NBA Basketball: Philadelphia 76ers VS Dallas Mavericks Pick and Predictions 03/02/2023

Game: 7:30 PM ET,  Thursday, March 2nd, 2023

Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

TV:  TNT

76ers: 40-21, 3rd place Eastern Conference

Mavericks: 32-31, 7th place Western Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread: Mavs -4.5, O/U 228.5

PointsBet: Point Spread: Mavs -4, O/U 228

Fanduel: Point Spread:  Mavs -4, O/U 228.5

76ers: PG James Harden, SG De’Anthony Melton, SF Tobias Harris, PF PJ Tucker, C Joel Embiid (day to day)

Mavericks: PG Luka Doncic, SH Kyrie Irving, SF Justin Holiday, PF Reggie Bullock, C Dwight Powell

An NBA interconference battle of playoff teams that are both walking on eggshells.  The Philadelphia 76ers eggshells consist of several seasons now of being a very solid postseason contender and not being able to get the job done.  They have moved pieces around… they have tried different line-ups… They very fortunately got out from under Ben Simmons and his contract extension.  The 76ers go as C Joel Embiid goes.  Joel is great!  A real MVP contender, but there always seems to be a better team like the Celtics, Bucks, Heat.. whoever?.  This NEEDS to be the year for them because PG James Harden is getting rapidly older. An early playoff exit would lead to another spin of the pieces… what would that look like?.. The Dallas Mavericks eggshells consists of an aggressive move made at the trade deadline to add PG Kyrie Irving to a roster that already has the best PG in the world in Luka Doncic… Though Luka at times plays like the best player at any position on the court… He is still listed as the PG.  Luka is young and clearly in the NBAs top five player list every year… the eggshells of adding Kyrie Irving so far… has been a failure.  They aren’t yet winning. They aren’t yet sure of who should be dominating the ball and who should be taking the last shot (both Luka for sure, but they are unsure).  So this extreme move by Dallas owner Mark Cuban… may just end up as a bad investment if Kyrie simply walks as a free agent later (which he did to the Celtics already).  The great betting opportunity here will be entirely found in Joel Embiid’s availability which is listed as day to day.  Let’s check the numbers.

The Philadelphia 76ers have won 6 of their last 10 games… going 6-4 ATS.  They won their last game against the Miami Heat 119-96… that game was similar to this one… Philly was on the road and listed as underdogs because of Joel Embiid uncertainty.  In that win Philly got 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists from guard Tyrese Maxey, 23 points 7 rebounds, and 5 assists from guard James Harden, and 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists from SF Tobias Harris.  C Joel Embiid did not play and it did not matter… the backcourt took care of business.

The Dallas Mavericks have won only 4 of their last 10 games.  They went 5-5 ATS during that stretch.  Since Kyrie Irving joined the team they have gone 1-5 over the last 6 games.  Their only win coming against the depleted and awful San Antonio Spurs.  Not a great experiment yet.  They lost their last game to the Indiana Pacers 124-122… a huge loss since they were favored by 8.5 points.  In that loss the Mavs got 39 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists from PG Luka Doncic… with 16 points each from guards Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr.  Kyrie is getting stats… like his 9 assists in this loss… but together Kyrie and Luka are not getting wins.

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Our prediction for Thursday, March 2nd is…. 76ers 118 - Mavs 116

Bet on the 76ers… you will get 4-5 points to put in your pocket… and the Sixers will be playing against a Mavs team with a compromised defense since losing SF Dorian Finney Smith.  If Embiid does suit up?... How will the defensively challenged Christian Woods stop him?... or the offensively challenged Dwight Powell score on him?... we just saw Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers tear apart that combo for 24, 7, and 1 in just 32 minutes of play… And he plays for a lottery team… not to mention that unknown Pacers backup big Jordan Nwora filled in 16 points when Turner was on the bench…. That is 40 points in the post on the Mavs against a LOSING TEAM.

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Philly is 9-2 ATS when playing their 3rd game in 4 days.

Dallas is 6-19 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points.

Sixers: SG/SF/PG Tyrese Maxey. Tyrese is a defensive stopper that is offensively capable.  He lost his starting job at the SG spot to new guy SG De’Anthony Melton, but that seems to be to have more to do with playing Maxey situationally off the bench than it does about Melton’s scoring prowess.  Tyrese is very useful wherever they play him.

Mavericks: SG Kyrie Irving.  Is it his fault?... Seriously?... Is there something wrong with Kyrie Irving that literally prevents this Mavs team from winning?  Kyrie, his personality aside, is still a silky smooth and lightning quick player who can stuff a stat sheet.  BUT in his 11th season with a record of having disappointed his last 3 teams… Is disappointment just what comes with Kyrie now?

76ers: Doc “Good ol’ Doc” Rivers

Mavericks: Jason “Supervillian” Kidd