It looks like the Dallas Mavericks will be closer to fielding a full team for their matchup on Wednesday with the Golden State Warriors. Three Mavs, including superstar Luka Doncic, were taken off the COVID list over the weekend and the club went out and defeated Oklahoma City on Sunday for its second straight win. Doncic had missed 10 games dealing with injuries and the virus and was a little rusty, but he should be in much better shape when the NBA leading Warriors make their first appearance of the season in Big D.
The contest between the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks takes place at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 4, 2022, from American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX and will air live on ESPN. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Wednesday NBA schedule.
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Odds Analysis
Winning big games on the road is becoming a habit for the Warriors, who defeated the Jazz on Saturday night with a fourth quarter rally. That came a few days after beating the Suns on Christmas Day in a showdown between the top two teams in the Association. Minus several players due to COVID, the Dubs got a late flurry from Otto Porter to beat Phoenix outright 116-107 as a 6-point dog. Catching 5-points on the closing line against Utah, Golden State got a balanced effort to pull away for the 123-116 decision. The Warriors improved to 12-4 SU and 9-6-1 ATS in away games. And they’ve been one of the most profitable teams in the NBA going 22-11-2 ATS overall.
Sunday’s win over the Thunder was the second straight for the Mavs getting them back to the breakeven point. At least you can say they’re consistent. Both wins came on the road giving them a 10-10 record away from Dallas. The frustrating part has been their play at home. After starting the campaign with six victories in their first seven home contests, the Mavs are just 2-7 SU and 3-6 ATS at AAC in nine games since. Getting Doncic back in the lineup will hopefully help turn those numbers around.
Golden State Warriors
The sign of a good team is its ability to win in different ways. The Warriors showed that on Saturday with a balanced effort leading to a road win over the third-best team in the league. The best defense had an off-night allowing 116 points, including a season-high 41 points in the third quarter. But the Warriors more than made up for it on the offensive side. Steph Curry led six players in double figures with 28 points and the team shot 53.5 percent overall and 53.1 percent from behind the arc to rally for the win.
Curry is the NBA’s second-highest scorer, but he’s far from the only guy scoring the basketball. Alan Wiggins and Jordan Poole both average more than 17 points and three others score more than 8.0 points per night for a team that scores more than 111 points per game. But they’ve shined on the defensive side all season giving teams fits. Utah scored 116 points but shot just 43.5 percent, slightly higher than the Dubs league leading 42.7 percent allowed.
Dallas Mavericks
Getting some key players back in the lineup gives the Mavs a fighting chance in this one. The biggest is obviously Doncic, who had missed 10 games with an ankle injury and due to COVID protocols. Dallas, like they’ve done all season, stayed the course going 5-5 in those games. Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber all cleared the protocols and were on the floor in Sunday’s 95-86 win over OKC. The trio combined for 39 points with Doncic barely missing a triple double with 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
“He almost had a triple-double in 30 minutes, so I think he did a great job. He’s still trying to get the feel,” coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic after the win. Dallas improved to 18-18 but failed to cover the 10-point spread dropping them to 17-19 ATS overall. The Mavs are also hoping a 3-2 road trip can translate into victories at home where they are just 8-8 and have lost seven of their previous nine games. They’ve scored more than 100 points just three times in their last eight home outings with the UNDER at 7-1.
NBA Odds Pick
Doncic has had scintillating games against the Warriors in the past and will be a key for any Dallas success. However, coming off a lengthy absence it’ll take time for him to get his legs and the Warriors aren’t a team you want to condition against. The Dubs play tough defense and the Mavs have a hard time scoring leading to the visitors getting the W.
NBA Odds Prediction: Warriors 111, Mavericks 101
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