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The Dallas Mavericks (0-1) and Indiana Pacers (1-0) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The game will broadcast live on WTTV.
The Pacers are 7.5-point favorites on the spread over the Mavericks, with the over/under set at 240.5 total points. Indiana is a -265 moneyline favorite to win outright, while Dallas is listed as a +215 underdog to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Mavericks vs. Pacers predictions and NBA picks for Friday, October 23.
Mavericks vs Pacers Prediction
- Mavericks vs Pacers pick: Mavericks +7.5 (-110, DraftKings)
My Mavericks vs Pacers best bet is on Dallas to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
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Mavericks vs Pacers Odds
- Mavericks vs Pacers spread: Mavericks +7.5 (-110), Pacers -7.5 (-110)
- Mavericks vs Pacers over/under: 240.5 (-105o / -115u)
- Mavericks vs Pacers moneyline: Mavericks +215, Pacers -265
Mavericks vs Pacers NBA Preview
Dallas Mavericks Betting Preview
The Mavericks' year has certainly not started as hoped. At the season opener against the Rockets on Wednesday, Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. each tallied 30 points, and Alperen Sengun added 23 of his own.
Those efforts were enough to overshadow Cooper Flagg's 32-point outing, as the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year fell with his squad 128-110 in Houston.
This game was hardly ever in doubt. The Rockets outscored the Mavericks 38-12 in the second quarter to enter the half up 70-38. Houston's largest lead of the night was a whopping 37 points and it shot for 44% from deep.
The pessimist might point out that Flagg scored 30+ points on 11 separate occasions last season — third-most of any rookie this century — and that the Mavericks only managed to convert such excellence into 26 total wins.
However, one performance reminiscent of last year is not enough to overshadow the moves that Dallas made in the offseason. Look for 2024 first-overall pick Zaccharie Risacher to make an impact on the Mavs roster sooner rather than later.
Indiana Pacers Betting Preview
The Pacers, on the other hand, successfully made it out of the blocks, beating the Pelicans 123-120 in New Orleans on Wednesday night. Big man Pascal Siakam paced the squad (no pun intended) with 30 points and eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, in his first regular season game since 2025, Tyrese Haliburton didn't skip a beat and earned 23 points. Obi Toppin rounded out Indiana's leaders with 20 on the scoreboard.
This is not a team that many are expecting to make a serious championship run, but with Haliburton returned to the lineup, the Pacers should never be counted out of a game.
Mavericks vs Pacers Pick, Betting Analysis
Our Bet Labs system titled Road to Road, Early Year system targets NBA teams playing their second straight road game early in the season, at a time when travel fatigue is still minimal and motivation remains high.
Early in the year, teams tend to show greater focus and energy, especially when trying to establish rhythm and identity.
Oddsmakers often overvalue the difficulty of consecutive road games, assuming performance drops after one away trip. In reality, that effect is less pronounced toward the beginning of the year.
The spread range — greater than -6.5 — captures competitive matchups where the road team is not significantly overmatched, creating favorable value.
In these spots, effort and cohesion outweigh travel disadvantages. These teams often respond well to continuity and early adversity, making them strong against the number before midseason fatigue and variance set in.
The Mavs did lose their first game on the road, but one outing against a dangerous Rockets team (which earned 52 wins last season) is hardly reason to mourn the season.
Pick Dallas to avoid a blowout loss Friday night.
Pick: Mavericks +7.5 (-110, DraftKings)
