The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks will play in a Western Conference matchup on Tuesday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Rockets-Mavericks prediction and pick.
The Rockets and Mavericks will face off in a Texas matchup on Tuesday. The Mavericks have the clear edge here, as evidenced by the 11-point spread. The Rockets are in full rebuild mode with rookie Jalen Green, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, as the centerpiece. Luka Doncic and the Mavericks are still looking to get all the way on track as they are 1-2 this season, though they did pick up their first win of the season in Toronto on Saturday. The Rockets dropped their last game vs. the Boston Celtics on Sunday, and their lone win of the season was vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here’s how the bookmakers have set the Rockets-Mavericks odds for this Tuesday matchup.
NBA Odds: Rockets-Mavericks Odds
Houston Rockets +11 (-114), +460 ML
Dallas Mavericks -11 (-106), -620 ML
Over 221.5 points (-110)
Under 221.5 points (-110)
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Why The Rockets Can Cover The Spread
The Rockets are in full rebuild mode, as they don’t have many veteran faces left on their roster. Eric Gordon and Danuel House Jr. are the lone remaining piece from the James Harden days, while Jalen Green and Christian Wood seem to be the lead options offensively for Houston. They could keep this game close, as they did vs. the Boston Celtics on Sunday, but it definitely feels risky to back the Rockets even with the inflated line. The Mavericks come in win momentum off a win in Toronto, and could be primed to get rolling vs. an inexperienced and outmatched Rockets roster. Houston has a few nice young pieces, though, so if they get good shooting from three they might be able to hang around.
Why The Mavericks Can Cover The Spread
The Mavericks are the clear favorite here with Luka Doncic at the helm of the offense. He’s an MVP candidate and one of the most deadly offensive weapons in the league. He has a quality supporting cast of Tim Hardaway Jr., Kristaps Porzingis and others. Dallas has a clear edge in both talent and experience vs. the Rockets on Tuesday night, and should be in good position to win and cover. Their offense hasn’t looked great so far this season under Jason Kidd, but they will look to find more chemistry vs. a lesser opponent on their home floor. Doncic had his best game of the season vs. the Raptors on Saturday, so he might be primed for another big game vs. the Rockets on Tuesday.
Final Rockets-Mavericks Prediction & Pick
Back the Mavericks to cover the spread vs. a much inferior Rockets team on Tuesday night.
FINAL ROCKETS-MAVERICKS PREDICTION & PICK: Mavericks -11 (-106)
