Dallas Mavericks (17-16) vs Los Angeles Lakers (13-19)
Game Info: Sunday, December 25, 2022 at 2:30 pm (American Airlines Center)
Betting Odds: Dallas Mavericks -8.5 -- Over/Under: 218.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Dallas Mavericks play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at the American Airlines Center on Christmas Day.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been in a real slump as they’ve lost seven of their last 10 games overall and they will be hoping to arrest a three-game skid after falling short to the Hornets in a 134-130 loss on Friday. LeBron James led the team with 34 points and eight assists on 15 of 23 shooting, Austin Reaves added 20 points off the bench while Russell Westbrook tallied 17 points with five rebounds and seven assists. As a team, the Lakers shot 52 percent from the field and 19 of 44 from the 3-point line, but their defense left a lot to be desired after allowing 40 points in the second quarter to fall behind by as many as 16 points. The Lakers rallied with 43 points in the fourth quarter to tie the scores with just seconds left on the clock, only to see the Hornets slip away in the end.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have been in decent form as they’ve won four of their last seven games and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after beating the Rockets in a 112-106 road win on Friday. Luka Doncic led the team with 50 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists on 17 of 30 shooting, while Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans each scored 11 points. As a team, the Mavericks shot 45 percent from the field and 16 of 44 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in trouble after squandering an early 16-point lead, but they clamped down defensively and leaned heavily on Doncic who delivered down the stretch to drag the team over the line.
Looking at the betting trends, the Lakers are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games, 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games against a team with a winning record and 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall. The Mavericks are 4-10-2 ATS in their last 16 home games, 0-8-1 ATS in their last nine games against a team with a losing record and 8-19-2 ATS in their last 29 games overall.
Head to head, the Lakers are 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings in Dallas and the Lakers are 0-4-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall.
The Lakers are still shorthanded as Anthony Davis is still out, while the Mavericks will be missing Josh Green, Dorian Finney-Smith and Kemba Walker. The Lakers have had to rely heavily on James in the absence of Davis and it didn’t work out for them against the Hornets on Friday, so it’s hard to see the Lakers troubling the Mavericks unless they can keep a lid on Luka Doncic. I don’t see that happening in this spot and the Lakers are only 0-4-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall, so I’ll back the Mavericks at home.
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Peter’s Pick Dallas -8.5
AUTHOR: Peter Tran
Mitch's Take...
