Tonight's Mavericks vs. Pacers picks, predictions, and odds

Today's game between the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers could be subtitled “All Gas, No Breaks.”

These two historically great offenses are led by unique and dynamic lead guards who are rated as two of the five best offensive players in the NBA. Luka Doncic and Tyrese Haliburton are at the center of everything these teams do, but they impact games in completely different ways.

Luka slams the ball (and opponents) into submission, while Haliburton is a master advantage creator who chooses to pass rather than score himself. A clash of styles will make for an interesting matchup on Sunday, February 25th.

In my NBA picks and predictions for Mavericks vs. Pacers, I believe Dallas is undervalued in Sunday's NBA odds.

Mavericks vs Pacers odds

Mavericks vs. Pacers Prediction

Sunday's tilt between the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers will be one of the most explosive one-game matchups we'll see all season, so hopefully you'll like the offense.

Both teams have a lot going on, but I think the Mavericks have something they can build a more viable identity into, while the Pacers have made some key additions (and deletions) to their roster. We're still exploring a few things.

Dallas is currently in the best part of its season. The Mavericks went 6-1 against the spread in that game, winning their seventh straight game.

They've been crushing teams since the trade deadline, but while their additions are solid, it's more important that Kyrie Irving is healthy. He missed six straight games at the deadline in February, and his return coincided with this dominant stretch for Dallas.

Luka Doncic demands a lot of attention defensively, allowing Kyrie to manipulate and dominate matchups on a nightly basis. He can also run attacks when Luka is sitting, playing at a blistering pace that is in stark contrast to the more cautious Slovenian superstar.

It was a one-two punch as powerful as any offensive duo in the NBA, and most teams cowered under the pressure on defense.

The Mavericks' efficiency difference with Doncic on the court is +6.3, compared to +9.2 in Irving's playing time, which increases to +9.6 when they share the court at the same time. When healthy, they are a deadly duo.

The Pacers have a strong team in Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, but are still figuring out how to play together. The lineups in which they play without each other both thrive, but their +6 difference as a duo is relatively underwhelming given their individual brilliance.

The Dallas pairing has been going particularly well lately. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Mavs have outscored the spread by +12.9 points in their last four games. They played some weaker opponents during this period, but also crushed the Suns and Thunder.

These wins mean more to me than anything the Pacers have done recently. I think this line is more likely to move further in the Mavericks' favor than Chip, so I'm happy to get it at -1.

my best bet: Mavericks -1 (-105 with bet 365)

Mavericks vs Pacers same game parlay

Mavericks -1.5

PJ Washington 4.5+ rebounds

Kyrie Irving over 4.5 rebounds

Indiana has many strengths as a team, but they are brutal defensively. Myles Turner has never been a positive rebounder as a center, and other than Siakam, the rest of the team is all about 6-foot-5 players.

According to Cleaning the Glass, their opponents' offensive rebound rate is 28.9%, the fourth worst in the league. That's why, in addition to supporting the Mavericks in coverage, I prefer a pair of rebound props to close out Sunday's SGP.

The Mavs did not trade P.J. Washington because of his performance on the glass, but he is averaging six rebounds per game in his last 10 games and has grabbed at least five boards in nine straight games. .

Kyrie is also a player who hasn't traditionally been considered an otherworldly rebounder, but he's continued to do yeoman's work on the boards in recent weeks. Irving has grabbed five or more rebounds in nine of the last 10 games.

This game also needs to be played at a ferocious pace. More possession means more rebound opportunities.

Learn how to bet on same game parlays with these helpful tips and strategies.

Mavericks vs. Pacers spread and over/under analysis

The Pacers opened as -1.5 favorites, but that flips to Dallas being -1.5 at most sportsbooks.

Many believed that Indiana would start steadily climbing up the East standings if they acquired Pascal Siakam, but the Pacers have struggled with consistency. They are just 3-6 ATS in their last nine games. That includes straight-up losses to the then-Hornets and close wins over the likes of the Raptors.

Just to be clear, this isn't because Siakam wasn't doing well. Pascal was everything they wanted and more. That's partly because the Pacers traded away Buddy Hield, and that elite spacing served as an extension of the power of Haliburton's play.

Benedict Mathurin is a promising player, but opposing teams don't respect his outside jumper, and Hield caused justifiable fear. The difference between the two has a huge ripple effect on the Pacers' offense.

Sunday's total started at 249.5 and has been rising steadily. As of this writing, the sportsbook's highest score was 251.5.

The Mavericks' defense is perhaps the most surprising part of this recent development. They have played the best defense in the NBA over the last four games, holding opponents to just 101.8 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass.

I don't think the Mavs are suddenly better than the Timberwolves defensively, but rounding out the big man rotation with Daniel Gafford and Washington would certainly help. It used to be that oil leaked during minutes or games when Lively sat, but now NBA-caliber players are playing five-man games for the entire 48 minutes.

Still, the Pacers will continue to score points. If Doncic doesn't try to go back in transition because he's worried about the officials, Haliburton & Co. will respond and score.

Mavericks vs. Pacers betting trends you need to know

The Mavericks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games. See more Mavericks vs. Pacers NBA betting trends.

Mavericks vs Pacers match information

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