The Western Conference Finals features a matchup I doubt many saw coming, with the Dallas Mavericks overcoming the West’s seventh-shortest preseason title odds to become one of its final two teams standing. They’ll play the Golden State Warriors, who return to the big stage after a two-year playoff hiatus.
Dallas’ surprise ascent after first-round exits the last two years can be attributed to the continued brilliance of Luka Doncic, the continued growth of Jalen Brunson and an unheralded supporting cast that new head coach Jason Kidd has found a way to get the most out of.
However, I found it hard to believe those guys would find a way to scrap together four wins against the Phoenix Suns. And even after seeing it happen, I’m still faced with that conundrum. Could they actually beat the Warriors? The answer, of course, is yes. But I’m not ready to say they will.
The Warriors don’t look like the dominant team they once were, but they still defend well enough, and they have proven champions who can get hot at any time. That’s why they have the shortest title odds of the four teams left in the playoffs at +130 on Tipico Sportsbook (the Mavericks have the longest at +600), and that’s why I’m rolling with them to win this series in six games at +425 odds.
Prince’s Pick: Warriors win series 4-2 (+425)
All odds via Tipico
