Subscribe
Follow Us
The Dallas Mavericks will face off against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Mavericks-Pelicans prediction and pick.
The Mavericks continue to surprise everyone with fantastic play. They've won five of their last six contests, including a huge victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Now they run into a mediocre Pelicans squad that has also picked up their play recently. New Orleans is 5-3 over their last eight contests, thanks in large part to the acquisition of shooting guard CJ McCollum. These two streaking teams should make for an entertaining matchup, so let's get straight into the pick.
Click here for our Risk Free $1000 Bet!
*To claim, new users need to register, make a first deposit, and then simply place their first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook up to $1000! If a user loses their first wager, we’ll refund their loses in the form of a free-bet up to $1000!*
Here are the Mavericks-Pelicans NBA odds, courtesy 0f FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Mavericks-Pelicans Odds
Dallas Mavericks: -2.5 (-110)
New Orleans Pelicans: +2.5 (-110)
Over: 216 (-112)
Under: 216 (-108)
*Watch NBA Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
The Dallas defense has the chance to dominate this matchup. The Mavs have been dominant on the defensive side of the ball this season, as they only allow 103 points per game. Dallas also ranks inside the top ten in the NBA in effective field goal percentage allowed, three-point percentage allowed, and shooting efficiency allowed. On the other hand, the Pelicans have some of the worst offensive numbers in the entire league. They rank inside the bottom ten in the league in most offensive statistics, despite their recent stretch of solid offensive play. This is an ideal matchup for the Dallas defense.
In addition to their regular-season success, the Mavericks have been fantastic at covering the spread. They've posted a 31-26-1 record ATS this year, compared to the Pelicans' 28-29-1 record. Dallas is also 15-12 against the spread when they play on the road, and 7-5 when entering the game as a road favorite. This looks like a pretty solid spot to pick the Mavericks in.
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
Despite what their terrible season-long offensive numbers say, the Pelicans have managed to improve in that category recently. They've scored more than 110 points in six of their last eight games behind strong performances from McCollum and forward Brandon Ingram. While Dallas is one of the tougher defenses in the league, New Orleans has shown the capability to score against anyone, as shown by their recent 120-point explosion against the Toronto Raptors.
Home court advantage will play a big role in this contest. The Mavericks do have a winning record on the road, but their 14-13 road record is poor compared to their 20-11 home record. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have been slightly better on their home court than they have been anywhere else. New Orleans has earned a 44% winning percentage in Smoothie King Center and a 34% winning percentage when they play away from their home court.
Final Mavericks-Pelicans Prediction & Pick
The Pelicans have been hot lately, but this spread is too small to justify a bet on them. The Mavericks have been equally hot, and they're the far more talented team of the two. Lock in Dallas against this one-score spread.
Final Mavericks-Pelicans Prediction & Pick: Dallas Mavericks -2.5 (-11o)
