Game: Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Clippers
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Odds: Mavericks +8 Clippers -8
Total: 222.5
The Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving era is expected to begin tonight, but the Mavs will not be at full strength tonight. Fans looking forward to the Irving-Luka Doncic pairing will have to wait. Doncic has been ruled out of tonight’s game due to a heel injury. It will be the third straight game that the Mavs’ leading scorer has missed. Irving, officially acquired Monday in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, is anticipated to make his Mavericks debut tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers in LA.
The Mavericks and Kings are scheduled to play back-to-back games in Sacramento. Doncic will likely play with his new teammate on Friday or Saturday. On the campus of the University of Southern California, Irving worked out with his new Dallas teammates after his trade from Brooklyn last week. He then mentioned a few causes for wanting a new beginning.
Irving has had his share of issues. He missed time with the Nets over the past two seasons due to his refusal to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus and a suspension for his social media promotion of a film with anti-Semitic themes. Still, he is one of the premier guards in the NBA and gives Dallas two bona fide superstars.
Irving will have the chance to make an impact right away in his debut game with the Mavericks. Dallas is one game behind the Clippers, who are in fourth place in the Western Conference. The Mavs are currently in sixth place.
After taking two out of the first three games against the Mavericks, this will be the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this regular season. The Clippers won their most recent encounter 112-98 on January 22 in Dallas.
The Clippers won 124-116 on Monday against Irving’s former team, the Nets, capping a 4-2 road trip through the Eastern Conference. Los Angeles is 8-2 since January 20 and has won nine of the 10 games away from home with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George healthy and back on the court together.
Los Angeles has effectively been using an eight-man rotation lately to move up in the standings. In Monday’s win over Brooklyn, George, and Leonard scored 29 and 24 points, respectively. A total of nine Clippers saw at least 15 minutes of action.
In addition to winning eight of their last ten games, the Clippers are also 7-3 ATS. They are 13-7 SU in the last 20 games against Dallas. What’s interesting is that the total has gone Over in six of the Clippers’ last eight games. LA has the third-ranked defense in the NBA (110.9 ppg) and one of the highest Under percentages (25-31-1 O/U).
Dallas has won four of its last six games. The Mavs are 1-4 ATS in their last five against the Clippers. They are also 4-8 SU in their last 12 against Los Angeles and 4-8 ATS in their last 12 road games.
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