Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trail Blazers Betting Pick & Prediction 12/28/24

At 10:00 ET, the Dallas Mavericks (-183) will take on the Portland Trail Blazers (+154) in a Western Conference matchup. The Mavericks are favored by 4.5 points and have a record of 20-11, which is good for 4th in the West. The Trail Blazers are 13th in the West with a record of 10-20.

This game will be played at the Moda Center in Portland and can be seen on KATU.

DALLAS MAVERICKS VS PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Portland Trail Blazers +4.5

This game will be played at Moda Center at 10:00 ET on Saturday, December 28th.

WHY BET THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 159-109 in favor of the Trail Blazers.
• Our projections have Anfernee Simons finishing with 19 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists.
• From the field, we have the Trail Blazers finishing with a field goal percentage of 45.8% and knocking down 16 threes.

Does Dallas Have a Shot at a Road Win?

The Mavericks improved to 20-11 on the season with a 98-89 win over the Suns on Friday. Dallas, who entered the game as +1 point underdogs, covered the spread with the victory. The teams combined for 187 points, well below the O/U line of 224.

Dallas took control in the 2nd quarter, outscoring Phoenix 27-14. The Suns tried to rally in the 3rd, cutting the lead to 72-64, but the Mavericks edged them 26-25 in the 4th to seal the win.

In their win over the Suns, the Mavericks managed just 98 points, shooting 43.8% from the field and hitting 12 threes at a 35.3% clip. Kyrie Irving led the way with 20 points, knocking down 5 threes at 50% efficiency, despite shooting 28.6% overall.

Irving scored 12 of his points in the 1st quarter, while Daniel Gafford added 8 of his 16 in the 2nd and another 6 in the 4th. Spencer Dinwiddie and Maxi Kleber each contributed 15 points, with Kleber and Klay Thompson both scoring 6 points in the final period.

The Mavericks’ defense was stellar on Friday, holding the Suns to just 89 points. Dallas was particularly strong in the 2nd quarter, allowing only 14 points. They gave up 25 points in the 1st, 3rd, and 4th quarters but still managed to keep Phoenix in check.

Overall, the Suns shot just 38% from the field, including 37% from beyond the arc, where they made 13 threes. Dallas also sent Phoenix to the free-throw line 18 times, where they hit 12. The Mavericks finished with 6 steals and 5 blocked shots.

Can the Trail Blazers Pull Out the Win as Home Underdogs?

Portland improved to 10-20 on the season with a 122-120 win over the Jazz on Thursday. Playing at home, the Blazers were favored by 3.5 points but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total score of 242 points exceeded the O/U line of 227 by 15 points.

After a 16-0 run by the Jazz put them ahead 71-57, Portland rallied in the 4th quarter, outscoring Utah 41-32 to complete the comeback.

Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija each scored 27 points in the Trail Blazers’ 122-120 win over the Jazz, with Avdija adding 14 points in the 4th quarter. Sharpe hit 5 threes at a 50% rate, while Avdija also shot 50% from deep.

Portland connected on 15 threes, shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc and 50.6% overall. Deandre Ayton and Scoot Henderson both added 18 points, with Ayton grabbing 12 rebounds.

Defensively, the Trail Blazers had a strong start, allowing just 23 points in the 1st quarter, but they struggled in the 3rd and 4th, giving up 34 and 32 points, respectively. Overall, they allowed 120 points on 47% shooting from the Jazz.

Portland had trouble defending the three, as Utah hit 21 threes at a 50% clip. The Blazers sent the Jazz to the line 25 times, where they made 17 free throws. Portland finished with 10 steals and 8 blocks.