NBA Betting: Mavericks have weapons to sting Hornets

Basketball / Nick Shiambouros / 26 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

Dirk Nowitzki is on fire for the Mavericks

"The bad news for New Orleans is that the Mavericks are playing at a very high level and should have too many weapons for them."

With Dallas mounting a serious challenge in the West, Nick Shiambouros believes Los Angeles could come unstuck against free-scoring Denver this weekend.

The Cleveland Cavaliers staged a spirited comeback to beat the Boston Celtics 108-88 on Thursday evening. The star of the show for the Cavs was Mo Williams who torched the Celtics in the fourth quarter. Williams finished the night with 19 points. This was another disappointing effort from Boston in front of their home crowd. Cleveland are now 5.5 games ahead of Orlando in the Eastern Conference.

Later on Thursday night the Denver Nuggets thrashed the Golden State Warriors 127-112 with a dominant performance. Acting coach Adrian Dentley got the most out of this Denver rotation as they ran up the score with some lethal shooting. Denver are one of the most entertaining teams in basketball and can beat anyone on any given day. If only they played a little defense they would have a serious chance of winning the NBA championship.

On Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks took care of the Los Angeles Lakers 101-96 with a solid effort on their home floor. I have backed Dallas at [30.0] to win the NBA championship and that price has now shrunk to [21.0]. They are serious contenders in the West and I will be backing them again at the current price.

This Sunday, Dallas host the New Orleans Hornets in an interesting match-up. New Orleans are without superstar point guard Chris Paul who is recovering from knee surgery. The Hornets still have a chance of making the play-offs so they will not go down easily. The bad news for New Orleans is that the Mavericks are playing at a very high level and should have too many weapons for them.

Dallas has won five games in a row and they are in fourth place in the Western Conference. Dirk Nowitzki has been on fire recently for the Mavs and is playing as well as he has all season. Jason Terry has also found his form with his long range shooting .Terry scored 30 points against Los Angeles on Wednesday night. I make Dallas my best bet of the week and I will back them accordingly.
　
The Los Angeles Lakers are also in action on Sunday when they play host to the in form Denver Nuggets. This high profile game will be nationally televised and it promises to be a classic. Denver are only 4.5 games behind the Lakers in the West and, brimming with confidence, they will give Los Angeles all they can handle on Sunday.

The Denver bench is pretty deep and includes Chris Anderson and J.R.Smith who have real star quality. Both these players can come in to a game and make an impact at critical moments.

The Lakers have played at a slightly lower level since the All-Star break and could be vulnerable against a potent Denver offense. If Denver can get off to a quick start the Lakers will have a tough time catching them. This is a very important game for Denver as a win would put real pressure on the Lakers in the battle for the West.

Recommended Bets:
Sunday back Dallas with advertised handicap
Sunday back Denver with advertised handicap
NBA Championship back Dallas at [21.0]