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The Indiana Pacers will pay a visit to American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Pacers-Mavericks prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
The Indiana Pacers snapped a 3-game losing streak on Friday with a 113-110 victory overtime over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Domantas Sabonis made his return from a 4-game absence and notched a triple-double with 24 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. The win came after they suffered a 158-126 beatdown at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets last Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are coming off a 132-112 drubbing of the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Luka Doncic dropped a triple-double for the Mavs with 15 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds, while Kristaps Porzingis top-scored with 22 points. Save for a blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors the night before, Dallas has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA since the calendar year turned 2022.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Pacers–Mavericks NBA odds for this Saturday night NBA matchup.
NBA odds: Pacers–Mavericks Odds
Indiana Pacers: +11 (-110)
Dallas Mavericks: -11 (-110)
Over: 217.5 (-110)
Under: 217.5 (-110)
Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
The Indiana Pacers are the obvious underdogs for this game. With a 10-point spread, it's definitely possible for Indiana to cover, especially now that Domantas Sabonis has returned. Getting the 2nd generation star back obviously gives the Pacers a major boost. Over their last four defeats, they've only lost by double-digits once (against the Hornets).
Indiana is still missing a ton of its key players. The Pacers shut Malcolm Brogdon down on January 22 for 10 days due to his nagging Achilles issue. Myles Turner, who has been and should continue to be the subject of many trade talks over the next two weeks, is trending in the positive direction as he recovers from a foot injury. TJ Warren has been out for over a year also due to a foot injury and still does not have a timetable for a return. TJ McConnell has also been out since December due to wrist surgery.
Rick Carlisle also has this relatively young bunch playing hard. We saw this in their win over the Warriors last week despite playing without any of their top players, including Sabonis and Caris LeVert. Furthermore, perhaps they will be extra motivated to get the win as this is Carlisle's first game back since leaving the Mavericks this summer.
The Pacers have a dismal 6-19 record on the road and are 18-32 overall. Against the spread, however, they are faring much better with a 24-23 mark.
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
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The Dallas Mavericks have the edge on this one. With the homecourt edge and the way they've been playing this season, it's easy to see them come up with the win on Saturday. But will they be able to win over the 11-point spread?
Playing a bottom-half offensive team, this top-of-the-league Mavericks' defense could stifle its former coach's squad. They've held their opponents to less than 50 percent shooting in 24 of their last 25 games. Where Dallas has struggled is on the other side of the floor.
The Mavs finally found their groove offensively in their most recent outing against the Blazers. They scored 132 points, made 54.5 percent from the field, and converted 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. Portland's outing could be an indication that Dallas is finally turning the corner in terms of its offense. If that is indeed the case, they could cover the spread by a wide margin.
Injury-wise, Tim Hardaway Jr. still does not have a definite timetable after suffering a fractured left foot in their game against the Warriors earlier this week. Sterling Brown is also out due to a foot injury.
The Mavericks hold a 28-21 record this season and are 15-9 at American Airlines Center. Against the spread, they are pretty even at 25-23.
Final Pacers–Mavericks prediction and pick
This is a tough one, given both teams have nearly identical records against the spread. While an 11-point spread may look daunting, there are a lot of factors to consider going with the Mavericks on this one. Save for a down game against the Warriors, Dallas has been rolling and their defense has fueled their victories. Playing at home helps and feeding off the energy of their MFFL faithful should give them a boost. As noted earlier, the Mavs finally had an outstanding shooting night against the Blazers and they could carry that momentum into Saturday's game versus Indiana. Getting a win over their former coach in Rick Carlisle could also be a motivational factor.
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Final Pacers–Mavericks Prediction & Pick: Mavericks: -11 (-110)
