Mavericks vs Suns Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Thursday, January 26th

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

Mavericks vs Suns NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns
Where: Phoenix at Footprint Center
Date: Thursday, January 26th
Betting Odds PHO -1.5, DAL +101 | PHO -121 O/U 222.5

The Mavericks come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 25-24. So far, the team has gone 16-31-2 against the spread. Over the Mavericks current 2 game losing streak, they have an average scoring differential of -7.5 points per game.

The Mavericks are coming off a disappointing 127-126 loss to the Wizards. Going into the game, they were favored to win by 7 points. Dallas was not able to turn things around in the 2nd half, as they trailed the Wizards by 1 going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Luka Doncic, as he contributed 41 points while hitting 55.2% of his shots.

So far, the Suns have put together an overall record of 25-24, while going 25-22-2 vs the spread. The Suns entered today’s game having picked up 4 straight wins. This has come on an average scoring differential of 10.75 points per game.

The Suns will look to keep things rolling, as they previously beat the Hornets by a score of 128-97. Heading into the game, they were 7 point favorites against the spread, giving them an ATS win. Phoenix went on to win the game, as they led by 11 heading into halftime. In the win, Cameron Johnson led the team in scoring with 24 points on a field goal percentage of 81.8%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

I Last year, the Mavericks saw a drop in overall scoring when playing the Suns, averaging 101.0 points per game. Like the Mavericks, the Suns scored at a rate below their season average, finishing with 108.67 points per game vs Dallas. The ATS record across the previous 5 head-to-head meetings is 4-1 in favor of the Mavericks. In these matchups, Dallas has averaged 110 points per game, while allowing 100. The over-under record in these same games is 2-3, with the teams combining for an average of 210 points per game.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

Through 49 games, Dallas is averaging 112.9 points per game (21st). When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Mavericks are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 96.7 per contest. 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, Dallas is just 30th in shots made inside the arc.

On the defensive end of the floor, the Mavericks are giving up an average of 104.72 points per game, good for 2nd in the NBA.

Point-Guard Luka Doncic currently leads the Mavericks at 33.8 points per game. For the season, he is 4th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 27.4% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Doncic is averaging 9.1 boards and 8.6 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 24th ranked defense at defending point-guards. Spencer Dinwiddie enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 48 games, he is averaging 16.9 and is 158th in the league in player efficiency rating.

For the season, the Suns offensive unit is ranked just 19th in scoring at 113.0 points per contest. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Suns are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.0 per contest. This slow style of play has made a difference in their overall scoring numbers, as Phoenix is just 17th in made field goals per game.

Against the Mavericks, the Suns will look to continue their strong defensive play. For the year, they are the 9th ranked unit at 107.33 points per game.

A key injury to note in this game is the absence of the Suns 2nd leading scorer, Devin Booker. In his 29 games, Booker is averaging 27.1 points per game while dishing out 5.6 assists and grabbing 4.6 rebounds. In his absence, the team will be looking for even more production out of Mikal Bridges, who leads the team and is 78th in the NBA at 16.4 points per contest. For the season, he has connected on 45.8% of his field goal attempts while taking 14.6% of the team’s shots from the floor.