Phoenix Suns (0-0) vs Dallas Mavericks (0-0)
Game Info: Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 10:00 pm (Footprint Center)
Betting Odds: Phoenix Suns -4 -- Over/Under: 216 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns meet Wednesday in NBA action at the Footprint Center. The Dallas Mavericks have lost 5 of their last 6 regular season openers. The Phoenix Suns have won 3 of their last 4 regular season openers.
The Dallas Mavericks won 52 games last year and enter the second season under coach Jason Kidd. The Mavs showed last season they’re a player away from being legit title contenders. Unfortunately, the Mavericks said goodbye to Jalen Brunson, which may set them back a bit. The Mavs did fix their big man rebounding issue with the additions of JaVale McGee and Christian Wood, which is certainly a positive. The Mavericks will also get a full season of Spencer Dinwiddie, while the return of Tim Hardaway Jr. could do wonders. With Luka Dončić leading the way, the Mavs have a fighting chance against any team in the league. Time will tell if the pieces around Luka are good enough to lift that trophy.
The Phoenix Suns won 64 games last year and enter the fourth season under coach Monty Williams. The Suns are pretty much the same team that had the best record in the league last season. A backcourt of his Paul and Devin Booker, while Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Deandre Ayton round out the starting five. It will be interesting to see if Ayton and the franchise can get along, as there was serious friction this offseason. Cameron Payne, Torrey Craig and Dario Saric are the key bench players for the Suns. Can this group repeat their success last year, or was it lightning in a bottle? The Suns start the year with home games in 7 of their first 9 contests. A key start is key for these Suns.
The Mavericks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Suns are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The over is 10-4 in Mavericks last 14 road games. The under is 4-1 in Suns last 5 overall. The Mavericks are 4-10 ATS in the last 14 meetings in Phoenix and 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Getting Luka and the Dallas Mavericks in the underdog role is always attractive, and I wouldn't talk you off the ledge if that's the direction you take. However, the Phoenix Suns have been dogged all offseason about their postseason failures, and they get the Mavs to start this season. It's a perfect spot for the Suns to take out some frustration and set the tone early. It's a bad look if the Suns come out at home and lay another egg. I'll lay the reasonable number with the Suns at home.
Randy’s Pick Phoenix Suns -4
AUTHOR: Randy Chambers
Follow Randy Chambers on Twitter @WizardOf0dds