Dallas Mavericks vs Denver Nuggets Picks and Odds Jan 3
Dallas Mavericks vs Denver Nuggets Predictions
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Dallas Mavericks vs Denver Nuggets betting preview for Monday, January 3. At the time of posting, the Mavericks are holding steady as a 2.5-point home favorite over the visiting Nuggets, with the total sitting at 213.5 points.
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| Monday, January 3 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Dallas Mavericks -2.5 vs Denver Nuggets |
| Total: | 213.5 Points |
| Game Time: | 8:40pm ET / 5:40pm PT |
| Arena: | American Airlines Center |
| TV: | Bally Sports Southwest |
Dallas Mavericks vs Denver Nuggets Analysis
The Denver Nuggets make a trek to Dallas for a Western Conference showdown with the Mavericks at American Airlines Center. The Nuggets won their fourth straight game by a score of 124-111 on Saturday night. The Mavs record now stands at 17-18, while Denver is 18-16.
This will be a third game rubber match between these two teams. Each team won their home game, with the Nuggs prevailing 106-75 in late October and the Mavs 111-101 in mid-November.
The Denver Nuggets will be out to avenge that loss last time they came to America Airlines Arena. They come in hot with four straight wins, including an impressive victory over the Golden State Warriors. Last time out, Jokic led the way with 24 points and 11 boards.
It seems like Denver is finally getting over the fact that Michael Porter Jr isn’t coming back anytime soon. The Nuggets play far better on defense compared to offense. They score and allow just over 106 points per game, which ranks them 9th in scoring defense and 22nd in scoring offense.
The Dallas Mavericks welcomed back superstar guard Luke Doncic back for Sundays meeting with the watered-down Oklahoma City Thunder. It wasn’t Doncic’s best game as a scorer, but he contributed elsewhere. He nearly ended with a triple double, as he had 14 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds.
The Mavs rested Kristaps Porzingis at the perfect time against an undersized and short-handed Thunder team. It was only a rest spot, so Porzingis should return tonight. The Mavs rank 26th in points scored with only 105 per game. They play solid defense as they rank 4th with only 104 points allowed a game.
The Dallas Mavericks are favored by 2.5 points with a total of 213.5 points. These teams are very similarly matched so this should be a close game down the stretch. The under has cashed in 4 of the Nuggets last 5 games and 11 of the Mavs last 15.
Both teams play at a snails pace, ranking 25th & 29th in pace respectively. The Mavs will have both of their big two on the court for the first time in over a week, so it may take time to find some continuenty. The Nuggs are on the second game of a back-to-back, so will favor a slow pace. We will be taking a shot on the under here.
Official Play: UNDER 213.5 Points
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Dallas Mavericks vs Denver Nuggets Preview from GoldSheet
Denver have won 6 of 9 with a couple of postponements, as Nikola Jokic continues to do his thing (26 ppg, 14 rpg, 7 apg on the season), and had been getting some added help from reserve Gs Monte Morris (16 ppg, 4 apg last 7 of his games) and Markus Howard (15 ppg L3Gs he played). But Morris has joined regular PF Jeff Green in Covid protocols, while Howard is out for a bit with a knee issue.
Dallas is coming off a 95-86 win at Oklahoma City last night, with Luka Doncic contributing 14 pts., 9 rebs. and 10 assists (and 7 TOs!) on his return. C Kristaps Porzingis was rested last night by HC Jason Kidd, probably with an eye to tonight’s matchup with Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
It appears the Mavs might be pulling out of their “Covid Fog” that saw the Mavs go 2-5 before regaining the services of some support players from the injured/Covid list. Backup swingman Reggie Bullock has his best game of the season against the Kings on New Year’s Eve, scoring 16 pts. on 5 of 8 shooting with 5 boards and 3 assists after a 2-week absence, and G Jalen Brunson continues to blossom as his minutes have increased with the various absences, scoring 20 ppg with 8 apg while shooting 52% in his last 10 games. Mavs have covered 6 of the last 9 against Denver and rank 7th in the league in net differential (Nuggets are 13th) over the last 14 games.
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Monday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Dallas Mavericks vs Denver Nuggets contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
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