The Dallas Mavericks proved their aggression in chasing an NBA championship after trading for Kyrie Irving from the Nets, and the Mavs will look to showcase their ability when they head to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers. The Mavericks have been solid this season but will be without Luka Doncic for this game, and face an uphill battle to get past a Clippers team that has been getting hot. Who will secure the victory at the Crypto.com Arena? Our NBA expert has picks, predictions and best bets for this huge Mavericks vs Clippers game, so let’s dive in.
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Dallas Mavericks vs LA Clippers prediction
While Doncic has been ruled out, Irving is set to make his debut for the Mavs and he will no doubt be desperate to make a good impression. However, that could be tough against a team as strong as the Clippers, especially with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard marshaling the court. Being without Doncic is a huge blow to this Dallas team and LA is more than capable of taking advantage.
Dallas Mavericks vs LA Clippers spread, odds & betting lines
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Point Spread: Mavericks +8, Clippers -8
Total Points Over/Under: 220.5 points
Money Line Odds: Mavericks +275, Clippers -340
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Dallas Mavericks vs LA Clippers expert picks
We’ve got 2 standout NBA picks for tonight’s game between the Mavericks and Clippers.
Mavericks vs Clippers point spread pick: Clippers -8 (-110)
Kyrie Irving is set to make his Dallas Mavericks debut tonight but will be without Luka Doncic as they hit the road to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers. Both the Mavs and Clips look to make some moves in the Western Conference standings, and both are currently safe from the play-in tournament. With the addition of Irving for the Mavs, and a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for the Clippers, we may have ourselves a Western Conference Finals preview tonight on ESPN. We’ll have to wait until the weekend to see how Irving and Doncic play together as Doncic tends to a heel injury, but the expectations are high in Dallas. Dallas enters tonight off an upset over the Utah Jazz Monday night where they were severely undermanned but controlled the game from the tip. Can the same happen tonight?
Meanwhile, the Clippers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the past 2 and a half weeks, compiling an 8-2 record since January 20. There only losses came on a back-to-back against the Cleveland Cavaliers without Leonard and George and a 1-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road.
I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but the Clippers can compete with any team in the association when George and Leonard are on the floor, and that’s why I’m playing the side of Los Angeles tonight. Even as 8.5-point favorites, the absence of Doncic creates the opportunity to hone in defensively on Irving. Additionally, Irving has only gotten in a single practice with his new teammates, and as the primary ballhandler it’s going to take some time to get acclimated to his new team. Irving will get his no doubt, but until Doncic is back they don’t have the firepower to beat a healthy Clippers’ squad.
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Mavericks vs Clippers Over/Under totals pick: Under 220.5 (-110)
The game total has gone under in their 3 prior meetings this season, and I’d play the under again tonight. Irving needs to adjust to his new lineup and without Doncic, the Mavs might look a little shaky at times. Not only that, but both these teams are bottom 5 in terms of pace and Leonard and George are two of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.
Part of the reason the Mavericks went after Irving was to take some of the workload off Doncic, who they’ve relied so heavily on this season. His usage rate is behind only Joel Embiid, and the Mavs scoring drops significantly when he’s not on the floor. On the year, Dallas is averaging 112.5 ppg but that drops to 109.4 without Doncic, along with a 1-7 record. Expect Doncic’s services to be missed once more tonight.
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