Suns vs Mavericks Prediction NBA Picks 2/22/24

Dallas Mavericks (32-23) vs Phoenix Suns (33-22)

Game Info: Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 7:30 pm (American Airlines Center)

Betting Odds: Dallas Mavericks -2.5 -- Over/Under: 243.5

The Dallas Mavericks play host to the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center on Thursday night. Here’s a Suns vs Mavs Prediction.

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns have been in great form as they've won seven of their last nine games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight win after blowing past the Pistons in a 116-100 win in their last outing before the All-Star break. Kevin Durant led the team with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists, Saben Lee added 16 points off the bench, Eric Gordon added 13 points while Jusuf Nurkic tallied 10 points with 13 rebounds and seven assists. As a team, the Suns shot 45 percent from the field and 10 of 31 from the 3-point line as they dominated right from the start, outscoring the Pistons by 70-41 in the first half, before they rested their starters early. Devin Booker played just five minutes and finished with seven points as the Suns had this game in the bag before halftime.

Dallas Mavericks

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have been in great form as they will be looking to build on their current six-game win streak after blowing past the Spurs in a 116-93 win last Wednesday. Kyrie Irving led the team with 34 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Luka Doncic added 27 points with nine rebounds and eight assists while Jaden Hardy chipped in with 13 points off the bench. As a team, the Mavericks shot 53 percent from the field and 11 of 30 from the 3-point line, but this win was more about their effort on the defensive end as they held the Spurs to just 19 points in the second quarter to take control of the contest, before they restricted they dominated the third quarter by 32-14 to put the game to bed early.

Dallas Mavericks Player Facts

• Luka Doncic ranks 1st amongst qualified players for points per game (34.2) this season.
• Kyrie Irving is one of only eight players in the league to have scored 30+ points in five straight games this season.

Phoenix Suns Player Facts

• Grayson Allen ranks 1st amongst qualified players for 3P% (48.2%) this season.
• Kevin Durant ranks 5th amongst qualified players for points per game (28.2) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Mavericks rank 2nd in the league for opponent blocks per game this season (4.0).
• The Mavericks rank 2nd in the league for three-point field goal attempts per game this season (40.3).
• The Suns rank 30th in the league for Q4 points per game this season (24.7).
• The Suns rank 1st in the league for Q3 win percentage this season (69.1%).

Suns vs Mavs Prediction

The Suns still have Bradley Beal listed as day to day, while the Mavericks are short handed with Dante Exum already ruled out. Both teams come into this meeting with plenty of winning momentum but it has been the Suns who have clearly been the more consistent team over a longer stretch. It's no surprise that the Mavericks are slight favorites given that they are at home, but the Suns represent decent value as the road underdog and I think they can get the job done in a close one behind big games from Booker and Durant.

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.