Dallas Mavericks will host Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA 2021-22 action on Thursday evening. The home side has raised the level of its form lately, and they want to keep up where they left off. The visitors haven’t played well recently, and they look forward to getting back on the winning track.
It is going to be the fifth straight game at the home court for Dallas, and they eye the fourth victory in a row. The hosts have been pretty confident, and they want to continue in the same fashion. On the other hand, Los Angeles wants to secure the playoffs ticket, but the visitors need to stabilize their form.
Dallas Mavericks – Will they remain confident at home?
The Mavericks are in a series of games in front of the home crowd, and after an initial overtime defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder, they tied three wins. That streak saw them improving to a 32-23 record, securely holding the 2nd spot in the Southwest Division. Dallas is ten wins ahead of the Pelicans, while the hosts can still challenge the pole position in their division. In their latest match, the Mavs were better than Detroit Pistons, celebrating a comfortable 116-86 win. They hit half of their three-point attempts, while Luk Doncic dominated the game with 33 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds.
Slovenian international has been the most productive player for the Mavs, scoring 26.2 points per game, followed by 8.9 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and a 23.97 PER. Doncic tops the major charts for Dallas, doing very well in defense with 1.2 steals per contest. Kristaps Porzingis produces 19.2 points and 7.7 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson has 16.1 pts and 5.5 final passes per match. However, Kristaps Porzingis won’t be available for the Mavs’ coach on Thursday evening.
Expected Line-Up: Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber
with best odds
Los Angeles Clippers – Can they get back on the winning track?
The Clippers have been pretty inconsistent lately, as they went for a 5-5 record on the previous ten occasions. Los Angeles is third in the Pacific Division with a 27-29 record, and they will fight for one of the two spots to secure the post-season ticket. However, the visitors need to tighten their defense, as they allowed 135+ points in their last two games. Consequently, they suffered two straight defeats and head to this one with shaken confidence. The Clippers come from a 135-109 loss against the Grizzlies, who outplayed them in the paint, having 15 rebounds more than the LA Clippers.
Paul George has contributed the most to the Clippers’ offense with 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and two steals for 35.5 minutes per contest. Norman Powell came from Portland in the midseason trade and contributed 22 points per match after his first two appearances. Eric Bledsoe tops the assists charts with 4.2 per match while being the best stealer on the team with 1.3. Ivica Zubac dominated LA’s paint with eight rebounds while scoring 9.4 pts on average.
Expected Line-Up: Reggie Jackson, Norman Powell, Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Ivica Zubac
Expert Pick #1 – Dallas Mavericks -7 @-110
The Mavs have been pretty confident on the home court lately, and I expect them to book their fourth win in front of ther fans. On the other hand, Los Angeles Clippers have had issues lately, and I believe the hosts are capable of covering the number. I’ll back them ATS as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 216 @-110
Dallas has been involved in many games where the Under cashed when playing on the home court. Although the Clippers have been pretty bad in defense in the past few games, I don’t expect these two sides to produce more than 216 points in total. Give me the Under as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Dallas Mavericks Under 111.5 @-105
Dallas will miss some sharpness in the offense with the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, which might result in not crossing a 111.5 margin. They scored 112 points or more just once in their last seven games against the Clippers, and I’ll take this one as my third pick at a bit better odds than the previous two.
