The Friday night NBA slate will feature the Dallas Mavericks wrapping up their four-game road trip when visiting the Boston Celtics. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPN.
Dallas (34-25) was able to get back into the win column on Wednesday by downing the Raptors 136-125. Luka Doncic had another dominant triple-double effort, delivering 30 points, 16 assists, and 11 rebounds in the win. Boston (46-12) enters the month of March white hot on a nine-game win streak, last torching the 76ers 117-99 on Tuesday. The Celtics held them to just 39.4% shooting on the night and that allowed them to pull away in the second half.
On the injury front, Luka Doncic (ankle/nose) is listed as questionable for the Mavs, while Dereck Lively II (nose) and Maxi Kleber are both available.
Boston enters the game as a heavy 9.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 235.5. The Celtics are listed as a -470 moneyline favorite, making the Mavericks a +360 underdog.
Mavericks vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Celtics -9.5
Boston being a huge favorite right out the gate suggests that Doncic most likely won’t suit up for Dallas this evening. The Mavericks are 3-5 without the All-NBA guard on the floor this season and it would be an extremely difficult challenge for them to face the league’s top team without him in the lineup. I’ll lean towards the Celtics covering and extending their win streak to double digits this evening.
Over/Under: Under 235.5
Boston’s strength during this steak has been locking down opponents on the defensive side of the floor as it has held five of its last six foes to 110 points or less. Playing in a marquee game at home, there’s a good chance that they once again dictate the terms of this game by stifling their opponents, so I’ll go with the under.
