NBA Picks: Mavericks vs Suns — OutKick Bets

The second round of the NBA Playoffs is underway and a new series kicks off between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns on Monday night.

PointsBet Sportsbook has the Suns listed as the 5.5 point favorite with the total sitting at 214.

OutKick Bets' Kayla Knierim is sharing her picks and said she likes the home team covering in this one tonight.

"Straight to the point I like the Suns at -5.5 tonight," Knierim said.

Knierim explained that Phoenix has owned the Mavs in the past few years, having won their last nine in a row with Dallas and going 7-2 ATS in those games.

She points out that Dallas has only picked up one win in Phoenix in the last five years.

"Not only did Phoenix go 3-0 SU with Dallas during the regular season, but they beat the Mavs by 6 points or more in those 3 games," Knierim said.

Knierim believes that Phoenix is the better and deeper team in this series top to bottom.

She also likes that Suns small forward Devin Booker — who may not be 100% — is back in the lineup after being sideline with a hamstring injury through much of the team's first-round series with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Another challenge for Dallas could be Suns' big man Deandre Ayton who is averaging over 20ppg in the playoffs.

As for taking the total, Knierim advised going with the under of 214 tonight.

"Lets not forget these are two teams who are in the top 10 in defensive rating on top of the fact that in two of their three regular season match-ups the total went under this number."

Here’s everything Knierim had to say ahead of tonight’s game from Phoenix:

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