Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks Betting Pick & Prediction 1/17/25
At 8:30 ET, the Thunder (-303) will travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks (+246). Oklahoma City is currently favored by 7.5 points and the over/under line is set at 223.5.
The Thunder (34-6) are currently on a four-game winning streak and are 1st in the Western Conference. The Mavericks (22-19) have lost three straight and are 7th in the West.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER VS DALLAS MAVERICKS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Dallas Mavericks +7.5
This game will be played at American Airlines Center at 8:30 ET on Friday, January 17th.
WHY BET THE DALLAS MAVERICKS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 106-104 in favor of the Thunder.
- Our projections have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishing with 30 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
- From the field, we have the Thunder finishing with a field goal percentage of 45.9% and knocking down 14 threes.
Do the Thunder Have What it Takes on the Road?
The Thunder improved to 34-6 on the season with a 134-114 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday. Playing at home, Oklahoma City was favored by 2.5 points and covered the spread with the victory. The game’s total points of 248 exceeded the O/U line of 232 by 16 points.
An 11-0 run early in the game helped the Thunder pull away, and they led 119-81 going into the 4th quarter. While the Cavaliers outscored them 33-15 in the final period, the game was already decided by then.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant in the Thunder’s win over the Cavaliers, scoring 40 points and dishing out 8 assists, shooting 65.4% from the field. Luguentz Dort added 22 points, hitting 6 threes at a 66.7% rate, while Jalen Williams contributed 19 points and 6 rebounds.
Oklahoma City made 18 threes in the game, despite shooting just 34% from beyond the arc, and finished with a 50.5% overall field goal percentage. Gilgeous-Alexander was particularly effective in the 1st and 3rd quarters, scoring 15 points in the opening period and 14 more in the 3rd.
The Thunder’s defense shined in the 1st quarter, holding the Cavaliers to just 14 points, but they gave up 35 points in the 2nd quarter. Oklahoma City allowed 32 points in the 3rd and 33 in the 4th, finishing with 114 points allowed on 46% shooting.
From beyond the arc, the Thunder held Cleveland to 13 made threes on 31% shooting. The Cavaliers went 17/21 from the free-throw line. Oklahoma City recorded 12 steals and 5 blocks in the game.
Can Dallas Grab a Win at Home?
The Mavericks dropped to 22-19 this season after a 119-116 road loss to the Pelicans on Wednesday. Dallas entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total score of 235 points exceeded the O/U line of 221.5 by 13.5 points.
Dallas took control in the middle quarters, outscoring New Orleans 64-54, but couldn’t hold onto their 91-87 lead heading into the 4th. The Pelicans rallied in the final quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 32-25 to secure the win.
Daniel Gafford led the Mavericks with 27 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 92.3% from the field in their 119-116 loss to the Pelicans. Jaden Hardy added 21 points, hitting 4 threes at 66.7%, while Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 20 points, making 3 threes despite shooting 35.3% overall.
The Mavericks shot 47.8% from the field, with a below-average performance from beyond the arc, hitting 12 threes at 34.3%. Gafford scored 11 points in the 2nd quarter, while Hardy added 10 of his 21 points in the same period.
The Mavericks gave up 119 points to the Pelicans, despite holding them to 44% shooting from the field. Dallas allowed 33 points in the 1st quarter and 32 in the 4th, but they tightened up in the 3rd, giving up just 24 points.
From beyond the arc, the Mavericks held New Orleans to 13 made threes on 33% shooting. The Pelicans also went 20/24 from the free-throw line. Defensively, Dallas recorded 9 steals and 3 blocks.