Road-Warrior Mavs Without Doncic Again In Philly

The Mavericks’ best work this year has come on the road, but they’ll be hard pressed to continue that success when they visit a Sixers team that is 14-1 at home. Both squads are coming off losses on Wednesday.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Sportsbook line of Philadelphia -7 represents the second-most points Dallas has been given on the road this season. That didn’t discourage early bettors from laying the points with the Sixers, betting this line up to -8 by Thursday night.

Dallas News & Notes

Mavs superstar guard Luka Doncic is once again out of the lineup as he recovers from a right ankle sprain. Dallas found a way to beat the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks without its leading scorer on Monday, but the Mavs certainly felt Doncic’s absence in a 109-103 loss Wednesday at home to Boston.

Despite getting a third straight 20-point, 10-rebound performance from Kristaps Porzingis, Dallas shot 39 percent from the field and was outrebounded 54-42 on the evening.

The loss to Boston continued a puzzling early-season trend from the Mavericks: they’ve been far better on the road than at home. Dallas’ only losses in its last 16 games have all come at home, where the Mavs have lost four of their last six.

On the road, Dallas has won eight straight, including the win at Milwaukee as a 10.5-point dog. Dallas is 8-1-1 ATS in its last 10 as an underdog on the highway, including SU upsets of the Lakers, Rockets and Pacers.

Philadelphia News & Notes

Defense and home-court advantage have keyed Philly’s 20-9 start to the year, but neither came through for the Sixers on Wednesday. Philadelphia allowed the visiting Miami Heat to shoot 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc in a 108-104 loss, the 76ers’ first loss of the year at Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia has now allowed at least 108 points in four straight games, four points above its season average.

Offensive issues were the focal point after the game, however – most notably how Philadelphia struggled to solve Miami’s zone defense. The Heat’s utilization of a 2-3 scheme is already being suggested as a blueprint for beating the Sixers after Philadelphia repeatedly settled for outside shots, knocking down just 38 percent of its attempts from the field.

More than 40 percent of Philly’s field-goal attempts came from three-point range, out of character for a team that has shot the fifth-fewest treys in the Association this year.

“When you’re not making shots … they’re going to keep on doing it,” Joel Embiid told reporters after the game. “They did it all game and that’s how they won the game.” Don’t be surprised to see the Mavericks, who have had some success with zone defenses under Rick Carlisle, try that tactic on Friday night.

Betting Pick: UNDER 214