The NBA betting action continues Wednesday night with six games on the schedule, so I bring you the best betting pick for the interconference clash between the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks along with the latest odds update on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Mavs have beaten the Hornets in three of their last four encounters while covering the spread each time they’ve won straight up. Back in February, Dallas outlasted Charlotte 116-100 as a 3-point road underdog.
The Hornets pulled off a huge upset to snap a two-game skid
After a couple of losses to Cleveland 121-114 on the road and Oklahoma City 109-107 on the home court, the Charlotte Hornets improved to 1-2 on the season with a shocking 106-104 victory to the Brooklyn Nets as 11.5-point home dogs.
Gordon Hayward had a big game, dropping 28 points on the Nets who shot only 42.7$ from the field and 68.0% from the free-throw line. The Hornets made 44.8% of their field goals and just 58.8% of their free throws but handed out a whopping 35 assists.
Terry Rozier had 19 points and five assists against Brooklyn, and he’s averaging 26.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting from the field. Still, the Hornets have the seventh-worst offensive rating in the league after the opening week, averaging just 104.8 points per 100 possessions.
The Mavericks had no mercy in LA
I was so wrong about the Mavs’ previous contest, but who wasn’t? They humiliated the Los Angeles Clippers as 3-point road dogs, tallying an epic 124-73 victory while surrendering 27 first-half points. Also, the Mavs set the NBA record with a 50-point lead at halftime.
It was a tough opening week for the Mavericks who played three games on the road including a couple of matchups with the LA teams. They failed to cope with the reigning champs, suffering a 138-115 defeat, but the Mavs found a way to bounce back from a 0-2 start (106-102 defeat at Phoenix in the opener).
Dallas is without Kristaps Porzingis, as the one-time All-Star has just started practicing in full following a knee injury. The Mavs will continue to lean heavily on Luka Doncic (27.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.7 APG) while expecting more from Josh Richardson (16.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (13.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG).
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/mavericks” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Charlotte:
- 3-6 ATS in the last nine games against Southwest Division
Dallas:
- 8-4 ATS in the last 12 games against Charlotte
- 3-1-1 ATS in the last five home games against Eastern Conference
The Winner Prediction
The Mavericks should be fired up following that ridiculous win over the Clippers, so I expect them to roll over the Hornets. Dallas won’t underestimate Charlotte, as that’s exactly what the Clippers did last Sunday with the Mavericks.
This is the first home game for Dallas which is another reason why I’m backing the Mavs to cover a 7.5-point spread on DraftKings. They showed strong character after starting the season with a pair of losses, and closing down a three-game road trip with a 51-point win was a massive boost for their confidence.
Pick: Take Dallas -7.5 at -110
The Total:
The under has hit in three of Dallas’ last four games, but the Mavs are pretty unpredictable. They have the fourth-best offensive rating in the league (116.2) while playing at a very slow pace of 97.8 possessions per 48 minutes (29th in the NBA).
I would stay away from the totals, especially with the line at 223.5 points. The Mavs are not an elite defensive team, but they could easily shut down the Hornets’ offense. Betting on the under seems like a better choice here.
Three of the last five encounters between Dallas and Charlotte went in the under, but the line has been set higher than 217.5 points just once in that span.
Pick: Go over 221.5 points at -110