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Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks Preview, Prediction, and Pick
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated04 Dec 2023
The Washington Wizards head out to American Airlines Arena for a road matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday evening. The Wizards (12-7) are off to a promising start to the year but have lost four of their last six contests. The Mavericks (10-7) are dealing with the injury bug, but are thankful to have their star Luka Doncic available for this home tilt.
Will the Washington Wizards come away with a win on the road against the Dallas Mavericks?
Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks Betting Lines
At Basketball Insiders, we get all of our game lines and information from the best betting sites. All of the game lines that are featured below are taken from BetUS.
Point Spread: Dallas Mavericks -7.5
Money Line: N/A
Total: Over/Under 210
Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks Injury Report
Tomas Bryant (knee) is expected to be out until mid-December. Rui Hachimura (personal) will remain out until next weekend.
Jalen Brunson (foot) is a game-time decision for the Mavericks. Reggie Bullock (illness) is questionable but is not expected to play. Backup point guard Frank Ntilikina is questionable with a calf strain.
Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks Preview
Wizards Slumping After Hot Start
Washington will be looking for some consistency as they try and break out of a mini-slump. They’re only averaging 108.7 points per game, but are giving up a very respectable 103.8 (ranked 6th). Bradley Beal isn’t being forced to carry all of the offensive load, and that’s helped him average 5.6 dimes per game in addition to his 23.3 points. It’s been a positive start for the perennially rebuilding Wizards, but it is games like this one where they have come up short in the past.
Big slam by Big Dan the big man.#DCAboveAll | @Dan_G33 pic.twitter.com/IxEfJ8MwTg
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 27, 2021
The Wiz are going through a rough patch after starting the season on a feverish note. They have lost four of their last six games and have looked a step slow on the defensive end. The Wizards have struggled with turnovers, with 17 or more in each of the last four contests. It remains to be seen just how good this Washington team is, but if they can harness their intensity from the first two weeks they will remain competitive in most games.
Mavericks Struggling From Deep
Luka Doncic and the Mavericks are averaging a below-average 104.1 points per contest, good for 23rd in the NBA. They have been playing without their two stalwart players for the majority of the season, so expect those numbers to trend up as the season progresses. Dallas is shooting a pedestrian 33.1 percent from beyond the arc, which is a far cry from their success last year. Although struggling shooting the rock, the Mavs lead the NBA with the fewest turnovers per game.
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 24, 2021
They rank in the middle of the pack in both defensive and offensive rating through the first 17 games. Luka has appeared in 14 games and averaged 25 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8 assists. Yet, the budding star has struggled from deep (31%) and shooting an unacceptable 69% from the charity stripe. As he continues to get healthy, the 22-year old will improve those numbers and consequently help his teammates find whatever shot they want.
Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks Prediction and Pick
The Wiz are going through a rough patch after starting the season on a positive note. Although they snuck past the Thunder on Friday, they have lost four of their last six games. The most glaring stat is their carelessness with the basketball during that span. They have averaged 17 turnovers in each of their last five games.
On the other hand, Dallas leads the NBA with the fewest amount of turnovers per game. After getting banged up last week, Luka Doncic will be back to his usual form in a get-right game for the Mavericks here at home. Washington is 1-4 against the spread in their last five, and 1-5 ATS in their last six road games. Trust Luka and the Mavs to win and cover the spread at home.
Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks Totals Pick
The Mavericks are 27th in pace through the early goings this season. They typically enjoy a slow, grind-it-out type of half-court set compared to the run-and-gun approach from last season. They have struggled from long-distance, leading to their low 104.1 points per game. The Wizards are much improved defensively from what we saw last season and have been in a slew of low-scoring games. The total number has gone under in eight of their last 10 games. Take the under in this inter-conference slugfest.
