Dallas Mavs Top 3 Betting Picks vs. Phoenix Suns: Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, Kevin Durant

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Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks hit the road to take on Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day.

The Mavs are coming off a 144-119 trouncing of the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. Doncic returned after a one-game absence to notch yet another triple-double, finishing with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in the victory.

The Suns have struggled as of late, losing eight of their last 11 games as they come off a 120-105 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Kevin Durant led the way for Phoenix in the loss with 28 points and seven rebounds. 

Notable Injuries

Mavericks: Dereck Lively II (left ankle sprain) is questionable. Kyrie Irving (right heel contusion), Josh Green (right elbow sprain), and Maxi Kleber (right small toe dislocation) are out.

Suns: Eric Gordon (right hip soreness), Josh Okogie (right hip strain), and Yuta Watanabe (right finger sprain) are probable. Bradley Beal (right ankle sprain), Jusuf Nurkic (personal reasons), and Damion Lee (right meniscus) are out.

Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Check out the the betting lines and player props below, courtesy of SI Sportsbook.

The Lines

Point Spread: Mavericks (+4.5) / Suns (-4.5)

Money Line: Mavericks (+145) / Suns (-188)

Over/Under: 237.5

Player Props / Our Picks

Luka Doncic O/U 36.5 Points: Over

The kind of roll that Doncic has been on has been unreal, averaging 36.5 points over his last 11 games, including three 40-point performances. With tonight's game being on Christmas Day and against Booker and the Suns, look for Doncic to put on a show.

Luka Doncic & Devin Booker Share 'Mutual Respect' Before Mavs-Suns Christmas Day Game

Dante Exum O/U 21.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists: Over

Dante Exum continues his renaissance as he's playing the best basketball of his career this season with the Mavs. Over his last eight games, Exum is averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 68.8 percent from the floor and 63 percent from downtown. With Irving still out of the lineup, look for Exum to continue his hot play.

Kevin Durant O/U 30.5 Points: Over

In his 16th season in the league, Durant still finds himself in the middle of his prime, averaging 30.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on the season. For Durant, there's simply no way of stopping him. Slowing him down? Possibly but stopping him? Not a chance. Take the over on Christmas Day.

Prediction: With the Suns riding the struggle bus over the last 10 games or so and the Mavs potentially getting Lively back, look for Doncic and the Mavs to spoil Booker and company's Christmas Day. Take Dallas +4.5 to win.



Published
Michael Mulford
MICHAEL MULFORD

Michael Mulford is a writer/editor for Dallas Basketball, where he extensively covers the Dallas Mavericks. He also covers the Chicago Bulls as the Managing Editor for Bulls Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group. Mulford grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. He began his pursuit of sports writing in 2017 with Dallas Sports Fanatic, where he covered the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Texas Legends. He then became the Managing Editor of Dallas Sports Fanatic just one year later and has covered the Mavericks as a credentialed media member since 2018, including covering numerous playoff games between 2021-22 and covering the team at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2019. In his time covering the Mavericks, Mulford has conducted numerous interviews for exclusive stories including with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, former Maverick and current VP of Basketball Ops Michael Finley, former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, and more. You can follow and interact with Mulford on Twitter at @TheMulf.