The Dallas Mavericks will head to the home of the Alamo as they face the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center on Saturday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Mavericks-Spurs prediction and pick.
The Mavericks defeated the Houston Rockets 129-114 on Thursday night. Luka Doncic followed his 60-point Tuesday performance with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists. Meanwhile, Christian Wood added 21 points and six rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 18 points, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 15 points and six assists. Additionally, Dwight Powell came off the bench to score 19 points while making all eight of his shots and gobbling down six rebounds.
The Spurs defeated the New York Knicks 122-115 on Thursday night. Keldon Johnson led the way with 30 points while shooting 11 for 21. Likewise, Romeo Langford added 23 points while shooting 11 for 16. Tre Jones added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Jakob Poeltl added nine points and 12 rebounds. Significantly, the Spurs shot 51.1 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from the 3-point line. San Antonio also won the battle of the boards 48-38.
The Mavs are 7-3 over their past 10 games and are immersed in a five-game winning streak. However, they are 5-11 on the road. The Spurs are 5-5 over their last 10 games. Unfortunately, they have struggled at the AT&T Center, going 7-12.
The Mavericks are 8-2 over the last 10 games between the two teams. Amazingly, they pulled off a four-game sweep last year and look to keep the momentum going against the Spurs.
Here are the Mavericks-Spurs NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Mavericks-Spurs Odds
Dallas Mavericks: -7.5 (-110)
Sam Antonio Spurs: +7.5 (-110)
Over: 231 (-110)
Under: 231 (-110)
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The Mavericks are hitting their stride but not where they want to be. Consequently, there have been ups and downs this season, but the Mavericks currently sit at 20-16 and 3.5 games behind the New Orleans Pelicans for first place in the Southwest Division. The Mavericks have probably the best player on the planet, and he continues to amaze everyone on a nightly basis.
Doncic played one of the best games ever on Tuesday night. Stunningly, the Mavs trailed by nine points with 30 seconds to go in the game and somehow found a way to ramp up a 12-3 run and send the game into overtime. Doncic was all over the place and even had the ball at the free-throw line with a 3-point deficit. Then, he nailed the first shot before intentionally clanking the second shot and somehow fought for the rebound and hit the game-tying shot. The performance was one more example of how great Doncic is.
Doncic averages 33.7 points per game with a 50.7 percent shooting percentage. Also, he averages 8.8 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. Wood averages 17.5 points per game with a shooting percentage of 53.8. Likewise, he averaged eight rebounds per game. Dinwiddie averages 16.4 points per game and a shooting percentage of 46.5. Meanwhile, Hardaway averages 13.6 points per game.
The Mavs are 16th in field goal percentage, 14th in 3-point shooting percentage, and 27th in free-throw shooting percentage. However, the Mavs are struggling on the boards, ranking 30th in rebounds. Dallas is very efficient in taking care of the ball, ranking second in turnovers. However, they struggle on defense, ranking 24th in blocked shots. Can the Mavs cover up these deficiencies?
The Mavericks will cover the spread if Doncic dominates and Wood, Dinwiddie, and Hardaway contribute. Additionally, they must do better on the boards.
Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread
The Spurs have fallen back down to earth and are back to rebuilding. Ultimately, they are 12-23 and 5.5 games out of the last play-in spot. There are some bright spots.
Johnson averages 21.2 points per game and shoots 41.9 percent from the field. However, he needs help, and there is one guy who could help if he were available. Devin Vassell is the second-leading scorer on the Spurs, with 19.6 points per game. Likewise, he shoots 44.7 percent from the floor. But the streaky shooter will not play on Saturday, leaving another hole in the lineup. Also, Jones averages 12.8 points per game with a 43.5 percent shooting percentage and 6.5 assists per game.
The Spurs are 16th in field goal shooting percentage, 19th in 3-point shooting percentage, and 29th in free-throw shooting percentage. Additionally, they are 21st in rebounds, 27th in turnovers, and 20th in blocked shots.
The Spurs will cover the spread if they can slow Doncic down and force the Mavs to go elsewhere. Moreover, they must find ways to score.
Final Mavericks-Spurs Prediction & Pick
The Mavericks are miles ahead of the Spurs and are starting to peak. Therefore, expect them to go into San Antonio and roll over the Spurs.
Final Mavericks-Spurs Prediction & Pick: Dallas Mavericks: -7.5 (-110)
How To Watch
TV: Bally South Sportswest, NBA Channel
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 4 PM (7 PM Eastern Time)
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