The Dallas Mavericks are starting a five-game homestand and first welcoming to town the New York Knicks. With that said, it’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Knicks-Mavericks prediction and pick.
The Mavericks are coming off a great game against the Memphis Grizzlies that ended in a buzzer-beater three-pointer by Luka Doncic. This Dallas team has won seven of their last ten games for a record of 30-24 and the 7th seed in the Western Conference.
The Knicks are currently the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 29-27 after having won four consecutive games before Friday's contest against the Mavericks.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Knicks-Mavericks odds.
NBA Odds: Knicks-Mavericks Odds
New York Knicks +6 (-105)
Dallas Mavericks -6 (-115)
Over 211 Points (-110)
Under 211 Points(-110)
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
The Knicks have won four straight games and are shocking everybody as they are currently battle for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
New York is being led offensively by Julius Randle, who is having a career season averaging 23.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. Randle is coming off of two back-to-back 30-plus point performances against the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Knicks also have five other players scoring in double-digits with RJ Barrett scoring the second-most points per game on the team at 17.2 points.
The most striking and surprising fact about this team is their commitment on the defensive end of the floor where they are currently ranked the 3rd best in the league. The Knicks defense will be key for them on Friday against the Mavericks who are ranked the 10th best and have both Doncic and Porzingis that can either go off for big nights.
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The return of Kristaps Porzingis for the Mavs has been critical to their recent success.
Porzingis is such a critical piece in the offense, as he is not only a big man that can post up and get his own shot but also someone who can spread the floor and shoot it from behind the 3-point line. He has been averaging 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting a very efficient 47.7 percent from the field.
When playing alongside Doncic, the two make up a dynamic duo on the offensive end of the floor and it makes it very tough for any team to defend. So far this season, Luka has been averaging MVP-type numbers with 28.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 48.3percent from the field and 37.0 percent from behind the 3-point line.
While the two stars for Rick Carlisle has been fairly consistent on a nightly basis, the coach has not been able to find consistent production from one of the other stars or a player off the bench, which has been the downfall of the Mavs. The recent addition of JJ Redick should provide some consistency off the bench as he had nine points the other night against the Grizzlies in only 15 minutes of action.
The Knicks are not the most talented offensive team but they do have Randle who can have a big night and have been playing fantastic basketball as of late. The key for the Mavs to cover the spread then will be to slow down and contain Randle for the Knicks.
Final Knicks-Mavericks Prediction & Pick
The Knicks have been playing very well as of late and will look to continue their dominant performance against the Mavericks. This will be a tough task for the Knicks as the Mavericks have been playing great recently as well because of Luka's ability to control the offense and score at will. Moreover, the Mavericks are a sound defensive team but an incredibly talented offensive team which will give them the edge against the Knicks. Ultimately, coach Carlisle's squad will cover the spread on Friday and start their homestand strong with a big W against the red hot Knicks.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION & PICK FOR KNICKS-MAVERICKS: NYK 102, DAL 118 (DAL -6)
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