LeBron James and Luka Doncic both elevated their games in the four meetings between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks last season that saw the Lakers go 3-1 SU and ATS. James and Doncic will likely put on a show again when the Lakers host the Mavericks on Christmas night.
- Date/Time: December 25, 8 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Staples Center
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Lakers -7 | O/U 230 (Line History)
- Mavericks vs Lakers Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Early bettors hopped on the Mavericks as 7-point underdogs to drive the line down to Los Angeles -6 in this one. The total has also trended toward the UNDER, moving from 230 points down to 229 points. The UNDER is 5-0 in Dallas’s last five road games against Los Angeles.
Dallas News & Notes
Luka Doncic scored 32 points in Dallas’s season opener against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, but the team fell short in a 106-102 loss on the road. Doncic entered the 2020-21 season as the favorite to win NBA MVP.
The 21-year-old took a huge step forward in his development last season in his second year in the NBA, averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. Another step forward this season will cement his spot among the league’s biggest stars.
Dallas has plenty to be excited about in Doncic, but the real key to the season will be how the players around him perform. With Kristaps Porzingis expected to miss significant time recovering from surgery on a torn meniscus, the Mavericks will need newly acquired veterans like Josh Richardson, James Johnson and Wes Iwundu and rookies Josh Green, Tyrell Terry and Tyler Bey to jell around Doncic as quickly as possible.
Los Angeles News & Notes
Anthony Davis and LeBron James combined to score just 40 points in the Lakers’ season-Sportsbook 116-109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. On the bright side, newcomers Dennis Schroder (14 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists) and Montrezl Harrell (17 points, 10 rebounds) both looked solid in their Lakers debuts.
James averaged 28 points, 11 assists and 10.8 rebounds per game in four games against Dallas last season and should bounce back with a strong performance in prime time on Friday.
Last season, the Lakers opened with a loss to the Clippers before proceeding to go 17-1 SU and 11-7 ATS over their next 18 games. It will be tough to replicate a start like that one, but a quick start to the season will be important in 2020-21 with only 72 games scheduled instead of the usual 82.
Betting Pick: Dallas +6
Dallas’s improved defense this season should lead to fewer blowout losses. This should be a competitive game, making the 6 points too tough to pass up on.
- Dallas is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 road games.
- Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
- The OVER is 8-4 in Dallas’s last 12 games.
