Game 1 Pick for Mavericks vs. Warriors – Wednesday, May 18th, 2022

The journey to the NBA Finals continues with the Conference Finals kicking off tonight. Golden State will host Dallas in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
Both teams have looked very impressive in the playoffs, so this series should be a great one. The Warriors are looked at as the favorite to win the NBA Finals, but the Mavericks just took down the No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns.
Will the Warriors be able to prove they are worth the hype? Or will Luka and the Mavs pull off a Game 1 upset?
Let’s take a look at the odds and make our Mavericks vs. Warriors betting pick for Game 1.
Odds for Mavericks vs. Warriors Game 1
Sportsbook | Welcome Bonus | Mavericks Odds | Warriors Odds | Site Review |
BetOnline | 60% up to $1,000 | +5.5 (-110) | -5.5 (-110) | Visit BetOnline |
Bovada | 50% up to $250 | +5 (-105) | -5 (-115) | Visit Bovada |
BetUS | 125% up to $2,500 | +5 (-110) | -5 (-110) | Visit BetUS |
Here are the odds for what should be an amazing series between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors will be favored to win by around 5 points at home for Game 1.
They’ve been well rested since beating Memphis in Game 6 last Friday (May 13th). Dallas on the other hand had to play Game 7 against Phoenix on Sunday (May 15th), so Golden State should have the upper hand in terms of stamina.
Nonetheless, the Warriors didn’t have to play at all since Friday. They’re looked at as the better team, with more days rest, and are in their home stadium. Those factors play a major role in this game, so it’s not a surprise to see them favored by around 5.
You can find these odds and welcome bonuses on the best NBA betting sites, so head over there to set up an account and place your bets.
Mavericks vs. Warriors Matchup Preview
Dallas and Golden State have played each other 4 times this season already. This might be a surprise to some, but the Mavericks actually won 3 out of 4 head to head games. Now, the regular season and playoffs are vastly different.
Klay Thompson and Draymond Green also missed 2 and 3 of those games respectively. They are back and healthy for this one, so things could look very different in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
Dallas Mavericks Preview
Dallas has been a huge underdog coming into the playoffs, but have beaten the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns in the first two rounds. They were even able to beat Utah with their superstar Luka Doncic missing 3 games.
They’re still a very underrated team. The Mavericks have some great players that can win at a high level, like we saw in last series. Luka Doncic has been playing in championships ever since he was a teenager, so this shouldn’t be anything new to him.
He’s been nothing short of spectacular in the playoffs, averaging 31.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. There’s no other team in the NBA that plays through their superstar than the Mavericks and Luka Doncic.
If he keeps up this level of play and his supporting teammates do their job, Dallas could sneak out of Game 1 or even the series with a win.
Golden State Warriors Preview
Not having Klay Thompson or Draymond Green has plagued the Warriors over the last few years. Now that they are back, Golden State has gone right back to playing at an incredibly high level.
They look absolutely unstoppable at times and could steamroll any team that doesn’t put up a big fight. Dallas will be tough, but the Warriors simply have more weapons at their disposal than them.
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have looked like their usual dominant selves, but it doesn’t stop there. Jordan Poole has been a rising star all year and has had some big performances himself.
Those three scoring options give the Warriors the edge when Luka is not on the court, and possibly when he’s on it too.
Klay took some time to get going after coming back from multiple years off and has looked great recently. Don’t forget how good the Warriors were in their 73-9 season with their original big 3.
The biggest thing in this series will have to be the Draymond Green vs. Luka Doncic matchup for Golden State. Draymond is an incredible defender and should match up very well with Luka. Doncic can score inside and out, but Draymond can defend anywhere as well.
Same Game Parlay for Mavericks vs. Warriors on Wednesday
Here are 4 picks to combine into a Same Game Parlay for (+700) odds on Bovada. You can bet on these picks individually if you want, but they could all have a chance to hit. A $100 bet on these 4 selections would return $800 if all legs cash.
Spencer Dinwiddie has been wildly underrated and his point total seems remarkably low. He’s coming off an incredible 30 point performance in just 25 minutes in their Game 7 blowout against Phoenix.
Yes, he’s put up some duds but he’s going to have to have a big series if Dallas wants to win. Luka is going to get all the defensive attention from Golden State, so a support player like Dinwiddie would help out tremendously with 12+ points.
Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie join ELITE company 👏 pic.twitter.com/btfWPVDAXH
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 16, 2022
He played Golden State twice after joining the Mavs earlier this season. Dinwiddie scored 24 and 17 points in those games as well.
Curry should be well rested enough to hit 4 threes in Game 1. He’s averaging 3.8 threes per game and 4.2 at home in this year’s playoffs. His attempts fluctuate from long range, but he attempted 17, 8, and 14 in his last 3 games against the Grizzlies.
I’m waiting to see how the Warriors play Luka before betting on threes or points. He’s gotten double-digit rebounds in 7 of his 10 playoff games, so another one seems likely.
Dorian Finney-Smith is another player I like to get some rebounds. His defense is much needed in this series, so the minutes should be there. He’s gotten 5+ rebounds in 9 of his 13 playoff games so far.
Mavericks vs. Warriors Pick on 5/18/2022
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Golden State Warriors -5.5-110
For my Mavericks vs. Warriors pick for Game 1, I can’t seem to pull the trigger on the Mavericks. I think the Warriors have far too many options for Dallas to keep up with. That’s going to put a lot of pressure on Luka and others.
Doncic will be able to handle his own, but he scored 45 points in Game 1 against the Suns last series and they still lost by 7. The Mavericks will be able to win a few games in this series, but I’m expecting Golden State to take Game 1 here.
If you aren’t sold on a team to bet on for this game, I also think the under has a chance of hitting here as well. Both teams are wildly underrated in terms of defense, so this could be a surprisingly low-scoring game when it’s all said and done.
Best of luck and make sure to head back to our NBA picks page for more recommended bets.
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