The Los Angeles Lakers (13-19) and Dallas Mavericks (17-16) meet Sunday at American Airlines Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET (ABC). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Lakers vs. Mavericks odds, and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
The Lakers lost straight up as 2.5-point home favorites 134-130 vs. the Charlotte Hornets Friday. F Lebron James scored 18 of his game-high 34 points in the 4th quarter as Los Angeles battled back from a 16-point 2nd-half deficit.
The Mavericks failed to cover the spread as 7-point favorites in a 112-106 win at the Houston Rockets Friday. G Luka Doncic finished with a season-high 50 points, just 1 point shy of his career-high 51 that the 3-time All-Star scored vs. the Los Angeles Clippers Feb. 10.
Dallas is 4-0-1 against the spread (ATS) vs. the Lakers in their last 5 meetings.
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Lakers at Mavericks odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:21 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Lakers +260(bet $100 to win $260) | Mavericks -320 (bet $320 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Lakers +7.5 (-102) | Mavericks -7.5 (-118)
- Over/Under (O/U): 229.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Lakers at Mavericks key injuries
Lakers
- Not yet submitted
Mavericks
- F Dorian Finney-Smith (hip) out
- F Josh Green (elbow) out
- G Kemba Walker (knee) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Lakers at Mavericks picks and predictions
Prediction
Mavericks 111, Lakers 110
Moneyline
PASS.
The Mavericks (-320) should win, but the ML is too expensive. James is 10-6 on Christmas Day and gives the Lakers a decent shot at pulling off the upset. Bet the spread or the total instead.
Against the spread
BET LAKERS +7.5 (-102).
The Lakers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games but should come out much more focused Christmas Day. Los Angeles is coming off of a bad loss, but finished strong vs. the Hornets, outscoring Charlotte 58-46 in the final 18 minutes. The Lakers’ last 4 games do not represent the focus that Los Angeles will show to perform on Christmas Day. Take the points.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 229.5 (-105).
The Under is 4-0 in the Mavericks’ last 4 games and Dallas has held opponents to an average of just 105 points over that span. The Lakers should show more focus defensively after giving up 130 points or more in 3 consecutive games. Sunday’s meeting should be a low-scoring, slower-paced game as both teams look to impress on national television.
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