Pick against the spread, best player prop for Mavericks vs. Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets (3-4) are entering Thursday night’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks (3-4) on a two-game winning streak. Denver averaged 123.5 points in back-to-back wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves. As for the Mavericks, they got an impressive 13-point victory over the Houston Rockets earlier this week. Luka Doncic notched his first triple-double this season with 33 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists.

This should be a fun late-night game to watch between two players who can get a triple-double in their sleep in Nikola Jokic and Doncic. We are going to give our pick against the spread and a player prop you need to throw some money on.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets, 10:00 p.m. ET TNT

Pick ATS: Nuggets -3

The Nuggets will once again be without second-year forward Michael Porter Jr. due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. With Porter missing his fourth-straight game, Will Barton Jr. will be back in the starting lineup. Barton is averaging 10 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 31.2 minutes per game as a starter.

That being said, the majority of scoring will still fall on the shoulders of Jokic and Jamal Murray. This season, Murray is averaging 22.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 35.2 minutes per game. Jokic, however, is averaging a triple-double 24.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 11.9 assists in 35.9 minutes per game.

Unlike the Nuggets, the Mavericks are not dealing with any major injuries and will continue to lean on Doncic. The 21-year-old is leading Dallas in points (25.8), rebounds (9.0) and assists (7.2). But he does have some help in Tim Hardaway Jr., who is averaging 17.0 points per game and shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range. The Mavs also have Josh Richardson and Jalen Brunson averaging double figures.

However, I like the Nuggets to cover here, despite neither team being great against the spread this season.

Player prop: Jamal Murray O2.5 3-pointers made (+135)

This player prop has a ton of value as Murray is shooting 39 percent from three-point range on 6.8 attempts per game. In six games this season, Murray has made more than 2.5 three-pointers four times. Coincidentally, in those four games, he averaged at least eight attempts per game.

On Thursday, Murray is going against a Mavs’ team that is only allowing opponents to shoot 32.5 percent from behind the arc and 11.4 three-pointers made per game.

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