The Clippers host the Mavericks in NBA playoffs on Tuesday in Game 2! The Clippers looked great in Game 1 and shut down the Mavericks and now enter Game 2 with a 1-0 lead. The Mavericks have a chance to even the series before heading back to Dallas. We now continue our NBA odds series with a Mavericks Clippers prediction and pick.

The Mavericks had momentum on their side heading into Game 1 and the Clippers did not have Kawhi Leonard, but this game got extremely out of hand thanks to how cold the Mavericks went from the field. They also had a 1-2 record against the Mavericks in the regular season up to this point. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are the main keys for the Mavericks, but the key will be who can be the third option for Dallas on any given night in the postseason. Their offense will be the for them advancing in the postseason too because their defense has been hit or miss and that was the case in Game 1 too. They need more consistency across the board heading into Game 2.

The Clippers weathered the storm of not having Kawhi Leonard and it did not seem to matter at all. They shot unbelievably well from behind the arc, going 50% which is unheard of. James Harden and Paul George had to do more without Kawhi Leonard and they did not disappoint. They are the keys for the Clippers to keep winning and advancing because Leonard is their best player, but he is not as consistent when it comes to his availability with injuries. Leonard should be back in the postseason if they keep winning, but his status is way more cloudy than Giannis' is for the Bucks which is very concerning.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Playoffs Odds: Mavericks-Clippers Game 2 Odds

Dallas Mavericks: -2.5 (-110)

Moneyline: -138

Los Angeles Clippers: +2.5 (-110)

Moneyline: +118

Over: 217.5 (-110)

Under: 217.5 (-110)

How to Watch Mavericks vs. Clippers Game 2 

Time: 7:00 pm ET

TV: TNT

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Mavericks are a better offensive team this season than on defense. They are 7th in scoring offense at 117.9 points per game. They are also 11th in total field goal percentage and 13th in three-point percentage at 48.1% and 36.9% respectively. In the postseason, the Mavericks scoring plummeted and after one game they were 9th out of 16 teams with 97 points and they are 14th in field goal percentage at 38.8%. Five different Mavericks players average over double digits with Luka Doncic leading the way at 33.9 points per game, which was also the best in the NBA this season. Doncic also leads the way running point with 9.8 per game. When the Mavericks get hot on offense they are as good as any team in the league and are very tough to beat. The Clippers made this whole offense uncomfortable and something needs to change heading into Game 2 because of how much the Mavericks struggled.

The defense for the Mavericks has struggled at times this season. They were 20th in the league in scoring defense, allowing 115.6 points per game. They are also 20th in field goal percentage at 47.5% and 18th in three-point percentage at 36.8%. Four Mavericks average at least one steal per game with Doncic leading the way at 1.4 per game. Daniel Gafford leads the team in blocks per game at 1.9 per game. The defense for the Mavericks needs to get better and they did not show much in Game 1 to inspire much confidence the rest of the way.

Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Clippers have been solid across both offense and defense this season. They have been slightly better on defense compared to offense. They were 10th in scoring defense, allowing 112.3 points per game. They are 12th in field goal percentage defense at 46.8% and 14th in three-point percentage defense allowing 36.3% from behind the arc. They allowed 97 points in Game 1 to the Mavericks. Four Clippers average at least one steal per game with Paul George leading the way at 1.5 per game. Ivica Zubac then leads the way on blocks per game at 1.2.

The offense for the Clippers has been in the upper half of the NBA this season. They are 12th in scoring offense, averaging 115.6 points per game. They are also 6th in total field goal percentage in the NBA at 48.9%, and then they are sixth in three-point shooting at 38.1% from behind the arc. Their offense was huge for them in Game 1. Six Clippers players average double digits on offense with Paul George leading the way at 22.6 points per game with Kawhi Leonard expected to be out. Harden led the team in scoring in Game 1 at 28 points per game.

Final Mavericks-Clippers Prediction & Pick

This game will be closer than Game 1, but the Clippers seemed like the better team across the board. The Mavericks will make adjustments and won't go as cold, but the Clippers have more depth and the better team and coach and are at home. Expect the Clippers to win a very close game even without Kawhi Leonard heading to Dallas up 2-0.

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Final Mavericks-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Clippers +2.5 (-110)