Returning Anthony Davis Leads Lakers Against Mavericks
The Lakers Look To Upset Dallas Thursday
He’s back! After missing nearly 30 games due to an achilles injury, superstar big Anthony Davis returns as the Los Angeles Lakers (35-23) look to upset the home team Dallas Mavericks (31-26) this Thursday night.
The NBA betting lines have the Mavericks as three-point favorites or -150 on the money line. But despite being rusty, I like Davis to lead the Lakers to a big victory here. Los Angeles is the better defensive team and should overcome whatever Luka Doncic and Dallas throws at them.
Betting Preview
Lakers: The Big Brow
Hats off to Frank Vogel and the Los Angeles Lakers as they managed to stay afloat without Davis, LeBron James, and a slew of other key players. But with the return of Davis, the Lakers finally get a superstar who can take over games.
The Lakers were 17-6 with Davis in the lineup. As much as his defense is overstated, his offense is underrated thanks to the presence of James. Davis gives the Lakers plenty of scoring options. He can score inside, hit jumpers from a distance, and is a pick-and-roll threat.
With Davis on the floor, the Lakers are 7.7 points better while their rebounding percent goes up by 2.7% and their turnover percent goes down 2%. Davis’s 22.5 points is his lowest output since his sophomore year, but that’s simply because his usage is the lowest it’s been since 2015.
C Marc Gasol (finger) also returned. Combined with C Andre Drummond, F Markieff Morris, and F/C Montrezl Harrell, the Lakers have a big team rolling as they’ll look to dominate inside.
Mavericks: Luka’ing At You
The Dallas Mavericks remain one of the biggest enigmas in the NBA as a team. Not Doncic, however. We all know he’s going to be magical whenever he’s on the floor. The Slovenian should be a top-three MVP candidate if the Mavericks play more consistently.
Doncic’s numbers have stayed somewhat the same though he’s shooting better from deep now (35.9% versus 31.6% from last season). But despite his heroics, Dallas has been on-and-off.
This team can beat the likes of Milwaukee and Utah then lose to Houston and Sacramento. In fact, the Mavs are on a bit of a slide lately. If it wasn’t for some “Luka Magic” against Memphis, Dallas would’ve lost five straight games.
LUKA DONCIC ARE YOU KIDDING! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/C6wMhjerg8
— ESPN (@espn) April 15, 2021
The Mavs have become a bit too dependent on what he can do offensively as they lack the playmakers and secondary scorers to maintain their offense without him. Then there’s the defense, which is okay but does not excel in any category. Still, as long as Doncic is in the game, Dallas has a shot.
Betting Pick
This is a rematch of their Christmas day game, which the Lakers won by 23 as six-point betting favorites. The Lakers didn’t exactly shut Dallas down, but they couldn’t be stopped either.
Even without James, I expect the Lakers to continue this trend. Maybe they won’t shoot 56% or 48.7% from deep or average a 139.5 offensive rating, but they’ll still cut through Dallas’s bend-don’t-break defense.
Davis will be tough to stop on the PNR with Schroder. He notched 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting and was +16. And then there’s the matter of rebounding, which is where the Lakers can pound Dallas. The Lakers grabbed 17 offensive boards versus Dallas’s three.
Even if the Lakers don’t shoot lights out, they’ll clean up the glass and wear out Dallas with their size and persistence. Doncic should have another big game in a losing effort. If you’re a fan, take the over 44½ points-rebounds-assists prop. Otherwise, go in on the Lakers.
Pick: Los Angeles Lakers +130
