Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks Betting Preview/Prop Picks

These two Western Conference teams will likely have a rather entertaining game. The Los Angeles Lakers, however, are in danger of falling out of the No.10 position. In order for them to keep a playoff spot, they need to win this game.

Unfortunately, they've lost two straight, once to the Philadelphia 76ers and then to the New Orleans Pelicans. Can they finally get it right today?

The Dallas Mavericks are fourth in the Western Conference, with Utah creeping up behind them. The good news is, they're coming off a big win over the Utah Jazz, beating them 114-100.

The Lakers will likely be without Anthony Davis again, which gives Dallas an advantage. With the playoffs getting closer, the Mavericks would like to win this game and hold their spot in the West.

Los Angeles Lakers: No Anthony Davis puts the Lakers in a bind

The Lakers are in a tough spot right now, and it's not getting much better. The news today is that Anthony Davis will likely miss today's game as well. Without him, the Lakers have fallen into a tailspin that has seen them go 3-7 in their last ten games.

Today, they come in as heavy underdogs at +12.5. It's also important to note that LeBron James is listed as "day-to-day."

Playing against the Mavericks' defense is going to be tough. The Lakers average 111.57 points per game, ranking 12th in the NBA. However, the Mavericks' defense is ranked second in the NBA, allowing just 104.09 per game.

With Anthony Davis and potentially LeBron James out, the Lakers will have a tough time scoring. The good news is Dallas isn't great at scoring either.

Dallas Mavericks: Can they cover a spread as large as 12.5?

The question for the Mavericks isn't about winning; it's about covering the spread. This season, Dallas has been relatively underwhelming on offense. This partially began after they let go of Kristaps Porzingis, who was another scorer for the team.

Now, everything rests on their defensive capability. Covering a spread this large requires a lot more offense than defense.

To be fair, they did beat the Utah Jazz by 14 points in their last game. However, in a game against the Timberwolves, they only won by two.

Their offense averages just 106.67 points per game, which ranks 25th in the NBA. It's an efficient offense, but one that relies on the defense to win games. Because of this, it's very hard to trust that they can cover such a large spread.

Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks Betting Pick

These two teams played each other on March 1, 2022, which is only a short time ago. That game gives us a guide on how this one should go.

The Mavericks came into the game as 4.5-point favorites and were playing on the road. They won the game, 109-104, beating the Lakers and covering the spread. 

Although they covered the spread in that game, the margin wasn't 12.5 points. We don't doubt that Dallas will win this game, but we don't see them covering the spread.

We'd also take the over because the total has gone OVER in 4 of the Lakers' last five games. 

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Los Angeles Lakers +12.5, OVER

Prop Picks

LA Lakers (-115) OVER 102.5 Points

LA is averaging 111.6 points per game on offense, which ranks No. 11 in the league, on 46.8 percent shooting, which ranks No. 8. Scores have gone OVER in eight of the Lakers’ last 11 games as a road underdog.

With Dunkel predicting a Dallas victory by the score of 116-110, take the Lakers (-115) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 102.5 points against the Mavericks.

Russell Westbrook (-110) OVER 19.5 Points

Westbrook is averaging 18.2 points per game, which ranks No. 3 on the Lakers. That average increases to 19.5 points per game on the road and 21.2 points per game over his last five games overall.

With Dunkel predicting LA going OVER its Vegas team total, take Westbrook (-110) to be in the middle of the offense enough to go OVER 19.5 points against the Mavericks.

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