In this high caliber duel between two squads sitting within the playoff places of the West, the seventh Dallas Mavericks (39-27), who have lost two straight games and are looking to bounce back, are hosting the third Denver Nuggets (43-21), who, on the other hand, want to turn their latest victory into a streak.
Date/Time: 03-11-2020, 19:00 EDT / 00:00 GMT
Spread: Dallas Mavericks +1 Total: +218
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks have a 39-27 record (34-29-3 against the spread) and are sitting in the 7th place of the West. In their last game, they lost on the road to the Spurs with a 109-119 score, not beating the odds. Luka Doncic leads the team both in scoring with 28.7 ppg and in assists made with 8.7, adding 9.4 rebounds per game. Kristaps Porzingis follows with 19.2 ppg and a team-high 9.5 rebounds per game.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have a 43-21 record (29-31-4 against the spread) and are sitting in the third place of the West. In their last game, they won at home against the Bucks with a 109-95 score, beating the odds. Nikola Jokic leads the team in scoring with 20.3 ppg, in rebounding with 10.2 and in assists made with 6.8 per game. Jamal Murray follows with 18.7 ppg, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
Head-to-Head
In their two previous meetings earlier this season each team won once on the road. The Mavericks won by 3 points and the Nuggets by one. The Mavericks are 18-15 home, while the Nuggets are 18-13 on the road. The Mavericks are better offensively, scoring 116.4 ppg to the Nuggets’ 110.6, while the Nuggets are better defensively, allowing 107.4 ppg to the Mavs’ 110.5. The Nuggets have a better field goal percentage (47.1% to 46.3), while the Mavericks have a better 3-point percentage (37% to 35.8%). The Mavericks are better both in rebounding (47 to 44.3) and in turnovers committed (12.6 to 13.7), while the Nuggets are better in assists made (26.6 to 24.5). Both of Mavericks’ stars are not playing so good lately, so it’s a safe bet to pick the visiting Nuggets in this one.
Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction: Denver Nuggets -1 (-107)
