Dallas Mavericks at Portland Blazers NBA Picks & Predictions 1/20/2018

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Moda Center

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Dallas Mavericks head to Moda Center to take on the Portland Blazers on Saturday, January 20, 2018. The opening line for this game has Portland as 6 point favorites.

The Mavericks come into this game with an overall record of 15-30. They are 5th in the Southwest Division. They currently have a point differential of -2.0 as they are averaging 102.5 points per game while giving up 104.5 per contest. The Blazers have an overall mark of 24-21. They currently are 3rd in the Northwest Division. They are averaging 103.9 points per contest and giving up 103.0, which is a point differential of 0.9.

Valuable Dallas Mavericks Betting Trends

The Dallas Mavericks are 23-21-1 against the spread

The Dallas Mavericks are 20-25-0 against the over/under

Important Portland Blazers Betting Trends

The Portland Blazers are 20-23-2 against the spread

The Portland Blazers are 18-27-0 against the over/under

Key Dallas Mavericks Injuries

12/06/17 F Nerlens Noel Thumb is out indefinitely
11/14/17 F Dorian Finney-Smith Knee is out indefinitely
10/07/17 G Seth Curry Stress Fracture is out indefinitely
01/16/18 PG Jose Juan Barea Groin is "?" Saturday vs Portland

Key Portland Blazers Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Harrison Barnes comes into this game averaging 18.7 points per contest while playing 34.9 minutes per night so far this year. He grabs 6.7 rebounds per contest and distributes 2.1 assists per game. His FG percentage is 46% while his free throw percentage is 83%. Wesley Matthews averages 12.2 points per contest in 34.5 minutes per game this year. He averages 2.9 assists per game and 3.1 rebounds per contest for Dallas. His field goal percentage is 41% for the season while his free throw percentage is 83%.

Player Spotlight

C.J. McCollum has scored 21.5 points per contest while playing 36.3 minutes per game this season for the Blazers. He hauls in 4 rebounds per contest and has 3.3 assists per game on the season. His FG percentage is 45% and his free throw percentage is at 87%. Damian Lillard averages 25 points per game this year and he's on the court an average of 36.6 minutes per game. He also brings in 4.8 rebounds per game and 6.5 assists per contest. His field goal percentage is 43% and his free throw percentage is 92%.

Useful Team Statistics

Dallas averages 102.5 points per contest this year, which is 24th in the league. Their average scoring margin is -1.98 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a unit, which has them ranked 19th. From 3-point territory they shoot 37%, which is good for 13th in the NBA. They average 40.2 boards per contest and 22.5 assists per game, which ranks them 27th and 14th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they are 30th with 12.6 per game. The Mavericks allow 104.5 points per contest which is 10th in the NBA. They also surrender a 47% shooting percentage and a 37% average from 3-point range, ranking them 20th and 17th in defensive field goal percentage. Opponents average 45.4 rebounds a game which ranks 26th, and they allow 22.8 assists per game which puts them in 16th place in the league. They force 14.1 turnovers per game which ranks them 9th in the NBA.

Useful Team Statistics

Portland is 20th in the NBA with 103.9 points per contest this season. They are 21st in the league in shooting at 45%, while their average scoring margin is 0.96. They shoot 37% from beyond the arc, which is good for 5th in the league. They are 10th in the NBA in rebounding with 44.6 boards per contest and 30th in assists per game with 19. The Blazers are 16th in turnovers per contest with 14.4. The Blazers give up 103 points per game, which ranks them 8th in the league. Their defense is surrendering a 45% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the 3-point line, ranking them 6th and 14th in those defensive statistics. They rank 1st with 19.8 dimes allowed per game and 13th with 42.6 boards surrendered per contest. The Blazers are 3rd in the league in forcing turnovers with 13.2 per contest this year.

Advanced Statistics

The Mavericks are 16th in the league in defensive rating with 108.9, and their offensive rating of 106.8 is ranked 11th. They are 23rd in the NBA in pace with 95.5 possessions per 48 minutes, and their eFG% of 52% is 14th. As a unit they are 15th in the league in true shooting percentage with 55% and they shoot 3-pointers on 38% of their shot attempts, ranking 4th in the NBA. Dallas is 28th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 11.9 times per 100 possessions while forcing 13.3 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year currently is 53%, which is 9th in the NBA.

Advanced Statistics

Portland is 20th in the NBA in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 13.1 times per 100 possessions while forcing 12.2 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 50%, which is 26th in the league. The Blazers are 14th in the NBA in offensive rating with 107, and their defensive rating of 106.1 is ranked 25th. In terms of pace they are 16th in the league with 96.6 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 51% is 23rd. As a team they are 22nd in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 55% and they shoot 3-pointers on 30% of their shots, ranking 24th in the league.

Who will win tonight's Mavericks/Blazers NBA game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take Portland -6

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