The Mavericks are in Miami playing their old rivals, the Heat, as they look for their second win of the year. Miami made a huge splash over the offseason trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but have not seen the fruits of their labor thus far. They have yet to win, but despite their hunger, the Mavericks are not going to go down easily. With Cooper Flagg looking good to go, Dallas can catch Miami with their pants down if they make shots early. Given the Mavericks’ center rotation, this will be Dusty
May’s first true test of how he can scheme a win. It should be a chess match against one of the NBA’s longest-tenured coaches, Erik Spoelstra.
Game intangibles
Dallas Mavericks (1-2) at Miami Heat (0-3)
Tipoff: 6:10p CT at the Kaseya Center, Miami, FL.
How to watch: The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29, or streaming on MavsTV+ for anyone in the Mavericks media market. For those outside of the viewing area, the game will be on NBA League Pass and NBATV.
Odds via the Fanduel Sportsbook as of 2:00PM CST
Spread: Dallas +7.5 (+100)
Over/Under: 241.5 (-108/-112)
Moneyline: Dallas +225
Player props
Giannis Antetokounmpo to score 35+ points (+172)
Cooper Flagg to record 8+ rebounds (+215)
I think May opts for the “Luka” game plan with Giannis: let him get what he wants and take away the other guys. Miami has very little shooting around him, and letting Antetokounmpo get his 40 in the paint while everyone else is locked up will be key to keeping this close.
Flagg has 10 rebounds in his last four quarters, as he had five in the second half against Houston and five in the first half against Indiana. If he can put a full game together, this should be an easy over.
Game sides
Dallas +7.5 (+100)
Under 241.5 points (-112)
Dallas has slowed the pace down in their three games. I thought the contest vs Indiana would be run-and-gun, but they kept it to a battle of execution. I think the same goes tonight in Miami. You do not want to let them get out and run; they have the better transition players. I think this will be a close, well-played game, with the Heat victorious 113-109.
