One of the most interesting NBA games for today is the duel between Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, scheduled for Friday, 02:30 AM BST, so I have prepared a few of my favourite Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets predictions for you.
In addition to this, I'll offer in-depth Mavericks vs Rockets preview, including latest form of both teams, injuries and other news, and betting odds. So, let's take a closer look at this game and what we can expect from it.
Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets predictions
Home team total points
Over 116.5
10/11
Player to score 30+ points
Luka Doncic
4/6
Player to score 25+ points
Jalen Green
11/10
All Mavericks vs Rockets odds were taken from Paddy Power and are subject to change at any time.
Dallas Mavericks over 116.5 total points
The Mavs are one of the best offensive teams in the league, which isn't a surprise when you have Doncic and Irving in the same lineup, so I expect them to show it against Houston tonight. After all, Dallas Mavericks have scored 117+ points in three of their four duels with the Rockets last season.
With that in mind and considering that the Mavs have scored at least 120 points twice in four games this season, the first of my Mavs vs Rockets predictions is for the home team go over 116.5 total points.
Luka Doncic to score 30+ points
For two seasons in a row the Slovenian has averaged more than 30 points per game and while he only went over 30 once in four games this season, he's still averaging 26.8 points per game.
On top of this, Doncic has scored more than 30 points in all three games against the Rockets in which he played last season and while the Rockets have been solid defensively so far, I still expect Doncic to lead the Mavs tonight in scoring, which is why Doncic to score 30+ points is my next Mavericks vs Rockets prediction.
Jalen Green to score 25+ points
I said in my season preview that I expect Jalen Green to have a breakout season and the guard has proven me right so far since he's averaged 28.8 points per game in the first four fixtures.
Green has scored more than 25 points in three of those first four games and I don't see why he can't do the same against the Mavs as well, especially since he's taking 20+ shots per game without exception this season.
Mavs vs Rockets preview – teams news, injuries, and predicted lineups
Despite relatively difficult schedule to start the season, the Mavs were able to win three of their four games, only losing to the Suns. As the reigning Western Conference champions, Dallas are certainly one of the top favourites to secure a high seed, especially since they arguably improved the team during the summer, so their good start is not really surprising.
Meanwhile, Maxi Kleber and Dante Exum are still out with injuries, but the Mavericks overall have a good situation when it comes to the health of their key players.
The Mavericks enter this match with a 3-1 record.
Mavericks starting lineup: Irving, Doncic, Thompson, Washington, Gafford
Given that Houston have been playing away from home mostly to start the season, with three of their four games being away games, two wins and two losses is not a bad start for a young team that hopes to push for the playoffs this season.
When it comes to team news, the Rockets are in pretty good situation since only Steven Adams is currently on the team's injury list and he is also a game-time decision for tonight.
The Rockets enter this match with a 2-2 record.
Rockets starting lineup: VanVleet, Green, Brooks, Smith Jr, Sengun
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