Despite their unfortunate luck with injuries this season, the Dallas Mavericks are controlling their own destiny as they continue to make way into the play-in tournament and they’ll be facing a L.A. Clippers team with a similar agenda.
Photo By – Imagn Images. Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) reacts.
The Dallas Mavericks have now taken six of their last eight games despite dealing with some key injuries, and as they look to remain in contention for a spot in the play-in tournament things should get interesting as they begin a miniature two-game series with the L.A. Clippers.
My Mavericks vs. Clippers predictions will explain why both defenses should have a reasonable handle on their trendy opponents, and deduce what we do with that information.
Let’s dig into some NBA player props and hand out some NBA picks on Friday, April 4.
Mavericks vs Clippers prediction
My best bet: Mavericks +11 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
The Dallas Mavericks continue to tread water without Kyrie Irving, who’s been missing in action for the last month due to injury. They enter play on Friday ranked 13th in Net Rating over the last two weeks, driven by the 10th-best defense over that span which has ranked seventh against the three and 13th at the rim.
This may open the door for a somewhat competitive game, given that the Los Angeles Clippers have been an offense-oriented team all season but one which has slipped to 10th over that span. Dallas shouldn’t reasonably expect to get much done on the offensive half, sitting bottom-10 in efficiency and going against a red-hot Clippers defense without Irving, but on the defensive side it should have a reasonable shot at making this a game.
There is, of course, the status of Anthony Davis – who is currently listed as questionable after going off for 34 point and 15 boards in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. Should he miss, everything we’ve said about this Mavericks defense would be moot, but there’s no clear indication that he will indeed sit this one out.
Dallas has actually looked pretty solid offensively in the last two weeks, shooting at the sixth-best clip from the mid-range and 13th at the rim, but in taking the fewest shots from 3 on average this team’s efficiency has cratered. The tough news here, though, is that L.A. ranks fourth in rim defense and 12th against the mid-range over that same span and has done a decent enough job of running opponents off the three-point line with the 14th-highest shot frequency in the zone.
All in all, I think both defenses should have a chance to shine here. The Clippers, like the Mavericks, have taken a bundle of shots out of the mid-range and both sides have been strong slowing opponents in that area. Dallas has critically been an excellent three-point defense to boot, which should strip L.A. of its ability to run up the score.
The Mavericks have looked much better lately with their run of wins and are now 4-1 against the spread in their last five as underdogs. With how frequently they’ve played to the Over, I’ll side with the points rather than the total in a game which should feature very few soft spots defensively.
Mavericks vs Clippers same-game parlay
Mavericks +11
Spencer Dinwiddie Over 6.5 assists
Ivica Zubac Over 17.5 points
Yes, we did highlight both defenses above, but that doesn’t mean we can’t play some Overs here. First and foremost, we’ll take a look at the fact that the Clippers have been one of the top 10 teams in terms of assists allowed per 100 possessions and back Spencer Dinwiddie as our primary target.
Dinwiddie has taken on a great deal of importance here without Irving, going for eight or more assists in three straight, and on top of that he’s going to be passing inside a ton with Dallas’ focus on inside scoring and L.A.’s strength on the perimeter.
The Mavericks should have some semblance of success in this area, and on the flip side they do rank in the bottom half of the league against short mid-range shots which should open things up for Ivica Zubac. This is his primary shooting zone, and he’s taken on a massive role offensively for the Clippers with 18.5 points per game in his last eight contests.
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Mavericks vs Clippers odds
Mavericks vs Clippers live odds
Mavericks vs Clippers opening odds
- Spread: Dallas +6.5 (-110) | Los Angeles -6.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Dallas +220 | Los Angeles -270
- Over/Under: Over 224 (-110) | Under 224 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Mavericks vs Clippers spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Mavericks are an impressive 14-13-1 against the spread as road underdogs despite going 37-38-2 in all games.
- The Clippers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10.
- The Over has cashed in 70.4% of Dallas’ 28 games played as road dogs.
- LA is just 18-19 to the Over at home this season and 10-13-1 as a home favorite.
Mavericks vs Clippers trend
The Dallas Mavericks have hit the Game Total Over in 25 of their last 38 away games (+11.80 Units / 28% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Clippers.
How to watch Mavericks vs Clippers
| Location | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA |
| Date | Friday, 4-4-2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FanDuel Sports Network – SoCal, KFAA |
Mavericks vs Clippers latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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