The Dallas Mavericks (15-9) travel to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers (6-17) on Saturday, December 16th. This game will be played at Moda Center. Both the Mavericks and Trail Blazers will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 9:00 ET.

Mavericks vs Trail Blazers

The Mavericks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Mavericks’ most recent game versus the Timberwolves saw Luka Doncic lead the Mavericks with 39 points while shooting 15/27 from the field. Dereck Lively II added 15 points, but unfortunately, Dallas was defeated in the game with a score of 119-101.

As of now, the Mavericks are 15-9 overall and have gone 2-1 in their last three games. In the Western Conference, they are 4th overall and are leading the Southwest division.

Against the spread, Dallas have an above .500 record vs. the spread sitting at 13-11 ATS. Dallas has covered the spread in two straight road games and are 8-4 ATS on the road compared to 5-7 at home.

The Trail Blazers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Trail Blazers will look to bounce back from a defeat in their last game, losing to the Jazz with a final score of 122-114. In addition to their straight-up loss, the Trail Blazers also couldn’t meet the spread, coming up short as -5 point favorites. The over/under line entering this matchup was 226 points, and both teams achieved a total score that exceeded that line.

Coming into today’s game vs. the Mavericks, the Trail Blazers are 6-17 overall and are looking to get back to .500. On the road, the Trail Blazers are 4-10 while going 2-7 at home.

Portland’s ATS record is currently below .500 at 11-12 for the season. The Trail Blazers maintain an ATS record of 9-5 on the road, while they have a 2-7 record vs. the spread when playing at home.

Mavericks Offense Breakdown

Heading into play, the Mavericks’ offense is rated 6th in the league in scoring, averaging 119.4 points per contest. The Mavericks come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 15.9 made 3’s per game. In addition to their strong outside shooting numbers, the team is playing at one of the fastest paces in the NBA, averaging 99.8 possessions per contest.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

The Trail Blazers come into today’s game as the 29th ranked scoring offense at 106.8 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Trail Blazers are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.3 per contest. Their slower style of play has created fewer offensive opportunities, leading to them being ranked 29th in fields goals made per contest.

Mavericks Team Defense

At this time, the Mavericks’ defense is positioned 21st in the NBA, permitting 117.0 points per game.

Dallas’ defense is currently forcing 11.6 turnovers per game, which is 2nd in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 21st in blocked shots, with an average of 4.7 rejections per game.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

The Trail Blazers’ defense is presently ranked 15th in the league, allowing an average of 113.7 points per contest.

In their previous matchup vs. the Jazz, the Trail Blazers’ defense struggled, giving up a field goal percentage of 53% leading to 122 points.

Key Players For The Mavericks And Trail Blazers

In today’s game, our projections have Luka Doncic leading the Mavericks with 24 points on 9/17 shooting from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 32.3 points per game, in addition to 8.1 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place Anfernee Simons as the leading scorer for the Trail Blazers. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 14 while also collecting 2 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 41.9% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 24.6 points per game.

Mavericks vs Trail Blazers Trends

• Dallas has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 112 points per game while allowing 113. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Portland has an ATS record of 4-1 while averaging 112 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
• Through their last five games as the betting underdog, the Trail Blazers have a strong record vs the spread going 3-2. Their straight up mark in these contests is 1-4.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Mavericks have a straight up record of 7-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 7-3.

Mavericks vs Trail Blazers Prediction

Not only do we have the Mavericks winning this one by a score of 114-101, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Mavericks at -5.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 235 and our model has the Mavericks and Trail Blazers finishing with a combined 215 points. Our pick is to take the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are 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.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.