Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks Predictions 1/20/22

When: Thursday January 20 2022, 10:00 PM (ET)

Where: American Airlines Center: Dallas Texas

TV: TNT

Point Spread: PHX -2.5/DAL +2.5 (Opened at PHX -2 at MyBookie – Use bonus promo code PREDICT100 and receive a 100% REAL CASH bonus on your first deposit up to $300!)

Total: 213 (Opened at 213)

Money Line: Phoenix -138/Dallas +115)

Power Rating: PHO -8.5

Probable Starting Lineups

Suns: PG Chris Paul, SG Devin Booker, SF Mikal Bridges, PF Jae Crowder, C JaVale McGee

Mavericks: PG Luka Doncic, SG Jalen Brunson, SF Dorian Finney-Smith, PF Maxi Kleber, C Kristaps Porzingis

Key Injuries

Suns
Deandre Ayton: ankle (QUESTIONABLE) Frank Kaminsky: knee (OUT) Abdel Nader: conditioning (QUESTIONABLE) Dario Saric: knee (OUT)

Mavericks
Reggie Bullock: knee (QUESTIONABLE) Willie Cauley-Stein: illness (OUT) Maxi Kleber: knee (QUESTIONABLE)

The Phoenix Suns enter today’s game, having won 4 straight games.
In their past ten contests, the Suns’ have played above .500 basketball, going 8-2. As the road team, the Suns travel to Dallas with a positive plus-minus rating of 7.4 points. Overall, the Suns are ranked 2nd among NBA teams in point differential (5.5). Among NBA teams, they have played the 16th toughest schedule.

For bettors, taking the Phoenix Suns to cover the spread has been a winning bet as they have covered in 55.80% of their games. Their season-long plus-minus against the spread is 1.9.

On offense, the team’s leading scorer is SG Devin Booker. So far, Booker is averaging 24.56 points per game. This output places him 2nd among shooting guards. Booker also leads the team in three-pointers made, averaging 2.72 threes per game on a shooting percentage of 40%.
JaVale McGee has been in charge of cleaning up the glass, hauling in 6.97 boards per game.

The Dallas Mavericks enter today’s game, having won 4 straight games. In their past ten contests, the Mavericks have played at an above .500 rate, going 9-1. As they get set to host the Suns, Dallas has a positive home plus-minus of 3.5 points. Overall the Mavericks are ranked 8th among NBA teams in point differential (1.6). This has come while playing 19th toughest schedule.

For bettors, taking the Phoenix Suns to cover the spread has been a winning bet as they have covered the spread in 52.30% of their games. Their season-long plus-minus against the spread is 1.6.

On offense, the team’s leading scorer is PG Luka Doncic, averaging 25.1 points per game in addition to his 8.7 assists, also good for the top mark on the team. The Mavericks’ best three-point shooter has been Tim Hardaway Jr., connecting on 2.47 shots from downtown per game, while Kristaps Porzingis is grabbing 7.9 rebounds per contest.

An Eye On Pace

Coming into this game, the Phoenix Suns are among the league leaders in field goal attempts per game, averaging 89.3 shots per game (7th). On the other side, the Mavericks have played a more deliberate style of basketball, ranking 23rd in field goal attempts. Between the two teams, Dallas is more likely to find their scoring from beyond the arc, ranking 9th in three-point field goal attempts compared to Phoenix at 25th.

Key Matchups

A key reason for the Phoenix Suns’ season-long success is their ability to score the ball efficiently, ranking in the top 10 in shooting efficiency from both inside and beyond the arc. As for Dallas, if they are going to pull off the upset, it will be due to their ability to hit outside shots. So far, the team has the 3rd fewest points in the paint and get to the line at a below-average rate.

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The Historicals

Tonight’s game between the Mavericks and Suns will be their second meeting of the season, with the Suns already having won twice.

How the Public is betting the Mavericks vs. Suns

75% are betting the Hornets against the spread.

71% are wagering on the game to go Over the posted total of 211

Betting Trends Worth Noting

• Suns are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight-up win.
• Suns are 5-1 ATS in their last six games as a road favorite.
• Mavericks are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as an underdog.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

Heading into this game, the Phoenix Suns enter as -2.5 road favorites. I recommend taking the Dallas Mavericks to finish within this margin in what should be a tightly contested game. With Deandre Ayton listed as out for tonight’s matchup, I expect Luka Doncic to take advantage of the Suns’ lack of interior depth.

Prop Bets Worth Wagering

In this matchup, I will actually be playing the under for both Luka Doncic and Devin Booker play props. On the season, the Mavericks and Suns have been two of the league’s better defensive units, holding their opponents below the league average in effective field goal percentage. On an unrelated note, check out what the Predictem Pros are betting in this weekend’s NFL!