Nets vs. Mavericks Odds
| Nets Odds | +6 |
| Mavericks Odds | -6 |
| Over/Under | 216.5 |
| Time | 9:45 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBA League Pass |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here. | |
On a very busy Monday with a ton of star matchups, the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks will battle at American Airlines Center.
These two teams faced off earlier this season in an overtime thriller that saw the Nets fall by four points. Will the Nets continue to roll without Kyrie Irving or will the Mavericks dispose of them once again?
Let's dig into the matchup to see where we can find betting value.
Nets Adjusting to Life Without Kyrie
The Nets have gone 2-0 since suspending Irving, but the victories weren’t equally impressive. Their first win against the Wizards was total domination in every facet of the game as they won in a blowout 128-86. It was by far their most efficient performance of the season. On Saturday, though, the Nets kind of disappointed as they were only able to hang 98 points against a relatively weak Charlotte Hornets defense.
Tonight will be by far their toughest test to date without Irving especially considering how well he played in the first matchup vs the Mavericks. Irving carried the offensive load for this team in that game as he hung 39 points on 31 shots and an insane 37.5% Usage Rate. He was huge for the Nets especially late in the game and it will be difficult to replace his production.
The Nets also had Ben Simmons in the first matchup who did a decent job on Luka Doncic and also registered five assists. Simmons is questionable to play Monday and his potential absence, along with Irving's, will certainly hurt Brooklyn's ability to create consistent offense against Dallas' stout defense.
Mavericks Have Favorable Matchup on Defense
The Mavericks, who haven’t played since Friday night, have a significant rest advantage against the Nets who are playing their third game in four nights. The Mavericks also have a massive travel advantage as they haven’t traveled since their victory over the Nets back on Oct. 27. The Nets have been on three flights in the past six days.
Dallas ranks sixth in the NBA at forcing their opponents into midrange shots and that should be a big edge for them here as the Nets will be without Irving, one of their most efficient mid-range shooters.
Outside of Kevin Durant, the Nets have no real creators right now and that is a problem when you are going against a Mavericks defense that does a great job of rotating and forcing offenses to make multiple passes to secure a good shot.
After the less than impressive showing we saw from the Nets in Charlotte, I expect them to struggle scoring on the Mavericks' defense.
Nets-Mavericks Pick
The Mavericks are playing great unselfish basketball right now and they are just not a team I want to be fading often this season. They have a massive travel and rest advantage here but they also have an advantage due to the lack of distractions they have to deal with.
The Nets are dealing with so much media attention due to the Irving drama and that can certainly take its toll on a team mentally, in my opinion. They have been able to go 2-0 without him so far but both teams they beat rank in the bottom-10 in Adjusted Net Rating this year. Now they get a Mavericks team that ranks third in Net Rating.
The Mavericks have enough edges to believe that they can cover this longer spread here at home. Trust Dallas to capitalize on this great spot and make a statement win versus this volatile Nets team.
