Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers Betting Preview

The Dallas Mavericks will be playing at Staples Center on Christmas Day against the Los Angeles Lakers. The game is set to start at 8 pm ET.
The Lakers fell victim to the Clippers on Tuesday night while the Mavericks lost to the Suns on Wednesday, so for each team, an 0-2 start is on the line with a potential defeat.
Luka Doncic is on his own for the time being, with Kristaps Porzingis still rehabbing an injury. The Mavericks lost an exciting one on national TV against the Suns to open their campaign.
Dallas showed great resilience, but its faults also came to light. Doncic is an all-world player, but he did sustain an ankle injury, something that has become common through his first three years. He’ll play through it, but it’s worth monitoring.
The Lakers, on the other hand, were simply outplayed in their first game. They let Paul George dominate them from start to finish, and they were also unable to limit the Clippers’ role players.
They will be leaning heavily on Anthony Davis in this one as he goes against Dallas’ lack of size in the paint. Look for LeBron James to try and switch onto Doncic on both ends of the floor, too.
The spread for this one has the Lakers as six-point favorites. The over/under is set at 227.5.
Mavs Looking for First Win
In their loss to Phoenix, there were some positives for the Mavs. Doncic was playing some great ball.
The bench showed a lot of life, with Jalen Brunson and Trey Burke giving them some great minutes. But not having Porzingis hurt them, as the combination Dwight Powell, Willie Cauley-Stein and Maxi Kleber did not suffice.
When the Mavericks have Porzingis in, they have a second star. A guy who can get shots anywhere from 30 feet and in whenever he wants.
He’s also a dominant rim presence, blocking more than two shots per game for his career. Doncic is a lot more comfortable when the Latvian giant is in, so hopefully the news of him ramping up his workouts means he’s on his way back.
Look for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Richardson to get a lot of good looks from three-point range in this one. They’ll need to hit them.
Lakers Search For 1-1 Record
Losing to the Clippers is not what the Lakers envisioned for their start. After winning the title last season, they felt on top of the world.
So, to come out on ring night and not bring your A-game is not ideal. They look for a quick bounce back.
The Lakers have a number of matchup advantages in this one. They’ve got the manpower on the wings to limit Doncic’s drives to the basket.
They defend the perimeter well, so it could mean a few less open threes for their opponents. And Davis is going to be the biggest guy on the floor for much of the game.
Los Angeles’ new players all showed out in the opener. Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder should fit in just fine. And Marc Gasol will be better than he was.
Lakers Beat Dallas on Christmas
Sorry, Mavericks, no present for you. Instead, it will be a Lakers win. Merry Christmas from LeBron.
Free Pick: Lakers -6