San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction and Preview | Oct. 24, 2024

The San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks matchup is one of the four NBA games scheduled for Thursday. This will be both teams’ first regular-season game of the season.

The two Texas-based teams have faced each other 199 times in the regular season, with San Antonio holding a 115-84 record. They met four times last season, as the Mavs swept the series 4-0.

San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks game details and odds

The San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 24, at American Airlines Center. The game will be broadcast nationally on TNT. It can also be streamed live on NBA League Pass and FuboTV.

Moneyline: Spurs (+270) vs. Mavericks (-340)

Spread: Spurs (+8) vs. Mavericks (-8)

Total (O/U): Spurs -110 (o229.5) vs. Mavericks -110 (u229.5)

Editor's note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.

San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks preview

The Spurs are led by the generational Victor Wembanyama, who won the Rookie of the Year title last season. While San Antonio finished a disappointing 14th in the West with a 22-60 record, Wemby’s game showed flashes of what the team could achieve with a competitive roster. They accomplished just that over the offseason by adding veterans such as Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.

San Antonio finished 2-3 in the preseason games. However, not much can be read into those games as coach Gregg Popovich gave his starters limited minutes. With the French phenom likely to get better, the Spurs should be able to compete for a play-in spot this season.

The Mavericks are coming off of a successful 2023-24 campaign where they reached the NBA finals before losing 4-1 to the Boston Celtics. They are led by the dynamic backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Dallas also added Klay Thompson over the offseason to add some shooting firepower to a team that struggled from beyond the arc in the playoffs.

Dallas is one of the favorites this season. However, the team needs to ensure that it maintains the defensive identity that it developed last season despite losing key players such as Derrick Jones Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. over the summer.

San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks predicted starting lineups

The Spurs’ only injury concern is Devin Vassell. He is out for the first week at least with a foot injury. Popovich should start:

PG: Chris Paul SG: Tre Jones SF: Harrison Barnes PF: Jeremy Sochan C: Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio’s key bench players should be Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins.

The Mavericks were sweating over the fitness of Luka Doncic but he is no longer on the injury report and should play Thursday. Dante Exum is out after undergoing surgery on his right wrist. Expect Dallas coach Jason Kidd to start:

PG: Luka Doncic SG: Kyrie Irving SF: Klay Thompson PF: P.J. Washington C: Daniel Gafford

Dallas’ primary bench players could be Jaden Hardy, Spencer Dinwiddie, Naji Marshall, Dereck Lively II, Quentin Grimes and Max Kleber.

Editor's note: These are the predicted lineups and could change based on the availability of players.

San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks betting props

Victor Wembanyama’s block total is set at 4.5. Even though he led the league in blocks last season with 3.6 per game, 4.5 is a bit too high. Take the under.

Kyrie Irving’s points prop is set at 22.5. Expect him to be more aggressive as Doncic returns from an injury. Take the over on Irving’s point total.

San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks prediction

The oddsmakers favor the Mavericks to get a big win on Thursday. While the Spurs should challenge Dallas, the home team should eventually cover the spread for a win. Expect the Mavs defense to show up, which should result in the team total staying under 229.5 points.