The Western Conference always has a way of bringing incredible matchups. The Denver Nuggets are in a fistfight for the NBA playoffs, while the Dallas Mavericks are still figuring things out in the Cooper Flagg era. One team is better and has legitimate aspirations, while the other tries to sort out a rebuild. But there’s still a ton of talent and intrigue to break down. Nothing is a guarantee in March NBA basketball.
Denver is an 11.5-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Dallas sits as a +470 underdog. The total is set at 244.5 points.
Let’s get into a prediction and pick for Wednesday’s matchup between the Mavericks and Nuggets.
Mavericks vs. Nuggets preview
The Nuggets sure had a doozy of a game on Tuesday night. In the late-night window, Denver had a duel with the Phoenix Suns, one of the teams competing with them for playoff seeding in the West. Despite the injuries the Suns are suffering, they took the game down to the wire. But it was Denver’s MVP, Nikola Jokic, who sent everyone home.
It was a huge win for Denver, but a taxing one. Going down to the final shot is rough on the legs, especially when it’s late in the season, and you have to get on a plane right after. Now they’re back home, and facing another test in the Dallas Mavericks.
At the All-Star break, the Dallas Mavericks were at least a respectable sort of bad. They were 19-35, but they were getting a good defensive effort overall and had flashes from Cooper Flagg alongside Anthony Davis. With Davis now sitting in street clothes in Washington and the prospect of a high draft pick dangling in front of them, the Mavs are spiraling. Dallas has won just four of 18 games since the break. The tanking is sure alluring.
With a relatively clean bill of health for both teams, they’re going at this one full tilt, or at least as tilted as the Mavericks want to be. This should be an entertaining one, but how can we bet it?
Mavericks vs. Nuggets pick, best bet
Denver’s legs are the key here. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon are all in various stages of recovery from injury and have been inconsistent. That was on display Tuesday night, as they struggled to put away a younger, more energetic Suns team. I won’t make any outlandish claims like calling the Mavericks “good,” but if they have two things, it’s size and athleticism. That’s going to put pressure on a veteran team with tired legs, especially on the second night of a back-to-back. I expect the Nuggets to ultimately emerge victorious, but the Mavericks should make it interesting.
