The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns both made high picks in the draft and hoped their selections could start altering their franchise’s fortunes. While it’s still early, Dallas seems to have played it right. The Mavericks are off to a nice start in large part due to star rookie Luka Doncic, who was acquired in a draft night trade from the Hawks. The Suns had the No. 1 overall pick and took DeAndre Ayton but have fared no better this season. The Suns will host the Mavericks this week and will try not to get buyer’s remorse while watching Doncic on the court.
Dallas is in the mix for a playoff berth and it would be a nice turnaround after the team struggled the past few seasons. The Suns, meanwhile, are headed to the lottery once again and are a mess. Phoenix is the home team in this one but is still expected to be the underdog in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns will be held at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona at 10:30 p.m ET on Thursday, December 13th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
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Odds Analysis
The Mavericks have gotten hot of late and are now 14-11 on the season, which is good for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. Everyone but the Suns is bunched closely together so Dallas could move up or down quite a bit in the ensuing weeks depending how it plays. The Mavericks have gone just 2-9 on the road this season and need to improve on that.
The Suns are 4-23 overall. They are in a huge lull as Phoenix has lost nine consecutive games to cement itself as the worst team in the NBA. The Suns are playing poorly at home as well as on the road, and the atmosphere in Phoenix home games is dull anyway.
Player To Watch
Doncic -- Ayton has been decent statistically this season but has not elevated Phoenix’s level of competitiveness. It’s a different story for Doncic, who has taken the league by storm and has been a big reason why Dallas has surged up the standings.
He is averaging a team-high 18.2 points as well as 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest. Doncic is shooting 43 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three-point range. His numbers should continue to go up as he continues to get used to the NBA after playing his whole career previously in Europe.
Injury Report
The Suns have been struggling badly of late because they have been without their best player, Devin Booker. The talented shooting guard has been dealing with a hamstring injury and it’s unknown if he will be available for this matchup. Booker is averaging 23.5 points and 6.7 assists per game as he has taken over point guard duties this season because the team does not have a natural one on the roster.
The Suns have also been missing T.J. Warren recently with an ankle injury but he returned last time out against the Clippers. Warren is one of the team’s best scorers but he was on a minutes limit in his return to the court and does not figure to be full-go.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Much of this game could come down to the availability of Booker. The Mavericks might be the better team but Phoenix has a shot to win this one at home provided its star is on the court. Check back to see if Booker will be able to play in this one.
Doncic might be getting the headlines early on, but that should motivate Ayton and the rest of the Suns to play well. Wins are rare for Phoenix this season but it will get one at home in this one in NBA odds.
NBA ATS Pick: Phoenix Suns 114, Dallas Mavericks 110
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