The Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons will travel to Mexico City on Saturday in the league’s first international game of the regular season. Dallas is banged up going into this game and will try to overcome that to surprise the Pistons. Before tip-off from Mexico City, continue reading to get my Mavericks vs Pistons prediction.
Our Mavericks vs Pistons Pick
- Pick: Detroit Pistons −7.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Dallas Mavericks @ Detroit Pistons
- Date & Time: Saturday, November 1, 2025, 10:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Arena CDMX, Mexico City, Mexico
- Broadcast: Peacock
Key Storylines
Detroit (3‑2) has been a solid team so far, averaging 115 points per game and enjoying stronger rebounding numbers at 48.6 per game compared to 43.4 for Dallas. Dallas (2‑3) is facing major personnel issues going into Mexico City. Star big man Anthony Davis is ruled out with a left‑calf strain. Dereck Lively and Dante Exum are also out, while Daniel Gafford and D’Angelo Russell are questionable as well.
Both teams are traveling internationally for this game, which adds another element of uncertainty to the proceedings on both sides. Playing at altitude in Mexico City could also become a factor in this game, as players may not have the same level of stamina that they would under normal conditions. It will be interesting to see how these teams deal with that and whether it has a clear impact on either side of the game.
Head‑to‑Head & Betting Trends
- This is the first of two head-to-head meetings between these teams scheduled for the regular season.
- Dallas is 2-3 against the spread going into Saturday night.
- Detroit is 3-2 against the spread heading into this contest.
- Dallas has gone under the total in four of its first five games.
- Detroit is 2-2-1 on over/unders going into this matchup in Mexico City.
Best Player Props to Watch
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Cade Cunningham (Pistons) | Over 7.5 assists |
| P.J. Washington (Mavericks) | Over 8.5 rebounds |
Mavericks vs Pistons Model Projection
Score Projection: Dallas Mavericks 104 – Detroit Pistons 116
Win Probability: Dallas Mavericks 28%, Detroit Pistons 72%
Final Thoughts
This game is going to be interesting for a number of reasons. Both teams are going to have to figure things out from a health standpoint. They are also going to have to overcome travel demands and the fact that the conditions in Mexico City could mean fatigue. I’ll take the Pistons to cover the spread as a favorite in this game, as the lack of so many bigs for the Mavericks should result in Detroit dominating things on the glass.
