Dallas Mavericks vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 02/03/2024, 16:23  by Joseph King | Modified on 02/03/2024 at 16:41 in NBA Predictions

An inter-conference matchup in the NBA on Sunday sees the Dallas Mavericks playing host to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Mavericks come into this contest sitting eighth in the West with a 34-26 record while the 76ers are fifth in the East with a record of 34-25.

Dallas will be hoping a return to the American Airlines Center will spark a turn in form as they try to recover following a tricky four-game road trip which saw them go 1-3, capped off with a heavy 138-110 away defeat to the Celtics. The loss was the team’s third in their last four appearances, putting them 1.5 games behind the Kings for a spot in the coveted top-six seeds. As things currently stand, Dallas holds a 1.5 game lead over both the Warriors in ninth-place and the Lakers in 10th. Even with the hiccup, Dallas has been in good form overall. They’re 8-4 since the start of February (8-4 against the spread as well) and are averaging 121.1 points per game since Kyrie Irving returned from injury 11 games ago. That total would rank them fourth in the NBA in scoring.

Philadelphia were able to put an end to a two-game losing streak with a 121-114 home victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. It was just Philly’s second win in their last six in what was a tough portion of the schedule as the Sixers faced off against Cleveland (twice), Boston, Milwaukee, New York and Miami in a two-week period. Without Joel Embiid, the Sixers are just trying to keep their heads above water until the reigning MVP potentially returns for the Playoffs. Without the big man, the 76ers have managed just eight wins from 25 games played (.320 winning percentage). They currently hold just a one-game lead over the seventh-place Heat.