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Mavericks vs Nuggets: Can the Rockets keep their winning streak alive?
The Nuggets are 10-2 at home and are hoping to bounce back on Monday night when they host the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. The defending champions slipped in the last one against the Oklahoma City Thunder and will have a chance to steal the third place in the conference from the Mavericks.
Nikola Jokic dominance
Nikola Jokic has a tough week behind him, but his numbers are still on an MVP level. The Serbian averages 27 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game, and this may be the season when he averages a triple-double. The Nuggets (17-10) are not playing their best basketball, which was expected coming off a long season. However, as the season progresses, Mike Malone’s team will pick up the pace.
Are the Mavericks finally ready?
The Dallas Mavericks (16-9) missed the playoffs last season, and nothing but a deep post-season run will be acceptable this time around. Luka Doncic is doing what he does best, averaging 32.7 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.3 rebounds per game. He dropped 40 points in two of the last six games, and in five of those six had at least 10 assists.
Betting Trends
The Dallas Mavericks are 5-1 against the spread in their last 6 games. The Denver Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against an opponent in the Western Conference.
Key matchup
What makes this game so interesting is the matchup between two of the main MVP candidates, Jokic and Doncic. However, it is clear that both of them will deliver what is expected of them, and the rest of the guys will make the difference. Knowing that Kyrie Irving is out for this game, Jamal Murray will dominate Dante Exum as his backup, which will give the Nuggets a huge advantage.
Injury Reports
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Vlatko Cancar are out for the Nuggets. On the other side, the Mavericks will be without Kyrie Irving, Richaun Holmes, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber.
Prediction and Conclusion
Looking at the trends, this game should be pretty tight, with the Mavericks covering the +7 point spread. What makes things difficult for them is the injury report. The absence of Irving will be majorly felt in the Mavericks offense, which would not be able to count on Josh Green’s shooting from the outside. Maxi Kleber is another missing piece that could have helped defend Jokic. Given the fact that the Nuggets barely lose at home and are coming off only their second this season, they will keep the foot on the gas and beat the Mavs by at least eight points.
