NBA Pick: Mavericks -5.5 (-115) at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review)
The pairing of All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving hasn’t worked at all for Dallas, and they might be playing their final game together with the Mavericks on Wednesday when they host the Sacramento Kings. We have a lean on that game and one other with the best betting odds.
If you’re a Texas resident looking forward to betting on this game, make sure you check out our Texas betting guide to learn all about the best gambling sites in your state.
Picks Summary
- Mavericks -5.5 (-115)
- Lakers +4 (-108)
Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks
Wednesday, April 05, 2023 – 08:30 PM EDT at American Airlines Center
Dallas’ Current Outlook
The Dallas Mavericks have an interesting decision on their hands. Should they go all out to try and get the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament or try and lose out and improve their draft lottery position? Note that the Mavericks owe their first-round pick this year to the New York Knicks from the years-ago Kristaps Porzingis trade, but it’s Top 10 protected.
Thus, if the Mavs pick 10th or better in the lottery –which they won’t if they make the playoffs– they keep it. And they need that pick because of all they gave up earlier this season in the trade for Kyrie Irving, which has been a bust.
Once as high as fourth in the West, the Mavs are now 11th and just 7-15 since the Irving trade, including 4-11 when he and fellow All-Star Luka Doncic play together.
The End of The Irving-Doncic Era?
This Dallas experiment shows that you can’t just treat an NBA team like you are playing fantasy basketball. Yes, the Mavs have been excellent offensively with those two on the court, but they have also allowed 118.3 points per 100 possessions over the 22 games since Irving arrived, which ranks 25th in the league during that span.
“I don’t think the offense is a problem, and I always said this,” Doncic said. “It’s our defensive end. I think anybody can score on us. Whoever it is, anybody can score on us.”
Doncic (32.8 ppg) currently ranks second in the NBA in scoring behind Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid (33.3 ppg). He is poised to break Mark Aguirre’s single-season franchise record (29.5 ppg in 1983-84) for the highest-scoring average in Mavericks history.
Shams Charania reported Monday that the Mavs are thinking about shutting down Doncic and Irving, but Doncic said he’s not sitting until the team is eliminated. Irving is set for free agency and could easily sign somewhere else this summer.
Can the Mavericks Still Make It?
Dallas is still alive for the 10th spot in the West but loses a current tiebreaker with current No. 10 Oklahoma City, meaning the Mavs would have to finish a game ahead of the Thunder but they are currently a half-game behind.
The Mavs could easily win their final three: this one, home to Chicago and home to San Antonio. Oklahoma City closes at Utah and home to Memphis.
An Inconsequential Game for Sacramento
This really has little meaning for the Kings as they play the second of a back-to-back, with no worse than the No. 3 seed in the West locked up. Sixth man Malik Monk was in question for Tuesday’s game at New Orleans but played in the 121-103 win as the Kings clinched the Pacific Division title –their first such title since the 2002-03 season.
If this were baseball, the Kings would definitely rest some guys here. I think they will regardless, and clearly, oddsmakers do too with this big number.
These teams have split two meetings this season, both in Sacramento. Dallas has won the past two at home vs. the Kings.
- Kings are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight-up win.
- Mavericks are 13-5-1 ATS in their last 19 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Mavericks are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
NBA Pick: Mavericks -5.5 (-115) at Bookmaker
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Wednesday, April 05, 2023 – 10:00 PM EDT at crypto.com Arena
Who Can Avoid the Play-In Tournament?
This is the second game of an ESPN doubleheader on Wednesday, with the Bulls vs. Bucks the first. It’s also huge in the Western Conference playoff chase as both try to avoid the play-in tournament. One might be able to, but likely not both, as Golden State figures to finish either fifth or sixth.
“We never got to play them in a [playoff] series that the fans and everyone expected us to,” said Clippers center and former Laker Ivica Zubac on Tuesday. “But this is as close as it gets so far. I think this is the most important game that I’ve been in with the Lakers [and] Clippers. You can feel it now. It’s gonna be biggest game of the season for both teams. I can’t wait.”
Lakers’ Star Players Ready to Go
It’s the second of a back-to-back for the Lakers after winning 135-133 in overtime at Utah on Tuesday, their fourth win in a row. LeBron James had 37 points, including a go-ahead basket with 27 seconds left in overtime. James has now made 40 career go-ahead shots inside the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime, counting playoff games.
He played 38 minutes. Anthony Davis and two other starters played 42 minutes. In a normal situation, I’d think LeBron and Davis would sit out tonight, but not with the chance to avoid the play-in tournament.
If they do sit out, you may want to disregard this betting pick. Guard D’Angelo Russell was out Tuesday injured and is iffy.
Clippers Struggling Without George
The Clippers remain without injured All-Star Paul George, and they really need to avoid the play-in tournament to give PG13 a few more days to heal up ahead of the full Western Conference playoffs next weekend.
They fell to 9-14 without George this season in losing their second straight game Saturday, 122-114 in New Orleans. George is just one of three players in the NBA this season to be averaging at least:
- 23 points
- 6.0 rebounds
- 5.0 assists
- 1.5 steals
Marcus Morris and Eric Gordon are both questionable tonight.
So What Should We Expect?
The Clippers have shockingly won 10 straight in the series and are looking for another series sweep. The teams haven’t played, though, since January 24, before the Lakers made over their team, which included dumping Russell Westbrook.
He’s of course now with the Clippers and no doubt will have a chip on his shoulder for this game. (You may want to bet over his points + rebounds + assists total.)
LeBron has played in all three Clippers games this year, averaging 32.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists. George is averaging 23.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the season series. In the second game of a back-to-back this season, the Lakers are 6-5 straight up.
- Lakers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 0 days rest.
- Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight-up record.
- Lakers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
NBA Pick: Lakers +4 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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