Adding Kyrie Irving has brought new energy to the Dallas Mavericks, who have scored 86 combined points in the first quarters of Irving’s first two games in the Lone Star State. Irving will make his home debut for the Mavericks on Monday night as Minnesota Timberwolves come to town. With Luka Doncic, Irving will bring a significant upgrade to the Dallas offense. Defense is still an issue, as we saw when the Mavericks gave up 19 points in overtime on Saturday to lose in Sacramento, and so the team will add veteran guard Justin Holiday, who provides depth and defense on the perimeter, but Holiday will likely not show up until after the All-Star break. Let’s look at that Dallas-Minnesota showdown as well as a Gotham date between the Nets and the Knicks as you consider your NBA betting to start the week.
NBA News: Top Betting Picks for Week 18
Monday, February 13
Brooklyn Nets (+2.5) at N.Y. Knicks (O/U 220.5) (7:30 pm ET)
Brooklyn (33-23) beat the Knicks the last time they met, 122-115, but they lost in their last game, falling to the 76ers, 101-98. They are in fifth place in the East, but they are a much different team after dealing away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Nic Clayton is the top scorer remaining on the roster, averaging 13 points per game. The defense has also been solid; for the season, Brooklyn has permitted just 112.2 points per game (ninth best) and allowed an opponent shooting percentage of 45.6% (fourth best). With Dorian Finney-Smith joining the team, their defense should improve, and Spencer Dinwiddie remains an underrated guard in terms of offensive output.
New York (31-27) scores 114.3 points per game, 15th in the league, and they sit in seventh place, 10 games behind Boston in the East, after a six-point win over Utah. Julius Randle is the top scorer (24.9 points per game) for a team that does best attacking the rim, as the Knicks only make 34.4% of their three-pointers. Defense is average with this team, as the Knicks permit 112.6 points per game (12th best). They are also third in the league in rebounding (47 per game). Knicks to win and cover.
Minnesota Timberwolves (+7.5) at Dallas Mavericks (O/U 232.5) (8:30 pm ET)
Minnesota (30-29) has split the first two meetings with Dallas, both coming up in Minneapolis. While the Mavericks got a lot of press for adding Kyrie Irving, the Timberwolves were also busy at the trade deadline, with the biggest change coming at point guard, as D’Angelo Russell is now gone, replaced by Mike Conley. Conley brings leadership that a young team can use, but he only had nine points and three assists in a 21-point loss to Memphis on Friday. Jaylen Nowell did come off the bench to score 21 points, and Anthony Edwards chipped in 17, but the defense could not keep up with the Grizzlies.
Dallas (31-27) will find a way to balance Luka and Kyrie, but the awkward clank that Luka had on a three-pointer against Sacramento in overtime on Saturday represented a lesson – that he should have given the ball to the hotter Irving. The two players combined for 55 points in the loss, and they average a combined 60.4 points per game. Once they figure out the best way to feed off one another, Dallas’ offense will be scary. But can they get stops? Mavericks to win and cover, take the over.
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