The LA Lakers closed November with the best record in the NBA. That record, however, will be put to the test with a grueling December schedule that begins with a visit from the surging Mavericks. Dallas has won and covered six of its last seven games.
- Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers (Matchup Report)
- Date/Time: Sunday, December 1, 4:00 PM ET
- TV Coverage: Fox Sports Southwest, Spectrum SportsNet
- Sportsbook Odds: Lakers -6 | O/U 222.5 (Line History)
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The opener of Lakers -6 marked the fewest points LA’s been favored by at home since the Sportsbook week of the season. LA has closed as double-digit chalk in seven of its 10 home dates so far this year, going 7-3 against the number at Staples Centre.
Dallas News & Notes
Luka Doncic capped off an incredible month by tying a career high with 42 points in Dallas’ 120-113 win Friday in Phoenix. The 20-year-old phenom shook off a 4-of-14 performance Tuesday against the Clippers by going 12-of-24 from the field, 15-of-18 from the free-throw line and adding 11 assists and nine boards to narrowly miss a triple-double. Speaking of triple-doubles, Doncic averaged double-digit totals in points, rebounds and assists throughout the entire month of November, becoming just the third player in NBA history to average 30 points and a triple-double for an entire calendar month.
The Mavs also enjoyed a strong month, finishing November with a 9-5 record to sit fourth in the West through 18 games. The offense has been the key to Dallas’ recent success, as the Mavericks eclipsed the 120-point plateau in four of their last five games. Not surprisingly, OVER bettors have been cashing in. The Mavs have gone OVER in five of their last six games overall, seven of eight on the road, 12 of their last 15 on one day’s rest and 12 of their last 14 versus conference foes.
Los Angeles News & Notes
So far, so good for the LeBron James/Anthony Davis pairing in LA. The Lakers entered the weekend with the best record in the entire NBA, riding a 10-game winning streak to a 17-2 overall record. And they’re doing it at both ends of the floor, ranking in the top five of the Association in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
However, all of that early success needs to be taken with a grain of salt because of the soft schedule the Lakers have played so far, facing just six teams above .500. December should be a much better measurement of where the Lakers stand, with Sunday’s contest with Dallas the first of 11 games slated against teams with winning records. LA might place extra emphasis on this game because of that, especially with the Lakers scheduled to play eight of their next nine games on the road. Fortunately for the Lakers, Dallas is one of the three teams with winning records that they’ve already beaten this season, topping the Mavericks 119-100 in overtime on November 1.
Betting Pick: Mavericks +6
Three of Dallas’ five losses this season came by less than this margin, excluding its overtime loss to the Lakers.
- Dallas is 13-3-1 ATS in its last 17 road games.
- Los Angeles is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 home games.
- Dallas is 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings.
