The Dallas Mavericks (16-7) and Detroit Pistons (10-14) meet up Thursday at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City for a 9 p.m. ET tip-off. It’s the first of three NBA Global Games this season. We analyze the Mavericks-Pistons odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Mavericks vs. Pistons: Key injuries
Mavericks
- PG Delon Wright (leg) out
Pistons
- SG Reggie Jackson (back) out
- SF Khyri Thomas (foot) out
Mavericks vs. Pistons: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Thursday at 12:25 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Mavericks 116, Pistons 107
Moneyline (ML)
The MAVERICKS (-250) have been off since losing 110-106 at home against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. It snapped a five-game winning streak. The Pistons (+200) enter play Thursday on just their second two-game winning streak of the season. They beat the New Orleans Pelicans 105-103 on the road Monday.
Dallas is still 8-2 over its last 10 games while Detroit is 6-4 over the same span. The Mavs outscore the Pistons by 9.4 points per game (118.0-108.6). Both teams allow 108.3 PPG. The Mavericks play to a higher pace than the Pistons on average, so they’ll be better equipped to handling the thinner air in the higher altitude in Mexico City, as they’re led by 20-year-old star SF Luka Doncic.
Against the Spread (ATS)
The MAVERICKS (-5.5, -115) are a more rewarding play when laying the points on the spread and needing to win by at least 6 points. Dallas is 14-9 ATS overall and 8-2 away from home. The Pistons are just 10-13 ATS overall and 3-8-1 outside of Detroit.
Fourteen of the Mavs’ wins this season were by margins greater than 6 points. Eleven of the Pistons’ losses were decided by a gap of at least 6 points.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet for the Mavericks to win by at least 6 points returns a profit of $8.70 versus a $4 return for the same bet on the moneyline for the outright victory.
Over/Under (O/U)
Take the OVER 216.5 (-129). Both teams have had a couple of rest days and the Mavs have hit the Over 15 times through 23 games while topping the projections by 4.9 PPG. The Pistons are 13-11 against the O/U but fall 0.6 PPG shy of the projections on average.
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