Lakers vs Mavericks Picks and Odds

• The Lakers welcome back Anthony Davis for their game with the Dallas Mavericks on April 22nd
• Dallas is on the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Pistons on Wednesday
• Read below for the latest Lakers vs Mavericks odds, betting preview and a pick

Anthony Davis is set for his long-awaited return from injury on Thursday as the Lakers matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. Los Angeles are marginal underdogs for this one. Dallas faces uncertainty over their own front court star. Rick Carlisle was optimistic Kristaps Porzingis will be available, but it’s in the hands of Porzingis and the Mavericks’ training staff.

The Lakers are still without LeBron James (ankle), while Marc Gasol (finger) and Markieff Morris (ankle) are listed as day-to-day.

Tyrell Terry (personal) is unavailable for Dallas, while Maxi Kleber (back) should be available after getting 14 minutes against Detroit.

Lakers vs Mavericks Odds

Odds as of Apr 22nd

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Davis’ Role

Having not played since Valentine’s Day, Anthony Davis is going to be on a tight minutes restriction for this game. The Lakers have hovered around .500 in Davis’ absence, including splitting a baseball series with the Utah Jazz over their last two. The return of Davis is going to have an impact at both ends of the floor, but there’s bound to be signs of rust having gone such a long time without competitive action.

Still elite defensively, the Lakers will be desperate for Davis’ bag of tricks on offense more than his prowess on the defensive end. The Lakers are second in defensive rating over the last 10 games, but they are 26th in offense over that span.

Got a new player!!!!! 👀👀 https://t.co/o2ir15jnwy

— kuz (@kylekuzma) April 21, 2021

Throughout his spell with the Lakers, though, their offense has been reliant on LeBron James. In an admittedly small sample earlier this season, the Lakers were -4.4 per 100 possessions with Davis on the floor without James, and Davis has an offensive rating of just 112.1 in such minutes. They should be better on the offensive end. They are unlikely to be spectacular, particularly against a Dallas defense which has improved following early season struggles.

Dallas Bounce Back

Pursuing a playoff spot, and possibly the Lakers, Dallas has endured a difficult stretch. It was a 2-5 run before they beat tanking Detroit on Tuesday. They have the fourth-worst defensive rating in the Association over that run, and they will be hoping to improve on that end on Wednesday night. The Mavericks were a top 10 defense in March.

The Mavericks shot over 37% from three on Wednesday. This isn’t a freak night for them. They are only an average three-point shooting team in the second half of the season, but they are third in three-point attempts per game. The Lakers are among the league leaders in limiting opponent attempts from the perimeter.

Throw it up & Trill will get it 😤 pic.twitter.com/Rh5mHgMFFp

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 22, 2021

Stopping Luka Doncic from breaking the defense and kicking to shooters is an impossible task, even for these Lakers. The Mavs will get plenty of three-point attempts up on Thursday night, and while not an elite shooting team, they make enough to keep the defense honest. This Mavericks offense is elite when Doncic and Porzingis are firing – they might just have too much firepower for the Lakers.

Back the Mavs

There’s rightly a lot of excitement about Davis’ return. Having the All-NBA forward healthy is massive for the Lakers’ NBA title chances, but he won’t necessarily change the course of this game.

Rick Carlisle says he's "hopeful" that Kristaps Porzingis will be available vs. Lakers in second end of back-to-back. However, Carlisle has yet to consult with Porzingis and director of player health and performance Casey Smith.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 22, 2021

Frank Vogel has masterminded some improbable wins without his stars. Doing so again on Thursday isn’t infeasible, but it’s an enormous ask given the Mavericks’ confidence-building win on Wednesday. The availability of Porzingis is obviously a key factor ahead of this matchup, but Dallas has got some big wins without him, including recent Ws over the Jazz, Wizards, Celtics and Grizzlies.

The Mavs are just 16-20 ATS as favorites. Taking their moneyline is the better value bet here.

• Pick: Dallas Mavericks moneyline (-136)

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