The Dallas Mavericks fell flat on their face in the opening game of their second-round series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, putting up their worst offensive showing of the playoffs while getting torched by outside shooting in a blowout Game 1 loss.

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Is there any hope here for Dallas, who has at least nursed Luka Doncic back to full health? Or, will we see more sustained brilliance by a Thunder team that may simply be far better than the Mavericks?

Let's get into the best way to bet on the Mavericks vs. Thunder in Game 2 the Western Conference Semifinals.

DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER FANDUEL ODDS FOR MAY 9

MONEY LINE

• DALLAS MAVERICKS: +168
• OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: -200

SPREAD

• DALLAS MAVERICKS: +5 (-110)
• OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: -5 (-110)

OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)

• OVER 217.5 (-108)
• UNDER 217.5 (-112)

BEST ODDS FOR DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

• The best odds on the Dallas Mavericks are over at DraftKings, where you'll find Mavericks +5 (-110).
• Oklahoma City is being offered at different numbers across the board, with the best odds on Thunder -4.5 (-110) at Caesars.
• There are wildly different numbers on the total everywhere you look. The best odds on the Over are at FanDuel, offering Over 217.5 (-108). You'll find the best odds on the Under at BetMGM, who is hanging Under 218.5 (-110).

DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER INJURY REPORT

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER INJURY REPORT

• NONE

DALLAS MAVERICKS INJURY REPORT

• LUKA DONCIC - PROBABLE - KNEE
• MAXI KLEBER - OUT - SHOULDER

WHY OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER WILL COVER THE SPREAD

As we said in our series preview, the Thunder are flat-out better than the Mavericks. Oddsmakers entered the playoffs a bit skeptical against one of the strongest regular-season teams in the entire league due to a lack of playoff experience, but as we see with the line in Game 2 their tone has quickly changed.

The Thunder's excellent defense was on full display in Game 1, limiting the Mavericks to under 40% shooting from the field while their offense torched a weak Dallas 3-point defense from the arc. The easiest answer as to why Oklahoma City will cover the spread here is that it is a far stronger team inside than the Clippers team the Mavericks overcame in the first round. They have one of the best rim defenses in the NBA, and rim scoring was the backbone of the Mavs' offense in that series.

Making the case even stronger for the home team, the Thunder were able to steal away nearly 54% of available rebounds in the opening game, so while they struggled in that area all season long they seem plenty capable of winning that battle against a similarly-challenged group of Mavericks rebounders.

WHY DALLAS MAVERICKS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

The easiest way in here for the Mavericks may be from 3, where they struggled in Game 1 but exerted some dominance for the majority of the season. The rim became a focus in the later part of the regular season and was a strong-suit in the first round, but going from one of the worst teams in rim protection to the very best, Dallas had no chance.

The Thunder aren't exactly bad at defending the 3, either, but it's clearly the only slight weakness this defense has. Dallas has now struggled defensively in two of its last three games, adding to the speculation that it's a team completely driven by offense, and that is why scoring the ball will be paramount here.

Dallas did end the season on a poor note when it came to shooting, but it did maintain palatable numbers against a very strong Clippers perimeter defense in the first round. The Mavericks also did also shoot 36.4% from 3 on the road which, while not quite their 37.5% mark at home, will do just fine in this one.

FINAL MAVERICKS-THUNDER PICK & PREDICTION

It's really a struggle to see a way in here for the Mavericks. Even if they're able to shoot at a roughly average clip from outside -- something that they haven't done in a little while now, they were destroyed at the rim in Game 1 and that's something you'd be smart to bet on continuing against one of the strongest frontcourts in basketball.

The Thunder have been a near-impossible team to stop at home, where their net rating has grown by leaps and bounds over their road averages, and with 39% shooting from 3 at home it's similarly hard to see their offense dropping off at all considering how poorly the Mavericks defend the 3 in particular.

I think this will be a short series, and the line should keep creeping towards the Thunder -- at least in home games. I still see this as a buy-low spot.

FINAL MAVERICKS-THUNDER PICK & PREDICTION: THUNDER -4.5 (-110)

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