The Dallas Mavericks head to Los Angeles in search of a much-needed victory against a Lakers squad on the verge of turning its season around. Read on for our top Mavericks-Lakers picks for Friday night.
The Mavericks will be without superstar guard Luka Doncic for yet another contest, and the team has struggled to cover and win when he's been sidelined throughout the season. The Lakers will be without LeBron James, but the team has been rolling of late, thanks to key contributions from role players and excellent play from forward Anthony Davis.
Will the Lakers cover against the visiting Mavericks and move another step closer to the playoffs, or will the shorthanded Mavs steal a much-needed win on the road?
Here is our best Mavericks vs. Lakers pick (odds via DraftKings; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Mavericks vs. Lakers pick
Doncic will be sidelined for a fourth straight game tonight, and the Mavs are in trouble. The team has lost two of its last three games without him, and it took overtime against a San Antonio Spurs team starting third and fourth-string options to secure the lone win.
Despite getting a full practice in Thursday, Doncic is out, and fellow guards Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. are both questionable. Dallas is 4-9 straight up without Doncic this season, and the team's offensive rating drops from 118.3 to 114.0 with him sidelined. The team's net rating plummets from 1.9 to minus-5.1 with Doncic out of commission.
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Of the team's four wins without Doncic, one was the aforementioned victory over San Antonio, and one was wit h Irving in the lineup. While Irving is questionable, he's been listed that way all week and has yet to play. This Mavericks team has struggled to cover all season, and missing Doncic certainly won't help matters.
Los Angeles has won four of its last six games, and the playoff-hopeful Lakers should be highly motivated to earn another victory in front of the home crowd on Friday.
Mavericks vs. Lakers best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakers -5.5 | Lakers -6 | Lakers -5.5 | Lakers -5.5 | Lakers -5.5 |
| -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
All of our best NBA betting sites offer the same odds, but FanDuel is the only one offering this line at -6 rather than -5.5, so we'll avoid it. The Lakers need to win by at least six points for this bet to win at -5.5, but a six-point victory at FanDuel would result in a push.
Since we need at least six points in either case, we'll avoid the wager that doesn't result in a win.
Mavericks vs. Lakers odds
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Mavericks vs. Lakers odds analysis
With Doncic out and key injuries mounting for Dallas, the Lakers opened as modest 4.5-point favorites, but that line has moved to -5.5 or -6 at some sports betting sites. Bettors favor Dallas to cover, with 55% of bets placed on that outcome.
The point total sits at 226.5, up three points from its opening line. Each team hit the Over in just two of its last six contests, but bettors are backing the Over at a 59% clip.
Mavericks vs. Lakers game info
- Date: Friday, March 17, 10:30 p.m. ET
- TV: NBA TV
- Location: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Mavericks-Lakers pick made 03/17/2023 at 11:55 a.m. ET.
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