Mavericks vs. Pelicans Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, Jan. 29

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Dallas Mavericks-New Orleans Pelicans matchup on Wednesday night.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is a great prop target tonight.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is a great prop target tonight. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks have slipped to the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference with Luka Doncic out, but they have a chance to build on their last win in a matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

New Orleans enters this game on a three-game losing streak, a step back after it had started to make a move up the Western Conference standings. With Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones still out, New Orleans is far from at full strength for Wednesday’s clash.

Oddsmakers have essentially set this game as a pick’em, although the Mavs are currently one-point favorites with the moneyline shaded in their favor (-115). 

If you’re looking to bet on this game, you came to the right place. Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to bet in the prop market, and my prediction for Mavs vs. Pelicans on Wednesday. 

Mavericks vs. Pelicans Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

  • Mavs -1 (-105)
  • Pelicans +1 (-115)

Moneyline

  • Mavs: -115
  • Pelicans: -105

Total

  • 233.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Mavericks vs. Pelicans How to Watch

  • Date: Wednesday, Jan. 29
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Smoothie King Center
  • How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports (Local)
  • Mavs record: 25-22
  • Pelicans record: 12-35

Mavericks vs. Pelicans Injury Reports

Mavs Injury Report

  • Luka Doncic – out
  • Dante Exum – doubtful
  • Dereck Lively II – out
  • Naji Marshall – questionable
  • Dwight Powell – out
  • Maxi Kleber – out

Pelicans Injury Report

  • Keion Brooks Jr. – out
  • Herb Jones – out
  • Brandon Ingram – out
  • Jordan Hawkins – out
  • Karlo Matkovic – out
  • Antonio Reeves – out
  • Dejounte Murray – available

Mavericks vs. Pelicans Best NBA Prop Bets

Dallas Mavericks Best NBA Prop Bet

  • Kyrie Irving OVER 2.5 3-Pointers (-130)

New Orleans ranks just 26th in the NBA in opponent 3-pointers made per game this season, setting up Kyrie Irving in a great spot to clear this prop. 

With Luka Doncic out, Irving has been a great 3-point target, knocking down three or more shots from beyond the arc in 18 of the 28 games he’s played in Dallas without the star guard. 

On top of that, Kyrie has three or more made 3s in four of his last six games. Earlier this season, he torched the Pelicans from deep, hitting 4-of-5 shots from beyond the arc. He’s a great bet at this number tonight. 

New Orleans Pelicans Best NBA Prop Bet

  • Yves Missi OVER 7.5 Points (-120)

While Missi doesn’t have a big role in the New Orleans offense, he’s established himself as the Pelicans’ best big this season. On top of that, he has a solid matchup against a Dallas team that doesn’t have three frontcourt players – Lively, Kleber, and Powell – active for this game.

Missi has reached double figures in two of his last three games, and he’s averaging 9.0 points per game this season. 

Mavericks vs. Pelicans Prediction and Pick

While Dallas has not been the same team since Doncic went down, I’m far from sold that the Pelicans deserve to be just one-point dogs in this game.

Even with the Pelicans winning five of their last 10, they also were just beaten by the Toronto Raptors – their third straight loss – on Monday. New Orleans still ranks just 23rd in the league in net rating over its last 10 games and 28th overall. On top of that, the Pelicans have one of the worst defenses in the league (29th in net rating) this season. 

Dallas is just 3-5 against the spread as a road favorite, but as long as Irving, P.J. Washington, and Klay Thompson are in the lineup, this Mavs team still has the firepower to win this game. Plus, New Orleans has limited Zion Williamson’s minutes since he returned, going just 2-4 in the six games that he’s played in. 

I like the Mavs to win this matchup against one of the worst teams in the West. 

Pick: Mavs Moneyline (-115)


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.


Published
Peter Dewey
PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.