The New Orleans Pelicans (2-13) and Dallas Mavericks (4-12) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. EST from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The game will broadcast live on KFAA.
The Mavericks are 3.5-point favorites over the Pelicans on the spread (Mavericks -3.5), with the over/under set at 233.5 total points. Dallas is a -160 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while New Orleans is +140 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Pelicans vs. Mavericks predictions and NBA picks for Friday, November 21.
My Pelicans vs Mavericks Prediction
- Pelicans vs Mavericks picks: Mavericks -3.5 (-115), Under 233.5 (-110)
My Mavericks vs Pelicans best bets are on Dallas to cover the spread and the under, with the best price tags currently available at bet365. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Pelicans vs Mavericks Odds
| Pelicans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -105 | 233.5 -110 / -110 | +140 |
| Mavericks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -115 | 233.5 -110 / -110 | -160 |
Pelicans vs Mavericks NBA Preview
This is it. We’ve found rock bottom for the Mavericks.
They are 3.5-point favorites against the miserable, no-good, fired-their-coach New Orleans Pelicans in this game.
I make the spread for this matchup -5.5, with priors, which were higher on the Pels and lower on the Mavericks, and -6.9 on in-season-only data.
The Mavericks are still a good defensive team in terms of eFG%, second-chance points allowed, etc. They still have bodies on the interior.
The Pelicans struggle offensively in all sorts of situations.
This reeks of a slugfest.
Pelicans vs Mavericks Prediction, Betting Analysis
The fact that this is a Cup game doesn’t really matter here; both teams are basically out of it with two losses.
It’s possible that James Borrego and Derik Queen’s emergence changes this.
However, I think this is finally the buy-back spot on a bad Mavericks team.
I also love the under, neither team can score effectively.
The Mavs have an offensive advantage (which is so rare), but they are turnover prone.
Pelicans vs Mavericks Best Bets
- Mavericks -3.5 (-115)
- Under 233.5 (-110)
Spread
I'm backing the Mavericks to cover the spread in this game.
Moneyline
No play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I will also be taking the under at 233.5.
