The Phoenix Suns drew one step closer to clinching the franchise’s first NBA title on Thursday night, thanks to a come-from-behind, 115-109 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The six-point win clinched the series in six games for Monty Williams’ bunch, allowing the Suns to advance to play the fourth-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the second round.
The Mavericks knocked off the Utah Jazz in six games to advance to the second round for the first time in 11 years, while the Suns are looking to one-up their Western Conference title from a year ago.
Several Arizona best sportsbooks apps have already weighed in on the series, giving the Suns the edge.
The Suns and Mavericks kick off their best-of-seven series at 7 p.m. Arizona time Monday on TNT.
Here’s a breakdown of the Western Conference Semifinals series’ NBA betting odds.
Suns vs. Mavericks Series Schedule
Game 1: Monday, 7 p.m. TNT, in Phoenix.
Game 2: Wednesday, 7 p.m. TNT, in Phoenix.
Game 3: May 6, 6:30 p.m., ESPN, in Dallas.
Game 4: May 8, TBD, in Dallas.
Game 5: May 10, TBD TNT, in Phoenix (if necessary).
Game 6: May 12, TBD ESPN, in Dallas (if necessary).
Game 7: May 15, TBD, in Phoenix (if necessary).
Suns a Slight Favorite Over Mavericks in Series
The Suns are the unanimous Arizona sports betting favorites to win their series against the Mavericks.
The team’s best odds come from BetMGM Arizona, which lists the Suns at -350 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
The folks at Caesars Sportsbook Arizona and DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona are in lockstep, listing the Suns at -300 to beat the Mavericks, while the oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona have Phoenix at -275 to capture the series.
As far as Game 1 odds are concerned — Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings and FanDuel list the Suns at -6 and -250 at the Footprint Center on Monday night.
Suns’ NBA Championship Odds Vary
The biggest variation when it comes to the Suns’ playoff run, odds wise, is where the four sportsbooks see the team in the NBA title odds chase.
Two of the four sites, in BetMGM Arizona and DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona, have Phoenix back atop their title odds boards — at +325 and +300, respectively.
The others have Phoenix in the No. 2 spot behind Golden State, with Caesars Sportsbook listing the Suns at +340 (Warriors at +320) and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona putting them at +330 (Warriors at +320).
With a series win over the Mavericks, the odds are pretty good the Suns would face off against the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Golden State faces the winner of the Memphis-Minnesota series.
