Mavericks vs. Lakers Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Jeremy Perry
They really need to get going if they want to enter the grueling months of December and January in reasonably good position to make a push for the playoffs.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Mavericks are only 2-5 straight up, but they are 4-3 against the spread. They took the San Antonio Spurs to overtime on Monday night – they lost, but they are being regularly competitive. They just aren’t finishing games out, which is something that similarly dogged them last season. The Lakers are 2-5 against the spread as well as being 2-5 straight up. The Lakers are losing games they are not supposed to be losing. They fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, even though the Timberwolves are one of the most disorganized organizations in the NBA.
It’s worth noting that six of their first seven games have gone over. Five of the Mavs first seven have also gone over.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks’ most recent game was a 113-108 overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. The good news for Dallas is that No. 3 draft pick Luka Doncic, gained in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks which sent Trae Young to Atlanta, is meeting expectations. Doncic scored 31 points on 11-of-18 field goal shooting against the Spurs in 40 minutes. He seems to be ready for the NBA despite being a teenager at age 19. Doncic was 4 of 6 from three-point range. He grabbed eight rebounds. He did a little bit of everything and gives Dallas hope for the long-term future.
The rest of his team is the problem. His teammates hit only 32 total shots in the game. They also hit just 6 of 28 threes and generally didn’t give Doncic the support he needed. Dallas committed 22 turnovers and was outscored by seven points, 28-21, in bench points.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers still can’t play defense. This is their chronic failure with no signs of anything getting better anytime soon. They just keep allowing 115 points or more. They gave up 124 points to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 124-120 loss. It’s the same story over and over again: The Lakers are unable to avoid fouling and sending opposing teams to the free throw line. Minnesota hit seven fewer field goals than the Lakers did, 49-42, but outscored the Lakers by 16 points from the foul line, 26-10.
The Timberwolves also hit 14 of 29 threes, nearly 50 percent. It didn’t matter that the Lakers hit a solid 47 percent of field goals. It didn’t matter that LeBron James scored 29 points with 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks. It didn’t matter that Brandon Ingram scored 24 points. This team might be good enough to beat the Mavericks, but it has to solve its defensive problems if it wants to have a reasonable chance of making the playoffs this season.
