NBA betting features a bitter Texas rivalry game on Sunday as the San Antonio Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of their playoff series. These two teams are very familiar with each other and this series has been intense. The Spurs are favored in basketball betting odds in this Sunday evening game which can be seen on TNT.NBA betting odds almost always favor the home team when Dallas and San Antonio play. You actually have to go back to 2007 to find the last time the road team was favored in a game between these two teams.
Home court advantage is definitely important but it should be noted that Dallas was actually a far better team against the spread on the road than they were at home during the regular season. In fact, Dallas had one of the worst point spread numbers in the league at home. On the road though, the Mavericks were a very good team against the number. It is not supposed to work that way in basketball betting. Just how pronounced was the difference? Dallas was 11-29-1 at home during the regular season vs. the point spread but on the road they were 26-15.
When Dallas and San Antonio meet the road team has held their own. In the regular season meetings at San Antonio, the teams split their last ten meetings. Dallas had the advantage against the point spread as they went 6-4.
Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki has said that this is the best Dallas team he has ever played on. Whether the Mavericks can make a run in the Western Conference is in question but this might be the year to do it. The Lakers actually look vulnerable and if the Mavericks get out of this series they would avoid the Lakers in the next round.
The Spurs were 24-16-1 at home this season vs. the NBA betting line. That was a solid enough number to get San Antonio some respect from the oddsmakers in this series. Whether they can take that success into the home games against Dallas in this series is another story, especially since the Mavericks thrived vs. the number on the road this season. The Spurs are going to have to find some offense if they are to have a chance in this series. Relying upon the aging Tim Duncan in the middle is simply not going to be enough to beat Dallas this year.