Doncic Carries Mavericks into Mile High City
Finishing a back-to-back in the thin air of Denver is not an easy task, but the Dallas Mavericks have to be feeling pretty good about themselves entering their Tuesday night visit to the Nuggets. The Mavericks routed the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns on Monday for their third win in the last four games.
These two West contenders are meeting for the third time in less than three weeks and offer up an exciting opportunity to do some online gambling.
Let’s check the latest NBA odds, stats, injury reports, and NBA lines for Mavericks vs Nuggets. We’ve plenty of NBA betting for you to consider.
Dallas Stepping Up on D
After the Mavericks suffered an overtime loss at Detroit the other day to fall below .500, there were plenty of grumblings in the NBA world. Was Dallas wasting a magnificent season from Luka Doncic? Were there enough parts to complement the superstar?
Head coach Jason Kidd wanted only to figure out what went wrong on defense, stating very plainly: “That’s something we will talk about tomorrow.”
The talk seems to have worked. Dallas stymied the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden the very next night, holding them to 41 second-half points, and then clamped down on the Suns out of the gate by limiting them to 41 first-half points.
“Defensively, these guys are connected,” Kidd said this time.
It’s much easier playing defense when you’re hitting 20 of 41 3-pointers, as the Mavericks did Monday. Doncic (33 points) and Spencer Dinwiddie (21) combined for nine of those and Josh Green chipped in 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting off the bench.
Most importantly, Doncic was able to sit out the entire fourth quarter, just like he did in New York on Friday. Taking a little bit of mileage off the MVP candidate’s legs entering the second half of a back-to-back is key, and might help you lean toward Dallas with your bet online.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Nuggets Happy to be Home
Entering Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets had played 15 road games, tied for the most in the NBA. They now begin a stretch in which 18 of the next 24 games are in their high-altitude gym, giving them a chance to pile up some wins.
Regardless of the location, however, they need to get healthy and improve their play after suffering back-to-back losses at Atlanta and New Orleans. Of note, the second unit has been a mess and was outscored 62-18 in Sunday’s loss to the Pelicans.
“That unit has struggled most of the year, and I take responsibility for that,” coach Michael Malone said of the bench. “Not finding a way to get those guys to play together, to play the right way, and most importantly, just to have some success.”
It’s hard to have either unit playing well when the physical issues pop up. Denver will be without Michael Porter Jr. again on Tuesday but it hopes to have Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (wrist) and Jeff Green (knee) available.
All three of those players started and Bones Hyland – who was buried on the bench Sunday in a scoreless effort – had 29 points in a win over Dallas the last time these teams met.
Mavericks vs Nuggets Game Injuries
Mavericks vs Nuggets Head-to-Head
The squads split a pair at Dallas in a three-day span last month. Doncic recorded a 33-point triple-double in the first game – a 28-point Mavericks win – and was limited to 22 points on 7-for-16 shooting in the second game, a one-point Denver win.
Dallas has won three of the last four road games in the series.
Mavericks vs Nuggets Game Information
- Game: Mavericks (12-11) vs Nuggets (14-9)
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
- Day/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 10 p.m. ET
- Mavericks vs Nuggets Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
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Mavericks vs Nuggets Betting Lines
Mavericks vs Nuggets Picks & Prediction
If Doncic had been forced to go the distance at both New York and home against Phoenix, we’d expect some issues for the Mavericks. But he’ll be somewhat fresh and ready to pounce on a Nuggets unit that suddenly seems a bit discombobulated.
Take Dallas and the under – the losing team has averaged just 92.2 points over the last five meetings.
Denver is listed at -190 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Nuggets, you have a chance to win $53. Mavericks is at +163, offering a chance to win $163 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Denver a 65.52% chance to win, with Dallas at 38.02%.
Mavericks vs Nuggets Trends
Mavericks vs Nuggets Edge
Mavericks vs Nuggets Results
Mavericks vs Nuggets Game Summary
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
Nuggets vs Mavericks Previous Game (Nov. 20, 2022)
The Dallas Mavericks handled business at home in Friday’s game against the undermanned Denver Nuggets. The visitors were without both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray due to COVID protocols. Heading to Sunday, both are considered “questionable” to play. The NBA betting lines will still likely favor Dallas in the event they return though keep an eye on the spread as it will change.
The Mavericks should once again beat Denver even if Jokic and Murray play. Dallas’s edge comes in the form of their defense or Denver’s lack thereof. Doncic has not slowed down and will keep lighting up Denver, a team he averages 25.1 points, 10.6 assists, and 7.9 rebounds.
