The Dallas Mavericks invade the Ball Arena to take on the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks will be gunning for a fifth straight victory to start the season after taking down the Bulls in a 114-105 home win on Wednesday. Grant Williams drained seven 3-pointers to lead the team with 25 points on seven of 10 shooting, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 24 points off the bench while Luka Doncic tallied 18 points with seven rebounds and 10 assists. As a team, the Mavericks shot 45 percent from the field and as they trailed against the Bulls for a most of the game, until they closed the final 3:22 on a 15-7 run to pull away and escape with the win at home.
Dallas Mavericks Team Facts
- The Mavericks have lost each of their last six road games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Mavericks have covered the spread in each of their last six road games against Western Conference opponents.
- Each of the Mavericks’ last five games against opponents who are on the first leg of a back-to-back have gone OVER the total points line.
Denver Nuggets
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets will be hoping to bounce back after having their four-game win streak halted by the Timberwolves in a 110-89 road loss on Wednesday. Nikola Jokic led the team with 25 points and 10 rebounds on 11 of 23 shooting while Jamal Murray chipped in with 14 points and six assists but no ohter player finished in double figures in scoring. As a team, the Nuggets were off their game as they shot just 39 percent from the field and six of 33 from the 3-point line as they struggled against the Timberwolves’ defense from the start and never looked threatening after falling behind by double digits early. Michael Porter Jr. had a night to forget as he scored just five points on two of 11 shooting.
Denver Nuggets Team Facts
- The Nuggets have won each of their last 12 home games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Nuggets have covered the spread in 14 of their last 16 home games against Western Conference opponents that held a winning record.
- Each of the Nuggets’ last eight games have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for blocks per game this season (7.8).
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for field goal percentage this season (50.8%).
- The Mavericks rank 30th in the league for steals per game this season (5.5).
- The Mavericks rank 1st in the league for three-point field goals made per game this season (18.3).
Peter’s Pick
The Mavericks are keeping eyes on Kyrie Irving and Maxi Kleber who are both questionable, while the Nuggets have listed Nikola Jokic as day to day. The Mavericks have hit the ground running this season and they will be full of confidence as they’ve yet to lose, but the Nuggets were on fire before they got embarrassed by the Timberwolves on Wednesday, so I expect them to come out swinging here. I expect a close contest, but in the end, I have the Nuggets pulling away for the win and cover at home.
