Dallas Mavericks at Portland Blazers NBA Picks & Predictions 12/23/2018

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Moda Center

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Dallas Mavericks travel to Moda Center to play the Portland Blazers on Sunday, December 23, 2018. The opening line for this matchup has Portland as 6.5 point favorites.

The Mavericks head into this matchup with a mark of 15-15. They are 4th in the Southwest Division. They have a point differential of 1.0 as they average 110.2 points per contest while giving up 109.2 per game. The Blazers have an overall mark of 18-14. They currently are 3rd in the Northwest Division. They total 111.1 points per contest and give up 110.5, which is a point differential of 0.7.

Valuable Dallas Mavericks Betting Trends

The Dallas Mavericks are 17-13-0 against the spread

The Dallas Mavericks are 16-14-0 against the over/under

Important Portland Blazers Betting Trends

The Portland Blazers are 16-16-0 against the spread

The Portland Blazers are 16-16-0 against the over/under

Key Dallas Mavericks Injuries

12/22/18 F Maxi Kleber Toe is upgraded to probable Saturday vs Golden State
12/21/18 G Ryan Broekhoff Illness is questionable Saturday vs Golden State
12/21/18 G Wesley Matthews Foot is questionable Saturday vs Golden State
12/20/18 PG Dennis Smith Jr. Wrist is out indefinitely

Key Portland Blazers Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Luka Doncic averages 18.8 points per game in 32.4 minutes per contest. He averages 4.9 assists per contest and 6.6 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 43% for the year while his free throw percentage is 77%. Harrison Barnes comes into this contest averaging 18.2 points per game while playing 31.8 minutes per night. He pulls down 4.2 rebounds per game and dishes out 1.1 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 42% while his free throw percentage is at 80%.

Player Spotlight

Damian Lillard averages 26.9 points per game and he sees the court an average of 35.2 minutes per contest. He also averages 4.9 rebounds per contest and 5.8 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 45% and his free throw percentage is 89%. CJ McCollum averages 21.2 points per game while playing 34.1 minutes per contest. He grabs 3.8 rebounds per game and has 2.5 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 46% and his free throw percentage is at 84%.

Useful Team Statistics

The Mavericks allow 109.2 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 12th in the league. They also allow a 47% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the arc, ranking them 20th and 20th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 42.4 rebounds a game which ranks 3rd, and they give up 23.9 assists per contest which puts them in 15th place in the league. They force 14.8 turnovers per game which ranks them 21st in the league. Dallas averages 110.2 points per contest this season, which ranks them 17th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 1.0 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team, which has them ranked 16th. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 18th in the league. They average 45.4 rebounds per game and 22.8 assists per contest, which ranks them 14th and 22nd in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 4th with 15.5 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Blazers surrender 110.5 points per contest, which ranks them 16th in the NBA. Their defense allows a 46% shooting percentage and a 38% average from 3-point range, ranking them 15th and 30th in those defensive statistics. They rank 17th with 24.0 assists allowed per contest, and 9th with 43.5 rebounds surrendered per game. The Blazers are 3rd in the NBA in forcing turnovers with 12.0 per game. Portland is 13th in the league with 111.1 points per game this year. They are 14th in the league in shooting at 46%, while their average scoring margin is 0.7. They shoot 36% from 3-point range, which is good for 8th in the NBA. They are 4th in the league in rebounding with 47.9 boards per game and 28th in assists per contest with 20.8. The Blazers are 13th in turnovers per game with 14.4.

Advanced Statistics

The Mavericks are 16th in the NBA in offensive rating with 110.2, and their defensive rating of 109.2 is ranked 12th. In terms of pace they are 14th in the league with 99.6 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 52% is 15th. As a team they are 9th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 39% of their shots, ranking 5th in the league. Dallas is 5th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 13.7 times per 100 possessions while forcing 13.2 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 53%, which is 11th in the league.

Advanced Statistics

Portland is 12th in the NBA in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 12.7 times per 100 possessions while forcing 10.8 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 52%, which is 15th in the league. The Blazers are 10th in the NBA in offensive rating with 112.1, and their defensive rating of 111.4 is ranked 19th. In terms of pace they are 22nd in the league with 98.8 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 52% is 19th. As a team they are 14th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 34% of their shots, ranking 18th in the league.

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

Tony's Pick: Take Dallas +6.5

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