Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets Prediction, NBA Odds
After seeing their playoff hopes last season fizzle during a brutal 2-9 stretch run, the Mavericks have opened the new campaign on a roll, posting wins in each of their first four outings, capped by Wednesday’s decisive 114-105 win over Chicago. The Nuggets return home in the wake of their first defeat of the season, a 110-89 loss in Minnesota on Wednesday night, but have been dominant on home court at Ball Arena, where they have claimed victory in 14 of 15 contests since the beginning of April.
The Nuggets arrive home perched as 6.5-point favourites on the NBA In-Season Tournament odds. The Mavericks are listed as +220 underdogs on the NBA moneyline, and the total is pegged at 224.5.
Mavericks vs. Nuggets NBA Betting Odds
The Mavericks have emerged as one of the highest scoring teams in the league during their torrid 4-0 start, trailing only Boston and Atlanta with 122.5 points scored per game. In addition to fuelling a 3-1 run for the OVER, the Mavs’ early-season outburst has also produced a 3-1 run against the spread, offering a glimmer of hope for sports bettors who saw Dallas finish dead last in the league last season with a 30-49-3 ATS record. Conversely, the Nuggets have fuelled their 4-1 start with stingy defence, surrendering just 103.6 points, ranking them third overall in the Association. However, points have come at a premium at times in the early going, particularly in Wednesday’s loss to the Timberwolves. Accordingly, the Nuggets have covered just twice during their first five games while seeing the UNDER pay out in each.
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic has started the new campaign in mid-season form, and has played a pivotal role in the Mavs’ undefeated start. The four-time All-Star averaged 39.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists through the first three games of the campaign including a pair of triple-doubles, but struggled to find the mark in Wednesday’s win over Chicago, shooting just 31.8 per cent from the field while dropping just 18 points. However, Grant Williams and Tim Hardaway did their best to fill the void, scoring 25 and 24 points, respectively. Hardaway has been particularly productive off the bench, averaging 22.5 points while playing 28 minutes per game over his past two outings. Kyrie Irving’s status for Friday remains uncertain. The enigmatic star has missed the past two games with a foot injury after averaging 19.5 points through the first two games of the season.
Denver Nuggets
Injuries could play a big role as the Nuggets look to record consecutive wins over Dallas for the first time in well over four years. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are both nursing injuries, but are listed as probable. Despite being bothered by a back injury, Jokic remained the Nuggets’ top producer in Wednesday’s loss to the Timberwolves, dropping 25 points and 10 boards. The big man has now put up three double-doubles and two triple-doubles through his first five games, and sports +225 odds on the NBA player props of posting another double-double on Friday. Murray has felt the impact of his injury far more, shooting just 34.3 per cent from the field while scoring an average of 16 points over his past two games, and offers value as a -115 bet to score UNDER 20.5 on Friday.
DAL
DEN