Free NBA Picks Today: Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trail Blazers 12/16/22

Free NBA Picks Today: Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trail Blazers 12/16/22
Fri 16th December 2022

Expect a slow-paced game when the Portland Trail Blazers (16-12, 9-6 Away) head to face the Dallas Mavericks (14-14, 11-5 Home) on Friday. Portland topped the San Antonio Spurs 128-112 at AT&T Center on Wednesday, their third straight win. With 37 points and eight assists, Damian Lillard had a standout performance. The Trail Blazers are sixth in the Western Conference.

Dallas came up short on Wednesday at American Airlines Center, falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-90. Luka Doncic had 30 points and six assists in the losing effort, carrying the team. The Mavericks are the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

It’s the final meeting of the season between the teams. After taking the only previous season game against Portland 117-112 at American Airlines Center on November 12, their fifth straight head-to-head victory, Dallas will be pursuing a season sweep.

Doncic led the Mavericks with a triple double, posting 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Jerami Grant had 37 points in the loss.Anfernee Simons and Grant, averaging 23.7 and 22.4 points per game, respectively, have led the Blazers in scoring this season. Both are among the league’s top scorers, as Simons is No. 1 and Grant is first.

Simons also has dished 4.5 assists per game, most in the league. Meanwhile, Jusuf Nurkic is grabbing 10.3 rebounds per game. Doncic (33.0 ppg) has supplied much of the Mavs’ offense. He is the top scorer in the league. Doncic has also posted 8.4 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, for which he ranks first and first in the NBA, respectively.

Half-court execution will be of utmost importance in this matchup that showcases two of the league’s slowest-paced teams, as the Mavericks and the Trail Blazers rank 30th and 28th, respectively, in possessions per game.

The Mavericks have had success in the last 10 matchups between the teams at American Airlines Center, winning six. Portland is 6-4 in the last 10 games with an average margin of +2.7 (118.7-116.0). For the season, the Trail Blazers are averaging 112.6 points per game, compared to 111.6 for opponents.

Dallas has split the last 10 (5-5), allowing 116.3 points per game on average while scoring only 115.4 (-0.9 margin). The Mavericks are averaging 111.1 ppg for the full season while allowing 109.9.

MAVERICKS HOT/COLD

(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Assists per game:
Spencer Dinwiddie: 7.2 | 5.3 | +1.9

SportsTips’ NBA Pick:

Dallas Mavericks (-165)

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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.

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