Lakers vs Mavs Wednesday Prediction | NBA Picks Today, Best Bets
John Canady
Host · Writer
On Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers hit the road for a Western Conference showdown against the Dallas Mavericks. Los Angeles enters this matchup hoping to get back in the win column after falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. On the flip side, Dallas has their eyes set on snapping their two-game losing skid to keep their play-in hopes alive. With three games left for each team, every game down the stretch matters. However, this matchup is more about Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas after the blockbuster trade in February.
Lakers vs Mavericks
- Location: American Airlines Center – Dallas, Texas
- Where to Watch: ESPN
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Spread: Lakers -3.5 | Total: 228.5
- Moneyline: Lakers -164 | Mavericks +138
Please be aware that betting odds may change after the publication of this article.
Lakers vs Mavericks Best Bet: Lakers -3.5
The Lakers enter this matchup as the betting favorites, but I don’t feel the 3.5-point spread does them justice. Los Angeles heads into this battle not only fighting for seeding at the top of the Western Conference, but I also expect that Doncic’s teammates will be looking to do everything they can to make the star’s homecoming to the place that shipped him out in the silence of the night as memorable as possible. I’ll take the odds that the Lakers win by more than four points. I like the chance that LA wins by double-digits.
Lakers vs Mavericks Best Total Bet: Over 228.5
Los Angeles enters this matchup having won three of its last five games, but its offense has been the least of its worries in those two losses. Entering this showdown, the Lakers have scored at least 120 points in each of their last three matchups. Assuming this trend continues, I feel like the Mavericks will do enough to help the final score exceed the 228.5-point set total. A final score of 124-109 seems like a realistic outcome.
Lakers Best Player Bet: Luka Doncic 5+ Threes Made +155
All eyes are on Luka Doncic tonight in his anticipated return to Dallas. The Slovenian star hasn’t publicly expressed his desire to steamroll his former team. Still, based on reports surrounding his camp and how the entire situation with the Mavericks unfolded, I can only assume that Doncic will be locked in for this game. I like the chance that Doncic has a big scoring night, and along the way, the former No. 3 overall pick will drain 5+ threes.
Mavericks Best Player Bet: Anthony Davis 30+ Points +152
Anthony Davis is the other player who headlined the Lakers-Mavericks blockbuster trade, and while he didn’t seem to be as impacted by the deal, there’s no doubt he would like to get payback on his former team. After returning from injury, the Kentucky product has slowly returned to form over the last couple of games. As the Lakers continue to do what they can to cover up their glaring hole in the front court, it may be tough to do so against their former star forward, who was desperately pleading for a big man addition before being dealt. I like the odds that Davis scored 30+ points in this matchup.
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