Subscribe
Follow Us
The Dallas Mavericks (1-1) travel to take on the New Orleans Pelicans (2-1) on Tuesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Mavericks-Pelicans prediction and pick.
The Mavericks are 1-1 heading into the second week of the season. Last week Dallas narrowly dropped their opener to the Suns in Phoenix before blowing out the Grizzlies at home. The Mavericks won three of four games against the Pelicans last season. In their wins, Dallas won by 16, 32, and seven. The Mavericks are 2-0 ATS this season after a stellar 57-41-2 (58.2%) record ATS last year. One of their two games has gone under this year following an under percentage of over 60% last year.
The Pelicans went 2-1 to open the season last week. They handled the Nets and Hornets in away matchups before returning home to drop a game against the Jazz. New Orleans won just one of their four matchups with the Mavericks last year – a 16-point victory in Dallas. The Pelicans are 2-1 ATS this season after an unreliable 45-44-1 (50.6%) record ATS last year. All three of New Orleans' games have gone over this season compared to just 42% of games going over last year.
Here are the Mavericks-Pelicans NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Mavericks-Pelicans Odds
Dallas Mavericks: -4 (-114)
New Orleans Pelicans: +4 (-106)
Over: 220 (-110)
Under: 220 (-110)
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
After blowing a 25-point lead in the season opener, Dallas was able to maintain their first-quarter success throughout an entire game in their rout of the Grizzlies. The Mavericks received another exceptional performance from star Luka Doncic. Luka had 32 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in the victory. It was Luka's second straight thirty-point game to start the season and his first double-double. Luka has been unbelievable to start the year and will look to keep it going against a Pelicans team he tormented last year. Although the Pelicans were without Zion Williamson in those matchups, Luka is 2-0 in his career against Zion. In those games, he's averaged 38 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11 assists.
While Luka getting off to a strong start is encouraging for Mavericks backers, it's something to be expected. The major question marks for Dallas revolved around the supporting cast around Doncic. At least in terms of their big man, those questions have been answered two games into the year. Offseason acquisition Christian Wood has scored 25 points in consecutive games for Dallas. Although he's come off the bench in favor of veteran Javale McGee, Wood is the preferred option at the end of games. The 6'10” center flew under the radar despite putting up a strong statistical profile in his two seasons in Houston. Last year he averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds while shooting nearly 40% from three.
Article Continues Below
Outside of Doncic and Wood, Dallas is still searching for consistent offensive production. Guard Spencer Dinwiddie has been solid thus far and played well against the Pelicans last year, but wing Tim Hardaway Jr. is the X-factor tonight. If the Mavs are going to cover in a hostile environment, they'll need Hardaway Jr. to reign his shooting numbers in and figure out how to put the ball in the basket. The veteran has shot just 27% from three and 30% overall in their first two games. His slow start is something to keep in mind when making a Mavericks-Pelicans prediction.
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
The Pelicans turned some heads on opening night when they blew out Kevin Durant's Brooklyn Nets. They further rose excitement when they took care of business against Charlotte. However, Sunday's loss to the Jazz quickly brought the Pelicans down to earth and they'll be highly motivated to open Southwest divisional play strong.
While the big headlines revolve around Zion Williamson being healthy, Williamson has yet to lead his team in scoring this season. In fact, three different Pelicans have led New Orleans in scoring and none of them have been Zion. New Orleans has a deep roster full of capable scorers and contributors. Guard CJ McCollum, forward Brandon Ingram, and Zion are each averaging over 22 points per game to start the year. Throw in center Jonas Valanciunas' 17 ppg. and the strong defense of wing Herb Jones and the Pelicans have one of the most capable starting lineups in the NBA.
If the Pelicans want to cover the spread tonight, though, they'll look for more of the same from guard CJ McCollum. After being traded from Portland at the deadline last year, McCollum got to match up with Luka's Mavericks just once as a Pelican. However, he was certainly impressive – scoring 38 points and nailing seven threes. McCollum's ability to carry the perimeter scoring load will be a major factor in whether or not New Orleans can cover as a home underdog.
Final Mavericks-Pelicans Prediction & Pick
The Mavericks have started off hot in each of their first two games but New Orlean's eighth-ranked first-quarter offense should be enough to keep them in the game. A home underdog that's still looking for their first home win? Sign me up.
Final Mavericks-Pelicans Prediction & Pick: New Orleans Pelicans +4 (-106)
