Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
The Dallas Mavericks vs. the Atlanta Hawks marks another meeting between Luka Doncic and Trae Young, who were traded for each other on draft day in 2018. It is also the first leg of a Wednesday night double-header on ESPN, which concludes with the Milwaukee Bucks’ visit to the Phoenix Suns. Both games are getting the same game parlay treatment they deserve. Let’s take a look at the best such option for Hawks vs. Mavericks, and be sure to check out our full game preview for picks on the side and total.
Mavericks -3.5 (-110)
Over 232 (-105)
Luka Doncic Over 28.5 points (-112)
Trae Young to score 30+ points (+144)
Parlay odds: +1237
Part of the value in same game parlays, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is much of the plan here. We feel good about the Mavericks’ chances of getting the job done on Wednesday, likely in a high-scoring affair. A big performance by Doncic would work well with both the side and total plays (Dallas ATS and over). At the same time, plays that aren’t correlated drive up the overall value of the parlay to a significant extent. That’s some of the case with tipping Trae Young to score 30+ points. That correlates nicely with the over but not with an Atlanta ATS loss. Still, assuming this game is a real shootout the Mavericks are more than capable of covering even if Young plays well.
Mavericks -3.5 (-110)
Atlanta took advantage of a tired Toronto team this past Saturday to halt a three-game losing streak. The Raptors were playing the second leg of a back-to-back situation after upsetting the Nets 24 hours earlier. In other words, don’t put too much stock in the Hawks’ recent victory. They are stuck in neutral right now (11-12 for the season) and their injury list includes De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Boganovic, and Kris Dunn. Meanwhile, Dallas has won back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 20-22. Much unlike the Hawks, the Mavericks’ injury report is surprisingly clear at the moment.
Over 232 (-105)
These two teams met in late January and that game went over, starting a current streak of four overs for the Mavericks. Another one should be in the cards for Wednesday. Atlanta is well-rested, having enjoyed a rare three-day stretch off, and will be ready to run. Hunter’s absence does hurt on the offensive end of the floor, but it is even more crippling on defense for a team that doesn’t really have any other lockdown defender given that Dunn is also out. On the bright side for the Hawks, they drained more than half of their three-pointers while pinning 132 points on the Raptors. Unsurprisingly, the also gave up 121. Expect defense to be optional in this one.
Luka Doncic Over 28.5 points (-112)
Since their careers began, we have not seen any appropriate head-to-head showdown between Doncic and Young. They have played against each other, yes. I mean we just haven’t gotten that one-on-one, back-and-forth duel that we deserve. This could be the time. Young is well-rested and may feel like shooting more than usual with his team struggling for form and also missing Hunter. Speaking of taking matters into his own hands, that is what Doncic is doing. Dallas lost six games from late January through early February, but its star playing has heated up and led the way to a 3-1 record in the last four. Against a mediocre-at-best defensive opponent, Doncic is in line for more success.
Trae Young to score 30+ points (+144)
As mentioned above, it would not be surprising to see this game turn out to be Doncic vs. Young. John Collins has failed to reach the 20-point mark in two straight outings and Cam Reddish, on whom there is pressure with Hunter sidelined, is averaging just 7.4 points per game over the last five contests. The Mavericks also defend the paint well, which will make things difficult for Collins and Clint Capela. This has the makings of a game in which Young will have to go off in order to keep his team competitive.
Pickswise is the home of free NBA picks and predictions. Make sure to also check out our ‘NBA parlays‘ and ‘NBA prop bets‘ tabs for more expert picks.
