An action-packed NBA Tuesday marches on as the Indiana Pacers meet up with the Dallas Mavericks in the Lone Star State with postseason aspirations on the line. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Pacers-Mavericks prediction and pick will be made.

Entering play eight games below .500 at 27-35, Indiana currently trails the Washington Wizards for the final play-in spot out in the Eastern Conference by two full games. Despite the Pacers having gone down in defeat in six of their previous eight games of the season, Indiana is still alive in this crowded playoff race.

So far, the Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic experiment hasn't gone as planned for Dallas as the team is struggling to find scores outside of their two superstars. After squandering a 27-point lead in inexplicable fashion to the Lakers the last time out, Dallas will surely want to get the bad taste out of their mouths within the confines of their home arena versus the Pacers.

Here are the Pacers-Mavericks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Pacers-Mavericks Odds

Indiana Pacers: +9 (-110)

Dallas Mavericks: -9 (-110)

Over: 237.5 (-110)

Under: 237.5 (-110)

How To Watch Pacers vs. Mavericks

TV: Bally Sports Southwest

Stream: NBA League Pass

Time: 8:30 ET/5:30 PT

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread

There is no question that the Pacers are hanging on by a thread to their playoff hopes, and time is starting to become a factor with only 20 games remaining in the regular season. Still, if there is one thing that Indiana has found a niche in, it is the fact that they have made some bettors decent money with their 33-29 record against the spread overall.

If Indiana is going to continue to build off of their spread-covering ways, they will need to play solid defense while shooting the basketball with the utmost efficiency to leave Dallas feeling pretty good about themselves. Overall, the Pacers are only 9-20 while out on the road this season, but you certainly wouldn't have been able to tell in their latest victory over the Magic in Orlando. By the time they final horn had sounded, it was the Pacers that was able to have the last laugh as they held the Magic to only 20% from three-point range and 38% shooting from the floor as a whole. Although Indiana doesn't possess eye-popping numbers from a statistical standpoint, the Pacers are prone to playing defense from time to time.

With that being said, which name will step up and be the clear-cut number two scorer to guard Tyrese Haliburton? We are all aware of how efficient and team-oriented Haliburton has been this season, but he can't do all of it himself. Alas, keep your eyes peeled on guys like Myles Turner down low or Buddy Hield from the perimeter to get it going offensively in the box score. The Pacers do average more than 26 assists per game, so spreading the ball around and playing unselfishly could punch their ticket to covering the spread.

Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread

Although the frustration of not winning immediately with the dynamic duo of Irving and Doncic becoming evident, it's starting to look like it is going to take at least a few more games for this new-look roster to start to gel and win consistently. Even so, this is a game that the Mavericks have to have, especially since they will be playing in front of their home crowd, and the fact that they should be plenty motivated after melting down against the Lakers on Sunday.

In order for Dallas to take care of their business and avoid another unacceptable day at the office, how will the Mavericks overcome their growing pains? More specifically, which names can provide a spark out on the floor that buries the Pacers for good? Believe it or not, but the biggest X-factor in this contest falls on the shoulders of guys like Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Finding contributing players who are more than capable of putting up some points will be vital in whether or not the Mavs find a way to cover and ultimately win. With that being said, be on the lookout for Wood's presence in the paint and Hardaway's sharpshooting abilities from the perimeter. If the two can hold their own respectively, they will give Dallas a much-needed boost offensively.

Regardless of Wood and Hardaway proving to be effective adversaries, it will all be for not if the Mavericks cannot take better care of the basketball. After the conclusion of the choke job against the Lakers, Dallas' 17 turnovers were definitely a big reason to blame. On the season, Dallas commits the second-fewest turnovers in all of the NBA, so consider this just a bump in the road for a usually careful Mavs squad.

Final Pacers-Mavericks Prediction & Pick

No doubt, this game should be competitive, but at the end of the day, Dallas boasts way too much star power for Indiana to account for. While they may keep it close in the beginning, bet on the Mavericks to pull away late.

Final Pacers-Mavericks Prediction & Pick: Mavericks -9 (-110)