The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Dallas Mavericks on March 3 (Sunday) at the American Airlines Center. This will be the second and final meeting between the two teams this season, with the Mavericks winning the first 118-102. Philadelphia is currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 34-25 record. They are coming off a 124-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets at home on Friday. Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey combined for 64 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists. Meanwhile, the Mavericks are in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 34-26 record. They are coming off a 110-138 loss against the Celtics on Friday.
Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers are struggling on the road and have won only three games in their last eight contests. They struggled on the defensive end, managing to score 104 points or less in four of their five games. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have been averaging 119.8 points in their last five contests. On defense, they have held their opponents to 114 points or fewer in three of their last five games.
The Mavericks have shown strength on their home court, posting a 4-1 record in their last five games and successfully covering the spread in three of those games. On the offense, Dallas is averaging 118.8 points per game, which ranks them seventh in the league. However, on defense, they have given up at least 121 points in their last four contests, with an overall average of 118 points per game. Philadelphia’s performance has declined significantly after Embiid’s injury. Luka Doncic, on the other hand, has been excellent, leading the league with 34.5 points per game.
Starting lineup
The Philadelphia 76ers will most probably start with Tyrese Maxey, Buddy Hield, Nicolas Batum, Tobias Harris and Paul Reed. The Mavericks will start with Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively.
Also Read: Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics: Prediction (2024)
Prediction
The Mavericks are heavily favored to win against the 76ers at home. They are favored at an -8 point spread and -330 on the moneyline. However, the 76ers are predicted to exceed the over/under line set at 236 points, while the Mavericks are expected to stay below the 237.5 point mark. Because of Philadelphia’s recent scoring difficulties, the point total is expected to stay under the mark.
