Mavericks vs Rockets Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, December 23rd

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

Mavericks vs Rockets NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets
Where: Houston at Toyota Center
Date: Friday, December 23rd
Betting Odds HOU +6, DAL -242 | HOU +193 O/U 222.0

The Mavericks come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 16-16. So far, the team has gone 11-19-2 against the spread. In the teams past 3 games, their overall mark sits at 1-2. Dallas is 2-1 vs the spread in these matchups.

In their previous game, the Mavericks took down the Timberwolves by a score of 104-99. Not only did they come away with a straight up win, but they also covered the spread as 2 point favorites. Although Dallas trailed the Timberwolves going into halftime, by the end of the 3rd quarter they had taken the lead. Leading the team in scoring was Luka Doncic, as he contributed 25 points while hitting 50.0% of his shots.

So far, the Rockets have put together an overall record of 9-22, while going 13-16-2 vs the spread. Today, the Rockets will be looking to snap a 4 game losing streak. The team has lost these games by an average of -10.0 points per contest.

The Rockets are coming off a dissappointing 116-110 loss to the Magic. Going into the game, they were favored to win by 1 points. Houston went on to lose the game despite leading by 10 heading into halftime. In the loss, Kevin Porter Jr. led the team in scoring with 31 points on a field goal percentage of 63.2%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

I In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Mavericks averaged 117.25 points per game vs Houston, which was an increase over their season-long average. However, the Rockets actually averaged fewer points per game than their season-long mark. Across their head-to-head matchups with Dallas, the team averaged 100.75 points per game. Across the previous 5 meetings between the teams, the Mavericks have an average scoring margin of +12 points per game, leading to an ATS mark of 3-2. A combined average of 212 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 1-3-1.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

The Mavericks come into today’s game as the 22nd ranked scoring offense at 110.9 points per game. So far, the Mavericks are averaging 96.4 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Not only does the team’s offense play at a slower pace, but they their overall lack of efficiency has them ranked 29th in made field goals per game.

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

On offense, Luka Doncic leads the Mavericks in scoring at 32.2 points per game, placing him 2nd in the NBA. Overall, Doncic has hit 49.4% of his shots while accounting for 26.7% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 10th in points allowed to point-guards. At 16.6 points per game, Spencer Dinwiddie is the 2nd leading scorer for the Mavericks. For the season, he is 107th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 46.3%.

For the season, the Rockets offensive unit is ranked just 28th in scoring at 109.5 points per contest. So far, the Rockets are averaging 99.2 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. A key aspect of the team’s offensive struggles is the fact that they not only play at a slow pace, but they struggle to score inside. Heading into today’s game, Houston is just 21st in shots made inside the arc.

Currently, the Rockets defense is ranked 30th in points allowed. So far, opposing teams are averaging 118.2 points per game vs the unit.

Shooting Guard Jalen Green currently leads the Rockets at 21.3 points per game. For the season, he is 39th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 19.9% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Green is averaging 4.2 boards and 3.6 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 11th ranked defense at defending shooting guards. Kevin Porter Jr. enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 30 games, he is averaging 18.9 and is 175th in the league in player efficiency rating.