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The NBA will continue on Monday night. The New Orleans Pelicans will hit the road to battle against the Dallas Mavericks. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Pelicans-Mavericks prediction and pick.
These two teams have been having very different seasons. The Pelicans enter Monday night an abysmal 1-9, having lost their last six games. The Mavericks are 6-3 and coming off an impressive win. Monday's game should be an interesting one.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the odds for the Pelicans-Mavericks Monday night matchup.
NBA Odds: Pelicans-Mavericks Odds
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New Orleans Pelicans: +9 (-108)
Dallas Mavericks: -9 (-112)
Over: 212 (-110)
Under: 212 (-110)
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
The Pelicans have not looked great this season. They have been without Zion since the start and haven’t had Brandon Ingram for their last games. However, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. They have lost their last six games, but three of those losses came down to two possessions or less. New Orleans hasn’t been able to close out close contests but will look to change that on Monday. The Mavericks are a very tough opponent, so a win would be huge for the Pelicans. New Orleans will need to do everything they can if they want to give Dallas a tough battle.
A big factor in this game will be whether or not Brandon Ingram plays. Ingram has missed the last four Pelicans games. Three of those four games haven't even been competitive. When BI is on the court this Pelicans team looks completely different. Ingram creates offense for this team. Prior to his injury he was averaging 25 points and 7 rebounds a game. His availability on Monday night will have a huge impact on New Orleans’ ability to compete. If Ingram doesn’t play then the Pelicans will have to lean on their other options.
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One player who has stepped up in Ingram’s absence has been Jonas Valanciunas. The Pelicans acquired the Lithuanian big man this off-season and that move has paid off. In Ingram’s absence Valanciunas has stepped up to carry the offense. Valanciunas dropped 20 points and 15 rebounds in their loss to the Warriors, and this performance isn't anything new. He is averaging over 19 points and 14 rebounds a game. Valanciunas has the ability to impact games whether or not Ingram plays. Expect the big man to continue to ball out on Monday.
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The Dallas Mavericks have ambitions beyond regular season success. The Mavs are looking to make a deep playoff win this year, but they can’t overlook the regular season. Dallas is a better team than New Orleans and will look to take care of business at home. The Mavs are coming off a big win against the Celtics. They edged out Boston by 3 and will look to carry that momentum into Monday’s game.
Leading the way for Dallas is Luka Doncic. Luka has cemented himself as one of the best players in the NBA. He dropped 33 points and 9 rebounds against the Celtics. No moment has proven to big for the Slovenian baller. He hit a game winner against Boston and will look to continue his excellent season on Monday. In order for New Orleans to have any hope at winning this game they will need to contain Luka, which hasn’t seemed possible this season.
Some more good news for the Mavericks is that Kristaps Porzingis has finally returned to action. In his first game back after a five game absence the unicorn dropped 21 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Even without Porzingis this Mavs team is very competitive. When Porzingis does play they are able to take their game to another level. Kristaps is finally back and will look to continue impacting games. Expect the big man to compete on Monday and play a big role for Dallas.
Final Pelicans-Mavericks Prediction & Pick
The line is pretty wide for this game, but it still isn't too tough of a pick. The Mavericks are a much better team than the Pelicans. New Orleans has looked awful without Ingram and if BI doesn't play then Dallas should have no problem covering. It gets a bit more complicated if Ingram does come back, but even so the Mavericks are the better team. New Orleans has lost their last six games, and have lost their last three by 12 or more. Dallas is coming off a big win against a much tougher opponent and will carry that momentum into Monday's game. Pick the Mavericks to win and cover and get ready for a blow out.
FINAL PELICANS-MAVERICKS PICK: Dallas Mavericks -9 (-112)
FINAL PELICANS-MAVERICKS SCORE PREDICTION: Mavericks 114 – Pelicans 98
