Both Teams Coming Off Wins
The Dallas Mavericks go for a second straight win when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder in a matchup of Western Conference squads on Sunday night. Dallas has won eight of nine and is in third place in the Southwest Division, one game behind the second-place New Orleans Pelicans.
Oklahoma City has won two of its last three contests but is still in last place in the Northwest Division, trailing the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves by 1½ games. Both teams want to put together a win streak, so check out our NBA betting preview of the game to help you determine how to make your wagers.
Doncic Continues To Power Mavericks
It might seem like a broken record, but Luka Doncic is putting up MVP-type numbers to help the Dallas Mavericks rise in the Western Conference. Doncic is coming off his league-high ninth triple-double of the season with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old is averaging an NBA-best 34.0 points per game while ranking fourth in the league with 8.7 assists per contest. He’s also grabbing 8.8 rebounds a game and recording 1.6 steals per contest, making an impact all over the floor.
Doncic has a new partner in crime on the receiving end of many of his passes, with forward Christian Wood thriving in his first season with the Mavericks. Wood had 28 points, six rebounds, and two blocks on Saturday night and has averages of 17.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in just 27.8 minutes per contest.
Dallas got a lift in the fourth quarter from rookie guard Jaden Hardy, who scored 12 of his 15 points in the period. It was the second straight game of 15 points for Hardy, who is averaging just 5.5 points in 8.7 minutes a game this season.
Thunder Offense Finding New Gear
The Oklahoma City Thunder are still working on some consistency, but if they can find the offensive punch they’ve had in two of their last three games more often, they could really improve. On Tuesday, the Thunder scored 150 points in routing the Boston Celtics, then went for 127 points on Friday night in an easy win over the Washington Wizards.
“We were good tonight … from start to finish,” Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after Friday’s win. “(The Wizards) are a good basketball team. They’d won four of their last six (games). We were good on both ends of the floor for a long period of time tonight.”
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 30 points against the Wizards. He’s fourth in the NBA in scoring at 30.9 points per game while also averaging 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks.
Guard Josh Giddey continues to be a versatile performer in his second NBA season, finishing with 20 points, nine assists, and six rebounds on Friday night. Giddey is averaging 15.4 points, a team-high 7.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
Mavericks vs Thunder Game Injuries
Mavericks vs Thunder Head-to-Head
The Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder have split their first two meetings with both being played on the Mavericks’ home floor. Dallas’ win in mid-December snapped a two-game Thunder winning streak in the rivalry.
The Mavericks took three of the four matchups between the clubs in 2021-22 to win the season series for the third time in four seasons. The NBA lines for Sunday’s contest are giving the Thunder the edge to come away with the win at home.
Mavericks vs Thunder Game Information
- Game: Mavericks (23-17) vs Thunder (17-22)
- Location: Paycom Center
- Day/Time: Sunday, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Thunder vs Mavericks Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
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Thunder vs Mavericks Betting Lines
Mavericks vs Thunder Picks & Prediction
The Oklahoma City Thunder have shown some potential of late, but Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have been on a major roll. Despite being on the second half of a back-to-back, the Mavericks should have enough to win this one on Sunday night.
When making your NBA picks, take Dallas to win and cover on the road.
Dallas is listed at +145 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Dallas, you have a chance to win $145. Oklahoma City is -165, offering a chance to win $61 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Dallas a 40.82% chance to win, with Oklahoma City at 62.26%.
Mavericks vs Thunder Trends
Mavericks vs Thunder Edge
Mavericks vs Thunder Results
Mavericks vs Thunder Game Summary
Mavericks vs Thunder Previous Game (Dec. 12, 2022)
On Monday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder (11-15) cap their five-game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks (13-13). After losing back-to-back games, both are in danger of falling outside the Play-In Tournament, with the Thunder in 12th and the Mavericks in 10th in the Western Conference.
Neither has fared well against the spread (ATS) over the last two games. Oklahoma City is 0-2 ATS during that span while Dallas is 0-1-1. Which team will turn it around?
