The Dallas Mavericks take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, January 10, at 10:30 pm ET. Both Dallas and Los Angeles came into the season and were expected to be two of the top teams in the Western Conference. While both teams have struggled this season, Dallas sits as the #4 seed, and Los Angeles sits as the #7 seed.
Still, there are areas that both teams need to improve. Their early struggles can be blamed on health, but at the end of the day, every team has injuries and they need to be overcome. It’s uncertain if Kawhi Leonard or Paul George will play, which isn’t anything new at this point.
The Clippers sit at -2.5 on the spread line for -105 odds.
Mavericks Playing Better in Recent Games
There’s no denying that the Dallas Mavericks can’t be one of the top teams in basketball. There’s one reason for that and one reason only. Luka Doncic, who’s arguably a top-three player in basketball, is why Dallas can be the team they envisioned to be during the early part of the season.
He comes into this one playing the best basketball of his career. He’s figured things out defensively as well this season, but the scoring has simply been outrageous. Luka is averaging a career-high in points by nearly six points per game. He’s averaging 34 points, 8.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.6 steals. More continued play like this, and Luka has a real opportunity of being the MVP this season.
Clippers Need to Get Healthy
There is one thing holding the Los Angeles Clippers back at this point, and it’s their health. Kawhi Leonard still is coming back from his injury, and Paul George seems to be out every other game. It’s not a recipe for success, and that’s evident with their 21-21 record. Coming into the season, the Clippers were favored to win the NBA title by multiple sportsbooks. That was because of George, Kawhi, and an elite level of role players.
This Clippers roster is loaded with Zubac, Powell, Jackson, Morris, Mann, Kennard, Covington, and Batum. Those are championship-level role players paired with two of the best in the NBA. Los Angeles can figure this thing out eventually, but it all relies on themselves. Once healthy, they should be a top team. However, the question is going to be when will this team ever be healthy.
Mavericks vs. Clippers Prediction
This is an interesting line considering the Mavericks have been a better team this season. Although this line is strange, it might not be a bad idea to play the Clippers if Paul George and Kawhi are going to play. The injury report isn’t official at this point, so remember to continue checking that. The Clippers need to get back on track, and at this point, they should realize that. They’re way too good of a team to not be multiple games over .500, and we expect them to figure this thing out soon.
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