Lakers vs. Mavericks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, April 9

Luka Doncic makes his return to Dallas on Wednesday night, and the Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up to secure the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles is coming off a loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, and now it has what feels like a must-win matchup for Luka after the midseason trade to L.A. from Dallas.

Can Anthony Davis and the Mavericks, who could still climb in the play-in tournament picture in the West, spoil Doncic’s return?

Oddsmakers have the Lakers favored in this matchup after they sat Rui Hachimura, but still played Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James on Tuesday.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market, and my prediction for the game of the night in the NBA on Wednesday.

Lakers vs. Mavericks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Lakers -3.5 (-112)
Mavs +3.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Lakers: -162
Mavs: +136

Total

229 (Over -110/Under -110)

Lakers vs. Mavericks How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, April 9
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Venue: American Airlines Center
How to Watch (TV): ESPN
Lakers record: 48-31
Mavs record: 38-41

Lakers vs. Mavericks Injury Reports

Lakers Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Mavs Injury Report

Anthony Davis – probable
Kessler Edwards – out
Dante Exum – questionable
Jaden Hardy – out
Kyrie Irving – out
Kai Jones – out
Olivier Maxence-Prosper – out
Brandon Williams – out

Lakers vs. Mavericks Best NBA Prop Bets

Los Angeles Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

Luka Doncic UNDER 47.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-125)

Fading Luka in his revenge game?

I know it may seem crazy, but the Lakers star is likely going to get a warm reception from the Dallas crowd in what will undoubtedly be an emotional night. Earlier this season – in L.A. – Luka had 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists against Dallas, falling short of this number.

In fact, for the season, he’s averaging 43.5 points, rebounds, and assists per game – four less than this prop line is set at on Wednesday. In addition to that, Luka has cleared 47.5 PRA in just seven of his 26 games with the Lakers, averaging 27.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game.

He’ll likely still have a solid game on Wednesday, but this line is juiced up for so many people expecting a huge game. Dallas is likely going to do the same thing it did when these teams played on Feb. 25 and attempt to double Doncic to stop him from having a huge game.

Dallas Mavericks Best NBA Prop Bet

Anthony Davis OVER 9.5 Rebounds (-154)

This is also a revenge game for Davis, who has not played against the Lakers since the trade due to an adductor strain.

He’s been on a minutes limit since returning, but this is a great matchup against a Lakers team that has no depth at center since trading him away. AD has just one game with double-digit boards since returning from his injury, but he could be in line for a big game today, especially if the Lakers try their small-ball lineup against him with Jarred Vanderbilt or Rui Hachimura at the center spot.

Lakers vs. Mavericks Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why the Lakers are the bet to make in Luka’s return:

After hanging tough with OKC on Tuesday before Doncic was ejected, the Lakers find themselves favored on the road on Wednesday night.

Even with Anthony Davis back, the Mavs have one of the 10-worst net ratings in the NBA over their last 10 games, and they’re just 8-8 against the spread as home underdogs.

It would be shocking to see the Lakers lose this game, especially with how much it means for them in the Western Conference standings.

Los Angeles likely needs to win two of its final three games to clinch the No. 3 seed, and the Lakers clearly made some concessions to be ready for this game, sitting Rui Hachimura on the front end of a back-to-back on Tuesday.

While Dallas’ size is a little bit of a matchup issue for Los Angeles, Davis has been on a minutes limit since returning from his adductor strain. I trust the Lakers to earn a win in Doncic’s return to Dallas.

Pick: Lakers Moneyline (-162 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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