The NBA Playoffs are finally here in full force and we're ready to bring you all the betting action with our predictions and picks for the First Round. We head to the Western Conference for this next matchup as the 5-seed Dallas Mavericks will face off against the 4-seed Los Angeles Clippers. Check out our NBA odds series for our Game 1 Mavericks-Clippers prediction and pick.

The Dallas Mavericks are heading into this Playoffs series having won 12 of their final 15 games of the season. The Mavericks managed just one win against the Clippers during the season while losing their last two meetings. Still, they're favored to win this opening series and they came into Game 1 as near-even road favorites.

The Los Angeles Clippers have stood their ground and it's time to see if the James Harden experiment will work in L.A. during the Playoffs. They finished 6-4 in their last 10 games, but went on a three-game losing streak to end the season after losing Kawhi Leonard to injury. It's looking like they'll have their star ready for Game 1 and he'll look to continue his recent dominance over the Mavericks.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Playoffs Odds: Mavericks-Clippers Game 1 Odds

Dallas Mavericks: -1.5 (-112)

Moneyline: -126

Los Angeles Clippers: +1.5 (-110)

Moneyline: +108

Over: 223.5 (-110)

Under: 223.5 (-110)

How to Watch Mavericks vs. Clippers Game 1 

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT

TV: ABC

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Dallas Mavericks ended the season on a scorching note and they're carrying all the right momentum heading into this series against the Clippers. They've seen Los Angeles in the Playoffs twice since 2020 and lost both of those series. They're also 1-2 against the Clippers this season, but their last meeting was in December 2023 and the Mavericks are a much better team at this point of the season. The emergence of Kyrie Irving to an All-Star form has been massive for them and Luka Doncic will finally have a true No. 2 option and former NBA Champion with him in the postseason.

The Mavericks have had trouble stopping Kawhi Leonard over the last few years and into this season, so this series will be about limiting his productivity and causing him to play without the ball in his hands. It's still unclear how Leonard will feel and how big of an impact he'll have, but shutting him down will be the most important defensive aspect for the Mavericks. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will lead this team in terms of scoring with how well their games have been syncing lately.

Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread/Win

While it's still unclear whether Kawhi Leonard will make the Game 1 start for the Clippers, coach Tyronn Lue said he's prepping for the Mavericks expecting to have Leonard on the floor. The bigger sense is that no one truly knows whether Kawhi Leonard will feel solid enough to play on game day, besides Kawhi Leonard. He scored over 25 points in both of their wins over the Mavericks this season and he's knocked them out of the Playoffs twice over the last four years. James Harden is averaging 13 PPG against the Mavericks, so the Clippers should be fine in terms of scoring if Leonard is unable to go.

Still, this Clippers team has championship aspirations and we get the feeling that it's title or bust for this roster within the next few years. If they want to stop Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, they'll need Leonard's efficiency on both ends of the floor to carry them. He's the difference in them winning the championship and it'll be to their greatest benefit if he's able to log some meaningful minutes and feel confident playing on his knee. Look for Paul George to take a variety of the defensive duties in guarding the perimeter scorers for the Mavericks.

Final Mavericks-Clippers Prediction & Pick

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers will be meeting in The Playoffs for the third time since 2020 and the Clippers have gotten the best of both of those series. Kawhi Leonard will be the X-factor during this matchup and it'll be interesting to see how he fares coming off of a nagging injury that he's dealt with much of his career.

Paul George and James Harden will also see advantageous matchups here and George's defense will be pivotal all series in slowing Luka Doncic. The MVP candidate has been balling for the Mavericks and he averages over 34 PPG against the Clippers. With Kyrie Irving hitting his season prime as well, they could be tough to slow from a scoring standpoint once they get rolling.

For the first game of this series, we'll have to side with the Los Angeles Clippers to get it done at home. Leonard should make a difference in this game with his defense and I expect high offensive output from James Harden during this series. With the home crowd behind them, let's ride the Clippers to get the first win of this series.

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Final Mavericks-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Clippers ML (+108)