DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. NEW YORK KNICKS ODDS AND PREDICTIONS FOR FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from tonight’s slate features the Dallas Mavericks (28-23 SU, 28-25 ATS) taking on the New York Knicks (33-18 SU, 30-20-1 ATS).

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

• When: Thursday, February 8, 2024
  
• Time: 7:30 PM ET
  
• Where: Madison Square Garden
  
• Location: New York City, New York
  
• TV: TNT

Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks Odds (Via DraftKings)

Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Mavericks Extend Their Winning Streak To Three Games?

Dallas Mavericks Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 118.2 PPG – 10TH            
• Offensive Efficiency: 118.1 points per 100 possessions – 13TH               
• Scoring Defense: 118.3 PPG – 22ND             
• Defensive Efficiency: 118.1 points per 100 possessions – 22ND      

The Dallas Mavericks have a 1.5-game lead for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoff race. Across its last 10 decisions, the team has produced just four wins.

However, the Mavericks enter this matchup riding a two-game winning streak. They defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 118-102 on Monday night and followed that up with a 119-107 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. 

Kyrie Irving paced the Mavericks with 36 points on 15-for-24 shooting from the field and 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. He also accumulated five assists, two rebounds, and two steals. 

Luka Doncic put together a solid performance as well. He scored 35 points, hauled in 18 rebounds, and handed out nine assists. On the defensive end, Doncic had two steals as well. Tim Hardaway led the second unit with 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. 

This contest was Irving’s first appearance at the Barclays Center since being traded to Dallas.

“Just letting the game come to me and allowing the basketball gods to do the rest,” he said. “Just tried to get as much sleep yesterday, come in with an open heart and open mind to see a lot of my friends and family that I’ve made here and put on a great show.”

Irving and Doncic will need to put up huge numbers again as the Mavericks face a Knicks team that has been playing at an elite level over the last several weeks.

Can The Short-Handed Knicks Sustain Their Recent Success?

New York Knicks Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 115.2 PPG – 15TH    
• Offensive Efficiency: 119.1 points per 100 possessions – 7TH             
• Scoring Defense: 109.4 PPG – 2ND           
• Defensive Efficiency: 113.0 points per 100 possessions – 7TH       

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are hot. They have produced nine wins in their last 10 outings, and they are tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the third-best record in the conference playoff race. 

In their last contest, the Knicks defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 123-113. All five of the Knicks’ starters scored in double figures. Donte DiVincenzo scored a team-high 32 points to go along with five rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

Jalen Brunson added 27 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and three steals. Both Precious Achiuwa and Isaiah Hartenstein scored 17 points apiece.

The Knicks have posted wins in 16 of their last 19 games and are looking to improve to 4-1 on their six-game homestand. 

Now that we have the introductory stuff out of the way, let us look at the betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

The Dallas Mavericks opened as a two-point favorite. The line has recently moved to 4.5 points for the road team (per pre-game.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season. 

• The Mavericks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall. 
• Dallas is 3-6 ATS in their last nine matchups against New York. 
• In their last 18 games against Atlantic Division opponents, the Mavericks are 6-12 against the spread.
• Dallas is 3-6 ATS in its last nine February games.
• The Knicks are 7-2 ATS in their last nine outings.
• In its last 12 February contests, New York is an impressive 9-3 against the spread.
• The Knicks are 2-5 ATS in their last seven February games. 

Given the above trends, going with the home team to cover is the best play here.

Prediction: New York Knicks (+4.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 232 points. At the time of this writing, the line has dipped to 230.5 points. Here is why going with the “under” is the smart choice. 

• The total has gone UNDER five times in the Mavericks’ last six games.
• The UNDER total cashed in four times in Dallas’s last five contests.
• In the Mavericks’ last seven road games against New York, the UNDER total hit ALL seven times.
• The UNDER total has hit 11 times in the Knicks’ last 13 games.
• The total has gone UNDER 12 times in New York’s last 16 matchups against the Mavericks. 
• In New York’s last six matchups against Western Conference opponents, the UNDER total is 5-1.

Prediction: UNDER 230.5 points

Player Prop Bets

One of the key players to watch for the road team is Kyrie Irving. He currently has -130 odds of scoring more than 27.5 points and +100 odds of finishing with less than 27.5 points.

Here is a glance to see how his numbers compare to the projected points total for this matchup. 

• Irving has played against the Knicks 29 times in his career. His points-per-game average is 26.3.
• On the season, Irving is averaging 25.5 points per outing. 
• In 13 road contests this season, he is averaging 23.5 PPG.
  
• Irving has played against Eastern Conference teams nine times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 27 points per outing.
• In six matchups against Atlantic Division opponents, Irving is averaging 27.5 points per game.
• Over his last 10 outings, Irving is averaging 30.5 PPG, while exceeding the points total for this matchup six times during that stretch.

Based on his recent body of work, going with the “over” for Irving is the smart choice based on the above trends.

Prediction: Kyrie Irving OVER 27.5 points

The key player to watch for the home team is Jalen Brunson. He currently has -105 odds of scoring more than 32.5 points and -125 odds of finishing with less than 32.5 points. 

Let us look closer to see how his numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup. 

• On the season, Brunson is averaging 27.2 points per outing.
• In 24 home contests, he is averaging 27.2 PPG.
• Brunson has played against Western Conference teams 18 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 28.4 points per outing.
• In five matchups against Southwest Division opponents, Brunson averages 25.2 points per game.
• Over his last 10 outings, Brunson has averaged 32.6 points per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup four times during that stretch.

Prediction: Jalen Brunson UNDER 32.5 points

James’s Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks Picks

• The Spread: New York Knicks (+4.5)
• Over/Under: UNDER 230.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #1: Kyrie Irving OVER 27.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #2: Jalen Brunson UNDER 32.5 points