Mavericks Odds: Dallas’ chances of making the NBA Playoffs Play-In

The Dallas Mavericks took a significant step last night towards their goal of making the NBA Play-In game. At the moment, they’re still on the outside looking in, currently sitting at 11th place in the wild Western Conference.

The win over the Kings on Wednesday night changed the odds for Dallas to make the Play-In, moving them to +130. Prior to the game on Wednesday, odds looked much bleaker for the Mavericks, and if you’re the kind of bettor who got in with the more profitable odds, then you’re smarter than I am. Dallas beating the Kings seemed like a longshot, even though the Mavericks were a 6-point favorite heading into the contest.

Dallas is in competition for that 10th and final Play-In spot against Oklahoma City Thunder. Draft Kings thinks the Thunder have a better shot to make the Play-In as they currently have -160 odds. Like Dallas, the Thunder have two games remaining. While Dallas plays a Chicago Bulls team that might be sitting everyone on Friday night, Oklahoma City plays a Utah Jazz team that’s also sitting half the roster. The Thunder are currently a seven-point favorite despite being on the road. The Mavericks are currently eight-point favorites against the Bulls Friday.

The likely scenario is that both Dallas and the Thunder win their next games, with everything coming down to a Sunday afternoon game for each team. Dallas hosts the super tanking San Antonio Spurs and the Thunder host the Memphis Grizzlies, who could still be fighting to hold on to the number two seed, holding off the Sacramento Kings.

For once, Dallas is a pretty good bet, because despite what fans might want from the team (a draft pick, for some of us), they can control their own destiny in terms of defeating easier teams. But the Thunder have the tiebreaker, which means if they win out, they’re in over Dallas. What a wild end to the NBA season.