Dallas Mavericks Hit the Road to Houston to Battle the Rockets

The Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic are trying to gain some ground in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, they’ve run into a roadblock with a slight injury to Luka Doncic. If he’s unable to go on Friday night, the Mavericks could see themselves without their best player. Hopefully, we’ll see Luka Doncic return to the team as they travel to face the Houston Rockets.

The Houston Rockets are at the bottom of the Western Conference and are well under 20 wins. This team desperately needs a morale boost, and a win over the Mavericks could be exactly what they need. If Doncic is out, this will give the Rockets a chance to win this game. However, they’ll still need to find a way to stop Dallas’ offense. For the Rockets, that’s a tall task to ask.

Game Preview: Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets March 11th

The Dallas Mavericks have the 25th scoring offense in the NBA, averaging only 107.08 points per game. In the event that Doncic misses this game, the Mavericks’ offense will be in tough shape. He leads Dallas in points (27.8) and assists per game (8.8); his being out is a significant blow. The good news for the Mavericks is that he’s only on the “day-to-day” list, not ruled out.

The Rockets could have a chance to claim a big win here if their defense is up to the task. Unfortunately, history has shown the Rockets to be incapable of playing good defense. They did, however, play remarkably well against the Memphis Grizzlies last week. They beat the Grizzlies 123-112 and got their first win in a very long time. Another game like that is what they need here.

Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets Betting Prediction

These two teams last faced off on January 7th, 2022, and Dallas was on the road. The Mavericks came in as three-point favorites and easily covered the spread. They won the game, 130-106, exposing the weaknesses of the Rockets’ defense. Using this as a guide, we can predict that something similar will happen on Friday. Dallas will win and cover the spread easily.

The Rockets played a great game against the Grizzlies but aren’t a match for the Mavericks. The difference between the Mavericks and the Grizzlies isn’t offense but defensive ability. The Mavericks have the No.2 defense in the NBA in points allowed. On average, teams this season have scored 103.73 points against the Mavericks. Taking Dallas on the road is the best pick.

This season, the Mavericks have gone 19-12 against the spread, an incredible record. Luka will likely be in the lineup as well, giving the Mavericks even more of an advantage. When betting on the total in this one, take the under if it’s set at 223.5 and above. If it’s below that, we’d suggest taking the over instead. 

• All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook, and all odds are subject to change.
• All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.