Mavericks vs. Lakers Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Andrew Rogers
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back nicely from a blowout loss earlier this week – but staying hot won’t be easy as they welcome the red-hot Dallas Mavericks to Staples Center on Friday. The Lakers had won seven of eight before dropping a four-point home decision to Orlando, then going to Denver and getting routed 117-85. But they rebounded Thursday, outlasting Indiana 104-96 behind 38 points from James.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Los Angeles might be a slight favourite in this one, but it’ll need a better effort on the tail end of a back-to-back after seeing a 24-point lead against Indiana whittled down to one. And playing down to the competition has been a major problem for James’ squad at home, where it has failed to cover seven straight games vs. teams with losing road records. Dallas, meanwhile, is a sizzling 7-1 ATS in its past eight contests overall.
With an over/under of 222 as the backdrop, the Lakers and Mavericks boast widely divergent totals trends. The Mavericks have rewarded over bettors handsomely of late, going 4-1 O/U in its past five games and converting the over in seven of its past 10 vs. Pacific Division foes. The Lakers have just one over and a push in their last nine games at Staples Center, and are 13-3-1 to the under in their past 17 games overall.
Dallas Mavericks
Lakers fans will get another glimpse of the current front-runner for the NBA’s rookie of the year award. Luka Doncic has been exactly what the Mavericks hoped he would be when they nabbed him in a draft-night trade with the Atlanta Hawks, leading the team in scoring at 19.1 points per game while adding 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He has also proven to be a major threat from deep, having made multiple 3-pointers in all but two games this season.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers held Doncic to just 14 points in his first visit, a one-point Los Angeles win Oct. 31. They’d love a repeat of that outcome – and LeBron should be a major factor after shooting 15-of-27 from the floor vs. the Pacers while adding nine rebounds and seven assists. He’ll also look to get things sorted out from beyond the arc; despite shooting 42 percent from deep so far in November, he has made just 4-of-18 attempts over his past three games.
