Lakers vs Mavericks Betting Odds – Mavs end home problems against Lakers

Dallas made a big move to improve their online betting chances before the trade deadline, and they were certainly made to deal with the Lakers, who are the favorites to repeat in the Western Conference. The Lakers will travel to “Big D” on Wednesday and they’ve had their way in Dallas lately, but with their star coming off injury and the Mavericks gaining some momentum, look for the Lakers to stumble on the road.

The Storyline: Lakers vs Mavericks Betting Odds
The Lakers should have Kobe Bryant back for Tuesday’s game in Memphis, but Los Angeles can take some confidence from the fact that they went 4-1 in the first five games that their leader missed, and that has to give Bryant some trust in his teammates, as well. The Mavericks are still working Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood into the lineup after their big trade with Washington at the deadline, a move that was done specifically for the Lakers.

Offensive Matchups: Lakers vs Mavericks Betting Odds
Without Bryant, the Lakers moved the ball around in the triangle offense, and four different Lakers led the team in scoring without Bryant in the lineup. That’s not to say that the Lakers are better off without their all-world guard, but it does show that Pau Gasol can be a No.1 option on a team. Ron Artest seems to be picking up his game after taking a while to get used to the triangle offense.
The Mavericks traded one weapon (Josh Howard) for another (Butler), and you can bet that Butler won’t be the distraction that Howard was. Butler is still getting used to the system, but he scored 20 in a win over Miami on Saturday, and with a point guard like Jason Kidd running the show, the Mavericks have the potential to be a machine offensively, especially with Dirk Nowitzki getting more space, and Jason Terry coming off the bench.

Betting Edge: Draw

Defensive Matchups: Lakers vs Mavericks Betting Odds
The Lakers have held 10 of their last 11 opponents under 100 points, and they’re the second-best team in the league in rebounding thanks to the trio of Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. Bynum still hasn’t scratched the surface of his defensive ability yet, but first he had to learn the triangle, which is a handful for any young player. Artest has stepped up on this end of the floor as well.
Haywood was brought  in just in time as Erick Dampier went down with a finger injury, and this was huge for the Mavericks, who were terrible defensively before the All-Star break, but they’ve held their first four opponents post-All-Star break, and he’s averaging almost nine boards and over two blocks during those games, which helps a Dallas team which is a bit slow on the perimeter.

Betting Edge: Lakers

Notable Injuries: Lakers vs Mavericks Betting Odds
Watch for Bryant’s (ankle) status, but he said he would be able to go on Tuesday, if not, then Wednesday for sure as he would like to get a look at a possible playoff opponent. Sasha Vujacic (shoulder) is out for a couple of weeks.
Dampier (finger) is out for at least a month

Betting Edge: Draw

Betting Prediction: Lakers vs Mavericks Betting Odds
The Mavericks should be the sportsbook favorites at home, where they were 17-9 ahead of Monday’s game in Indiana, but the Lakers were 16-9 on the road prior to their game in Memphis on Tuesday and won three in a row in Dallas, including a 100-95 victory on January 13th when Artest, Bynum and Odom all had double-doubles. Haywood can help deal with the Lakers’ length, and the entire Dallas team needs to hit the boards. The Lakers won’t be worried with playing a back-to-back as they’re 10-3 in the second half of those situations this year, but getting Bryant back and into game shape will be their downfall in this game. Look for the Mavericks to come away victorious on Wednesday.

Craig’s Pick: Mavericks

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