Are Dallas Mavs A 'Real Team'? GAMEDAY vs. Pelicans, Odds & Predictions

The Dallas Mavericks are desperate for a win as they travel to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

The Dallas Mavericks are desperate for a win as they travel to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. The Mavs have lost five of their last six to drop to 10-9 and look to get the bad taste out of their mouths left there by getting crushed by the Cavs at home on Monday night. 

Despite their 6-17 record, and while the smart money is with three-point favorite Dallas, the Pelicans will not be an easy victory. ... Especially if the Dallas is without Kristaps Porzingis, who suffered a right ankle sprain vs. the Cavs and is  probable for Wednesday night. Porzingis exited the Monday game with nine points (on 4 of 12 shooting from the floor), five rebounds and four blocks in 26 minutes of action.

Luka Doncic, who is fresh off a triple-double, is averaging 28.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game in 11 career games against New Orleans. By the way, on Monday Doncic passed Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki (32) for the most games with five-or-more three-pointers in franchise history.

INJURY REPORT: Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons) is out; Frank Ntilikina (right calf strain) is questionable; Kristaps Porzingis (right ankle sprain) is upgraded today to “

For New Orleans: Zion Williamson (foot), Daulton Hommes (Fibular), and Didi Louzada (suspension) are all out. With no Zion, the Pels are reliant on big man Jonas Valanciunas.

RECORDS: DALLAS MAVERICKS (10-9) at NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (6-17)

WHEN: Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. CT

LOCATION: Smoothie King Center (New Orleans, LA)

TV/RADIO: BSSW, 97.1 The Eagle (KEGL)

ODDS: The Mavs are 3-point favorites vs. the Pelicans on FanDuel.

NEXT: The Mavs return home for three games, starting with another matchup with the Pelicans on Friday at 7:30 p.m. CT. Don't forget to circle Wednesday, Jan. 5 when the Mavs will retire Dirk Nowitzki’s No. 41 jersey.

TRADES NEEDED?: On our most recent Mavs Step Back episode, Dalton Trigg and Matt Galatzan gauged the urgency of the Mavs needing to make some roster moves now while they're still clinging to a top spot in the West by mere percentage points.

FINAL WORD Doncic after the Mavs' collapse vs. the Cavs: 

“Yeah, this is what a real team does, in tough times they stick together. It’s easy to stay together when it’s all good, but tough times, that’s when we gotta stay together.”