Mavericks vs Pelicans Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for Oct. 25 (Mavs Will Shut Down Pelicans on the Road)

The Dallas Mavericks have leaned on Luka Doncic and Christian Wood early on this season, while the New Orleans Pelicans have relied on an impressive trio of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. All five stars are averaging over 20.0 points per game and meet head-to-head on Tuesday.

Mavericks vs Pelicans Odds

Dallas enters this contest as a small -188 favorite on the moneyline (4.5-point spread), according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds. This Western Conference showdown's total is set at 219.5 points.

Which way should NBA fans be leaning in this game, and where can bettors find value?

Mavericks vs Pelicans Prediction and Best Bet

Both of these teams are a few lucky rolls from still being undefeated on the season. Dallas dropped its season-opener in Phoenix by only two points. Meanwhile, the Pelicans fell to the Jazz in overtime their last time out. The Mavericks enter Tuesday night with momentum going in their favor, though.

Dallas blew out Memphis by a score of 137-96 on Saturday thanks to a blazing hot start to the game. The Mavericks were up 28 by halftime and simply never looked back. More importantly, their defense looked amazing once again. It's a defense thanks ranks second in points allowed per game (101.5).

What's scary about the Mavericks is they can shut down opposing offenses on one side of the court and build a lead by hitting triples on the other side of the court. Dallas owns a 41.9% three-point percentage (No. 3 in NBA), while New Orleans only sinks 9.3 three-pointers per game (No. 25 in NBA).

Keep in mind Ingram (head) and Williamson (hip) left Sunday's action early and remain day-to-day at this point. Doncic and company should be able to take advantage of that by rolling to a statement victory here. I'll side with the Mavericks -4.5 (108) and take over 219.5 points (-110) to be scored.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.