The Houston Rockets (5-0) and Dallas Mavericks (3-2) meet Friday at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas in NBA Cup action. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET. Let's analyze NBA odds around the Rockets vs. Mavericks odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Rockets lead 1-0 after 128-110 (Over 230.5) home win Oct. 21 as 9.5-point favorites
The Rockets remained unbeaten with a 132-100 eradication of the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday. G Fred Van Vleet led the way with 24 points and drilled 4 3s. F Kevin Durant had 18 points, 5 boards and 3 blocks. C Alperen Sengun missed that one with back soreness and is questionable for this one. This is the front end of a back-to-back, and the team announced Van Vleet would
miss one of the games. It appears that will come Saturday, so I'd expect Sengun to suit up.
The Mavs have won 2 straight after a 120-96 drilling of the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday. The Mavs had 8 players reach double figures and were led by F Cooper Flagg's 26 points and 8 dimes. G Kyrie Irving is averaging 18 points per game on 49.1% shooting in his return from a torn ACL.
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Rockets at Mavericks odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:32 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Rockets -235 (bet $235 to win $100) | Mavericks +195 (bet $100 to win $195)
- Against the spread (ATS): Rockets -6.5 (-110) | Mavericks +6.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 224.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
Rockets at Mavericks key injuries
Rockets
- C Steven Adams (calf) out
- C Alperen Sengun (back) questionable
- G Reed Sheppard (back) out
- G Marcus Smart (forearm) questionable
Mavericks
- F Santi Aldama (knee) doubtful
- G Sergio de Larrera (knee) out
- F Dereck Lively II (foot) out
- F Naji Marshall (illness) questionable
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Rockets at Mavericks picks and predictions
Prediction
Rockets 119, Mavericks 115
Moneyline
I'm really tempted to jump on the home Mavs after a confidence-building win over OKC. I'd have enough confidence to do it if Sengun was out. So I'll take the spread instead.
PASS.
Against the spread
Take the MAVERICKS +6.5 (-110). This is clearly a game the Rockets could overlook in anticipation of facing the Thunder Saturday.
Over/Under
Houston is 4-1 O/U thus far, and Dallas is 1-4. The Mavs haven't scored fewer than 106 points on the season, and they're getting everyone involved. This one goes OVER 224.5 (-105).
Best prop bet
Take Rockets G FRED VAN VLEET OVER 11.5 POINTS (-120).
He has cashed this in 2 of 3 games, and if he's sitting out Saturday, he's going to let it fly Friday.
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks odds, picks and predictions
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