After a tough loss at the hand of the Milwaukee Bucks last night, the Brooklyn Nets are turning the page quickly — racing back home to welcome the Dallas Mavericks. Tonight’s contest represents an astute test and the first back-to-back sequence for the team this year.
Last season, Brooklyn’s two-game set vs Dallas was riddled with intensity. Both games went down to the wire, with the Nets seizing the first one and the Mavs taking the second one thanks to a buzzer-beating triple from old friend Spencer Dinwiddie.
These teams mirror each other at this point in the season as well. Both squads stand at just one win apiece. Tonight offers a chance for each team to turn things around before the “slow start” narrative begins to build around them. Here’s everything you need to know.
Brooklyn Nets vs Dallas Mavericks Odds, Moneyline, Over/Under
The Nets come into tonight’s contest as the underdogs via a +3 point spread. Their moneyline odds are at +122 and the game’s over/under currently sits at 225 points. All figures are via FanDuel.
With Durant and Irving, the Nets will always enter a game with a chance to win, hence why tonight’s spread is so minimal. However, it makes sense for Brooklyn to assume the underdog role with this again being the latter part of a back-to-back and Dallas coming off a rest day.
With that fatigue, the over/under does feel a bit suspect though. Expect a big game for Doncic against this tired Nets team that already struggles to defend the cylinder. The same goes for Irving, as Dallas does not have a guard-stopping defender.
Even with Dallas being the fifth best defense in opponent scoring thus far, Irving is just different. Between his matchups and that of Doncic against the winded Nets, I see this game reaching 230+ point territory.
Brooklyn Nets vs Dallas Mavericks Lineups
With Joe Harris looking solid in his first few games back, many expected him to re-take his starting position. Even if he does though, it will not happen tonight. Harris will rest, almost guaranteeing we see the same lineup from the team’s first four games.
Brooklyn Nets Starting Five:
- PG: Ben Simmons
- SG: Kyrie Irving
- SF: Kevin Durant
- PF: Royce O’Neale
- C: Nic Claxton
Dallas Mavericks Starting Five:
- PG: Luka Doncic
- SG: Spencer Dinwiddie
- SF: Reggie Bullock
- PF: Dorian Finney-Smith
- C: JaVale McGee
Brooklyn Nets vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction
Tonight’s game vs Dallas might force Nets fans to look away. The Mavs currently possess the league’s highest rebound percentage, making them a unit perfectly equipped to exploit Brooklyn’s biggest weakness.
Dallas’s offense also works efficiently even despite their excess of isolation plays, boasting the league’s highest true shooting percentage. Overall defense represents Brooklyn’s second largest flaw, so Dallas poses a significant threat there as well.
Adding that on top of Brooklyn’s limited rest and Dallas’s excess of it, this has all the makings of an ugly home showing for the Nets much like their first game vs New Orleans. I expect Dallas to win and cover tonight’s spread with ease.
Prediction: Brooklyn Nets 101, Dallas Mavericks 128
Brooklyn Nets Up Next
After a rough first five games, the road eases up for Brooklyn with two games against the lottery-bound Indiana Pacers. The first of which will take place at home on Saturday with the second one on the road Monday evening.
Brooklyn won all their contests vs the Pacers last year. After a potential 1-4 start to the season, they need to take these two to stay afloat in the East. As it stands now, Indiana sits at 1-4 themselves. However, their ambitions for this year remain significantly shorter than Brooklyn’s.