The Dallas Mavericks are nearly back at full strength as they travel to the struggling Sacramento Kings.
With Luka Doncic back in the squad, the Mavericks could go on a winning run. However, the Kings are getting some respect by bookmakers.
NBA betting odds have the Mavericks as only -2½ favorites, which is a generous line.
- Game: Dallas Mavericks (16-17) at Sacramento Kings (14-21)
- Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
- Day/Time: Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. ET
Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings
Mavericks on the Rise
Winning one game is hardly season changing, but the Dallas Mavericks looked much better against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 132-117 road win was a step in the right direction, especially for Kristaps Porzingis, who had 34 points (12-for-21 FG).
“In the paint, we had almost 70 points,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told ESPN. “I thought (Porzingis) let the ball come to him tonight, he didn’t force anything. If they didn’t double, he went to score and if they did, he found the open guy. I thought his rhythm was great from start to finish.”
Getting Doncic back would significantly alleviate the pressure on Porzingis, who can be hard to trust.
The Mavericks are 16-17 against the spread, but they have struggled against the Kings. They are 7-21-1 ATS in the last 29 meetings overall, 0-3-1 ATS in the last four meetings in Sacramento.
It’s a concerning statistic, but bettors should have faith in the Mavericks. We expect them to go on a winning run heading into 2022, and it could continue against the Kings.
We think the sportsbook is being generous with the line at -2½. We expected a -4 line, so there is value with the current number.
Kings Without a Crown
The Sacramento Kings are team that looks attractive on paper, but seldom do they deliver.
They are 15-20 against the spread after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the 117-111 victory wasn’t overly impressive.
It ended a three-game losing streak, which included losses to Golden State, the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis. It wasn’t an easy stretch for the Kings, but neither is facing the Mavericks.
Tyrese Haliburton had 24 points, which was much-needed after an off night for De’Aaron Fox (12 points, 4-for-17 FG).
The Kings seemingly have plenty of players to handle the Mavericks. Fox, Haliburton, Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes are quality players, but it’s not showing up on the record.
We expect most of the betting online money to come for the Mavericks.
Back the Mavericks
We are confident with the Dallas Mavericks’ ability to handle the Sacramento Kings.
Getting Doncic back would be the icing on the cake and they should have too much scoring power for the Kings.
We would have been prepared to take a much bigger line, so lock in the -2½ points here.
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