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The Dallas Mavericks are on the road as they take on the Brooklyn Nets in a highly anticipated NBA game on Saturday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Mavs-Nets prediction and pick.
This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams and they are heading in different directions. The Mavs are on the outside looking in of a playoff picture at 15-16, but they have won seven of their last ten games.
The Nets have been one of the league's hottest teams since adding James Harden to the fold. Despite being without Kevin Durant for the last few games, they are winners of eight straight. They will however be without Kyrie Irving who is recovering from a right shoulder injury.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Mavs-Nets NBA odds.
NBA Odds: Mavs-Nets Odds
Brooklyn Nets -1 (-105)
Dallas Mavericks +1 (-115)
Over 232.5 Points (-108)
Under 232.5 Points (-112)
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The Mavs will be going up against a shorthanded team in the Brooklyn Nets, who will be without both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Despite their early struggles, the Mavericks have won six of their last eight games. Luka Doncic is a big reason for the recent turnaround. One of the best players in the league, Doncic is averaging 28.5 points per game which is the seventh-most in the association. He's nearly averaging a triple-double which is absurd.
The Mavericks are 7-8 on the road this year, but they are playing better basketball as of late. Kristaps Porzingis is listed as probable after missing the last three games due to a back injury. Dallas fell victim to a 111-97 loss to the surging Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, with Doncic dropping just 19 points. The entire rotation struggled to get buckets, while the Sixers outscored the Mavs 50-26 in the paint.
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Dallas is 8-7 against the spread on the road.
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
Firstly, the spread is very manageable with it just being one point. So even for a shorthanded Nets squad, they can squeak out a two-point win and that would be good enough to cover the spread.
James Harden has silenced his doubters as of late he's been one of the best players in the NBA. Head coach Steve Nash will have to mix and match his rotation in order to compete with Luka Doncic and the Mavs
The Nets are 10-8 against the spread at home. They have also managed to win eight-straight games with impressive victories over the Clippers, Lakers, and Suns. Not only were they impressive wins, but they have managed to cover the spread in each of those games, so there's a strong chance that could happen on Saturday night. The entire unit will need to step up heavily though in order to complement Harden, considering he doesn't have Irving by his side.
Final Mavericks-Nets Prediction & Pick
If Kyrie Irving was playing, I'd lean towards the Nets who have been among the hottest teams in the league. However, with him being out, look for Luka Doncic to dominate for the Dallas Mavericks to win this game outright.
The OVER of 232.5 is a bit too much in this situation, so I would cautiously take the UNDER, knowing that Harden will have to score the bulk of the Nets points.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: DAL 108, BKN 101 (DAL +1)
