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We're back and ready to bring you yet another prediction and pick for today's NBA slate of action as we head to the Southwest Division for a clash of bitter rivals. The New Orleans Pelicans (23-15*) will take on the Dallas Mavericks (23-16) for their third meeting of the season with the series tied at 1-1. Check out our NBA odds series for our Pelicans-Mavericks prediction and pick.
The New Orleans Pelicans are currently leading the Southwest Division by a half-game and they're sitting comfortably at the six-spot in the Western Conference. They've been playing great basketball as of late and have won six of their last seven games. With recent wins over the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Kings, they're looking to establish themselves as a team to beat in the West.
The Dallas Mavericks are currently right behind New Orleans in both the divisional and conference standings by just a half-game. They've won four of their last five games coming in and have a chance to gain a leg-up on the Pelicans with the season series tied at one-a-piece. They'll be happy to host as home underdogs with an extra day of rest.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pelicans-Mavericks Odds
New Orleans Pelicans: -1 (-108)
Moneyline: -112
Dallas Mavericks: +1 (-112)
Moneyline: -104
Over: 233.5 (-110)
Under: 233.5 (-110)
How to Watch Pelicans vs. Mavericks
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET/ 5:30 p.m. PT
TV: Bally Sports Southwest, NBA League Pass
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
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Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
The Pelicans are in a similar position in the West as the New York Knicks are in the East. They're right on the cusp of being a solid playoff team, but they haven't quite shown enough to prove they're one of the top four teams in the conference. Their lineup has been healthy and they're logging meaningful minutes together as a unit. Zion Williamson has taken a big step forward in terms of his consistency and he's been a surprisingly great facilitator for them. If Zion can continue drawing defenses towards him and freeing up Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, this offense becomes very hard to stop if they can get their shots to fall.
The Pelicans have also been one of the better defensive teams through this point of the season. They have a ton of length on both ends of the floor and they also have the three-point shooters to spread defenses out. Jordan Hawkins has been a great addition for the Pelicans and he's one of the purest spot-up shooters we're seeing in the game today. The Mavericks will hope to slow this game down in the half-court if Luka doesn't play, so the Pelicans should look to start fast and get in transition early. They're the best first-half team in the NBA and it's been paying off for them thus far.
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The Dallas Mavericks have won five of their last seven games and Kyrie Irving had yet another outstanding performance during their last 128-124 win over the Knicks. It was a crucial game for the Mavericks to win and they did so without Luka Doncic in the lineup. Irving notched a game-high 44 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 32 in just his fifth start of the season. He's been great for them off the bench this year, but it's clear he should be seeing more minutes with how efficient his scoring has been when his teammates miss games. It's unclear whether we'll see Luka Doncic out there for this one, but the Mavericks should look to get Hardaway involved in the offense once again.
The Mavericks will have an added day of rest here as the Pelicans come straight from Denver on a back-to-back. New Orleans is also returning a number of their key players from injury, so this could be a good spot for the Mavericks to take advantage against a potentially shorthanded lineup. The Mavs were trounced by 21 points last time they played in New Orleans, so they'll have revenge on their minds with a chance to overtake their rival in the standings on their home floor.
Final Pelicans-Mavericks Prediction & Pick
This will be a fun, high-paced game between two teams that are familiar with each other this year. Both meetings have been decided by more than 11 points and this will be the first time the Mavericks are hosting this matchup. They're 12-8 at home this season, but the Pelicans have been solid on the road in their own right, going 11-7.
This game is rightfully a coin flip, but it's hard to imagine the game ending close. Either team is bound to go on a big run, so we'll side with the home team as the slightest of underdogs.
Final Pelicans-Mavericks Prediction & Pick: Dallas Mavericks ML (-104)
