Mavericks vs Trail Blazers Picks & Odds (Jan. 14)

• Luka Doncic and the Mavs face the struggling Blazers on Saturday evening
• Portland is surprisingly a slim 1.5-point favorite here
• Who is the best bet? Find the answer below with the odds, preview, and Mavericks vs Trail Blazers picks

Luka Doncic’s heroics once again propelled the Dallas Mavericks (24-19, 8-13 away) to a huge 2OT win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

They will be looking to bring that momentum into Saturday’s matchup with the slumping Portland Trail Blazers (19-22, 9-8 home), who have lost five in a row and eight of their last 10 contests. The tip-off is scheduled for 10pm ET at the Moda Center. Read on for the Mavericks vs Trail Blazers picks.

Mavericks vs Trail Blazers Odds

Odds as of January 13th at DraftKings. Claim the DraftKings promo code to bet on the Mavericks vs Trail Blazers game.

The Blazers are actually a slim 1.5-point favorite here with moneyline odds of -120 at home, where they’ve posted a 9-8 record. The Mavs sit at +100 and own an ATS underdog record of 3-6-1.

However, Dallas has been the more dominant team in this matchup, winning six straight meetings dating back to March of 2021.

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Luka Magic Leads Dallas Mavericks

The departure of Jalen Brunson surely hurt the Mavs, but Luka’s MVP play is certainly helping this team stay in the playoff mix. The Slovenian is playing the best basketball of his career, averaging a league-best 34.3 points to go along with nine rebounds and 8.8 assists per night. He is unstoppable and we just that on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Doncic went off for 35 points, 14 boards, and 13 dimes in a whopping 52 minutes to lead the Mavericks to victory over the Lakers. He came up with numerous clutch shots in the fourth and OT while also getting some help from Spencer Dinwiddie, Christian Wood, and Tim Hardaway Jr, who all finished with a minimum of 17 points.

While Jason Kidd’s squad did squander a 19-point lead in the second half, they managed to find a win in the end, outlasting LeBron James and Co. Dallas is now 7-3 in their last 10 contests, putting them in fourth place in the West and just five games off first place Denver. Wood is questionable for Saturday’s affair with a sprained ankle, which is notable.

Portland Trail Blazers Playing Through Rough Stretch

After a hot start to the campaign, the Blazers are in really poor shape at the moment, despite having a healthy roster. Chauncey Billups’ group is down to 11th spot in the Western Conference and sits three games below .500. It’s not like franchise star Damian Lillard isn’t doing his job, either. The supporting cast and defense just aren’t playing up to par.

In a 119-113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday evening, Dame dropped an eye-popping 50 points. The fact that Portland still couldn’t win when he puts up such an insane stat line is concerning, to say the least. Backcourt partner Anfernee Simons dropped just 15 though, and is in a rut as of late, registering over 20 points just twice in his last five outings.

The worst part is the Blazers were on top for most of this contest, including a 14-point lead in the first half. But the Cavs offense rallied and outscored them 32-22 in the final period. Portland desperately needs a victory, but their track record against the Mavs isn’t exactly a promising sign.

Mavericks vs Trail Blazers Picks

As a bettor, the value appears to be with the Mavs. However, it’s likely Wood doesn’t play because of the ankle issue. That’s a big absence for Dallas. For that reason, I think Portland pulls this one out.

Picks: Blazers -1.5 (-110)