After arguably one of the greatest playoff games in NBA history Sunday afternoon, the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers will once again square off Wednesday evening with an opportunity to go up 3-2 in the series. The Mavericks will be looking to set up a chance to close things out at home, while the Clippers try to carry on without superstar Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard is now sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury. The Clippers have determined his recovery process is not going as planned, and are essentially shutting him down. Luka Doncic is listed as probable after playing through a knee injury Sunday. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Olivier-Maxence Prosper remain out for Dallas.
The Mavericks are 3-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook and the total comes in at 208.5. Dallas is -148 on the moneyline while Los Angeles is +124.
Mavericks vs. Clippers, 10 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Clippers +3
I’m not suggesting the Clippers are better without Leonard, but they certainly do have more clarity with their roles. Los Angeles did advance to the conference finals without Leonard a few years ago thanks to the performance of Paul George and role players, so there’s precedent for the team playing just as well without the star forward. The Mavericks showed they can never be counted out of a game after mounting a 31-point comeback in Game 4 before falling just short.
Dallas won both games in this series when Leonard played and lost both with him sidelined. The Clippers are ready to roll with George and James Harden leading the way, while the Mavericks might still be a bit rattled after losing Game 4. I expect another tight contest tonight but I think the Clippers cover as underdogs once again.
Over/Under: Under 208.5
Three of the four games have gone under their totals, and under this total. The Mavericks have had more success slowing down the game, so I believe they’ll attempt to do that in Game 5. The Clippers are unlikely to shoot as well as they did from the perimeter again, so I like the under to hit in this contest.
