Nuggets vs Mavericks Picks and Odds

• The Denver Nuggets take their three-game winning streak into Dallas on Monday
• The Mavs are fresh off a defeat to the Rockets, while Denver just won back-to-back OT contests against Phoenix
• Get our full odds, preview, and best bet for Monday’s meeting below

The surging Denver Nuggets will roll into Texas on Monday, January 25th to face the Dallas Mavericks, tip-off 8:30 PM EST. Luka Doncic and co. are looking to get back to their winning ways after a lopsided defeat to Houston on Saturday, while Denver won two hard-fought games in Phoenix.

This is the second meeting between these two Western Conference foes in 2020-21, with the Mavs winning 124-117 on January 7th thanks to Doncic’s 38 points and 13 assists.

Nuggets vs Mavericks Odds

Odds taken Jan 25th at FanDuel

Denver Getting Hot

The Nuggets are on a three-game winning streak while going 7-3 in their last 10 games. After starting the campaign with a 1-4 record, Denver has slowly been improving as they’re now 9-7.

We had a pretty good weekend, thanks for asking! 😎#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/W9r9KZPWFS

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 25, 2021

Their two victories against Phoenix really showed the potential this team has. Down 14 at halftime on Friday night, the Nuggets outscored the Suns 60-46 in the second half to push the game to OT.

A dominant performance from the Joker propelled Denver, with the Serbian putting up 31 points. Although Mike Malone’s team shot just 23 percent from downtown, it was their dominance in the paint that helped them secure a win. The Nuggets had 80 points inside to just 48 for their opponents, while collecting 22 points off the Suns’ turnovers.

Then on Saturday evening, they faced off against Monty Williams’ squad once again. This time, it took two overtimes for Denver to beat a solid Phoenix team. There was no glaring team stat that stood out in this one but instead, it was the dominance of Jokic and Jamal Murray. The Nuggets’ star big man balled out, collecting 29 points and a mind-boggling 22 rebounds, which most definitely made a difference in the 120-112 win.

As for their Canadian guard who has struggled this year, Murray found his scoring touch in this one. He had 26 points while shooting 43 percent from three-point range. The return of Michael Porter Jr. was also a huge boost to the lineup and if he can pick up where he left off before his COVID diagnosis, Denver could potentially have their third star in the balance.

Mavs Need to Improve

Although Dallas entered the year as the favorites in the Southwest Division, they’re certainly not playing like one. Currently 8-8, the Mavericks have suffered far too many losses to weak teams. They’ve lost twice to the Bulls, once to the Hornets, and another to a Raptors team who have lacked any type of consistency.

Dallas also doesn’t rank above 12th in any notable category this season, but they are third in turnovers per game. Aside from Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr. who have been responsible for most of the scoring, there hasn’t been a lot of help.

However, they will remain shorthanded for this contest against the Nuggets. Josh Richardson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, and Dwight Powell all remain out due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

Porzingis is still finding his stride though after returning from a knee injury. If the Latvian can return to his previous best alongside Doncic who is living up to the MVP hype so far, Rick Carlisle could have a legitimate star duo at his fingertips once again.

Luka's gonna Luka 🪄#MFFL | https://t.co/mq6jhXnKyR pic.twitter.com/7AH7Ku8skc

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 24, 2021

The Mavs will need to be physical on the glass in this one. Denver has been a force to be reckoned with in the rebounding department during their winning streak. They’ve averaged 55.3 boards per game throughout their last three appearances (1st in the NBA in that span), so Dallas will need to do their best to contain Jokic in particular as he is their primary rebounder.

Best Bet

This will certainly be a Doncic vs. Jokic matchup. The last time they met, the Slovenian sensation won the battle, but I think this time it’s going to be the Joker. Denver has a completely healthy squad and are playing the best basketball of their season right now.

The Nuggets are 4-1 ATS in their last five, while the Mavs are 6-2 ATS in their previous eight contests. With Dallas dealing with several absences, I like the visitors here to collect yet another victory. Even with two long games over the weekend where most of their starters played close to 40 minutes, I don’t think it will hurt Denver. They will keep it rolling.

Pick: Denver Nuggets ATS +1.5 (-110)