The Los Angeles Lakers (34-21) will play the Dallas Mavericks (31-27) in the NBA today, with Luka Doncic officially poised to compete against his previous team for the first time since the trade. The game is set to commence at 10 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The game will be televised live on TNT.
The Lakers are favoured by 9 points against the Mavericks (Lakers -9), with the over/under established at a total of 231 points. Los Angeles is favoured at -395 to win outright, whilst Dallas is positioned at +310 to achieve an upset.
Here are my predictions for the Mavericks at Lakers game and my NBA selections for Tuesday, February 25.
Prediction for Mavericks versus Lakers
Disseminate
I recommend betting on the Los Angeles Lakers to cover the spread against the Mavericks, with the most favourable line being offered by DraftKings. However, ensure you select the optimal line by utilising our live NBA odds page.
Over/Under
I am abstaining from the total in tonight’s contest.
My Selection: Lakers -9
Preview of the NBA Matchup: Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday
The trade reaches its conclusion as Luka Dončić faces the Dallas Mavericks for the first time since his abrupt transfer to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis and Max Christie. The Mavericks are currently ravaged by injuries, but the Lakers are poised to provide a formidable performance with their stars in alignment.
The Mavericks has no interior presence after acquiring Davis, because to their numerous ailments. They will be missing Davis (adductor), Daniel Gafford (MCL), and Dereck Lively II (ankle) for this match, and may be lack Dwight Powell (hip) and Caleb Martin (hip), who were absent from Sunday’s encounter. The Lakers now possess optimal health status.
The Lakers have been performing exceptionally well since the beginning of January. Since January 1, the Lakers possess the fifth-best Net Rating (+7.3), the ninth-best offensive rating (118.7), and the fourth-best defensive rating (111.4). Although some of this pertains to Davis, they have sustained this performance in his absence, exhibiting roughly equal rankings on both offence and defence, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Dončić finally exhibited his true form in the recent match against the Denver Nuggets. He tallied 32 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, including four three-pointers, as the Lakers triumphed over the Nuggets. He functioned primarily as the main offensive option in that game, consistently locating Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes in favourable positions.
Dončić has an extraordinary talent. This season, he averages 26.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game, which is considered a subpar performance by his standards. In the previous season, he topped the league in scoring with an average of 33.9 points per game, accompanied by 9.2 rebounds per game and 9.8 assists per game. I anticipate him to deliver a robust performance in this competition in the definitive opportunity for retribution.
Although attention will be focused on Dončić, the player of interest is Max Christie. Christie was not merely an ancillary component of The Trade. He has performed admirably for Dallas over eight games, averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. He has scored over 15 points in every game except for the most recent blowout defeat against the Warriors. The points prop is established at 10.5, and I am confidently wagering on a rebound, placing a bet on 15+ at odds of +265 with Bet365.
The Mavericks have been managing to remain competitive despite the absence of their key big men. Nevertheless, this matchup presents an opportunity for the Lakers to exploit their opponents in the paint through incisive cuts and proficient ball movement.
Since the deadline, Dallas has achieved a +1.0 Net Rating with a 5-2 record, exceeding expectations by winning 1.3 additional games according to advanced statistics from Cleaning the Glass. The Lakers are recovering from a challenging defeat, however they have attained a significant synergy with the combination of Dončić, James, and Reaves. I will support Los Angeles in this instance.
For a same-game parlay, I will select Dončić for 25 or more points, James for 6 or more rebounds, and Max Christie for 10 or more points.
Optimal Wager: Lakers -9 (-110)
