Tonight, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic squares off against his former team for the first time since the stunning shakeup which sent him to the West Coast just before the trade deadline. While the contest is in L.A. rather than Dallas, emotions are sure to run high as the five-time All-NBA guard faces the Mavericks, the organization he led to an NBA Finals appearance just last season.
With a revenge game narrative on deck, here’s how the public is betting Tuesday night’s Lakers vs. Mavericks matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook.
How is the public betting Lakers vs. Mavericks?
As things currently stand, the Lakers are heavily favored to win on the Moneyline at -395 odds, leaving the Mavericks as +310 underdogs. The spread favors the Lakers at -9, while the game total is set at 231 points.
With roughly six hours to go until tip-off, it’s clear from the splits that DraftKings Sportsbook bettors are hammering the Lakers’ lines, both on the Moneyline and in spread wagers.
At this point, 84% of Moneyline bets have been placed on Los Angeles, with those wagers accounting for 76% of the handle. Conversely, less than a quarter of the handle sits on Mavericks Moneyline bets with those tickets accounting for just 16% of the total bets placed.
This trend certainly makes sense how shorthanded the Mavericks are. While this game should have been a homecoming of sorts for Anthony Davis, the superstar power forward is still sidelined due to an abdominal injury and will not play tonight. Meanwhile, Dallas’ center rotation remains decimated with both Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford injured, as well. With those three key rotation pieces missing, the Mavericks’ frontcourt defense looks suspect at absolute best.
Meanwhile, Dallas big man Dwight Powell and forward P.J. Washington are both questionable for tonight. This Dallas defense will have a very tough time defending offensive talents like Doncic and LeBron James to begin with, but the issue could be exacerbated if Washington doesn’t suit up.
As for which direction the public is leaning on the game total, most bettors appear to favor over 231 points tonight. 72% of total bets have been placed on the over, while this side represents 60% of the overall handle. This contest does have the third-highest projected total of tonight’s seven-game slate, so it tracks that the public is eyeing this to be a high-scoring affair.
The high-profile grudge match between Doncic and the team which traded him is scheduled to tip off at 10 p.m. EST tonight.
