The most recent home victory for the Dallas Mavericks, who are presently sixth in the Western Conference, came against the Oklahoma City Thunder, 106-98. The Mavericks are only 3-7 over their previous 10 games, but the victory ended a three-game losing streak. As the road betting favorites, they will search for a necessary victory.
The Charlotte Hornets, currently ranked thirteenth in the East, defeated the Chicago Bulls 125-123 in their most recent game. They have won three of their previous four games and recently pulled themselves out of a 10-game losing streak. As live home underdogs, they'll be trying to cover the spread and pull off another upset.
Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, and Dwight Powell will all remain sidelined for the Dallas Mavericks, while Dereck Lively remains ‘questionable’ in this early game on. However, they have the luxury of starting Kyrie Irving at the point guard position and build on his usage as a shooter. Ironically, averaging 23.9 PPG this year, Irving has been averaging 26.8 PPG, 5.8 APG, and 5.0 RPG when Doncic is out from the lineup. PJ Washington also has also stepped up his game and is now averaging 13.1 PPG.
In their past three meetings, Dallas is 2-1 but they have not faced Charlotte yet this year. The Mavericks are 10-11 on the road this season, however now they seem to be very excited after a win against the Oklahoma City. As for Klay Thompson, I would expect him to score some pretty good looks from the three-point line given how the Hornets have struggled this season against marksmen. They’re confirmed at 14-7 when enter the games as the betting favorites this season so they are indeed in the winning side here.
The Hornets have been behind for much of the season now but get some light at the end of the tunnel within the last four games and will be testing for the third consecutive win in this game. Four of their five starters scored more than 15 points as they ensured they denied the Bulls a comfortable victory in the final stretch.
On a given day, this team is most certainly capable of beating most teams in the NFL; however, that’s the rub and it’s been a problem in years past: all of their talent has to be on the field and all of that talent has to remain healthy all season long.
The primary scorers are Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, LaMelo Ball, and Miles Bridges. When they are all on the court together, the Hornets' athleticism and range make them appear like a dangerous opponent. They could have to shuffle some starting players into the mix, though, since their performance from the bench declines noticeably. Josh Green will undoubtedly be needed to step in and perform from the forward position because Brandon Miller was declared "out" for this match.
Given that the Mavericks are the betting favorites and have a 14-7 record, Luka Doncic and Brandon Miller will be the main inactives for both teams. However, they have only gone 2-9 ATS in their previous 11 games and are only 20-21 ATS for the season.
