Following the sweep of a back-to-back set against Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Dallas Mavericks return home to play their 4th game in 6 nights against the Houston Rockets. The Mavericks, who haven’t played their best basketball yet, still find themselves at 3-1, while Houston is a respectable 2-2 on the young campaign. Most recently, the Rockets split a two-game set against the Spurs in San Antonio. Houston does have a slight rest advantage here, having not played since Monday. Let’s get into the tale of the tape.
Game Intangibles
Houston Rockets (2-2) vs Dallas Mavericks (3-1)
Tipoff: 7:30p CST at the American Airlines Center
How to watch: This is one of the 15 games that the Mavs will play on WFAA Channel 8 in the DFW Metroplex. The game will also be streaming on MavsTVor over the air on KFAA Ch. 29 or your regional TEGNA Channel
Spread: Dallas -6.5 (up from -5 at open)
Over/Under: 227.5
Moneyline: Houston +205
The Mavericks find themselves as 6.5-point favorites at the DraftKings Sportsbook, a number that has climbed up from -5. Dallas is currently taking 89% of all spread bets, which is the reason for the line move.
Player Props
- Klay Thompson over 14.5 points (-105)
- Luka Doncic over 8.5 assists (+114)
- Dillion Brooks under 10.5 points (-125)
SPRINKLE: Luka Doncic to record a triple double (+500)
Play of the game: Dallas -6.5
One of my favorite Mavericks trends going, Luka Doncic hasn’t lost to a Texas team since April of 2021, over 3.5 years ago! This Houston team is solid, but they can get stagnant offensively for stretches of time. Against this Mavericks team, a 4-minute stretch of nothing will allow them to go on a run and put the game out of reach. I think Dallas covers the 6.5, winning by double digits to start off this 5-game homestand.
