NBA Predictions: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks

Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks
Wednesday, 2/1/12, 8:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Dallas -1.5
Current Betting Line: Dallas -2
Opening Total: 196
Current Total: 197.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Oklahoma City Thunder have the NBA's best road record

Oklahoma City closes out a three-game road trip Wednesday night and will look to bounce back from a disappointing 112-100 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers as two-point road favorites. The Thunder have also gone “over” the total in three consecutive contests. “This is our first bad game in 20,” commented Thunder head coach Scott Brooks about the team’s latest effort. “That’s the bottom line, we had a bad game.” The team is still 8-3 on the road this season, including a 6-2 mark versus Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City is 13-9 ATS in February the last two seasons.

The Thunder are certainly hoping that guard Thabo Sefolosha returns to the lineup, as they are 0-2 when he doesn’t appear in a game. He has been suffering from soreness in his right foot. Oklahoma City’s road record is still the best in the NBA, which is even more impressive when considering that no other Western Conference team has won more than five games away from home this year. The Thunder dropped a 100-87 decision to the Mavericks in their first meeting this year inside the American Airlines Center on Jan. 2.

Dallas has won three games in a row and comes in as one of the hottest offensive teams in the league, scoring at least 101 points in each of those contests. The Mavericks have gone “over” the total in four consecutive games, coming off a 122-point performance on the road against the Phoenix Suns. Forward Dirk Nowitzki figures to have a solid offensive game tonight, scoring a combined 55 points in two games versus the Thunder already this year. Dallas is 8-3 ATS as a home favorite of three points or less the last two-plus campaigns.

The Mavericks have won 24 of their last 32 regular-season games versus the Thunder franchise, as the two teams have split the first two meetings this year. Dallas has been successful in this series at home due to limiting Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant on the offensive end, holding him to a 19.8-point scoring average inside tonight’s venue during regular-season affairs, which is his worst mark of any place in the Western Conference. Dallas point guard Jason Kidd is out with a calf injury and will be replaced by third-year guard Rodrigue Beaubois. He scored eight points and dished out seven assists for a third consecutive game last time out.