Dallas Mavs Top 3 Betting Picks vs. New Orleans Pelicans: Can Mavs Force Pels’ 5th Straight Loss?
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks hit the road to take on Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.
The Mavs are coming off a dominant 144-126 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. The onslaught began in the second quarter as the Mavs outscored the Clippers 47-18 and never looked back. Dallas was led by Doncic's 44 points, six rebounds, and six assists on 17-of-21 shooting from the field.
The Pelicans lost their fourth straight game on Friday against the Houston Rockets, 104-101.Despite 55 points combined between Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans couldn't slow down the Rockets in the fourth quarter, being outscored 34-22.
Going into Sunday night's matchup, Dallas will be without Maxi Kleber for the fifth time in the last six games due to a right toe injury. For New Orleans, Herbert Jones (right fibula) and Naji Marshall (right knee) are both questionable while CJ McCollum (right lung), Jose Alvarado (right ankle) and Trey Murphy III (left knee) are all out.
![Mavs' Josh Green drives into the lane against Pelicans' Trey Murphy III.](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MjAyMTY0NDI5NzkyNDg2NDEy/usatsi_20176243.jpg)
Check out the the betting lines and player props below, courtesy of SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point Spread: Mavericks (-2.5) / Pelicans (+2.5)
Money Line: Mavericks (-150) / Pelicans (+120)
Over/Under: 234.5
Player Props / Our Picks
Kyrie Irving O/U 24.5 Points: Over
Irving is coming off a season-high 27 points in Friday's win against the Clippers where he looked to finally find his groove, shooting 8-of-19 from the field and 5-of-9 from 3-point range. Look for Irving to repeat that kind of performance tonight as he goes up against an inexperienced backcourt in rookie Jordan Hawkins and second-year Dyson Daniels.
Dereck Lively II O/U 0.5 Blocks: Over
Through his first eight games, Dereck Lively has collected a total of eight blocks with one block coming in each game played. So, why stop this trend now on Sunday night? Take the over.
Jordan Hawkins O/U 2.5 3PM: Over
Since McCollum has been out over the last three games, Hawkins has been more of a focal point for the Pelicans' offense, averaging 19.7 points while shooting 44 percent from 3-point range on four makes per game. Look for Hawkins to continue his hot shooting on Sunday.
Prediction: The Pelicans are riding a four-game slump and it doesn't get much easier as they take on the Mavs tonight. Look for Doncic and company to force New Orleans into their fifth consecutive loss. Take Dallas -2.5.