The Portland Trail Blazers (9-24) travel to face off against the Dallas Mavericks (20-15) on Friday, January 5th. This game will be played at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Trail Blazers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Trail Blazers. Tip-off is set for 8:30 ET.

Trail Blazers vs Mavericks

The Trail Blazers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their latest game against the Mavericks, Shaedon Sharpe was the top scorer for the Trail Blazers’ offense, scoring 16 points and shooting 6/12 from the field. Anfernee Simons contributed 15 points, but Portland lost the game 126-97.

As they prepare to face the Mavericks, the Trail Blazers are 9-24 this season. In the Western Conference, they sit in 14th place, and they are 5th in the Northwest division.

Portland currently has an ATS record below .500, sitting at 15-18 at this point. The Trail Blazers have two straight ATS losses as the underdog and are 1-3 vs. the spread as the favorite.

The Mavericks Are Coming Off A Win

Luka Doncic scored 41 for Dallas against the Trail Blazers which was the most on the team. His field goal percentage for the game was 50%. As the Mavericks secured the victory with a final score of 126-97, Kyrie Irving also chipped in with 29 points.

As they prepare to take on the Trail Blazers, the Mavericks are looking to add to their overall record of 20-15, which puts them above .500. In Western Conference games, the Mavericks are 15-12, and in non-conference games, they have a record of 5-3.

Dallas has an overall ATS record of 19-16 as they come into today’s game. The Mavericks have a three game ATS win streak as underdogs, and they hold a 14-8 record against the spread when they are the favorites.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

Portland has recorded an average of 108.4 points per game (29th) throughout 33 games games. Coming into today’s game, the Trail Blazers will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.3 made 3’s per game. If the Portland offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 14.6 turnovers per game.

Mavericks Offense Breakdown

Heading into play, the Mavericks’ offense is rated 7th in the league in scoring, averaging 118.5 points per contest. In terms of pace, the Mavericks are one of the top units in the NBA, averaging 100.1 possessions per game. So far, the team has been able to rank well on offense, even though their up-tempo style of play has not translated into inside scoring. Currently, Dallas is just 26th in 2-point field goal makes per game.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

Currently, the Trail Blazers’ defense holds the 18th rank in the NBA, allowing 115.3 points per game. When it comes to forced turnovers, the Trail Blazers are forcing 14.6 per game, which is 27th in the league. They also come into the game sitting 23rd in blocked shots at 4.6 per game.

Mavericks Team Defense

Looking at the Mavericks defense, they will be looking for a better performance considering they are currently conceding 117.4 points per game (22nd). In the terms of takeaways, Mavericks are causing 11.5 turnovers per game, ranking 2nd in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 25th in rejections, averaging 4.4 blocked shots each game.

Key Players For The Trail Blazers And Mavericks

In today’s game, we anticipate Anfernee Simons leading the scoring for the Trail Blazers, contributing 21 points while shooting 8/16 from the field. This season, he is averaging 26.1 points per game along with 3.2 boards.

As for Dallas, Luka Doncic is projected to be the primary scorer for the Mavericks. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 31, and adding 8 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 48.7% and is averaging 33.7 points per contest.

Trail Blazers vs Mavericks Trends

• Although Portland has a straight up record of 2-8 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 5-5. The team averaged 106 points per game in these games.
• Across the Mavericks last ten home games, the team averaged 112 points per game while allowing 118. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-4, while going 5-5 straight-up.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Trail Blazers have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
• Through their last five games as the favorite, the Mavericks have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 3-2.

 

Trail Blazers vs Mavericks Prediction

 

For today’s matchup we are recommending to take the Mavericks to secure the win, with an expected final score of 113-100. When it comes to the spread, we believe they’ll cover at -10.5.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 238.5 and our model has the Trail Blazers and Mavericks finishing with a combined 213 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.