Subscribe
Follow Us
The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans haven't had much to celebrate recently, as both teams are outside of a guaranteed playoff spot and on a losing stretch. The Mavs have fallen to ninth in the Western Conference, while the Pelicans haven't figured out the injury concerns all season and are 14th. Luka Doncic remains out for the Mavericks with his calf injury, but they also have new additions to the injury report, like Dante Exum, Dwight Powell, and Naji Marshall. It hasn't been as challenging recently for the Pelicans, but Dejounte Murray's inclusion with an elbow injury brings some concern. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Mavericks-Pelicans prediction and pick.
Here are the Mavericks-Pelicans NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Mavericks-Pelicans Odds
Dallas Mavericks: -1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -125
New Orleans Pelicans: +1.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +105
Over: 232 (-110)
Under: 232 (-110)
How To Watch Mavericks vs. Pelicans
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: Gulf Coast Sports
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Mavericks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Mavericks have been pulling out some wins recently without Doncic, as Kyrie Irving is stepping into a leadership role and doing a fine job. Dallas took care of business against the Washington Wizards in their last game. Still, three of their other wins over the previous ten games were impressive, including two against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dallas isn't winning as much as they would like and desperately need Doncic back to hold the playoff spot, but it's hard to argue against a team with two victories over OKC this season.
The Pelicans' issue is that their defense is only getting worse this season, and it was bad enough to begin with. New Orleans allowed 123.4 points per game over its last five games, ten points above the league average and seven points above its overall total.
Why the Pelicans Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Pelicans reached a new low earlier this week when they scored just 92 points and lost by 31 to the Charlotte Hornets. The Pelicans must be much better, especially with a relatively healthy lineup. The loss can't fall on Zion Williamson's shoulders as people usually try to do, as he contributed 28 of the 92 points. Williamson scored another 31 points in the Pelicans' subsequent loss to the Toronto Raptors. There isn't much reason to believe in the Pelicans amidst their three-game losing streak, but Williamson's recent heroics could lead them to a victory against a depleted Mavericks squad. The Pelicans did have a four-game winning streak before the losing stretch, including a three-point win over the Mavericks.
The Pelicans' overall statistics don't do them any favors, but they are much closer to the Mavericks over the last five games. The gap closes substantially, as New Orleans averaged 116.2 points per game in the previous five, while the Mavericks allowed 114.
Final Mavericks-Pelicans Prediction & Pick
There's no way to sugarcoat it; depending on the injury situation, this could be an ugly game. However, the defenses are so bad that it could sneakily turn into a shootout, which is how we'll lean. The total has gone over in four consecutive Mavericks games, while the Pelicans also recently saw a four-game streak end. Two weeks ago, the game between these teams was also a 119-116 thriller. The New Orleans defense has been abysmal all season, and Dallas is in the middle of their worst stretch. Take this game to go over.
Final Mavericks-Pelicans Prediction & Pick: Over 232 (-110)
