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Round one of the 2021 NBA Playoffs will feature a rematch from last year in the bubble as the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Clippers will battle the No. 5 seed Dallas Mavericks in a best-of-seven series.
Under the guide of new head coach Tyronn Lue, the Clippers managed to maintain their positioning within the upper echelon of the Western Conference all season long while still allocating time for stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to rest and be healthy for this exact moment. The Mavericks, meanwhile, took a step forward by claiming the Southwest division as Luka Doncic averaged 27.7 point, 8.6 assists, and eight rebounds on the year.
Let’s look where DraftKings Sportsbook and the public are leaning before this series officially tips off on Saturday at 4:40 p.m. ET.
Clippers vs. Mavericks series betting splits
To no surprise, the Clippers are the favorites here at -400 and they’re getting 76% of bets and 92% of the handle. LA has the third-highest odds of winning the NBA Finals according to DKSB behind the Nets and Lakers, so it’s not a shock for them to be favored to handle their business against a still rising team in Dallas.
Clippers vs. Mavericks Game 1 outlook
The Clippers enter Game 1 as five-point favorites mostly due to having a healthy roster and homecourt heading into the series. However, Dallas successfully took two-of-three games off the Clips this season, one of which included 42-point outpouring from Doncic. This has the makings to being a tight one with the Mavs managing to cover. The betting public has the Clippers covering, with 59% of bets and 52% of handle.
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