LeBron And The Lakers Favored Over Mavs In Dallas

The Los Angeles Lakers (15-13 SU, 11-17 ATS) head to American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks (14-13, 12-15) in their first meeting of the season on Wednesday. Both teams will look to win their third consecutive game.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Lakers opened as 2-point favorites on the road with the total set at 217 points. The UNDER is 7-0 in the Mavericks’ last seven games and 5-1 in LA’s last six. Meanwhile, the Lakers are 4-2 ATS in their last six outings while the Mavericks are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.

Los AngelesNews & Notes

The Lakers picked up their second straight victory with a 106-94 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday. LeBron James had a monster performance with 30 points, 11 boards and 10 assists for a triple-double while Russell Westbrook and Talen Horton-Tucker each scored 19 points.

It’s been a tough start to the season for the Lakers, who have struggled with injuries to key players. James, who leads the team with 26.3 points per game, has suited up for just 16 of the club’s 28 contests, while Anthony Davis has now missed the last two games with a knee issue.

Davis is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest while Malik Monk (quarantine), Horton-Tucker (quarantine) and Dwight Howard (quarantine) are all out. James, who has dealt with an abdominal issue this season, is listed as probable.

Dallas News & Notes

Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points and added 13 rebounds for a double-double as the Mavericks topped the Charlotte Hornets 120-96 on Monday to earn their second win in a row. Trey Burke dropped 22 points in just 23 minutes while Tim Hardaway Jr. added 19 points.

The Mavericks have stepped up defensively in recent weeks, holding their opponents to less than 100 points in four of their last six outings. Dallas’ 26th-ranked offense is nothing to write home about, but the club has given up just 104.5 points per game – the seventh-best mark in the NBA this season.

The team’s leading scorer, Luka Doncic, will miss his third straight game with ankle soreness.

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How Los Angeles Will Cover

The Lakers may not have had the start they wanted but they still boast the NBA’s fifth-best offense at 111.3 points per game. James has been excellent when healthy with six games of 30-plus points in his last eight appearances. Even if Davis sits this one out, the Lakers offense should be able to overpower a Mavericks team that’s missing its top player.

How Dallas Will Cover

The Mavericks will have to play lockdown basketball in order to top the Lakers without Doncic. Fortunately for Dallas, they do boast one of the stingiest defenses in the NBA, and Los Angeles could be without its second-best scorer in Davis. If the Mavs can find a way to hold James to less than 30 points, there’s a chance that they could keep this game close.

Computer Pick: Lakers +2

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