Dallas Mavs Top 3 Betting Picks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Can Anthony Edwards Slow Down Luka Doncic?
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are home to host Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.
The Mavs are coming off a thrilling 127-125 victory over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night to win their fourth straight game. Doncic led Dallas with 33 points and 17 assists to hold off the IST champions.
The Timberwolves fell to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, 121-107, snapping their six-game winning streak. Minnesota struggled to slow down Zion Williamson, who scored a season-high 36 points in the win for the Pelicans.
Notable Injury Report
Mavericks: Tim Hardaway Jr. (back spasms) is probable. Seth Curry (left ankle sprain) and Derrick Jones Jr. (right quad contusion) are questionable. Kyrie Irving (right heel contusion), Josh Green (right elbow sprain), and Maxi Kleber (right small toe dislocation) are out.
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (right hip pointer), Jaden McDaniels (right ankle sprain), and Jordan McLaughlin (right MCL sprain) are questionable.
Mavs' Tim Hardaway Jr. reacts to scoring against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Check out the the betting lines and player props below, courtesy of SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point Spread: Timberwolves (+1.5) / Mavericks (-1.5)
Money Line: Timberwolves (+100) / Mavericks (-125)
Over/Under: 230.5
Player Props / Our Picks
Luka Doncic O/U 9.5 Assists: Over
Doncic is coming off dishing out 17 assists in Tuesday's win against the Lakers and over the last fiver games, is averaging 12.4 assists per game. Look for Doncic to continue his playmaking against a tough T-Wolves defense who will have their eyes set on slowing his scoring down.
Dereck Lively II O/U 8.5 Points: Under
Through 21 games, D-Live is averaging 9.0 points per game on a league-leading 73.7 percent shooting from the field. Though he's only scored under 10 points once in the last five games, look for Rudy Gobert and the T-Wolves to mirror how Anthony Davis and the Lakers defended Lively by eliminating his ability to get easy lobs from Doncic. Take the under.
Dereck Lively II O/U 1.5 Blocks: Over
On the season, Lively is averaging 1.6 blocks per game and over the last seven games, is averaging 2.7 blocks in each contest. Though against a stout front line in Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, take D-Live to continue keep defending the rim at a high clip.
Prediction: Thursday night's game should be a real test for the Mavs as their riding a four-game winning streak. Due to Minnesota's size and length, take the Timberwolves +1.5 to get the win on the road.
