The 2022 NBA Playoffs continue Friday, May 6, with the Western Conference semifinal showdown from American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, so we have prepared the best Suns vs. Mavericks betting pick and odds for Game 3.  

The Suns have won the first two games of the series at home, outlasting the Mavs 121-114 and 129-109 as 6-point favorites on both occasions. This time around, the Mavericks are slight 1-point home favorites with a total of 219.5 points on BetOnline Sportsbook. 

The Suns trounced the Mavs in Game 2           

The Phoenix Suns (70-20; 50-40 ATS) comfortably defeated Dallas in Game 1, although a seven-point margin doesn’t suggest such a thing. They lost the fourth quarter by ten points. Game 2 saw a different story, as the reigning Western Conference champions outscored the Mavericks 40-26 in the fourth quarter. 

The Suns enjoyed a tremendous shooting night last Wednesday. They made 64.5% of their field goals and 52.0% of their 3-pointers (13-for-25). The Suns outscored the Mavs 50-32 in the paint and handed out nine assists more than their opponents (28-19). 

Devin Booker scored 30 points in Game 2, going 5-for-8 from beyond the 3-point line. Chris Paul accounted for 28 points and eight assists; Jae Crowder had 15 points and seven rebounds, while Mikal Bridges posted a line of 11 points, six assists, three boards, and a couple of steals. Deandre Ayton got into foul trouble and finished with nine points in just 18 minutes on the floor. 

The Mavs have to improve their defense                    

The Dallas Mavericks (56-34; 52-36-2 ATS) played very well in the first-round series against the Utah Jazz, especially on the defensive end. Things changed drastically in the second round, as Dallas couldn’t cope with the Suns on both sides of the ball. 

The Mavericks surrendered a whopping 71 second-half points last Wednesday. They shot 45.6% from the field and 41.5% from beyond the arc (17-for-41) but handed out only 19 assists. Luka Doncic finished with 35 points, seven assists, seven turnovers, and a terrible minus-28 net rating. 

Jalen Brunson had only nine points on 3-for-12 shooting from the field in Game 2. He was averaging 27.8 points and 4.2 assists a night in the first round. Spencer Dinwiddie has been a huge disappointment so far this postseason, averaging only 13.9 points on 35.6% shooting from the field.  

Trends:

Phoenix:

  • 5-1 ATS in the last six games overall 
  • 4-1 ATS in the last five games on the road 
  • 9-1 ATS in the last ten road games against Dallas 

Dallas:

  • 4-17 ATS in the last 21 games against Phoenix 

Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks Pick 

The Mavericks are in a must-win situation. They must be highly motivated to avoid a 3-0 hole, but I’m not sure the Mavs have enough firepower to compete with the Suns. Dallas has struggled to control the glass through the first two games of the series, and I’m expecting to see more of the same in Game 3. 

Furthermore, the Suns are a tough defensive unit. They know how to deal with the Mavericks’ backcourt, so I’m backing the Suns to cover on the road. The Mavericks will keep it close only if they put on a top-notch defensive performance and force the Suns into a lot of difficult shots. 

Pick: Take Phoenix Suns +1.0 at -110    

The Total:

After surrendering 250 points over the previous two contests, the Mavericks have to show some pride or they will be in dire straits. As I’ve mentioned above, the Suns’ only hope is to play really good defense and find a way to control the glass. 

Hereof, I lean the under, but the totals are a tricky wager in this series. The Mavericks are trying to slow down the tempo, but that won’t matter if they continue to play lousy defense. 

Pick: Go under 219.5 points at -110