Mavericks Heavily Favored To Bounce Back And Clip Pelicans At Home

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks — Luka Doncic and the Mavericks are expected to go all out and get back on the winning track after losing to the Boston Celtics last time out. Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

The Dallas Mavericks will host the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans Saturday
The Pelicans will continue to play without Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson against the Mavericks
CJ McCollum will need to step up for the Pelicans to pull off a win in Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks will host the New Orleans Pelicans at the American Airlines Center Saturday with the odds stacked in their favor.

The Mavericks are coming off a loss to the Boston Celtics, 95-124, thanks to a rare triple-double by Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists Thursday.

That game also saw Luka Doncic cool off a bit for the Mavs. After sterling scoring runs, the Slovenian guard finished with only 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Spencer Dinwiddie backed up Doncic with 18 points and five assists.

However, Doncic has been listed as day-to-day by the Mavs against the Pelicans at home—something that New Orleans could use to their advantage.

The Mavericks are averaging 112.1 points per game on offense and shooting 46.8% from the field. Dallas is limiting opponents to 112.8 points per game and 48% shooting from the floor.

Unfortunately, the fact that Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson remain out means that C.J. McCollum will have to will his way and lead the Pels to victory.

The Pelicans are coming off a 119-108 win over the Houston Rockets. In that game, McCollum led the way with 28 points and six assists. Naji Marshall and Jonas Valanciunas chipped in 16 points each.

New Orleans is averaging 117.5 points per contest on 48% shooting from the field. Defensively, they are allowing the opposition 112.8 points per game and 46.8% shooting from the floor.

But against the Mavs, the effort of Pelicans head coach Willie Green's players will need to be ramped up. Even if Doncic sits, other players can step up for Mavs coach Jason Kidd.

The Mavs are installed as -7 spread favorites for this game, with the Pelicans at +7, according to Action Network. The moneyline for this matchup is -275 for Dallas and +230 for New Orleans.

The Dallas Mavericks will host the New Orleans Pelicans at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, with tip-off set at 8:10 p.m. EST. The game will be telecast over ESPN. Live streaming is also available via fuboTV.