There might be another Western Conference contender in our midst after the New Orleans Pelicans thrashed the Orlando Magic on opening night behind their towering duo of Omer Asik and Anthony Davis. They will look to utilize their size advantage even further when they take on the Dallas Mavericks who are finally on the winning column after routing the Utah Jazz last night.
Who will win this Western Conference matchup? Read on for a preview of this intriguing showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers here.
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Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
The Dallas Mavericks bounced back from their heart-breaking loss to the San Antonio Spurs on opening night with a convincing 120-102 win over the Utah Jazz.
[sc:NBA240banner ]It was an emotional home opener for the Mavs as they welcomed back two key players from their 2011 championship squad – Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea. Chandler didn’t disappoint as he finished with 13 points and six rebounds to lead the Mavericks frontline.
It was the other Chandler though, that took center stage for Dallas as prized free agent signing Chandler Parsons dazzled in his home debut. Two days after he struggled in his opening match against the Spurs, the 26-year-old was a whole lot better this time around scoring 21 points to lead all scorers.
In fact, the entire Dallas lineup shot the lights out, going 47 of 85 from the field for an impressive 55.3 percent clip. They will look to continue their hot shooting this coming Saturday when they travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans.
They will find the going much tougher against the Pelicans, though, who allowed just 84 points in their opening match against the Magic (fourth-best mark in the entire league). The Mavericks, however, have shooters across the lineup so they have the ability to stretch the floor and neutralize the Pelicans’ size advantage down low.
The key for the Mavs is their main gunner Dirk Nowitzki, who has started solidly for Dallas this season. The German star is averaging 19.5 points and 4.5 rebounds this season and his outside shooting is vital for the Mavs to draw the Pelicans’ big men away from the shaded area. Nowitzki is shooting 16-for-24 from the field this season for an incredible 67 percent clip.
The Mavericks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games away from home.
Anthony Davis and Omer Asik issued a warning to the rest of the league that they are a force to be reckoned this season. That was after they led the New Orleans Pelicans to a commanding 101-84 win over the Orlando Magic on opening night.
New Orleans’ twin tower combination wreaked havoc inside the paint as they combined for 40 points, 34 rebounds and 14 blocks to help the Pelicans win their first home opener since beating the Milwaukee Bucks back in 2010.
Davis entered the game with sky-high expectations after his impressive sophomore season last year where he averaged 20.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and an NBA-best 2.8 blocks for the Pelicans. It looks like his game is on the upward trajectory after he flirted with a triple-double in his season debut, finishing with 26 points, 17 rebounds, 9 blocks and 3 steals.
It was the first time that a player has achieved that stat line since NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon did it back in 1989. That’s impressive company for the 21-year-old and his performance will serve him in good stead ahead of his clash with Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks this coming Saturday.
If they are to continue their winning start, the Pelicans need to continue to dominate the boards. Against a relatively smaller Orlando lineup, the Pelicans grabbed a total of 62 rebounds, 26 of which came from the offensive glass. That resulted into 32 second-chance points that proved to be the main difference in the match.
It won’t be that easy against the Mavericks, though, with Tyson Chandler manning the shaded lane. Dallas bounced back from their poor 33-rebound performance against the Spurs with a 44-rebound outing against the Jazz to win the battle of the boards in their last game.
The Pelicans are 7-2 SU in their last nine home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Pelicans stun the Mavericks to open the season 2-0.
