The Washington Wizards will look to get back on track when they host the Dallas Mavericks in an interconference NBA matchup on Saturday. The Wizards (17-30), who are 12th in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Southeast Division, have dropped two in a row and 10 of their past 13 games. The Mavericks (26-21), who are seventh in the Western Conference and first in the Southwest Division, have won three in a row and five of seven. Dallas defeated New York 99-86 on Friday, while Washington dropped a 120-91 decision at Detroit on Thursday.
Tip-off from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., is set for 7 p.m. ET. Dallas leads the all-time series 44-33. Dallas is a 6.5-point favorite in the latest Mavericks vs. Wizards odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 229.5. Before finalizing any Wizards vs. Mavericks picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it has returned more than $8,800 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up more than $800 on its top-rated picks this season, and dating back to last year, it entered Week 15 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 93-59 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Mavericks vs. Wizards. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Wizards vs. Mavericks:
- Mavericks vs. Wizards spread: Mavericks -6.5
- Mavericks vs. Wizards over-under: 229.5 points
- Mavericks vs. Wizards money line: Mavericks -250, Wizards +210
- DAL: The Mavericks are 15-11 against the spread on the road this season
- WAS: The Wizards are 9-7 against the spread as home underdogs this season
Featured Game | Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks
Why the Mavericks can cover
Point guard Luka Doncic continues to lead the Mavericks’ offense, averaging 28.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.9 assists and one steal per game. In his last game at New York on Friday, he scored 26 points on 11 of 23 shooting, including 3 of 8 from 3-point range. He also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out seven assists in 35 minutes of action. He is the franchise leader in triple-doubles with 34.
Also powering the Mavericks is 7-3 center Kristaps Porzingis, who is averaging 20.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. Against the Knicks, he scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 33 minutes of play. He collected a career-high-tying 18 rebounds to go with 31 points vs. Indiana last week. In February of this year, he had a season-high 36 points on a career-high eight 3-pointers against the New Orleans Pelicans. He has eight games with 25 or more points and has 11 double-doubles on the year.
Why the Wizards can cover
Despite that, Dallas isn’t a lock to cover the Mavericks vs. Wizards spread. That’s because Washington has had success against Western Conference opponents and is 10-8 against them this season. Leading the Wizards is guard Bradley Beal, who has started in 41 games this season and is averaging 31.3 points, five rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Beal, however, is questionable for this matchup with a hip injury.
If Beal can’t go, look for huge production from point guard Russell Westbrook, who has also been prolific on offense, averaging a triple-double with 21.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game. Westbrook has notched 18 triple-doubles on the season, the most in a career in Washington history, and has recorded at least a double-double in 34 games. He has scored 20 or more points 24 times. He became the first player in franchise history to have a game with at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists when he finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists against the Utah Jazz on March 18.
How to make Wizards vs. Mavericks picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 238 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Wizards vs. Mavericks? And which side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that on a roll on NBA picks.