The Sacramento Kings will look to make up a game in the standings as they host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday for the second time in four nights in a virtual NBA odds pick ‘em.
Both Dallas (43-29) and Sacramento (42-30) last played on Tuesday, when the Mavericks beat the Kings 132-96. That left Dallas a game ahead of Sacramento in the standings, just inside the cut to avoid the Play-In Tournament for the Western Conference.
Dallas has been playing its best basketball of the season lately, and its dynamic backcourt is extremely difficult for any opponent to slow down. We’ll take a look at what to expect in this rematch in our free NBA picks and predictions for Mavericks vs. Kings on March 29.
Mavericks vs Kings predictions
My best bet: Mavericks moneyline (-102 at FanDuel)
When Dallas’ backcourt combination of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving is playing to its full capacity, this team is a problem for even the best opponents. That was proven once again on Tuesday, as Doncic and Irving combined for 52 points in the win over the Kings.
Doncic has been otherworldly this season, averaging 33.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game on the year. Irving has provided both off-the-ball scoring (25.3 ppg) and can take some of the point guard duties away from Doncic in stretches, averaging 5.3 assists on the season.
While this combination hasn’t always produced the best results — see the 2022-23 season — it seems to be firing on all cylinders at the moment. Dallas has won nine of its last 10 games and is not only up to the sixth seed in the Western Conference, but is still in striking distance of grabbing home-court advantage in its first-round playoff series if it can finish the season strong.
Sacramento has a similar record to the Mavericks, but has reached this point in a very different way. De’Aaron Fox (26.5 ppg) has emerged as the leading scorer on a team filled with talented threats, including triple-double threat Domantas Sabonis (19.7 ppg), Malik Monk (15.6 ppg), and Keegan Murray (14.9 ppg), who has continued to shine in his second season in the league.
In the first game against Dallas, however, that wasn’t enough to even keep the Kings in the game. Fox was held to just 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting, and the team as a whole shot only 38.9% from the field. That’s a bit surprising to see, as Dallas is neither particularly efficient on defense nor does it like to play slowly, at least in terms of number of possessions per game.
We have to expect some regression on Friday, but it won’t be enough to make up the 36-point gap that we saw on Tuesday night. Not only does Dallas have superior talent when it is playing at its best, but it is also playing far better than Sacramento as of late. The Kings are just 4-3 in their last seven games, a stretch that included an embarrassing loss to the Washington Wizards.
This is Dallas’ game to lose, and the way the Mavs are playing right now, I don’t see a letdown coming tonight. I’m taking the Mavericks to win outright.
Mavericks vs Kings same-game parlay
Mavericks moneyline
Under 231.5
Luka Doncic 30+ points
Along with taking the Mavericks on the moneyline, I’ll throw in a bet on the Under for my same-game parlay. Both teams have trended towards the Under this year, and they combined for a total of just 126 points in the last meeting.
Let’s round out our SGP by picking Doncic to score at least 30 points tonight. Luka has scored at least 30 points in 11 of his last 16 games and is still averaging 31.8 ppg in March I expect him to back up those numbers against the Kings.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Mavericks vs Kings odds and trends
Mavericks vs Kings opening odds
- Spread: Dallas -1.5 (-110) | Sacramento +1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Dallas -120 | Sacramento +100
- Over/Under: Over 228 (-110) | Under 228 (-110)
Mavericks vs Kings spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Mavericks opened as a 1.5-point favorite, with Sacramento -1 now the consensus spread.
- The Mavericks are 41-31 against the spread this year, while Sacramento is 36-35-1 ATS.
- Tonight’s Over/Under opened at 230 points, with the total rising to 231.5 at most books as of early afternoon Friday.
- The Under is 39-33 when Dallas plays this season, as well as 37-35 in Sacramento’s games.
Mavericks vs Kings betting trend to know
Dallas is 9-1 in its last 10 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Kings.
Mavericks vs Kings game info
| Location: | Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA |
| Date: | Friday, March 29, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ABC |
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