The Dallas Mavericks (25-55) and San Antonio Spurs (61-19) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET from the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. The game will be broadcast live on KFAA.
The Spurs are 17.5-point favorites over the Mavericks on the spread (Spurs -17.5), with the over/under set at 234.5 total points. San Antonio is a -2500 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Dallas is +1050 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Mavericks vs. Spurs predictions and NBA picks for Friday, April 10.
Mavericks vs Spurs Prediction, Picks
- Mavericks vs Spurs picks: Mavericks +17.5, Under 234.5
My Spurs vs. Mavericks best bets are on Dallas to cover the spread and the game to stay under 234.5 total points. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Mavericks vs Spurs Odds
| Mavericks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -110 | 234.5 -110o / -110u | +1050 |
| Spurs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-17.5 -110 | 234.5 -110o / -110u | -2500 |
Mavericks vs Spurs NBA Preview
The Mavericks are 11-7 against the spread when they are double-digit underdogs this season. They have begun shutting down guys for the season, but Cooper Flagg is probable.
Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle are questionable; everyone else is a go for the Spurs.
Wembanyama needs just one more game to be eligible for postseason awards, and he’s likely to play on Sunday (more on that in a minute). If he does play, it’s likely he just plays 20 minutes to fulfill the requirement and then sits.
The Spurs are locked into the 2-seed; they can’t go up or down. There’s no reason for them to push in this game.
However, if they win on Sunday, they will likely have an opportunity to knock Denver into the 4-seed and put the Thunder and Nuggets on the other side of the bracket.
So, it makes a lot more sense for the Spurs to be cautious with this game and then more aggressive on Sunday. I won’t be surprised if starters see shortened minutes vs. the Mavericks.
Mavericks vs Spurs Predictions, Betting Analysis
Mavericks +17.5
Dallas is still a pretty talented team even with their veterans out, and have developed some of the talent this year.
Marvin Bagley will compete on the interior, and the Mavericks have guards with some juice along with Flagg — even if they don’t have a lot of shooting.
I’ll take the Mavericks to cover in a game where they are the biggest underdogs they have been all season.
Under 234.5
The Mavericks’ defensive principles pretty much stay consistent. They are a respectable 18th in defensive efficiency despite their injuries and tanking.
Even without their starters, they have guys who will get after it. The Spurs’ offense can be a big of a grind, and with San Antonio likely to pull back on minutes, their offense should dip.
Most of their bench players are more multi-tool versatile components and less offensive fireplugs. Dylan Harper may go off, but I’d imagine a slower, grind-it-out-game from them.
There’s also the alternative here, where Wembanyama and Castle play, and the Spurs blow out the Mavericks by holding down a pretty helpless Mavericks offense.
Mavericks vs Spurs Best Bets
- Mavericks +17.5 (-110)
- Under 234.5 (-110)
