Clippers small underdogs to beat Mavericks in opening NBA playoff series odds
Looking at LA’s odds to advance past the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the postseason.
A three-game losing streak to end the regular season didn’t hurt the Clippers, as LA will still hold home-court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference after hanging onto the No. 4 seed.
Los Angeles opens the Western Conference Playoffs with a star-studded matchup against the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks and oddsmakers anticipate a tight series between the two conference rivals.
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Clippers small underdogs to beat Mavericks in opening NBA playoff series odds
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Los Angeles is even money (+100) to advance past the short-favorite Mavericks (-118). Those odds carry an implied probability of 50% that the Clippers will beat Dallas in the first round.
Los Angeles slipping to a slight underdog in this matchup comes after the Mavericks were one of the hottest teams down the stretch. After opening March on a three-game losing streak, Dallas ended the regular season by winning 16 of 20 games. There's also the uncertainty of star Kawhi Leonard, who missed the last eight games of the regular season and is battling knee inflammation heading into the playoffs.
When looking at the futures market, it’s a bit puzzling for Los Angeles to be a slight underdog in this matchup. The Clippers are tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder at +600 to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals, something the franchise has never done as the oldest franchise in North America to never appear in a championship game.
The Clippers are tied with the Milwaukee Bucks at +1400 to win the NBA Championship, according to FanDuel.
How have the Clippers fared against the Mavericks this season?
The two teams met three times during the regular season with the Clippers taking two of the matchups. The two teams split a pair of games in Dallas with the Mavericks only visiting Crypto.com Arena once, resulting in a 107-88 Clippers’ victory Nov. 25.
The two teams haven’t met since Dec. 20, when the Clippers won 120-111 on the road.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.