The New Orleans Pelicans pay a visit to the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. Here’s a Mavericks vs Pelicans Prediction. This article will include a Mavericks vs Pelicans Pick.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans have been in a real slump as they are now on a seven-game losing streak after falling short to the Nuggets in a 125-118 defeat on Wednesday. Derik Queen led the team in scoring with 30 points, nine rebounds and four assists on 12 of 18 shooting, Trey Murphy III added 23 points on seven of 14 shooting while Jeremiah Fears chipped in with 16 points.
As a team, the Pelicans shot 45 percent from the field and a miserly seven of 34 from the 3-point line as they got off to a quick start and led by 13 points early. However, they couldn’t even hang onto that lead until halftime as they allowed 36 points in the second quarter. Things only got worse in the second half as the Pelicans trailed by as many as 19 points before they finished with a flurry of points to cut the margin to single digits in the end.
Dallas Mavericks Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have been in a slump of their own as they’ve lost nine of their last 11 games. They will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat after falling painfully short to the Knicks in a 113-111 loss on Wednesday. Naji Marshall led the team in scoring with 23 points on seven of 11 shooting off the bench, D’Angelo Russell added 23 points and seven assists on nine of 15 shooting while Max Christie chipped in with 15 points. As a team, the Mavericks shot just 41 percent from the field and 16 of 44 from the 3-point line but they capitalized on the poor free throw shooting from the Knicks and were good enough to lead with just 2:06 left on the clock but couldn’t hold on.
Why the Dallas Mavericks will win
- The Pelicans have lost each of their last 13 games against Western Conference opponents following a loss.
- The Mavericks have won each of their last 10 games as favorites on the first leg of a back-to-back.
- The Mavericks have covered the spread in nine of their last 10 games as favorites on the first leg of a back-to-back.
- The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine games on the first leg of a back-to-back against Western Conference opponents.
Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win
- The Mavericks have lost each of their last eight games against Southwest Division opponents.
- The road team has won each of the Pelicans’ last five games.
- The Mavericks have failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 10 home games against teams that held a losing record.
- The underdogs have covered the spread in nine of the Mavericks’ last 11 games at American Airlines Center.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Mavericks’ last six home games against Southwest Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Nine of the Pelicans’ last 10 road games against opponents who are on the first leg of a back-to-back have gone OVER the total points line.
Dallas Mavericks Player Facts
- Brandon Williams ranks 4th amongst qualified players for steals per 36 minutes (2.8) this season.
- Naji Marshall is one of only five players to have scored 30+ points off the bench in a game this season.
New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts
- Trey Murphy III has recorded 3+ steals in three consecutive appearances – equal-longest active streak of any player in the league.
- Zion Williamson is one of only three players in the league to be leading his team for points, rebounds and assists this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Mavericks rank 30th in the league for turnovers per game this season (17.2).
- The Mavericks rank 30th in the league for three-point field goals made per game this season (10.8).
- The Pelicans rank 30th in the league for points per game this season (108.9).
- The Pelicans rank 30th in the league for assists per game this season (22.8).
Mavericks vs Pelicans Prediction
The Pelicans are still missing some players with Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray both out, while the Mavericks have ruled out Dante Exum, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. You really couldn’t back either team with any confidence these days as both teams are struggling and missing some of their best players. The Pelicans have been relying on Murphy III and Queen for scoring, while the Mavericks have been leaning on Russell and Marshall to carry them lately.
This isn’t a game that I will be watching, but if I had to choose a team, I would lean towards the Mavericks at home as they were more than competitive against the Knicks in their last outing. They can get over the line if they put up the same effort.