The Dallas Mavericks are on the road to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night. Below we will continue with our NBA odds series as we hand out a Mavericks-Timberwolves prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.

The Mavericks are coming off a loss, and they are .500 in their last 10 games. However, Dallas is 18-13 on the year, so the season is going pretty well. They took on the Timberwolves a couple weeks ago in Dallas, but dropped that game by 18 points. In the loss, Luka Doncic dropped 39 points, 13 assists, and six rebounds. He was the only player above 15 points for Dallas as the Mavericks shot just 7-32 from deep. Kyrie Irving is still listed as questionable, but he has not played since December 8th.

The Timberwolves are having a solid year, and they are expecting to finish 2023 at the top of the conference. Minnesota has won seven of their last 10 games, and will look to build on that in this one. In the win over Dallas earlier this season, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds. Anthony Edwards had one of his worst games as he shot just 3-19 from the field. However, he did have 11 assists. Naz Reid had 27 off the bench, including seven threes. Towns is questionable with a knee injury for this game.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Mavericks-Timberwolves Odds

Dallas Mavericks: +10 (-110)

Minnesota Timberwolves: -10 (-110)

Over: 228.5 (-110)

Under:228.5 (-110)

How to Watch Mavericks vs. Timberwolves

Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

TV: Bally Sports Southwest, Bally Sports North

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread

I have said it before, and I will say it again; Luka Doncic is a threat to cover any spread. He is the reason the Mavericks are five games above .500 on the year, and he will be the reason the Mavericks finish within the top-6 seeds in the Western Conference. Luka is scoring 33.7 points per game to go along with 8.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists. He should be at the top of any MVP leaderboard. With him on the court, the Mavericks have a chance to cover the spread.

Dallas needs to step up on defense. In the first game between the two teams, the Mavericks managed to score just 101 points. This is not a surprise as the Timberwolves are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. With that said, Dallas needs to match that defensive intensity. If the Mavericks can keep Minnesota to 110 points or under, they will have a great chance to cover the spread.

Why The Timberwolves Could Cover The Spread

In the first meeting, the Timberwolves won by 18 points, and that was with Edwards only putting up nine. Now, Reid will not score 27 every game, but he can easily score in the 10-15-point range. I do expect Towns to have a similar game as he had back on December 14th against the Mavericks if he plays, though. The one change is going to be Edwards. Edwards will not have another game where he shoots 3-19 from the field. Expect him to return to his normal 25-point outing in this game. With that, the Timberwolves should be able to cover this spread.

As mentioned, Minnesota has one of the best defenses in the NBA. In fact, they allow the least amount of points per game in the NBA. With that, they make sure teams are always taking contested shots against them. Doncic dropped 39 against them in the first game, and that was okay because nobody else could score. I would not be shocked to see the same type of game in this one. If the Timberwolves can have another good game on defense, they will easily cover this spread.

Final Mavericks-Timberwolves Prediction & Pick

These are two good teams. However, the Timberwolves are favored by 10 points. I know the first game was a blowout, but I am not so sure this one will be. I am going to take the Mavericks to cover the spread and keep this game within single-digits.

Final Mavericks-Timberwolves Prediction & Pick: Mavericks +10 (-110), Under 228.5 (-110)