The Dallas Mavericks will travel to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in a Wednesday night NBA matchup at the Smoothie King Center. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Mavericks-Pelicans prediction and pick, laid out below.
Dallas has turned in a solid season, going 34-32 to place themselves in fifth place in the Western Conference. The Mavericks have played to an even 6-6 record in their last 12 games. Head coach Jason Kidd has returned triumphantly the last two seasons, winning 52 games in 2021-22.
New Orleans has fallen back to Earth with a 31-34 record, 10th place in the Western Conference. The Pelicans surprised and made the playoffs last season, losing in six games to the Phoenix Suns. Following an embarrassing 10-game losing streak, New Orleans has gone 5-7 in their last 12 games.
Here are the Mavericks-Pelicans NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Mavericks-Pelicans Odds
Dallas Mavericks: -2.5 (-110)
New Orleans Pelicans: +2.5 (-110)
Over: 234 (-110)
Under: 234 (-110)
How To Watch Mavericks vs. Pelicans
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN Plus, NBA League Pass
Time: 7:40 PM ET/ 4:40 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
Luka Doncic is emerging as one of the best players in the league, averaging 33.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game, all of which lead the team. Doncic has shot 50.3 percent from the field. Kyrie Irving, the controversial point guard, has excelled in his 10 games with Dallas, averaging 27.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, shooting 52.4 percent from the field. In his first season with Dallas, center Christian Wood has turned in a solid season, averaging 17.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Tim Hardaway, Jr. has kept his career alive in Dallas, averaging 14.2 points per game on 38.0 percent shooting from behind the three-point line. As a team, Dallas has shot 37.1 percent from behind the three-point line.
Despite the solid shooting numbers, Dallas has been middle of the road offensively. The team has allowed the second-fewest turnovers in the league. The Mavericks have averaged 114.1 points per game, which ranks 16th in the league. On defense, Dallas has been solid, ranking 14th by allowing 113.2 points per game to their opponents.
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
The Pelicans have struggled without their top scorer Zion Williamson, who has been out for nearly a month now. Williamson still does not have a definitive timetable for his return. Brandon Ingram ranks second on the team with 23.3 points and 4.8 assists per game, shooting 46.8 percent from the field. CJ McCollum is the third and final Pelican with over 20 points, averaging 21.0 points and leading the team with 5.8 assists per game. Big man Jonas Valanciunas is narrowly missing a double-double, with 14.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Trey Murphy is the fifth and final Pelican to average a double-double, averaging 12.8 points on 47.2 percent shooting.
New Orleans has shot well, ranking 11th in the league with a 47.8 field-goal percentage. The Pelicans have missed Zion a bit, ranking 17th with 114.1 points per game. Defense has been a bit better for the Pelicans, ranking second with 8.5 steals per game. Opponents have scored 113.6 points per game against New Orleans, which is 16th in the league.
Final Mavericks-Pelicans Prediction & Pick
Luca will provide all the star power necessary for Dallas to win this one. Neither team is great at offense or defense, so the total is more of a guess.
Final Mavericks-Pelicans Prediction & Pick: Dallas -2.5 (-110), over 234 (-110)
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