Charlotte Hornets vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 09/04/2024, 00:35  by Joseph King | Modified on 09/04/2024 at 11:00 in NBA Prediction

The West’s fifth seed Dallas Mavericks head to the Spectrum Center where they will face off against the East’s 13th-placed Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday evening. With four games left in the regular season, the Mavericks can take a huge step towards securing a top-six seed and thus automatic qualification to the NBA Playoffs. They currently sit two games ahead of both the Suns and the Pelicans who are sixth and seventh in the West, respectively. The Mavs stellar backcourt of MVP candidate Luka Doncic and the prolific Kyrie Irving combined for an incredible 85 points (Irving 48, Doncic 37) en route to a 147-136 overtime away victory over the Rockets. The victory was the third in a row for Dallas and means they continue their red-hot run which has seen them go 13-2 over the last two months. With games against the Hornets, Heat, Pistons and Thunder to close out the regular season, Dallas will know the importance of cashing in on these types of games.

Charlotte is certainly capable of being a thorn in their opponent’s side when they play on their home court. Their last two at the Spectrum Center saw the Hornets pull off a surprise victory over the Magic (124-115) and run the OKC Thunder extremely close in a 121-118 defeat. Despite the loss in their most recent game against the Thunder, the Hornets had a rather impressive showing. Head coach Steve Clifford played an eight-man rotation in that game and saw all eight of his players register double-digit points. What’s more, Charlotte was able to put up a combined 242 points in two games against defenses that rank third and seventh in adjusted defensive rating. With the undeniable momentum gained in the past four days, the Hornets will now attempt to play the role of spoilers.