Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks: Prediction and Betting Tips

The Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks matchup is one of several must-see games on the NBA schedule for Sunday. It's the third and final meeting of the season between the two teams, with the defending champions looking for the series sweep.

Denver has been far better than the Mavs this season and more consistent. They won the first two matchups, which were both held at the Ball Arena, with ease. The first one was a 125-114 win on Nov. 3 and followed by a 130-104 blowout on Dec. 18.

It will be interesting to see if Luka Doncic will suit up tonight, considering his hamstring injury. The Mavs will need all the wins they can get if they want to avoid the play-in tournament, wherein they could face dangerous teams such as the Sacramento Kings, LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks preview, prediction, odds and betting tips

The Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks game is on Sunday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It starts at 3:30 p.m. EST and will be nationally televised on ABC.

Moneyline: Nuggets (-165) vs Mavericks (+145)

Spread: Nuggets -4 (-115) vs Mavericks +4 (-105)

Total (O/U): Nuggets o227.5 (-110) vs Mavericks u227.5 (-110)

Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks preview

The Denver Nuggets are currently second in the West, behind the OKC Thunder due to losing the tie-breaker. The Nuggets have been playing out of this world since the All-Star break with a record of 12-1.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are at the No. 8 spot following their loss to the Thunder on Friday. The Mavs are three games behind the fifth spot, so the season has not been lost despite the injuries and inconsistencies.

Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks starting lineups, subs and rotation

Vlatko Cancar is the only player listed as injured on the Denver Nuggets injury report. Here's the expected starting five to be used by head coach Michael Malone:

Malone uses a nine-man rotation that includes Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji and Reggie Jackson. Justin Holiday gets some minutes depending on the opponent.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have four players on their injury report, including Luka Doncic who is questionable. Here's how Jason Kidd might line up on Sunday:

Jason Kidd has no concrete and regular rotation, but some players who could get minutes tonight are Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaden Hardy, Maxi Kleber and Dereck Lively II.

Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks betting tips

Luka Doncic has an over/under of 31.5 points, which is slightly lower than his season average. Doncic is coming off a hamstring injury, which means it's risky to bet on him to score at least 32 points. However, "Luka Magic" is always a threat to score a lot, so place money on him to go over.

Nikola Jokic is favored to score less than 27.5 points. He has not been a scorer and is more of a playmaker. Bet on "The Joker" to not reach 28 points even though he's scored 30-plus points in three of his last five games.

Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks prediction

The Denver Nuggets are the slight favorites to beat the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at the American Airlines Center. The Nuggets are playing their basketball of the season and are likely gunning for the No. 1 seed in the West.

Oddsmakers are predicting a win for the Nuggets, but the Mavs will cover the spread. The total is expected to go over 227.5 points.