Oh Luka Doncic, Luka Doncic, where art thou, Luka Doncic?
Last season’s earth-shaking trade of the five-time All-NBA First-Team talent is really showing its impact out of the gate.
Injuries have decimated Dallas’ frontcourt with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford all out or questionable. Dallas’ size was supposed to be its advantage this season, and these absences have left them handicapped in that department.
Jason Kidd has had to experiment with small-ball lineups, which has further slowed down an offense that is No. 28 overall in effective field goal percentage. What’s worse is that all the poor shooting has sunk them to dead last in offensive rating.
Pistons vs. Mavericks odds, prediction
Their defense has kept them afloat in their 2-3 start — especially limiting shots made beyond the arc. The Mavs rank No. 5 overall in defensive rating.
Dallas almost blew their 107-105 win over an undermanned Pacers team as six-point favorites if Aaron Nesmith hadn’t missed a last-second shot.
The NBA returns to Mexico City for the 15th time on Saturday with the Mavericks playing the Pistons, who are laying 7.5 points. This line has moved one point toward Dallas through Saturday.
Detroit is slightly healthier but is still without the big contributions from Jaden Ivey in the backcourt.
They’re not much better offensively, ranking No. 22 in offensive rating. They have, however, generated at least 115 points in three of their last four games. Unlike the Mavericks, the Pistons have someone who can drive the offense in Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 22.2 points — seven points higher than Dallas’ most productive player.
Cunningham doesn’t need to have a stat-stuffing night to be effective. His game is still capable of creating looks for Detroit’s wings and bigs in this matchup, especially in transition or on the offensive glass.
Betting on the NBA?
With Detroit’s top-10 defense, Dallas’ depleted frontcourt could reveal itself as the Pistons control second-chance opportunities and fast-break points regardless of their lousy shooting.
I can see a defense-oriented ball game in the high altitude, but Detroit is best suited to dictate tempo and use their interior advantage.
THE PLAY: Pistons -7.5 (-105, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
