The Dallas Mavericks welcome the Los Angeles Clippers to the American Airlines Center. Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Monday, Mar. 7 and can be seen on FSW and C+D.
The Mavericks are expecting a better outcome after their 116-114 loss to the Nuggets on Sunday. Dirk Nowitzki was the game’s leading scorer with 30 points. The Clippers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 107-97 loss against the Hawks on Saturday. Los Angeles still lost despite the best efforts of DeAndre Jordan, who recorded his 37th double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Chandler Parsons has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Mavericks. During that stretch, he has averaged 22.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 3.0 three-pointers. Chris Paul has been hot for the Clippers. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 23.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Mavericks had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 118-108 win. Nowitzki finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds.
The Mavericks come into this game 33-30 Straight Up (SU) and 33-28-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 33-30 SU and 33-28-2 ATS against the Western Conference. The Mavericks are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .790 from the free throw line. Dallas is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.78.
Over on the other bench, the Clippers have 40-21 SU and 30-29-2 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Los Angeles is 40-21 SU and 30-29-2 ATS. Offensively, the Clippers have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 104.8 points per game by averaging 115.5 during that stretch. The Clippers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking fourth in the NBA at 1.79. The Clippers average 100.3 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 110.5 points per game during that span. The Los Angeles defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing .435 shooting from the field to its opponents.
Dallas beat Los Angeles in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake Los Angeles in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC
Notes
Los Angeles ranks sixth in points per game with 104.8, while Dallas ranks 15th in points allowed with an average of 102.6 given up.
Dallas ranks 17th in points allowed per home game (101.3 PPG), while Los Angeles ranks sixth in points per away game with 104.4.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Los Angeles Clippers are a stellar 29-3. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Dallas Mavericks have a poor record of 9-18.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Clippers are just 11-18 this season. Dallas is a solid 24-12 when registering triple digits.
The Mavericks have a defensive rating of 104.4 (ranked 17th), while the Clippers rank sixth for their offensive rating of 106.6.
Los Angeles has an average field goal percentage of 46.1% (ranked seventh). Dallas is an underachieving 9-21 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, Dallas attempts 28.0 three pointers and Los Angeles attempts 26.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Mavericks are even at 23-23 while the Clippers have a winning 22-14 record.
The Los Angeles Clippers are among the best in the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.79 (ranked fourth). Ranking fifth, the Dallas Mavericks have an A/TO of 1.78.
The Dallas Mavericks rebound 43.0 times per game and are ranked 17th. Ranked 20th, the Los Angeles Clippers rebound 42.8 times per game.
Dallas is ranked eighth in defensive rebounds, while Los Angeles ranks 25th in offensive rebounds.
Los Angeles is among the best in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.0% (ranked ninth). Dallas has a 10-11 record SU when its TOV% reaches 15.0% or greater.
