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Mavericks vs. Lakers Odds, Picks, Predictions: Will Lakers Prevail Over Luka-less Mavs?

Zachary Hanshew

Last Updated: March 17, 2023 1:47 PM EDT • 2 min 37 sec read.

Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers scores a basket as we look at the top Mavericks vs. Lakers pick
Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers scores a basket against Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks during the first half at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images via AFP.

The Dallas Mavericks head to Los Angeles in search of a much-needed victory against a Lakers squad on the verge of turning its season around. Read on for our top Mavericks-Lakers picks for Friday night.

The Mavericks will be without superstar guard Luka Doncic for yet another contest, and the team has struggled to cover and win when he’s been sidelined throughout the season. The Lakers will be without LeBron James, but the team has been rolling of late, thanks to key contributions from role players and excellent play from forward Anthony Davis.

Will the Lakers cover against the visiting Mavericks and move another step closer to the playoffs, or will the shorthanded Mavs steal a much-needed win on the road?

Here is our best Mavericks vs. Lakers pick (odds via DraftKings; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Mavericks vs. Lakers pick

Lakers -5.5 (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

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Doncic will be sidelined for a fourth straight game tonight, and the Mavs are in trouble. The team has lost two of its last three games without him, and it took overtime against a San Antonio Spurs team starting third and fourth-string options to secure the lone win. 

Despite getting a full practice in Thursday, Doncic is out, and fellow guards Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. are both questionable. Dallas is 4-9 straight up without Doncic this season, and the team’s offensive rating drops from 118.3 to 114.0 with him sidelined. The team’s net rating plummets from 1.9 to minus-5.1 with Doncic out of commission.

Check out our NBA best bets and best NBA parlays for Friday!

Of the team’s four wins without Doncic, one was the aforementioned victory over San Antonio, and one was with Irving in the lineup. While Irving is questionable, he’s been listed that way all week and has yet to play. This Mavericks team has struggled to cover all season, and missing Doncic certainly won’t help matters.

Los Angeles has won four of its last six games, and the playoff-hopeful Lakers should be highly motivated to earn another victory in front of the home crowd on Friday.

Mavericks vs. Lakers best odds

DraftKings (-110)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
Lakers -5.5Lakers -6Lakers -5.5Lakers -5.5Lakers -5.5
-110-110-110-110-110

All of our best NBA betting sites offer the same odds, but FanDuel is the only one offering this line at -6 rather than -5.5, so we’ll avoid it. The Lakers need to win by at least six points for this bet to win at -5.5, but a six-point victory at FanDuel would result in a push.

Since we need at least six points in either case, we’ll avoid the wager that doesn’t result in a win.

Mavericks vs. Lakers odds

Check out our NBA Finals odds and NBA MVP odds.

Mavericks vs. Lakers odds analysis

With Doncic out and key injuries mounting for Dallas, the Lakers opened as modest 4.5-point favorites, but that line has moved to -5.5 or -6 at some sports betting sites. Bettors favor Dallas to cover, with 55% of bets placed on that outcome.

The point total sits at 226.5, up three points from its opening line. Each team hit the Over in just two of its last six contests, but bettors are backing the Over at a 59% clip.

Mavericks vs. Lakers game info

  • Date: Friday, March 17, 10:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: NBA TV
  • Location: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

Mavericks-Lakers pick made 03/17/2023 at 11:55 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Zachary Hanshew
Zak is a lucky husband and blessed father of four. He’s been writing about sports since 2018 with prior stops at FantasyPros, RotoWire, and FantasyLabs. In addition to Sportsbook Review, you can find his work at NBC Sports Edge, Yahoo, and OwnersBox. When he’s not writing, Zak can be found playing the guitar, hanging out with his family, coaching his son’s basketball team, or laughing way too hard at old Simpsons episodes.