Mavericks vs. Hornets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Tuesday, March 3

Kon Knueppel, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have ushered in a new era of Charlotte Hornets basketball in the 2025-26 season.

The Hornets are just one game under .500 and within striking distance of the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference (3.5 games back) heading into Tuesday’s matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas is in full on tank mode at this point in the 2025-26 season, as it has lost three games in a row and eight of its last 10. Cooper Flagg (foot) has missed the last seven games for Dallas, and he’s listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s battle with his college teammate – Knueppel.

Knueppel and Flagg are the leading candidates to win Rookie of the Year this season, but the Hornets guard has moved to the odds-on favorite in that market with some strong play since the All-Star break while Flagg has been sidelined.

The Hornets are also playing winning basketball with Knueppel on the floor, as they are fourth in the league in net rating over their last 15 games. Can Charlotte take care of business at home and cover as a favorite?

Here’s a look at the latest odds, my favorite prop bet and a prediction for Tuesday’s matchup.

Mavericks vs. Hornets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Mavs +13.5 (-115)
Hornets -13.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Mavs: +470
Hornets: -650

Total

230.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Mavericks vs. Hornets How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, March 3
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Spectrum Center
How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Mavs record: 21-39
Hornets record: 30-31

Mavericks vs. Hornets Injury Reports

Mavs Injury Report

Cooper Flagg – doubtful
Kyrie Irving – out
Dereck Lively II – out
Marvin Bagley III – out
Moussa Cisse – questionable
Naji Marshall – out
Caleb Martin – probable
John Poulakidas – questionable
Tyler Smith – questionable
Klay Thompson – questionable
P.J. Washington – questionable

Hornets Injury Report

Coby White – out
Tosan Evbuomwan – out
PJ Hall – out
Liam McNeeley – out
Antonio Reeves – out

Mavericks vs. Hornets Best NBA Prop Bets

Hornets Best NBA Prop Bet

Moussa Diabate 10+ Rebounds (-148)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Diabate is a great bet to reach 10 or more boards:

Since returning from a suspension, Charlotte Hornets big man Moussa Diabate has been a beast on the boards, grabbing seven, 11 and 11 rebounds in his last three games.

Diabate is now averaging 8.7 rebounds per game for the entire 2025-26 season and 9.9 boards per night as a starter. He has a great matchup against a short-handed Dallas Mavericks team on Tuesday that ranks 20th in rebound percentage and 27th in opponent rebounds per game.

The Hornets big man was held to just five boards in his last meeting with Dallas, but since then he’s grabbed double-digit rebounds in five of eight games.

I’ll trust him to get 10 or more boards for the third game in a row on Tuesday.

Mavericks vs. Hornets Prediction and Pick

The Hornets have the fourth-best net rating (+10.5) in the NBA over their last 15 games, going 12-3 during that stretch.

Now, they’re heavily favored at home against a Mavericks team that likely won’t have Flagg (doubtful, foot) and has dropped 13 of its last 15 games.

Dallas is 25th in net rating (-8.2) during that stretch, and it has been one of the worst road teams in the NBA this season, going 7-19 in 26 games. To make matters worse, the Mavs are just 7-11 against the spread when set as road underdogs.

Charlotte, on the other hand, is 5-4 against the spread when favored at home, posting an average scoring margin of +9.6 in those games. The Hornets are clearly the superior offensive team with Flagg out for Dallas, so I don’t mind taking them to win a fifth game in a row on Tuesday.

Pick: Hornets -13.5 (-105 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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