The Dallas Mavericks are in a tough spot Wednesday on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans on the second night of a back-to-back. The current NBA lines list the Mavericks as -1½ point road favorites with -125 odds on the moneyline.
Dallas is coming off a Tuesday night victory over the Utah Jazz but still struggles to remain consistent when it matters most. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are throwing their playoff chances away with just one win in their last seven games.
New-Look Mavs Still NBA’s Worst ATS Team
Kyrie Irving and Luca Doncic have played nine games with a surprisingly poor 3-6 outright record. Is it possible the Mavs got worse somehow by adding a talent like Irving?
We know that the Mavericks have been a terrible team to bet on all season, with a league-worst 23-40-3 record against the spread (ATS). On the road, Dallas is 12-19 ATS with a woeful return on investment (ROI) of -25.99%.
The Mavericks can’t blame injuries for their struggles, as NBA news out of Dallas says JaVale McGee is the only player listed out for Wednesday. Dallas needs to get Irving and Doncic some help. The duo is doing all they can with 208 of the Mavs’ 379 points (54.88%) in their previous three games.
Tim Hardaway stepped up with 24 points off the bench against the Jazz on Tuesday, but the Mavs still failed to cover.
Tim Hardaway Jr off the bench:
24 PTS
4 REB
4 AST
7-9 3PAveraging the most threes per game by a Maverick all-time. pic.twitter.com/QeHwhMps3R
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 8, 2023
Despite their current issues, the Mavericks are a tempting dark horse, with NBA Finals odds sitting at +2000.
Pelicans Blowing Playoff Chances
The Pelicans are one win away from either the No. 9 seed or the No.13, depending on how things in the West shake out this week. Smart money is on the latter outcome, as the Pelicans are 1-6 straight up in their previous seven games.
Brandon Ingram is doing his best to lead the offense with 23.3 PPG, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.8 dimes. But, with injuries to Zion Williamson, Jose Alvarado, and Larry Nance Jr., the Pels lack depth and size.
The Pelicans are also one of the worst road teams in the NBA, with a terrible 11-23 record and 6-18 as away underdogs.
Mavericks vs Pelicans Game Injuries
Mavericks vs Pelicans Head-to-Head
The Mavericks are on a two-game winning streak against the Pelicans, with both wins coming at home as favorites on the NBA betting lines. The season series is tied at 1-1-1 ATS with the Over/Under at 2-1.
Mavericks vs Pelicans Game Information
- Game: Mavericks (34-32) vs Pelicans (31-34)
- Location Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
- Day/Time: Wednesday, March 8, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Mavericks vs Pelicans Live Stream: NHL.TV
Mavericks vs Pelicans Betting Lines
Mavericks vs Pelicans Picks and Prediction
It’s hard to trust either team in this game with my NBA picks, but at least the Mavericks are healthy. Dallas is desperate to get back to the No. 6 seed and out of the play-in tournament, and they are our pick to cover the NBA point spread on Wednesday.
The Dallas Mavericks are listed at -120 in our Vegas NBA lines. If you wager $100 on the Mavericks, you can win $83. The New Orleans Pelicans are +100, offering a chance to win $100 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Mavericks a 54.55% chance to win, with the Pelicans at 50.00%.
Mavericks vs Pelicans Trends
Mavericks vs Pelicans Edge
Mavericks vs Pelicans Results
Mavericks vs Pelicans Game Summary
Pelicans vs Mavericks Previous Game (Feb. 02, 2023)
The Pelicans and the Mavericks have not been great against the spread (ATS) over their last 10 games, going 3-7. The teams are in the middle of a slump, but one thing separates them in their upcoming game: The Mavericks have Dončić, and the Pelicans are without their star player.
The only thing is the Mavericks have not been great ATS, 17-33-2, due to them relying on Dončić-magic to get them out of close games. That could result in the Pelicans covering, despite likely losing.
Neither the New Orleans Pelicans nor the Dallas Mavericks are where they want to be heading into their matchup on Thursday. Each is struggling, the Pelicans’ issues a lot more noticeable, having lost nine straight, but the Mavericks’ over-reliance on Luka Dončić keeps getting more concerning.
