mavs shot 46% from the floor and 7 of 17 from three. The team sank 19 of their 22 free throws.
Dallas had 6 players score in double figures.
Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points and six boards on just 9 of 23 shooting from the floor and only three trips to the free throw line.
Tyson Chandler had 14 points on 6 of 10 from the field with 17 big rebounds with 7 coming from the offensive end.
Jason Kidd had 13 assists and 8 rebounds.
The bench came through with 39 points in the win.
Miami shot just 41.3% in defeat and 5 of 15 from three. The team got to the line 35 times and made 28 free throws.
Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh had 22 points each in the win.
LeBron James had an off night making only 5 of his 19 shots from the field. James finished with 23 points with 13 of 15 from the free throw line.
The rematch occurred nearly a month later in Miami and once again Dallas earned a win this time by a 98-96 margin as a +6 ½ point road underdog. The game went over the total of 193 ½ points.
The Mavericks found offense in the fourth quarter in this win with 33 points in the final stanza.
Dallas shot 44.6% from the field in the win and 8 of 21 from three. The team made 24 of their 28 free throws.
Dirk Nowitzki had 26 points in the win on Miami soil with 8 of 21 shooting but a perfect 10 of 10 from the line and 9 rebounds.
Jason Terry off the bench had 19 points in the win. Shawn Marion grabbed 13 rebounds in a reserve role.
The Heat made just 40.5% of their shots in the loss and 11 of 31 from beyond the arc. Miami attempted 25 free throws and made 17 of them.
Dwyane Wade led the club with 22 points and 7 assists but only 8 of 17 shooting.
Lebron James had 19 points with 10 boards and 7 assists but made just 6 of his 17 shots from the floor.
Chis Bosh had 19 points in a losing cause with 8 rebounds.
The bench produced as both James Jones and Mario Chalmers were in double figure scoring.
The Dallas Mavericks advanced into the NBA Finals off their series win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the Western conference finals.
The Mavericks put up 100.2 points per game and hits on 47.5% of their shots which rank 5th in the NBA. They make 36.5% from three and 77.7% from the charity stripe.
On the defensive end the club surrenders 96 points a game and 45% shooting from the floor. Their opponents make 34.3% from three.
Dirk Nowitzki has led the Mavericks with 28.4 points per game in his 15 playoff games. He has shot outstanding in the post season making 51.7% from the floor and 51.6% from beyond the arc. The veteran has also made 93% from the free throw line.
In two meetings against Miami during the regular season Nowitzki has averaged 24 points per game with 7 ½ boards. He has only shot 38.6% from the floor and 11.1% from three in those games.
Bench player Jason Terry has been second in scoring this post season for the Mavericks with 17.3 points per game and 47.1% shooting from the floor. Terry too has been good at the free throw line making 89% of his shots.
Terry has put up an average of 15.5 points per game with only 33.3% shooting against the Heat on the season.
Shawn Marion has averaged 11.2 points per game with 6.3 rebounds in the postseason.
Against Miami during the regular season Marion has put up 10.5 points per game with 9 rebounds with 42.1% shooting.
J.J. Barea has been effective in a reserve role for Dallas with 8.9 points per game in the playoffs.
In two meetings against Miami Barea has averaged 9.5 points per game on 63.6% shooting from the floor.
The Mavs have gotten balanced scoring in the playoffs as 6 players have averaged 8.8 points per game or better.
Miami has earned their spot in the NBA finals following a 4-1 Eastern conference finals series win against the Chicago Bulls.
The Heat average 102.1 points per game and connects on 48.1% of their shots from the floor ranking 2nd in the NBA. The team connects on 37% from beyond the arc and 76.9% from the free throw line.
Miami on defense gives up 94.6 points per game and just 43.4% from the field which ranks 2nd in the NBA in field goal defense. They allow 34.9% shooting from three.
Lebron James has led the Heat in the postseason in scoring with 26 points per game and nearly 9 rebounds. He has averaged 44 minutes per game in the playoffs by far the most of either club in the NBA Finals.
Lebron has shot 46.3% shooting and 36.8% from beyond the arc in his 15 games in the playoffs.
In his two games against the Mavs during the regular season James has put up 21 points per game with 9 boards while hitting on just 30.6% from the field and 25% from three.
Dwayne Wade is second in the club in playoff scoring with 23.7 points per game with 7.2 rebounds. He has shot 46% from the floor and just 24.1% from the three point line.
Wade has averaged 22 points with 6 ½ boards on 48.5% shooting and 37.5% from three in two meetings against Dallas during the regular season.
Chris Bosh in an average of 39 minutes per game in the playoffs has averaged 18.6 points a game with 8.9 boards. He has stepped up his game in the playoffs as he has shot 50.3% from the field.
In his games against Dallas this season Bosh has put up 20.5 points per game with 8 rebounds. He has shot well at 51.5% from the field in those two contests.
No other Heat players have averaged more than 6.5 points per game in the post season.
Mario Chalmers has put up 10 ½ points per game in his two games against Dallas on the year.
James Jones shot 50% from the floor while averaging 9.5 points per game against Dallas during the regular season.
Trend: Dallas Mavericks is 18-1 ATS in their past 19 games.
For the Latest NBA Odds Please Visit our NBA Odds Page
Tags: betting, dallas mavericks, finals, game 1, may 31st 2011, miami heat, nba, nba playoffs, Odds, pick, preview, pro basketball, thursday, tnt tv
