Last Updated on May 31, 2011 10:00 pm by drew
NBA Finals Series Odds
(TheSpread) – The 2011 NBA Finals begin on Tuesday night with the Miami Heat facing the Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals.
Miami was the No. 2 seed out of the Eastern Conference while Dallas was the No. 3 seed out of the Western Conference. The Heat will have the home-court advantage in this series.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bodog.eu the Heat are the favorites to win the NBA Finals with series odds of -170 while the Mavericks have a money line of +140.
The Heat won all three of their previous series in five games. Miami disposed of Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago in order. All of Miami’s losses came on the road as they were unbeaten at home. LeBron James has led the Heat throughout the playoffs, scoring 26 points per game.
Dallas reached the NBA Finals by beating Portland in 6 games, the L.A. Lakers in 4 games, and the Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games. Dallas won five road games during the playoffs and suffered just one loss at home. Dirk Nowitzki is scoring 28.4 points per game for Dallas while shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 51.6 percent from 3-point land.
During the regular season, these two teams faced off twice, with Dallas winning both meetings. Dallas scored 102 points per game in the two contests while Miami averaged 95.5 points per game.
Trends show Dallas is 9-1-1 against the spread in their last 11 meetings in Miami while the road team has covered in 19 of the last 27 meetings between these two teams.
In terms of injuries, Dallas forward Caron Butler is out for the start of the series with a knee injury while Miami guard Dwayne Wade is probable despite a shoulder injury.
Odds to win 2011 NBA Finals – Mavericks vs. Heat
Dallas Mavericks +140
Miami Heat -170
2011 NBA Finals Series Schedule
Game 1 – Tue May 31, Dallas at /Miami 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2 – Thu June 2, Dallas at Miami 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 3 – Sun June 5, Miami at Dallas 8 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 4 – Tue June 7, Miami at Dallas 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 5* – Thu June 9, Miami at Dallas 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 6* – Sun June 12, Dallas at Miami 8 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 7* – Tue June 14, Dallas at Miami 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!