NBA Picks and Betting Tips: Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks

With the Houston Rockets slowly changing things around as their young players keep improving, they will face a sleeper Dallas Mavericks that can shock everyone once again. As the Rockets won their previous matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks come into this game after a strong 6-point victory over the Timberwolves. This game will be played on November 1st at 6:00 A.M. IST in American Airlines Arena of Dallas, Texas. 

Key Betting Tips & Predictions

1.  Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks Moneyline Pick

As the moneyline for the Mavericks in this game is at -290, Houston’s is at +230 during this matchup. Even though there has been growth from this Rockets squad, the ability of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to create an unstoppable duo is something that will be very hard for this defense to stop again. Although the Rockets have very good offense, their firepower won’t be able to match a Mavs one that expects Derrick Lively II to play a huge role off the bench. Given that the Mavericks have always seemed to cover their moneyline against the Rockets at home and are 4-2 in covering it, there should be an anticipation for them to clear it again. 

2. Houston Rockets vs Dallas MavericksPoint Spread Pick

As the spread for the Mavericks in this game is at -5.5, their chance to clear it will be easy because of their ability to attack Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun all game long. Although the Rockets are 4-2 against the Mavericks in covering spread, this will be different because of their ability to defend with Daniel Gafford and Kyrie Irving’s stealing ability. As having a shooter like Klay Thompson will be too much for this Rockets team to cover, their score will  be very high during this game and help make the difference a lot greater.

3. Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks Over/Under Pick (Total Points)

As the over/under during this game will be over 241.5 points, both offenses should continue showing their prowess this game. Having stars all over the floor from three-point shooters to great point guards who can drive, this game will have a lot of scoring throughout. As the last game had a combined score of 273 points, it won’t be that much but somewhere within 20 points of that range as the teams did get better on offense but also worked on defense this offseason. 

Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks Top Player Props

Kyrie Irving Over 23 points at 1.80: As Kyrie Irving will be the main ball-handler in this game and the 2nd primary scorer, his ability to drive into lanes is something that will help this Mavericks team a lot. Someone who can really hit long-range shots as well, going up against Jalen Green is a huge advantage because he can fool the 4th year player on step backs or even mid-range shots. Averaging 23.8 points per game so far this season, he should be able to get over that as he will be facing one of the easier shooting guards during such a matchup. 

Fred VanVleet Over 20.5 points at 1.90: Having Jalen Green on the other side and getting a lot pressure from Kyrie Irving, Fred VanVleet will dribble against Luka Doncic which could help him due to his ability to sneak in through lanes. Luka Doncic being someone that hasn’t been the best defender, VanVleet who averages 14.8 points a game should thrive with Gafford having to focus on Sengun. His dribbling abilities can also get him open for three and cause all the Mavs defenders to fall back into the paint as he keeps firing away, helping him score a lot of points. 

Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks Injury News & Impact

Houston Rockets Injuries: As the Houston Rockets are playing with their full squad, they hope to keep developing with another year into their maturation process and go up against one of the best two-way teams in the NBA. 

Dallas Mavericks Injuries: With Dallas having Maxi Kleber day-to-day with a hamstring injury, they will lose a big rebounder and three-point shooter if he is not available. As he shot 34.8% from three last-season, he was one of their best shot producers of the bench and could really create at an unusual rate for his speed. As Houston will fire away from three all-game, Kleber potentially is a key piece missing from this team’s ability to match an opposing offense. 

Head-to-Head Trends

As the Mavericks have recently dominated the Rockets, winning 3 of their last 4 matchups this is a matchup that has had a mix of blowouts and close games. With Dallas entering this game at a 4-1 record against the spread, they will hope to continue building on that record during their matchup. As both teams have scored 115 or more points in each of their past 4 matchups expect for one time, Dallas has averaged 122.5 points and Houston, 117.5, with high-octance offenses on both sides. 

Final Prediction

As the Mavericks enter this game having one 3 of their first 4, this game will be won by their all-around offensive game. Even Houston has Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet leading the backcourt, the ability of Luka Doncic to dribble will really create a threat for both of them to double him. Given this, it will create a huge mismatch for Kyrie Irving as he can dribble through a much slower Dillon Brooks who is going to try and snatch the ball out of his hands. But, as Irving has shown great stability with the ball throughout this season, he can attack a struggling Jabari Smith Jr. underneath who is trying to improve on his defensive game. As Sengun will be dominant in the middle for the Rockets, his ceiling will depend on how much Daniel Gafford gives him space. As Gafford is one of the top shot blockers around the league, if he can gain an advantage on Sengun, it will force VanVleet and Jalen Green to shoot a lot more where they become less efficent. But, if the Rocket’s Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason continue being key pieces off the bench, it could be amuch closer game than anticipated. 

Our Prediction: The Dallas Mavericks will win this game and cover the -5.5 spread, while the score will be over 241.5 points