Mavericks vs Suns Preview: Plenty to Chew on In Star-Studded Match
Could This Fun Matchup Lead to An Upset?
Recent Trends Could Favor Dallas Against Phoenix
The final NBA game on Christmas Day could be the most entertaining as we have a mini All-Star game with bitter rivals going head-to-head. From a betting perspective, the NBA odds have Phoenix as five-point chalk. Dallas has covered four of its last five lines facing Phoenix as the underdog. The total is set at 225.5 and this could be modest as this Mavericks vs Suns preview uncovers the history behind these teams.
Dallas Mavericks (16-11), Phoenix Suns (14-13)
Date, time:
Location: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
Streaming: Live Sports Stream
The Narratives: Will They Impact the Game?
The most obvious narrative in this Mavericks vs Suns preview is the “reunion” between old friends and old enemies. Dallas’s Luka Doncic rekindles his rivalry with Devin Booker while his teammate, Kyrie Irving plays his buddy and former teammate, Kevin Durant. This is if Irving plays.
The eight-time All-Star has been sidelined with a foot injury. We recently got positive developments on his injury so there is a chance he returns for this game. Folks will have to monitor the latest news to get a concrete status. Dallas is 6-4 without Irving this season. And he’s not the only star absent.
Phoenix will be without Bradley Beal, the superstar swingman they acquired from Washington. He’s played in just six games thanks to his myriad of ailments. The Suns are 11-10 without him.
But of course, all eyes will be on Doncic and Booker. These stars have quietly had it for each other. It came to a boil during the 2022 NBA Playoffs where Dallas upset the Suns in a bitter series. But overall, Booker is 12-6 in head-to-head meetings with Doncic even if the latter outscored him in 11 of the 18 games.
Since their playoff match, Mavericks-Suns games have been highly competitive. Three of their last four games were decided by no more than four points. In a national TV setting on Christmas Day, it could be another nail-biter. And with Dallas being given five points, it might be the better NBA prediction despite its record as an underdog.
Recent Trends Lean on Dallas and The ‘Over’ in The Total
The Mavericks should be the better bet as underdogs. But this comes with a few red flags. For one, Dallas is only 1-4 ATS as a road underdog despite being 9-5 as a whole, straight-up. However, Phoenix is a good matchup for it. Dallas is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 meetings with Phoenix. And the Suns have struggled at home.
The Suns are just 7-8 at the Footprint Center with a brutal 5-10 ATS record. Two of the Spurs’ four wins even came here and this was when both Booker and Durant played. This is unbecoming of a team with short NBA odds to win the championship.
Phoenix has a porous defense at 118.1. It pits this against Dallas, which has a top-10 offense on the road (116.5). The host will be tough to bet given these stats. But another market to explore is the total on this Mavericks vs Suns preview.
We have two teams better at scoring the ball than stopping the opponent. It can lead to a shootout. Ten of Dallas’s 14 road games have gone over the total and 11 of Phoenix’s 15 home games have as well.
Scores have typically been low when Dallas and Phoenix play each other. It’s an average of 215 points with neither team hitting the 110-point mark. But the makeup of these teams is much different now. Thanks to the Irving and Beal trades, Dallas and Phoenix have less depth and worse defense.
Dallas has patched up its defense but is still giving up nearly 118 points on the road. And Phoenix gives up nearly 117 at home. Their opponents shoot at around 48% from the field and nearly 37% from deep. Either way you cut it, bettors should look to bet the ‘over’.
