Nets vs. Mavericks odds, prediction: Why we’re betting on healthy Anthony Davis
Successfully betting on the NBA is arguably the most challenging task in all of sports handicapping.
That task becomes even more difficult down the stretch of the regular season, given the added variables. Those include teams seemingly locked into playoff positions and resting certain players. But it’s also when tanking appears to become more pronounced.
“These last few weeks of the regular season can be really tricky,” professional bettor and longtime NBA handicapper Carl Sack said. “I am looking forward to the playoffs.”
Nets vs. Mavericks prediction
The Brooklyn Nets visit the Dallas Mavericks as underdogs on Monday with a few moving parts.
Brooklyn’s situation is pretty clear. They’ve already been eliminated from the playoffs and currently have the sixth-worst win percentage. Based on the standings and just seven remaining games, it is highly unlikely their draft lottery odds worsen.
However, Brooklyn could improve those because the Philadelphia 76ers only have a slightly better win percentage. Both teams are incentivized to lose, but that carries minimal weight, as we just saw the Nets win their last game at the Washington Wizards as a small underdog.
Meanwhile, Dallas is making a postseason push, despite being ravaged with injuries and trading away Luka Doncic. The Mavs currently hold the Western Conference’s ninth seed, which would place them in the play-in tournament.
They come in on Monday as nine-point favorites, according to oddsmakers at BetMGM Sportsbook.
Newly acquired star Anthony Davis just returned from a strained left adductor and has refuted any questions about shutting it down. He is not playing in back-to-back games but he did log 30 minutes in his last outing on Saturday — a 120-119 win over the Bulls.
Davis is slated to start against the Nets, and the Mavs are 3-0 when he does. They should also have P.J. Washington in the lineup, and big men Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford even appeared on Saturday’s injury report. They have each been out since before Valentine’s Day.
Brooklyn played 10 guys in its most recent game, allowing the coaching staff to evaluate the entire roster. For example, Drew Timme was just acquired and logged 29 minutes.
In my eyes, that is as close to tanking as one can get. The guys play hard, but the end of the bench fundamentally lacks talent and cohesion. Dallas is coming off a loss and will look to handle its business.
I am 36-21 ATS in this Post section and will back the Mavericks as a favorite for my next play.
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Why Trust New York Post Betting
Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who currently serves as the Chief Content Officer for Only Players, a sports betting media company. Doug has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.
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