The Dallas Mavericks (21-16) are riding high on a six-game winning streak at the moment. Their opponents tonight, the Houston Rockets (10-26), are on a three-game losing skid.
Interestingly, these two teams already squared off late last month. There, the Mavericks won 129-114 with team MVP Luka Doncic picking up an impressive 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists. Doncic made history recently by becoming the first-ever player in the history of the NBA to land 250 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists in just five games. Needless to say, the Dallas outfit has all of the momentum heading into tonight's game.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Match Details
Fixture: Mavericks @ Rockets
Date & Time: Monday, January 2, 08:10 p.m. ET
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Injury Report
On the Mavericks' front, power forward Maxi Kleber is out indefinitely with a torn right hamstring. Power forward Dorian Finney-Smith is out with a hip injury. Shooting guard Josh Green is out with an elbow injury.
On the Rockets' end, small forward Jae'Sean Tate is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. Center Alperen Sengun is questionable due to recent back issues.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Betting Odds & Spreads
Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Starting 5s
Mavericks - PG: Luka Doncic, SG: Spencer Dinwiddie, SF: Tim Hardaway, PF: Reggie Bullock, C: Christian Wood
Rockets - PG: Kevin Porter, SG: Jalen Green, SF: Eric Gordon, PF: Jabari Smith, C: Alperen Sengun
Mavericks vs. Rockets Prediction
The Dallas Mavericks are on fire right now. In their recent win over the San Antonio Spurs, Luka Doncic scored a whopping 51 points en route to a surprisingly close 126-125 win. As incredible as Doncic's playing is at the moment, the team's defense can sometimes be sloppy, hence some rather close wins in their otherwise dominant streak of late.
The Rockets, meanwhile, are floundering badly this season and are 0-6 in their past six home games. Their defense is highly unlikely to bother a player like record-breaking player like Doncic, especially when there's the likes of Spencer Dinwiddie and Christian Wood to worry about as well.
Overall, anything less than a dominant Mavericks win tonight would be an upset given these teams' polar opposite trajectories right now.
Prediction: Mavericks -7.5 (-110)
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