The Dallas Mavericks (24-18) will try to slow down the league-leading Boston Celtics (33-10) when they meet on Monday night. Dallas had its game at Golden State postponed last Friday, so the Mavericks have not played since losing to the Lakers last Wednesday. Boston bounced back from a loss to Denver with a 116-107 win at Houston on Sunday, maintaining a 3.5-game lead over Milwaukee atop the Eastern Conference standings. The Celtics and Mavericks will meet again in Boston at the beginning of March.
Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Boston is favored by 3 points in the latest Mavericks vs. Celtics odds, per SportsLine consensus, while the over/under is 239.5 points. Before entering any Celtics vs. Mavericks picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 14 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 48-25 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning over $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Boston vs. Dallas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Mavericks:
Mavericks vs. Celtics spread: Mavericks +3
Mavericks vs. Celtics over/under: 239.5 points
Mavericks vs. Celtics money line: Mavericks: +128, Celtics: -151
Mavericks vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Mavericks can cover
Dallas is well rested heading into this game, as it has not played since last Wednesday. The Mavericks lost to the Lakers in that contest, but they previously beat the Pelicans at home last Monday. Veteran guard Kyrie Irving poured in 42 points and dished out seven assists, while shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. added 41 points on 11 of 23 shooting.
The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic for three games due to a sprained right ankle, but he returned with 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in 33 minutes against the Lakers. He has seven triple-doubles this season and 63 overall in his career. Dallas has covered the spread in five of its last seven home games, and it has won outright in four of its last five games as an underdog. See which team to pick here.
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston has thrived in its road games at Dallas in recent years, covering the spread in 13 of its last 18 visits. The Celtics have won four of their last five games this season, including a 116-107 win at Houston on Sunday. Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points on 11 of 21 shooting, knocking down 6 of 11 attempts from 3-point range.
Small forward Jaylen Brown posted a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while shooting guard Derrick White chipped in 21 points and 11 rebounds. The Celtics raced out to a 70-55 lead at halftime and were able to rest some of their key players down the stretch. They have covered the spread in six of the last nine meetings between these teams. Jrue Holiday (elbow) and Al Horford (rest) are game-time decisions after not playing on Sunday. See which team to pick here.
How to make Mavericks vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Mavs 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread has all of the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.