by Chuck Sommers
Wednesday, Mar 08, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Where to watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Mavs -2
FanDuel: Mavs -2
BetMGM: Mavs -2
Caesars: Mavs -2
Season record
Mavs: 34-32
Pelicans: 31-34
The All-Star break is over in the NBA and it's time to get on the horse and finish up the final home stretch of the season. Big trades, uncertainty, and absolute hilarity across the board all gearing up for the final home stretch of this season. You know who is also gearing up for the home stretch? Our champion handicappers at bigal.com who are ready to win their way all the way to the playoffs. There's a lot going on that we can't wait for in these final 23-25 games and you're going to need every bit of hardcore analysis you can get from this group. Just in the last 30 days we've had some big winners. Doc's Sports has posted a 16-6-0 record in the last month (+$9,200). AAA Sports has killed it at 17-8-0, and then Al McMordie with a dominant 20-11-1 mark over the last 30 days. Everything you need to know and more about what's going on this league and sports in general will be a fun finish to the end. All you have to do is go to bigal.com and find our Best Bets page and put forth something that only you think is good. Here's a hint: Go to the bigal.com website and happy betting!
Mavs - Pelicans preview, prediction and analysis
The Dallas Mavericks will be playing the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, March 8 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Mavs are coming off a 120-116 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday to bounce back after the tough loss over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Kyrie Irving led the way with 33 points, 17 of them coming in the fourth quarter, to go along with six rebounds and eight assists in the win.
Luka Doncic was right behind him with 29 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. made seven 3-pointers and finished with 24 points off the bench.
“I just love the challenge,” Irving said of his fourth-quarter play. “Just seeing where guys’ legs are, seeing where they are mentally, just seeing how many teams stick to their game plan.”
The Dallas Mavericks have won four of their last 10 games as of March 6.
“He loves the moment,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of Irving, who came to Dallas on Feb. 6 from the Brooklyn Nets. “He loves to win. He loves to help his team win.”
The New Orleans Pelicans lost against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, March 6 in Sacramento, California with a score of 123-108. The New Orleans Pelicans currently rank 3rd in the Southwest Division.
Brandon Ingram scored 24 points for the Pelicans (31-34). New Orleans has lost six of its last seven games.
The New Orleans Pelicans have won three of their last 10 games.
“We didn’t get into our offense quick enough,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We started walking around on the perimeter. …I have any concerns (moving forward).”
Prediction
Not really feeling Dallas having to do this again on the second night of a back-to-back, but if there’s one thing that can be assured, it’s that the minutes balance between Luka and Kyrie is going to be a problem for a lot of teams. Mavs 121, Pelicans 114
The Mavs are coming off a 120-116 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday to bounce back after the tough loss over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Kyrie Irving led the way with 33 points, 17 of them coming in the fourth quarter, to go along with six rebounds and eight assists in the win.
Luka Doncic was right behind him with 29 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. made seven 3-pointers and finished with 24 points off the bench.
“I just love the challenge,” Irving said of his fourth-quarter play. “Just seeing where guys’ legs are, seeing where they are mentally, just seeing how many teams stick to their game plan.”
The Dallas Mavericks have won four of their last 10 games as of March 6.
“He loves the moment,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of Irving, who came to Dallas on Feb. 6 from the Brooklyn Nets. “He loves to win. He loves to help his team win.”
The New Orleans Pelicans lost against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, March 6 in Sacramento, California with a score of 123-108. The New Orleans Pelicans currently rank 3rd in the Southwest Division.
Brandon Ingram scored 24 points for the Pelicans (31-34). New Orleans has lost six of its last seven games.
The New Orleans Pelicans have won three of their last 10 games.
“We didn’t get into our offense quick enough,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We started walking around on the perimeter. …I have any concerns (moving forward).”
Prediction
Not really feeling Dallas having to do this again on the second night of a back-to-back, but if there’s one thing that can be assured, it’s that the minutes balance between Luka and Kyrie is going to be a problem for a lot of teams. Mavs 121, Pelicans 114
Projected starting lineup
Mavs:
PG: Luka Doncic
SG: Kyrie Irving
SF: Josh Green
PF: Reggie Bullock
C: Dwight Powell
Pelicans:
PG: CJ McCollum
SG: Josh Richardson
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Herb Jones
C: Jonas Valanciunas
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this preview, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
