Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Clippers Betting Pick & Prediction 4/21/24

The Clippers and Mavericks kick off their first-round series from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 3:30 PM ET on Sunday. ABC has the TV coverage for this matchup, with the Mavericks heading into the game as the slight favorite. The over/under line is 223 points, and the Mavericks are -2.5 on the point spread. Looking at the money line odds, the Mavericks are at -148 compared to the Clippers at +123.

DALLAS MAVERICKS VS LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Los Angeles Clippers +2.5

This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena at 3:30 ET on Sunday, April 21st.

WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 114-107 in favor of the Clippers.
• Our projections have Kawhi Leonard finishing with Kawhi Leonard points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
• From the field, we have the Clippers finishing with a field goal percentage of 49.5% and knocking down 14 threes.

Can Dallas Live Up to the Hype on the Road?

Dallas is favored by 2.5 points in today’s game vs. the Clippers. For the season, the Mavericks have been favored in 62% of their games and have gone 38-13 straight up and 33-18 against the spread.

The Mavericks are 50-32 overall this season, which is good for 5th place in the Western Conference. Against the West, they are 31-21 and 11-5 vs. their division. In non-conference play, they are 19-11.

On the road, the Mavericks are 25-16 straight up and 27-14 ATS. Their average scoring differential on the road is +0.8 points per game.

In their last game, the Mavericks were blown out by the Thunder, losing by a score of 135-86. They were 19.5-point underdogs in that game and are 2-3 ATS in their last five games.

Dallas has gone under the O/U line in three straight games and has a season record of 37-45 on the O/U. Today’s O/U line of 223 is lower than the season average of 234.8.

For the season, Luka Doncic is averaging 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds. Over his last three games, he has averaged 35 points on 49.3% shooting from the field. In these games, he also averaged 5.3 made threes per game. Kyrie Irving is averaging 25.6 points per game for the season and 30.3 points per game in his last three games.

Dallas is averaging 117.9 points per game this season, which is 7th in the league. They have actually been better on the road, averaging 117 points per contest. The Mavericks are also in the top half of the league in both pace and free throw attempts. As a team, they are averaging 14.6 made threes per game.

Currently, the Mavericks’ defense holds the 19th rank in the NBA, allowing 115.6 points per game. Opponents are hitting 54.5% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 36.7% of their three-point attempts.

Will Los Angeles Make it Happen at Home?

Today, the Clippers are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, and they are currently 2.5-point underdogs at home against the Mavericks. As the underdog, the Clippers have gone 5-14 this season and have failed to cover the spread in their last two games as the underdog.

In terms of their ATS record at home, the Clippers are 18-23 this season and have failed to cover the spread in their last four home games. Overall, their ATS record is 38-44 and they have gone 6-13 vs. the spread as the underdog.

In the Western Conference, the Clippers are currently in 4th place with a record of 51-31. Against the West, they are 30-22 compared to 21-9 in non-conference games. In the Pacific Division, they are in 1st place.

The Clippers’ O/U record for the season is 38-43-1, and the under has hit in their last two games. On average, their games have finished with 228 points, and today’s O/U line is set at 223.

Los Angeles’ last game was a 116-105 loss to the Rockets. They were 4.5-point underdogs in that game, and the O/U line was 222.5. The game finished with 221 points, giving the Clippers an ATS loss and an O/U win.

For the Clippers to pick up a win, they will need a big game from Paul George. In his last three games, he has averaged 24 points while shooting 45.5% from the field. He has also been hot from beyond the arc, making 47.1% of his threes in that stretch. Bones Hyland has also been shooting the ball well of late, averaging 21.3 points per game on a field goal percentage of 45.5%.

Los Angeles is the NBA’s 4th best three-point shooting team this season, connecting on 38% of their looks from downtown. Their average of 12.6 made threes per game is 16th in the league. Overall, the Clippers are averaging 115.6 points per game. This is the 11th best mark in the league.

So far, the Clippers’ defense is ranked 10th in the league at 112.3 points per contest. Los Angeles’ defense is currently forcing 12.2 turnovers per game, which is 10th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 15th in blocked shots, with an average of 5 rejections per game.