Dallas at Milwaukee
Time: 7 PM CST
Spread: MIL -10
Total: 226
Odds c/o Bet Online
The Dallas Mavericks are 17-8 and seeded No. 3 in the West thus far. Dallas has gone just 8-6 at home, as it prepares to host the East’s best, the 24-3 Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are heavy 10-point favorites, and the over/under is set at 226 total points.
DAL
The Dallas Mavericks have been something of a surprise so far. Perhaps it should not be. Luka Doncic has made the necessary steps from his great rookie season to one of the truly elite players in the league, and Kristaps Porzingis certainly seems strong and healthy again. With that duo, the Mavericks have one of the best 1-2 punches in the Association. It is depth where things begin to get shakier, as the team is short on the No. 3 and No. 4 options.
Doncic turned his ankle in the last outing and is expected to miss roughly two-weeks rehabbing it. The blow could not come at a worse time as the Mavericks were really building up some momentum and steam this season.
Doncic is averaging nearly a triple-double with 30.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game, and he is drawing comparisons basically to a “Euro LeBron James,” at this point. Porzingis has assumed the role of the No. 2 option, and he has faired well. The former New York Knick is averaging 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game. He has had five games with five blocks or more, though, which leads the league. Tim Hardaway Jr and JJ Barea round out the other double-digit scorers for Dallas, but both averaged under 12 points per game.
Dallas still tallies 118 per game, though, with a deep 12-man rotation. While Dallas may lack some of the necessary complementary parts to make Doncic and Porzingis really thrive, the team is building steam and it could be a surprise in the 2020 NBA playoffs. Doncic is making his name. Porzingis is healthy.
The Mavericks can be a really dangerous team, and soon–but it probably needs to either add a third big scorer or get more out of Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway has shown a great offensive prowess over his career, and 12.4 points per game seem kind of like the bare minimum that can be asked of the former second-round pick. With Doncic out, it might be Hardaway who is most responsible for picking up the scoring void created by losing a 30 point per game scorer.
MIL
The Milwaukee Bucks starting five consists of Eric Bledsoe, Wes Matthews, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez. The second unit is loaded with smart veterans like George Hill, Ersan Ilyasova, and Robin Lopez, Brook’s twin.
The Bucks are also getting good production out of Pat Connaughton, a tremendous athlete with high energy who is providing a good spark off the bench. Kyle Korver adds much-needed shooting and depth, and a smart veteran who will often close out games. The Bucks are a team built around Antetokounmpo, but some wonder if it is built up enough around him.
Middleton is the second option and a borderline All-Star, but it still feels like Milwaukee is one big scorer away from where it should be. Perhaps losing the never-was that is Jabari Parker did not really help. Parker is thriving in Atlanta this season and still could have been a useful frontcourt scorer in the mold of a Tobias Harris type role. The Bucks are so strong defensively that it has to be regarded as a top-three team in the Eastern Conference, but its work is still fairly cut out for it, even with such an atomically hot start to the season.
