Feb 17, 9:57am | 8 min read

Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Prediction: Dallas Looks Primed for a Run

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Dallas Mavericks vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction prediction and pick for Thursday's game. Handicapper Jonathan Macri breaks down Mavericks vs Pelicans in his best pick for Thursday's NBA action.

ANALYSIS

Dallas Mavericks vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction: Dallas Looks Primed for a Run

When: 8:10 pm ET
Where to Watch: NBA League Pass

Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Line Movement

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Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Prediction

Luka Doncic, the Mavs young superstar who showed up to camp out of shape and not playing anything like the First Team All-NBA level player we've become accustomed to over the last few years, sat out his 10th consecutive game on New Year's Eve this season.

Dallas won, beating the hapless Kings on the road, but even with the victory, it left the Mavs a game under .500 - not at all the start anyone hoped for or expected coming off of last year's first round playoff series in which they pushed a full healthy Clippers team to the brink.

Since that game, the Mavericks are tied for the 3rd most wins in the NBA with the third best net rating at positive 7.9, trailing only the Suns and Celtics in that time. They have the second best defense in that stretch, and are nearly three points per 100 possessions clear of the third best team.

Perhaps scariest of all for the rest of the league, Luka appears to just be getting warmed up. Over his last 14 games, he's averaging nearly a 26-point triple double while shooting 48 percent overall and 40 percent from deep. That's night and day compared to his season-long numbers (43 percent overall; 29 percent from deep). If that keeps up (spoiler alert: it will), with their defense, the Mavs are going to be tough to beat for just about any team in the league.

Enter the Pelicans, who have gamely come back from the brink this season to be neck and neck with the Blazers. They are a solid, feisty team that has been playing .500 ball since a dreadful start. They've also been particularly good against the spread at home this season, with a positive 1.5-point margin ATS that ranks as the fourth best in the league. It's why you're getting this line at what you are.

But this Mavs team is getting ready to go on a run. Get on board before Vegas catches up. Give the points on the road.

Mavericks at Pelicans Pick

PICK: Mavericks -3 @ -110 (Bet $110 to win $100)

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Article Author

Jonathan Macri

@JCMacriNBA

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Dean of Knicks Film School, host: KFS Pod, co-host: Pick N Pod. There isn't much about Knicks basketball that Jonathan doesn't know and he's here to break down the big games each and every week.

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