Lakers vs. Mavericks Odds for Christmas Day: Luka & Co. Near Double-Digit Favorites (December 25)

Lakers vs. Mavericks Odds

The Dallas Mavericks are heavy home favorites on Christmas Day against the Los Angeles Lakers. Both of these teams are looking for a high-profile win after an underwhelming start to the season.

The Mavericks reached the Western Conference Finals last season after upsetting the Suns in the second round, but after losing Jalen Brunson as a free agent, they have taken a step back despite Luka Doncic playing like an MVP.

The Mavericks are eighth in Offensive Rating (115.6) and 14th in Defensive Rating (113.1) so far this season as they have been slightly better on offense and slightly worse on defense compared to last year. They enter Friday’s NBA action at .500 with a 16-16 record in ninth place in the Western Conference.

The Lakers have been one of the biggest disappointments of the season as they have the third-worst record in the West. LeBron James is doing his best, but the soon-to-be 38-year-old is putting up the fewest Points per 100 Shots (114.3) since his 2008 season. The Lakers rank outside the top 20 in the league in both Offensive and Defensive Efficiency as it’s hard to pinpoint any strengths on the roster outside of James and Anthony Davis.

Speaking of Davis, he was on a heater to begin the month before suffering a foot injury that will sideline him indefinitely. Russell Westbrook is having the least efficient scoring season of his career and is part of the lack of shooting surrounding James and Davis. The Lakers take the second-fewest 3s in the NBA (30.4% of shots) and are shooting them at the fifth-lowest percentage in the league (33.4%).