NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder (34-6) and Dallas Mavericks (22-19) will compete against one another for the third time this season, as the series is currently 1-1. The matchup will take place on Friday, January 17 at 8:30 PM ET at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, where the Thunder are currently favored with a point spread at -7.5 (-110 MyBookie).

Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview

The Thunder have won four straight and their latest win was a 134-114 outing over the Cleveland Cavaliers. This also marked the fifth game in a row where they have put up at least 118 points or better.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a big game, posting 40 points and eight assists in just three quarters of action. The team boasted back to back 40-plus quarters in the second and third to push this game further out of reach.

They shot collectively better than the Cavs too, at 50.5 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from deep. They also only turned the ball over seven times and forced the Cavs to turn it over 21 times.

The Thunder are eighth in the league when they are putting up 116.2 points a game. Their defense is the best in the league at holding teams to 103.4 points a game, which shows a compelling spread here.

Dallas Mavericks Betting Preview

The Mavericks have lost their last three games and still have a roster full of injuries. Their latest loss was a 119-116 outing against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Daniel Gafford led with 27 points and helped push along the offense with just one shot missed out of 13 attempts. They had a solid performance all around, but came up short in the first and fourth quarters that hurt their chances of winning.

Each team had similar stats across the board on both ends of the floor. However, a key metric to pay attention to is turnovers, as the Mavs had 17 and forced the Pelicans with just 10.

The Mavs currently rank 10th in the league for producing 115.6 points a game. On defense they are allowing opponents to get 112.2 points a game. At this rate, they might not have a positive correlation soon.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks betting odds have been offered through MyBookie, which favor the Thunder by 7.5 points. Market predictions suggest the Thunder have a 73.2 percent chance of winning.

In the first meeting back in November, the Mavs won on the road 121-119. Then in December, the Thunder took charge with a 118-104 performance at home. With so many injuries for the Mavs still, the Thunder should be able to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -7.5 (-110)