Mavericks vs Bulls Prediction
dallas mavericks preview
The Mavs are in a precarious position. They made it to the Western Conference Finals a few years ago, missed the playoffs last season, and have yet to surround Luka Doncic with a great supporting cast. They also owe the Slovenian superstar a large amount of money and cannot afford to exit the postseason early.
Dallas' recent slump is not a reflection of Luka's efforts on offense. He became the first player in NBA history to record a 35-point triple-double in four consecutive years, averaging 37.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 10.6 assists per month.
The Mavericks rank third in points per 100 possessions since the All-Star break. This means their problem wasn't putting the ball in the hole, but instead they struggled in other aspects of the game.
The team was 27th in rebounding percentage and last in defensive efficiency since the hiatus, behind teams like the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz. The most concerning part of this is that they became a strong defensive team after the trade and showed signs of having the potential to be much better than before.
Dallas' home net rating was +3.2, which drops to -2.2 on the road. Also, since the All-Star break, their net rating is -4.9, with just 4 wins and 5 losses.
The only previous meeting between the two teams took place in the fourth game of the season in Dallas on November 1st. The home team won 114-105 despite Kyrie Irving sitting out and Doncic scoring just 18 points on 5-of-16 shooting, but still finished 20-48 in three games. .
chicago bulls preview
The Bulls are in no-man's land, ninth in the East, but that doesn't mean they aren't showing glimpses of a team that could cause trouble for their first-round opponents if they can do that. We successfully passed the play-in tournament.
Just as the Mavs' net rating drops on the road, the Bulls' net rating goes from -3.4 away from home to +0.3 in the building. Despite this, they have a net rating of -7.8 and are just 1-3 since the All-Star break.
Chicago played at the second-slowest pace all season, but rose to 17th after normal play returned. This has allowed them to be more effective in transition and take advantage of more mismatches when the defense isn't set up, but they only rank 16th in defensive rating and 21st in offensive rating during this period. Therefore, the overall numbers have not improved yet.
DeMar DeRozan has improved his play after a slow first few months of the campaign. Since the beginning of February, he's averaged 26.8 points, 5.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds, with Ayo Dosunmun and Coby White also providing important guard play.
Nikola Vucevic also has three consecutive games with at least 22 points and 11 rebounds, which could be very important against a Dallas team that has been terrible on the boards and on defense.
No matter how bad the Mavs' defense is, the Bulls will need to hit threes to keep pace on offense. Since the All-Star break, they are 22nd on the field, shooting just 35 percent, while Dallas is ninth on 37.8 percent shooting.
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Mavericks vs. Bulls betting picks
This matchup is difficult to predict. Dallas is the better team, but they haven't been playing well lately and are noticeably worse when they go on the road.
Chicago has continued to play impressively, but they are playing at a new tempo that hasn't been great for their defense. They also don't have the offense to keep up the pace if this game turns into a shootout.
It's risky to trust Dallas with points, but that's our favorite play here. Luka is too hot and their roster is far more talented than has been shown lately.
How to watch Mavericks vs. Bulls on March 11, 2024
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when: Monday, 7:00pm/8:00pm Central Time/Eastern Time
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where: United Center, Chicago, IL.
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tv set: NBA League Pass
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