Mavericks vs Suns Game 2 Picks and Predictions: Suns Spread Won't be Eclipsed

The Phoenix Suns came out with a ton of energy in the first game in this series, and the Dallas Mavericks will be hoping to do the same in Wednesday’s Game 2 battle. The Mavericks do not want to go down 2-0 in this series, but they’ll need somebody to step up and help Luka Doncic out against a swarming Suns defense. 

Will Dallas find a way to even up the series at the Footprint Center? Keep reading our Mavericks vs. Suns NBA picks and predictions for our favorite plays on Wednesday, May 4. 

Mavericks vs Suns odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

The Suns opened laying 6 points in this game and that hasn’t really changed on a majority of sportsbooks. There is one place that’s offering the Mavericks at +6.5, so that’s what you’ll want to find if you’re leaning towards taking Dallas. 

The total, which opened at 216.5, appears to be moving down. Most sportsbooks have settled in on having that number at 216, but there are still a select few offering at 216.5. 

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Mavericks vs Suns predictions

• Prediction: Suns -6 (-105)
• Prediction: Under 216.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Ayton Over 19.5 points (+100)

Predictions made on 5/4/2022 at 3:10 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Mavericks vs Suns game info

• Location: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2022
• Tip-off: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT

Mavericks vs Suns series odds

Mavericks: +425
Suns: -550

Mavericks vs Suns betting preview

Key injuries

Mavericks: Maxi Kleber F (Questionable), Tim Hardaway Jr. G (Out).
Suns: Dario Saric F (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Suns are 4-1 against the spread in their last five playoff games as favorites. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Suns.

Mavericks vs Suns picks and predictions

Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.

Spread analysis

The Suns thoroughly dominated the Mavericks in Game 1, but you wouldn’t know it based on looking at the final score. Dallas made a huge run when the game was already out of reach in the fourth quarter, but Phoenix is going to be feeling really good about how that series opener went. The team was coming off an absolute battle against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round, but it’s clear that this series won’t have the same type of physicality. And that plays to the Suns’ strengths, as it’s hard to slow down their diverse offensive attack without mucking the game up. 

Even in a game in which Chris Paul and Devin Booker didn’t do all that much offensively, Phoenix looked nearly impossible to stop. Deandre Ayton, who is going up against some small front-court players for Dallas, was unguardable in Game 1. The big man had 25 points and eight rebounds in the win, and he continued to be automatic with his mid-range jumpers. 

Overall, his presence is the reason it’s hard to see the Suns losing this game — and this series. Not only do the Mavericks not have a big man that can guard Ayton, but the Suns center is also capable of playing good enough defense to stay on the floor against Dallas’ small-ball lineups. 

Phoenix’s role players are also a lot better than what Dallas has to offer. Over the course of this series, guys like Booker and Luka will get theirs — Luka did have 45 points last game — but the Suns beat up on the Mavericks in Game 1 thanks to guys like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. Those two wings are going to be a problem for Dallas all series long, and the Suns also got big contributions from Jae Crowder and Cameron Payne. That depth is the reason it’s hard to see Phoenix not handling its business, especially in home games. 

Also, after letting the Mavericks crawl back into the game late in Game 1, you shouldn’t count on the Suns letting up in Game 2. Phoenix will be a lot more focused until the very end, and this should be another game that isn’t very close. It should be noted that the Suns have now won 10 in a row against Luka and the Mavs. 

Prediction: Suns -6 (-105 at BetMGM)

Over/Under analysis

The Suns and Mavericks both play some extremely efficient offense, which isn’t that surprising when considering the squads are run by Paul and Luka, respectively. Both teams are capable of getting good looks off whenever they want, but that generally comes late in the shot clock. 

These teams both utilize the pick and roll extremely effectively, and they also have a number of counters that they run out of those sets. That type of stuff takes time to run, so it isn’t surprising to see that the Mavericks are currently playing at the second-slowest pace in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Suns are also in the bottom half of the 16 teams that made it, and they had plenty of games in which they really slowed it down during the year. 

Game 1 was actually uncharacteristically fast for these teams, and neither defense will be happy with their performance. The Mavericks let the Suns feast for three whole quarters, while the Suns kind of fell apart in the fourth. With that in mind, both of these coaches will be looking for better focus out of their teams in Game 2. 

The Under is also 28-11-1 in Dallas’ last 40 games coming off an ATS loss, and 10-4 in the last 14 games that the Mavericks have played against opponents with winning percentages of 60% or higher. With that in mind, Game 1’s high point total was likely a bit of a fluke. 

Prediction: Under 216.5 (-110 at BetMGM) 

Best bet

There are sites that are making you lay -120 to take Deandre Ayton’s points Over, so getting it at even money is really good value. In Game 1, the Mavericks had nobody that could prevent Ayton from scoring the basketball, as the big man had 25 points. Perhaps most importantly, the 23-year-old did so despite being frozen out of the offense in the second half. That might be one of the reasons the Suns let the Mavericks creep back into the game late, and it’ll definitely be a point of emphasis to get Ayton the ball more often in Game 2. 

Ayton already has five games in which he has scored at least 20 points in this postseason, and it’d be surprising if he doesn’t do so in a majority of these games against Dallas. Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber are both too small to move Ayton off his spots. That’s letting the center comfortably get to his jump hook and turnaround jumper. Overall, you can count on the hot streak continuing in this spot, especially with it being a home game for Phoenix. 

Pick: Ayton Over 19.5 points (+100 at DraftKings)

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