The Dallas Mavericks will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Mavericks-Lakers prediction and pick.
These teams both entered the season with the expectation of a playoff berth, but only one of them is living up to that expectation. The Mavericks have earned themselves a 36-25 record and the fifth seed in the Western Conference so far, thanks largely to star guard Luka Doncic.
The Lakers have a few superstars of their own, but that hasn't done much to help them. Los Angeles is 27-33 despite the trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. The Lakers are easily the most disappointing team in all of basketball, but this game is a huge chance to begin to turn things around. A win here could help Los Angeles head in the right direction.
Here are the Mavericks-Lakers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Mavericks-Lakers Odds
Dallas Mavericks: -5 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers: +5 (-110)
Over: 216.5 (-110)
Under: 216.5 (-110)
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Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The stifling Dallas defense will give the Mavericks a huge leg up here. Head coach Jason Kidd's squad only gives up 103 points per game while holding their opponents to a 45% shooting percentage. Dallas also only allows its opponents to shoot 33% from 3-point range, one of the best numbers in the league. The Lakers are one of the most inefficient offenses in the NBA, and they also seem to be on a bit of a cold streak. Los Angeles hasn't scored more than 110 points in any of its last three games, including an embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Lakers are dealing with a variety of injuries as they enter this game. LeBron James is questionable, but he's likely to play. Starting shooting guard Austin Reaves and newly signed point guard DJ Augustin are both questionable as well. Guard Avery Bradley has already been ruled out, so the Lakers could be extremely shorthanded at both guard spots. Russell Westbrook will likely have to take on a huge workload, which has seldom been a good thing for the Lakers.
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The Lakers' defense should be able to play fairly well in this game. The Mavericks aren't a particularly good offensive team, as they average 106 points per game on mediocre shooting numbers. Los Angeles isn't exactly a great defensive team, but the numbers are middling across the board. That could be enough to deal with a Dallas team that heavily relies on Doncic to produce pretty much all forms of offense.
Home-court advantage will certainly play a factor in this game. The Lakers have been far better at home than they have been on the road, earning a 54% winning percentage in Crypto.com Arena compared to a 33% winning percentage anywhere else. Dallas has a similar disparity between home and road records. Playing at home could give the Lakers the boost they need to cover in this contest.
Final Mavericks-Lakers Prediction & Pick
This is an easy pick. It's surprising to see the Mavericks favored by so little in a game against an opponent that has been totally inept lately. Lock in Dallas and don't look back.
Final Mavericks-Lakers Prediction & Pick: Dallas Mavericks: -5 (-110)
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