Pelicans at Mavericks Betting Predictions | 7:30 PM ET
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelicans | +4 (-110) | +130 | O 232.5 (-115) |
| Mavericks | -4 (-110) | -150 | U 232.5 (-105) |
The 11-13 Pelicans head into the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Friday night to take on the 12-14 Mavericks. New Orleans is fresh off a 129-116 loss in Chicago on Wednesday night. Despite a 29-point outburst from Zion Williamson, the Pelicans’ four-game winning streak was snapped. Dallas defeated Atlanta on Wednesday night 118-117 to push its winning streak to three games. Luka Doncic had 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists to record his league-leading seventh triple-double this season.
The story of this game revolves completely around the two gentlemen previously mentioned. Williamson is an up-and-coming star in this league and in only his second season he already leads his team with 23.8 points per game. The Mavericks have an MVP candidate suiting up for them in Doncic, who leads the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
Dallas has been awful against the spread this season, especially of late, going 1-9 in its last 10 games. To make matters worse, the Mavericks own an abysmal 2-10 record against the spread at home this season, and a 5-10 record against the spread as favorites. The Pelicans have not been much more profitable this season for bettors believing in them. But they have been a pesky underdog, going 7-5 this season against the spread in that role.
The two teams have gone Over in 15 of their last 20 games, but if you dig deeper there is a reason for this. At the beginning of the season under new coach Stan Van Gundy, the Pelicans routinely hit the Unders on their O/U plays. Under Van Gundy (which ironically could be his nickname in betting circles), the team’s pace of play dramatically slowed down as Under Van Gundy stressed execution in the half-court offense and playing solid defense. Once the market caught onto this and the O/U totals began dropping significantly for the Pelicans, their Overs started to hit.
The Over in this game is going to be heavily bet by the public for two main reasons: it is on national television (ESPN) and it features some of the best young players the league has to offer.
However, the Pelicans and Mavericks rank 15th and 17th in the league in points per game, respectively. New Orleans just gave up 129 points to the Bulls in a loss on Wednesday. Expect Van Gundy to strongly implore his guys to bring a much stronger defensive intensity in this game that will ultimately lead to a win, and in turn to the points total finishing Under the projected O/U line.
*Odds courtesy of MyBookie
