In the lone national television game in the Association tonight, the Mavericks will continue their five-game road trip against the Heat at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBATV. Tonight's game is important for both squads as they look to improve their playoff positioning in their respective conference. In their first meeting earlier this season, the Mavs defeated the Heat 115-90 in Dallas as Luka Doncic posted 34 points, 12 assists, and seven assists.
The Mavericks (37-40) have lost four out of their past five games, including back-to-back losses to the Hornets and their latest defeat to the Sixers on Wednesday night. Doncic (24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists), Irving (23 points, six rebounds, and five assists), and Tim Hardaway Jr. (21 points on 5-10 3pt) all played well. However, Dallas' bench got outscored by the Sixers' bench (39-30), and they allowed Philly to shoot 47.2 percent from beyond the arc. With that loss, the Mavericks are a half-game behind the Thunder for the 10th spot in the play-in tournament.
As for the Heat (40-37), they return home looking to snap their three-game losing streak after losing by nine points to the Knicks on Thursday night. Gabe Vincent led Miami in scoring (21 points) and was one of four players in double figures. Defensively, the Heat struggled on the glass and allowed New York to shoot 50 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range. The Heat are currently the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference but only two games behind the Nets for the sixth seed.
Can the Mavericks pick up a much-needed win, or will the Heat snap their mini three-game losing streak? Below, we'll break down this quality matchup while giving our prediction and best bets for basketball fans looking to win some cash.
Mavericks vs. Heat odds, picks, predictions
- Spread: Dallas +1.5 (-120); Miami -1.5 (+100)
- Over/Under: 224.5
- Moneyline: Mavericks -110; Heat -110
The Mavericks have struggled away from American Airlines Center this season (15-24), which is one of the reasons why they are on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. Dallas is 3-5 on the road since the All-Star break but 5-3 against the spread over that span. The Mavericks are also 11-10 ATS as a road underdog this season. But can we trust them to win after losing back-to-back games to a bad Hornets team?
Meanwhile, the Heat have played well at home this season (24-15), which should give them the edge tonight over Dallas. However, Bam Adebayo is listed as questionable with a hip contusion. It would be a shock to see the 25-year-old sit tonight as he's played 35-plus minutes over the past five games. The Heat are 10-23-2 ATS as a home favorite this season but 24-11 straight up on the moneyline. It will be a close game as both teams have struggled recently, but we will give the edge to Miami at home.
Best Bet: Heat ML
Best player prop bet for Mavericks vs. Heat: Luka Doncic OVER 3.5 three-pointers made (+115)
If the Mavericks want to even up their record on this road trip, they will need a vintage performance from star point guard Luka Doncic. Doncic has played well since returning from injury on Mar. 22, averaging 30.6 points, 9.4 assists, and 9.2 rebounds per game. He's also shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from beyond the arc (10.8 attempts per game). Doncic is going up against a Heat team that has struggled to defend the three-point line this season (36.9 percent). The four-time All-Star point guard has gone OVER 3.5 threes made in three-straight games and five out of his past 10 games.
