The Dallas Mavericks (22-51) will try to snap their five-game losing streak when they take on the Sacramento Kings (24-50) at Golden 1 Center. The game starts at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, and will air on NBC Sports – California.
Sacramento opened as a 1.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 205 points.
Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings Betting Prediction
In the Mavericks’ last contest, they were beaten by the Charlotte Hornets, 102-98. Charlotte out-rebounded Dallas. The Hornets had 13 offensive rebounds and 62 total rebounds, while the Mavericks had five and 52, respectively. Dallas’ Nerlens Noel played well, putting up 10 points and 12 rebounds.
The Kings lost to the Boston Celtics in their last game, 104-93. Boston’s 0.167 free throw rate was their biggest strength over Sacramento, who had a rate of 0.122. The Celtics’ mark was below their season average of 0.187, while the Kings’ was below the 0.197 mark opponents have averaged against Boston this season. Buddy Hield had a solid performance for Sacramento, leading the team in scoring with 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting.
Half-court execution will be at a premium when a pair of the league’s slowest-paced teams face off. Sacramento currently ranks 28th in possessions per game (97.4) and Dallas is 25th (97.7).
Dallas comes into the contest with records of 22-51 straight up (SU) and 37-36 against the spread (ATS). Of the Mavericks’ 73 games, 38 have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Sacramento owns records of 24-50 SU and 35-36-3 ATS. Unlike Dallas, just over half of Kings games have finished over the O/U total.
Hield has averaged 21.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals over the last five games for Sacramento.
The Kings have won two out of three against the Mavericks this season, including a five-point victory in their last matchup. Sacramento covered as a 7-point underdog and the game finished with a total of 223 points, which was 17.5 points above the projected point total of 205.5 points. Sacramento had a better offensive rebounding percentage (13.2 vs. 10.8). Dallas, meanwhile, did a fantastic job of converting from the charity stripe (18-23; 78.3 percent). J.J. Barea had a double-double in the loss with 19 points and 13 assists.
Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings ATS Pick
NBA Tip: SU Winner – Mavericks, ATS Winner – Mavericks, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Dallas is 19-16 ATS with 18 unders and 17 overs.
At home, Sacramento is 17-20 ATS with 19 overs and 18 unders.
When holding opponents under 100 points, Dallas is 15-11 and Sacramento is 15-5.
The Kings are 17-20 when they reach the century mark, while the Mavericks are 16-26.
Dallas ranks fifth in three pointers attempted per game (32.2) while Sacramento ranks 28th (23.9).
The Mavericks rank first in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.0) while the Kings rank 12th (15.7).
Sacramento ranks 20th in points in the paint per game (43.7) while Dallas ranks 29th (38.8).
The Kings rank 18th in fast break points allowed per game (12.3) while the Mavericks rank 27th (14.2).
Dallas ranks 17th in assists per game (22.7) while Sacramento ranks 25th (21.5).
The Kings rank 20th in second chance points per game (11.5) while the Mavericks rank 27th (10.4).
Sacramento ranks 21st in rebounds allowed per game (43.9) while Dallas ranks 27th (45.5).
Neither of these teams are great at blocking the ball. The Kings are 26th in the league with 4.1 blocks per game while the Mavericks are 29th with 3.8 blocks per game.
Sacramento ranks eighth in steals per game (8.1) while Dallas ranks 10th in steals allowed per game (7.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Dallas is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Sacramento is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Mavericks’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 7.2, up from 2.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Kings have scored an average of 96.6 points per game (2.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 99.2 points per game (7.6 below their season average).
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