Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/15/2023

Time: 9 p.m. ET

Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

Where to watch: BSSW-DAL, ALT

DraftKings: Nuggets -5

FanDuel: Nuggets -4.5

BetMGM: Nuggets -4.5

Caesars: Nuggets -4.5

Mavs: 31-28

Nuggets: 40-18

The All-Stars have been announced, the trade deadline has come and gone, and the NBA season has never seen so much parity and intrigue than it has at this moment. All you need to do is look at the Western Conference and laugh with a hearty burst at how ridiculous this season has been. You know what's not ridiculous? Our champion handicappers continuing to kill it on the NBA level over the last 30 days. All you need to do is take one look at what they're doing and see that this is the place to be as we purge through the second half of the season. Doc's Sports has been tremendous over the last month with a 17-8-0 run and net profit of $8,100. Team Del Genio has also been very good at an 11-6-1 run that has made for some very exciting runs near to the top. Basketball is taking full swing with football about to be set on the back burner, and you want to be locked in at bigal.com. Take advantage of our Best Bets page at bigal.com to see what our champion handicappers bring to the table. Make sure you're following winners at bigal.com and get that same kind of money in your pocket.

The Dallas Mavericks have not had the best run of luck with their new star backcourt, and it really has nothing to do with their backcourt as much as it has to do with the fact that they cannot stop anybody in the paint to save their lives. So how in the world do you think it's going to go when the Mavericks are trying to use a center, any center, to try and slow down the two time MVP Nikola Jokic? buckle up for what should be a very interesting matchup in Denver on Wednesday when Dallas takes on the top of the conference Denver Nuggets.

It's normally been the case that when Dallas and Denver get together something crazy usually happens. Whether it be a casual crazy game, a last second play that defines the game, or anything else in between, Dallas and Denver usually tend to put on a show. And that should be no exception this time around when Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic join the party and take on a Denver team that is operating on all cylinders right now.

Dallas is going to need some time to iron out the kinks as it relates to the Luka and Kyrie pairing. Since the two of them started playing together, both of them have played really well individually, but Dallas has lost both games. The first one was in overtime to the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back, and then Monday had to be a situation where Kyrie scored 26 points in the fourth quarter and Dallas still lost by three.

But the biggest problem for Dallas right now is the fact that they cannot defend in the paint whatsoever. They have given up more than 130 points in the paint in the last two games and I can assure you that has nothing to do with Doncic and Irving. the fact that there is nobody that can rebound, nobody that can play decent post defense, is quite the situation brewing in Dallas right now. At the very least they are keeping games close and if that's the case then you are at least somewhat confident that everything will turn around at some point. I just don't know when exactly that's going to be.

And that's why facing a Denver juggernaut is not the best barometer to set heading into the All-Star break. He would like to think that with the Dallas they can beat the perimeter guys of Denver with their two superstars, but if you do not have an answer for the reigning two time MVP, you are in for a very long night. And the way the Dallas has played defensively in that stretch is not a recipe for success that anybody wants to follow. Combine that with the altitude and I have no idea how this game is going to go, but it should be a very exciting potential playoff preview.

I'm not entirely sure if Dallas has any wait in this game that it should win or keep it close. I have no idea how this is going to go, but if Dallas can get a victory going into the All-Star break against the best team in the Western Conference, then good luck trying to put away any sort of hype that is generating from Dallas. Mavericks 126, Nuggets 122

Mavs are 10-8 ATS as an underdog this season.

Mavs are 36-31 ATS the last 3 seasons as a road underdog.

Nuggets are 18-10 ATS as a home favorite this season.

Nuggets are 10-7 revenging a loss this season.

PG: Luka Doncic

SG: Kyrie Irving

SF: Josh Green

PF: Markieff Morris

C: Dwight Powell

PG: Bruce Brown

SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

SF: Michael Porter Jr.

PF: Jeff Green

C: Nikola Jokic