LA Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks Picks and Odds
- The Lakers face Luka Doncic and the Mavericks on Tuesday night
- Dallas is coming off a big win over Utah
- Find the odds, preview, and betting prediction below
The slumping Los Angeles Lakers will have a tough task ahead on Tuesday night as they take a trip down South to face the Dallas Mavericks in a big Western Conference showdown. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST at American Airlines Center.
The Lakers looked to be on their way to an important win on Sunday against the Pelicans, but LA eventually blew a 23-point lead and lost their second-straight game. The Mavs meanwhile have won three of their last four and most recently beat a solid Utah Jazz team on the weekend.
This is the third and final meeting between these two teams in 2021-22, grabbing one victory apiece thus far.
Lakers vs Mavericks Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | +11.5 (-110) | +500 | Ov 219 (-110) |
| Dallas Mavericks | -11.5 (-110) | -700 | Un 219 (-110) |
Odds as of March 28th at FanDuel.
The Mavericks are a heavy 11.5-point favorite here and have been dominating at home, posting a 26-12 record.
Desperate Times For LA
With just a handful of games left in the season, it’s now a foregone conclusion that Frank Vogel’s squad will be in the play-in tournament. However, their recent losing ways could potentially put them out of the postseason picture altogether. The Lakers are 3-7 in their last 10 and are just one game above the Spurs for the final play-in spot. If LA remained in 10th, it means they would need to win two in a row in order to actually make the playoffs as an eight seed.
Lakers Injury Update: LeBron James Doubtful For Game Against Mavericks After Ankle Swelled Up https://t.co/PrT1DBwvPZ pic.twitter.com/AzEPh5HpiI
— Lakers News (@lakers_news) March 28, 2022
To make matters worse, LeBron James sustained an ankle injury in Sunday’s loss to New Orleans, making it clear he’s in a ton of pain. The King is doubtful for Tuesday, which is a massive blow. Bron did his thing the other night though, scoring a game-high 39 points in 41 minutes of action, but the help was extremely limited. Only two other scorers finished in double-figures, with LA getting outscored 67-39 in the second half.
Without James here, the likes of Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Malik Monk, among others, must step up in what is going to be a crucial game. On a more positive note, Anthony Davis participated in a full practice on Monday and should return to the fold soon.
Mavs Rolling
Dallas is loving life right now as they sit in fourth place in the West with a 46-29 record. Jason Kidd’s group has looked like a completely different team since trading for Spencer Dinwiddie. He’s given the Mavs another reliable ball-handler and shooter who is evidently thriving alongside Luka Doncic, averaging 17.9 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.5 rebounds on a 39% three-point clip in 17 games.
Jalen Brunson speaks on Spencer Dinwiddie since he joined the Mavs. His character, his drive and their chemistry. @dallasmavs | #MFFL | @jalenbrunson1 pic.twitter.com/YFlD6VBgfM
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) March 24, 2022
Dinwiddie had a quiet night on Sunday, but there was no shortage of production elsewhere. Doncic led the charge with 32 points, 10 boards, and five dimes, while Reggie Bullock and Jalen Brunson added 23 and 22 points, respectively. Dallas couldn’t miss from long range, shooting 50% as a team and 52% from the field. They actually managed to win the battle on the boards against Utah as well, much in part to Rudy Gobert’s absence. In fact, the Jazz was missing several other key guys as well, including Bojan Bogdanovic and Hassan Whiteside.
Nevertheless, the Mavs now sit a game above Utah and moved one step closer to clinching home-court advantage in the playoffs for the first time since 2011 when Kidd played on their championship squad. A win on Tuesday over a shorthanded LA group would be huge in doing so.
Lakers vs Mavericks Prediction
The last two games between the Lakers and Mavs were close, but we have to remember, LeBron was playing. With him sidelined here, I honestly don’t see any problem with Dallas covering the 11.5-point spread. Sure, it’s pretty steep, but Los Angeles is frankly awful right now and James is their only bright spot. They’re going to struggle.
Pick: Mavericks -11.5 (-110)
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Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
