Hornets vs Mavericks Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, March 24th

Check out our free Hornets vs Mavericks pick and preview for this NBA game in Dallas. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Hornets vs Mavericks NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Charlotte Hornets at Dallas Mavericks
Where: Dallas at American Airlines Center
Date: Friday, March 24th
Betting Odds DAL -13, CHA +526 | DAL -791 O/U OFF

The Hornets come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 23-51. So far, the team has gone 31-38-5 against the spread. In the teams past 3 games, their overall mark sits at 1-2. Charlotte is 1-2 vs the spread in these matchups.

Not only did the Hornets drop their last game to the Pelicans. But they also picked up an ATS loss, as they fell by a score of 115-96 as 9 point underdogs. The game got away from Charlotte in the 2nd half, as the Pelicans extended their 5 point halftime lead to grab a 19 point win. In the loss, P.J. Washington led the team in scoring with 18 points on a field goal percentage of 35.0%.

The Mavericks come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 36-37. So far, the team has gone 29-42-2 against the spread. The Mavericks head into today’s action in the midst of a 2 game losing streak. Their average scoring differential in these defeats is -3.0.

The Mavericks will be looking to bounce back from a 127-125 loss to the Warriors. In terms of betting, Dallas entered as 3 point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. Dallas was not able to turn things around in the 2nd half, as they trailed the Warriors by 2 going into halftime. In the loss, Luka Doncic led the team in scoring with 30 points on a field goal percentage of 40.7%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

Going back to last season, the Hornets and Mavericks split their season series, with each team picking up a win at home. The average point total across the two games was 232.5 points. Similar to their season-long average, the Hornets averaged 112.5 points per game vs the Mavericks. On the other side, Dallas saw an improvement in their scoring numbers when playing the Hornets, as they averaged 114.0 points per game in these matchups. When looking at how these teams have performed against the spread in recent matchups, the Mavericks hold the edge at 3-2. However, the average scoring margin in these matchups has been tight, sitting at just 2 points per game. A combined average of 216 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

This season, the Charlotte offense is ranked 27th in the NBA in scoring at 111.1 points per game. In terms of pace, the Hornets are on the top units in the NBA, averaging 101.2 possessions per game. If the Hornets are going to turn things around on offense, they must improve their overall shooting efficiency. In particular, the 3-point shot has been problematic for the unit, as they are just 30th in 3-point shooting percentage.

Against the Mavericks, the Hornets will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 25th in points allowed.

This season, the Hornets offense has primarily worked through Terry Rozier and P.J. Washington who are 1st and 2nd on the team in scoring. In his 63 games, Rozier is 41st in the NBA at 21.1 points per game. So far, him and Washington have accounted for 35% of the team’s field goal attempts while combining to average 36.2 points per contest. In addition to sitting 2nd on the team in scoring, P.J. Washington is grabbing 4.8 rebounds for Charlotte to go along with 2.3 assists.

The Mavericks come into today’s game as the 17th ranked scoring offense at 113.9 points per game. So far, the Mavericks are averaging 96.8 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Although the Mavericks have a current effective field goal percentage of 56.4%, their below average pace of play is a key factor behind their mediocre scoring numbers.

Defensively, the Mavericks are one of the top performing units in the league, giving up 104.72 points per contest (2nd).

Before getting a bet down on this matchup, be sure to check in on the health status of Kyrie Irving who is 2nd on the team in scoring at 27.4 points per game. At the time of this article, Irving is listed as questionable. For the season, he is 2nd on the team in usage rate and is 29th in the NBA in player efficiency rating. If he is able to play, Dallas benefit from having both of their top scorers as Luka Doncic leads the team and is 2nd in the league in scoring (32.9). For today’s matchup, he will going against a defense ranked 4th in points allowed to point-guards.