PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* TOTAL MASSACRE >> PERFECT 3-0 L2 Days in NBA!
(NBA) LA Lakers vs. Dallas,
Total: 204.50 | -110.00 Under
Result: Win
Total: 204.50 | -110.00 Under
Result: Win
The set-up: There seems to be little doubt these days that if the Lakers aren't actually 'tanking,' they are surely not too worried about winning, as LA visits Dallas on a seven-game losing steak and just three wins in their last16. The 19-44 Lakers have fallen two games behind the Suns for the West's worst record. Meanwhile, the 26-36 Dallas Mavericks are one of several teams fighting to earn the No. 8 spot in the West (Mavs are currently 2 1/2 games out).
LA Lakers: The Lakers traded leading scorer Lou Williams (was averaging 18.6 PPG) and the word is that Magic Johnson's No. 1 priority these days is trying to determine if youngsters D'Angelo Russell (14.9-3.7-4.8), Julius Randle (12.8 & 8.4) and Brandon Ingram (8.2 & 4.1) are the building blocks of the future. Priority No. 2 (or maybe it's No. 1?) is for LA to give itself the best chance possible of keeping its 2017 No.1 draft pick. The pick is top-three protected, meaning LA keeps it if the Lakers pick one, two or three, but loses it if it's not a top-three selection. Bottom line is, the more ping pong balls LA has in the lottery, the better chance it has of securing a top-three pick. Simply put, finishing with the West's worst record, is a means to that end.
Dallas: The Mavs seem to be thriving these days. Dirk (13.6 & 6.6) is healthy and has said he'll play again next season plus the 24-year-old Harrison Barnes (20.1 & 5.1) has proven to be a shrewd FA pick-up. Throw in low-cost pickups like Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell, who now form the new starting backcourt, and the Mavs have "gone small" with ever-improving results. Dallas is 15-9 since moving Curry into the starting lineup and Steph's younger brother is carving out his own identity by scoring 20 or more points in four straight games and five of the last six (he's averaged 16.8 PPG the last 24 games). Farrell, originally signed to a 10-day contract, has averaged 12.2 PPG and 4.9 APG in 16 games with the Mavs, plus PF Nerlens Noel is shooting 63.6 percent from the floor in five games since joining the team at the trade deadline from Philly, averaging 9.8 & 8.0.
The pick: The Mavs are rolling but laying double digits is something new for this year's edition (Mavs opened as a 10-point favorite, with its previous high being as a 7 1/2-point choice over Philly back on Feb. 1). That said, while the Mavs are not a high scoring team (97.9 PPG rank 30th), scoring against LA should come more easily. LA allows 110.8 PPG (27th) and that number goes up to 112.9 PPG on the road. The Over is a 10* play.
LA Lakers: The Lakers traded leading scorer Lou Williams (was averaging 18.6 PPG) and the word is that Magic Johnson's No. 1 priority these days is trying to determine if youngsters D'Angelo Russell (14.9-3.7-4.8), Julius Randle (12.8 & 8.4) and Brandon Ingram (8.2 & 4.1) are the building blocks of the future. Priority No. 2 (or maybe it's No. 1?) is for LA to give itself the best chance possible of keeping its 2017 No.1 draft pick. The pick is top-three protected, meaning LA keeps it if the Lakers pick one, two or three, but loses it if it's not a top-three selection. Bottom line is, the more ping pong balls LA has in the lottery, the better chance it has of securing a top-three pick. Simply put, finishing with the West's worst record, is a means to that end.
Dallas: The Mavs seem to be thriving these days. Dirk (13.6 & 6.6) is healthy and has said he'll play again next season plus the 24-year-old Harrison Barnes (20.1 & 5.1) has proven to be a shrewd FA pick-up. Throw in low-cost pickups like Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell, who now form the new starting backcourt, and the Mavs have "gone small" with ever-improving results. Dallas is 15-9 since moving Curry into the starting lineup and Steph's younger brother is carving out his own identity by scoring 20 or more points in four straight games and five of the last six (he's averaged 16.8 PPG the last 24 games). Farrell, originally signed to a 10-day contract, has averaged 12.2 PPG and 4.9 APG in 16 games with the Mavs, plus PF Nerlens Noel is shooting 63.6 percent from the floor in five games since joining the team at the trade deadline from Philly, averaging 9.8 & 8.0.
The pick: The Mavs are rolling but laying double digits is something new for this year's edition (Mavs opened as a 10-point favorite, with its previous high being as a 7 1/2-point choice over Philly back on Feb. 1). That said, while the Mavs are not a high scoring team (97.9 PPG rank 30th), scoring against LA should come more easily. LA allows 110.8 PPG (27th) and that number goes up to 112.9 PPG on the road. The Over is a 10* play.
