Mavericks vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Feb. 12

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to head into the All-Star break on a high note, as they are favored at home against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

L.A. is 2-0 against Dallas this season and has won four in a row in this now-rivalry matchup thanks to the Luka Doncic trade. After back-to-back losses against the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, L.A. is teetering on the play-in tournament line in the West.

However, the Lakers will have LeBron James and Austin Reaves in action on Thursday after they both missed Tuesday’s loss to the Spurs. Despite that, Doncic (hamstring) has been ruled out for the fourth game in a row, although he is attempting to suit up for the All-Star Game this weekend.

Dallas is on the outside of the play-in picture in the Western Conference, and it doesn’t have a ton of great pieces around Cooper Flagg at the moment. To make matters worse, Flagg (foot) will not play in this game due to a midfoot sprain.

The Mavs may be better off finishing with a bad record this season to secure a higher pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft. But, they may already have too many wins to truly get into the mix for the top odds in the lottery.

With L.A. favored in this matchup, how should we bet on it?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for Thursday’s third and final game.

Mavericks vs. Lakers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Mavs +7.5 (-112)
Lakers -7.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Mavs: +250
Lakers: -310

Total

235.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Mavericks vs. Lakers How to Watch

Date: Thursday, Feb. 12
Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
How to Watch (TV): Prime Video
Mavs record: 19-34
Lakers record: 32-21

Mavericks vs. Lakers Injury Reports

Mavs Injury Report

Cooper Flagg – out
Kyrie Irving – out
Dereck Lively II – out
Moussa Cisse – doubtful
Miles Kelly – doubtful
Ryan Nembhard – doubtful
Naji Marshall – questionable
Caleb Martin – questionable

Lakers Injury Report

Luka Doncic – out
Deandre Ayton – questionable

Mavericks vs. Lakers Best NBA Prop Bets

Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

LeBron James OVER 14.5 Rebounds and Assists (-112)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why James is a great prop target against Dallas:

Since Doncic exited the Lakers’ win over the Philadelphia 76ers early (he played less than 16 minutes in that game), James has taken on a much bigger role as a playmaker.

In three straight games (including the Philly matchup), he has recorded 10 assists, adding four, seven and six boards to his name in those games. Now, he takes on a Dallas team that ranks 28th in the NBA in opponent rebounds per game and 21st in opponent assists per game.

James is averaging 9.4 rebound chances and 11.9 potential assists per game this season, which gives him a pretty solid floor when it comes to this combo prop. On top of that, the Lakers could be without one of their top rebounders in center Deandre Ayton, as he’s listed as questionable for this matchup.

While LeBron is averaging just 5.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game this season, he did put up eight boards and five dimes with Doncic in the lineup the last time these teams squared off.

With Austin Reaves (calf) still on a minutes restriction, I wouldn’t be shocked if James paces the Lakers in assists on Thursday night.

Mavericks vs. Lakers Prediction and Pick

With just three games on Thursday, Mavs-Lakers become a focus of today’s Peter’s Points, as I’m also backing L.A. to cover:

Doncic may be out for the Lakers on Thursday night, but I think they’re in a great place to win big over the Cooper Flagg-less Mavericks.

Dallas has been one of the worst road teams in the NBA this season, going 5-17 straight up and 6-10 against the spread when set as a road underdog. On top of that, the Mavericks have lost eight games in a row heading into this matchup.

The Lakers, on the other hand, have gone 11-5 against the spread when favored at home, and they have a lot more to play for in the Western Conference playoff picture.

Dallas is 2-2 in the games that Flagg has missed this season, but it has a road net rating of just -5.4. That isn’t going to cut it when the Lakers have both James and Reaves healthy and ready to go ahead of the All-Star break.

I’ll lay the points with the Lakers, who already have a 10-point home win against Dallas under their belt in the 2025-26 campaign.

Pick: Lakers -7.5 (-108 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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