The Dallas Mavericks (8-2) will play a rematch against the New Orleans Pelicans (4-6) on Tuesday night after the two sides just met on Sunday. The Mavericks came away with a 136-124 win and will hope to replicate that result in tonight’s In-Season Tournament matchup. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
The Mavericks will be missing Maxi Kleber (toe) while the Pelicans will still be without CJ McCollum (lung) and Larry Nance Jr. (rib). Herbert Jones (leg) is listed as questionable.
DraftKings Sportsbook has the Mavericks as 3.5-point favorites on the road, priced at -162 on the moneyline while the Pels are set at +136. The point total is 239.5 for tonight’s tournament matchup.
Mavericks vs. Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Mavericks -3.5
The Mavs are off to a solid start this season, tied with the Nuggets at the top of the Western Conference standings with an 8-2 record. They currently sit in third place in West Group B in the tournament though, with a 1-1 record after losing to the Nuggets followed by a win over the Clippers.
The Pelicans aren’t faring so well, sitting in 10th place after losing their last five outings. They’ve only played one tournament game, resulting in a loss to the Rockets as they sit in fourth place in West Group B. Brandon Ingram leads the way in scoring for the home side, averaging 22.6 points per game while Zion Williamson has been averaging 21.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Take the Mavericks to win and cover as they’re one of the hottest teams in the league right now, and the Pelicans have lost every single game since losing CJ McCollum to a collapsed lung. Back the visitors at Smoothie King Center.
Over/Under: Over 239.5
The Mavericks have gone over the total in their last three games, and are 8-2 to the over through their first 10 outings this season. The total in Sunday’s matchup between these two teams was set at 236.5 and they flew past that by 23.5 points. Expect a similar result as tonight’s total is only set three points higher, making the over the safe bet here.