Betsided

Best NBA Odds and Trends for Every Game Today (Friday, May 24)

Breaking down the best odds and trends for each of the NBA playoff games on Friday, May 24.

By Peter Dewey

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

The Dallas Mavericks stole Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night, riding 63 combined points from Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.

It's not the first time Minnesota has lost at home this postseason (it dropped Games 3 and 4 in the second round to Denver), but it does invoke a concerning trend for the Wolves. In NBA playoff history, the team that wins Game 1 of a series goes on to win 77.7 percent of the time, including 77.4 percent of the time in the Conference Finals.

Dallas comes into Game 2 as a bigger underdog (5.5 points) than it was in Game 1 (4.5 points), but it has already stolen home-court advantage in the series.

How does Game 2 end up playing out?

The BetSided team has you covered with the latest odds, trends, and more for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals:

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

  • Mavericks +5.5 (-112)
  • Timberwolves -5.5 (-108)

Moneyline

  • Mavericks: +180
  • Timberwolves: -218

Total

  • 207.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Dallas is 12-11 against the spread as a road underdog this season, but it's the Wolves who should be concerned in this spot.

As a home favorite, Minnesota is just 17-24-2 against the spread this season, going 1-3 ATS in its last four games at Target Center. The only win? The 45-point shellacking the Wolves gave Denver in Game 6 of the second round.

This series is going to be a tight one since these are two of the best defenses in the NBA this season -- Minnesota finished No. 1 in defensive rating and Dallas had the best defensive rating over the final 15 games of the regular season.

Oddsmakers seem to think the Wolves will even the series, but it is enticing to get this many points with a Dallas team that is an NBA-best 32-16 ATS on the road in the 2023-24 sea

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

Home/NBA Odds