20 DIME DALLAS MAVERICKS - Not sure what the reasoning might be, other than which team is the higher seed, but how anyone is shocked at how this series is gone hasn’t paid close enough attention.



Dallas, undoubtedly, is the stronger team of these two, despite finishing beneath the Spurs in the Southwest. Honestly, have you watched this team execute on offense? It’s clicking, and that’s what matters when you’re at home. The catch is, this team is concentrating on defense, and completely shutting down the Spurs, since their offense is all they’ve got.



If Dallas comes out scoring, and the Spurs can’t match that intensity, it’s all over – plain and simple. And that’s what I am counting on. The team is shooting 47.3 percent from the field, an improvement over its regular-season percentage. And with that transition game working so well, the confidence grows as well.



I like the home chalk here.



5 DIME COLORADO ROCKIES (WITH Jimenez and McDonald) - A pitching rematch and I’ll take the home team here. James McDonald won’t know about the pitching in Coors Field, and will make too many mistakes over the zone.



Ubaldo Jimenez was rocked by the Dodgers once already, but on his home turf, he’ll be much more confident. Not much to say except I like the revenge factor, and I like our chances with a Rockies lineup teeing off on someone who has no clue about the rarified air.