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The Dallas Mavericks (34-32) begin a brief two-game road trip by taking on the New Orleans Pelicans (31-34) on Wednesday. Tipoff from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with the game airing on ESPN.
The injury report for the Mavs is fairly late for this game. JaVale McGee and Reggie Bullock are both listed as day-to-day, but that sums it up for Dallas. Any other late scratches would likely be due to rest.
The Pelicans aren’t as lucky. Star power forward Zion Williamson has already been ruled out with a right hamstring strain. Point guard Jose Alvarado (tibia fracture), PF Larry Nance Jr. (ankle) and F E.J. Liddell (knee) will also all miss the game on Wednesday.
Dallas is the 1-point road favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, and the point total is set at 234. The Mavericks are the slight moneyline favorites with -115 odds, with the Pelicans installed as the -105 underdog.
Mavericks vs. Pelicans, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Mavericks -1
Dallas is still trying to figure out how to get Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic to complement each other to increase their winning ways. They are 2-3 in their last five games, but they have all been games decided by seven points or fewer. New Orleans gets to return home for just the second time since mid-February. The Pelicans are 1-6 in their last seven games, and even playing on their home court isn’t enough to help them cover the spread.
Over/Under: Under 234
The firepower that the Mavs now have in their lineup has them as a team that could help hit the over every time they play. The Pelicans are a different story. They have scored fewer than 111 points in seven of their last eight games. I think Dallas takes the win on the road, but the Mavericks do so while also hitting the under with New Orleans having a down game.