The Mavericks are hanging around at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture and will try to take advantage of a nice matchup on Wednesday against the lowly Knicks. Dallas beat the Knicks in New York back in December 104-97.
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LETDOWN
Dallas is trying to stay in the playoff hunt, but it’s been a prolific fall for the Mavericks over the last 12 games. In that time, the team’s just 2-10 SU and 5-7 ATS.
Given the recent struggles, it’s not hard to imagine the Mavericks losing confidence and continuing their downward spiral. That said, the Knicks are a nice matchup to get back on track against.
New York has dropped 22 of its last 30 games. Poor overall records aside, the Knicks have tended to exceed expectations, particularly on the road, covering the spread in 22 of 37 games.
INJURIES
Lance Thomas has missed the Knicks’ last 10 games with a knee injury and will remain out for Wednesday’s game. The small forward is a nice roll player for New York, playing in 59 games and averaging 8.2 PPG in just over 22 minutes of floor time.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, will be without their second and third highest scorers: point guard Deron Williams and forward Chandler Parsons.
Williams is dealing with a lower-abdominal strain. He missed the team’s last game against Sacramento and is officially out of Monday’s game against Denver. He’s also unlikely to go on Wednesday. Williams is a big piece outside, scoring 14 PPG and leading the team with 5.8 APG.
Parson’s, meanwhile, is out for the rest of the season after having surgery on his right knee. The forward was averaging 13.7 PPG before going down to injury. Including the game against the Warriors where he injured himself, Dallas is just 1-4 SU in his absence, though it’s covered the spread in four of those five games.
KEY MATCHUP
For the Knicks, it all boils down to Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis inside the paint. The duo of forwards combined to score 47 of the team’s 93-points in their latest showdown against Cleveland. In terms of the backcourt, the only player averaging more than 7.6 PPG is Arron Afflalo. The guard is a reasonable shooter inside and out, though the offense still goes through the inside for New York.
Dallas is just about average on offense and defense, but the Mavericks haven’t quite lived up to that level defensively over their last five games, allowing 124 PPG in that time.
For Dallas to get the win, Dirk Nowitzki, David Lee and Zaza Pachulia become instrumental in slowing down Anthony and Porzingis. Offensively, Nowitzki is scoring 18.7 PPG and Lee is shooting 64.6 percent on field goals, but the trio have combined for 22.4 RPG.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
Both teams are struggling, but the Mavericks are the team that still has something to play for and that alone gives them the upper hand. History also falls on the Mavericks’ side given their win over New York earlier this season.
In that win, the Mavs did allow Porzingis and Anthony to combine for 45-points, but did well holding the rest of the roster at bay. Meanwhile, Nowitzki countered with 25-points of his own while Williams and Raymond Felton ruled. The loss of Williams is a blow, but Jose Juan Barea is nice replacement.
Playing at home is also a nice boost for Dallas with it 21-16 ATS when playing in front of the hometown faithful. Look for the Mavericks to repeat their success against New York with another win. Also look for Anthony and Porzingis to play well once again, but to lack the necessary support to put the Knicks over the top.
Dallas 101, New York 96
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Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The game between the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks will start at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, at the American Airlines Center. Watch the game live on Fox Sports Southwest or MSG.
