Pelicans vs. Mavericks Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
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Andrew Rogers
The Mavericks are 3-0 heading into the fourth game of a seven-game homestand, moving them to within two wins of the .500 mark. Directly behind them in the West standings are the Pelicans, who saw their four-game win streak come to an end last time out.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Dallas is a modest favourite in the first meeting of the season between the Southwest Division rivals, who were originally scheduled to face off Jan. 11 but were forced to postpone due to COVID-19 protocols. Dallas has done well to get back into the win column, but failed to cover in any of their three victories on this homestand and are a dreadful 1-10 ATS in their past 11. The Pelicans have fared much better of late, having covered in four of their last five overall.
That said, just under two-thirds of Sports Interaction respondents are siding with the home team. The breakdown is similar for the game total of 232, with 63 percent of bettors taking the Over. The Pelicans are one of the hottest public plays in the NBA right now, having gone 15-4 to the Over in their previous 19 games. And the Mavericks are right there with them, having reeled off five consecutive Overs while seeing no fewer than 235 points scored in any of them.
New Orleans Pelicans
It took a franchise-record 25 3-pointers from the Chicago Bulls to put an end to the Pelicans’ hot streak last time out – and that’s an area of modest concern moving forward. New Orleans ranks 22nd in the NBA in 3-point defence, allowing teams to shoot 38 percent from beyond the arc. That stat shouldn’t impede their chances at victory Friday night, however, with the Mavericks coming into the game with the second-worst 3-point success rate in the league at 34.1 percent.
Dallas Mavericks
Dallas’s frontcourt is finally healthy – and it will be intriguing to see whether the Mavericks’ big men can improve what has been a terrible rebounding performance so far this season. Dallas ranks 26th in the league in rebounding rate at 48.1 percent, and has pulled down just 19.1 percent of its misses (also good for 26th). That makes Friday’s assignment a daunting one, with New Orleans boasting the NBA’s third-best rebounding rate entering Friday.
NO
DAL