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Today's NBA Picks: Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets Betting Predictions and Odds on October 31

Publish Date: 10/31/2024
Fact checked by: Allan Howe

Fireworks will be in full display when crosstown rivals Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets clash this Thursday at American Airlines Center.

The Mavericks head into this game in high spirits following a 120-114 comeback victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves while the Rockets are fresh off a 106-101 triumph against the San Antonio Spurs.

  • Dallas opened as the moderate favorite as per the latest Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets betting lines though it is worth noting that both share an identical Against-The-Spread (ATS) record heading into this matchup.
  • Like the Mavericks, the Rockets have covered two of their first four games, most recently against the Spurs where they came in as 2.5-point favorites.
  • It is, however, worth noting that Dallas holds the bragging rights in this matchup, having beaten Houston three times in their four matchups last season.

Will the Rockets change the narrative and draw first blood in this highly-anticipated matchup or will the Mavericks continue its mastery over the former?

That remains to be seen but keep scrolling as we take an in-depth look at both teams in this Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets sports betting prediction piece.

Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets DraftKings NBA Odds for October 31

Moneyline

  • Dallas Mavericks: +170
  • Houston Rockets: -205

Spread

  • Dallas Mavericks: -5 (-110)
  • Houston Rockets: +5 (-110)

Over/Under (Total)

  • OVER 227.5 (-110)
  • UNDER 227.5 (-110)

Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets Injury Report

Dallas Mavericks Injury Report

  1. Maxi Kleber – Hamstring – Day-to-Day
  2. Dante Exum – Right Wrist – Out

Houston Rockets Injury Report

  • No Injuries

Best NBA odds for Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets

  • The Dallas Mavericks won three of their four matchups against the Houston Rockets last season. The best Dallas Mavericks odds for the home team to cover the spread are available on DraftKings at -110.
  • The Houston Rockets have covered the spread in two of their first four games of the season. Pinnacle offers the best odds for the Rockets to cover the spread at +101.
  • The over hit in three of the four matchups between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets last season. The best Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets odds for the over are available on Pinnacle at -106.

Need detailed odds and predictions for upcoming NBA games? Visit our NBA betting section.

Why will the Dallas Mavericks cover the spread?

With Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson struggling from the field, crafty guard Kyrie Irving took matters in his own hands as he exploded for 35 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks into a comeback victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

  • It was the second consecutive time that Irving led the team in scoring this season as he also spearheaded Dallas’ offensive attack against the Utah Jazz with 23 points.

Now, the Mavericks return home against the Houston Rockets to begin a five-game homestand and that could be the change Doncic and Thompson need to regain their old form.

Mavs' defense shines, setting the stage for a bounce-back game

Against the Timberwolves, the 25-year old Doncic had 24 points but shot a dismal 10-out-of-27 from the field while Thompson was only limited to seven points on two-out-of-seven shooting.

Fortunately, several things went right for Dallas on Tuesday as they outworked and outmuscled the Timberwolves in several areas of the field. Actually, there were three.

  •  Dallas were solid defensively against the Timberwolves, recording 12 steals and forcing the latter to commit 20 turnovers.
  • Forward PJ Washington also had a solid game for the Mavericks with 17 points and eight rebounds while agile center Daniel Gafford had 14 points on a perfect six-for-six shooting from the field.
  • The Mavericks also shot fairly decently from the three-point area, making 16 of their 39 attempts while just limiting their errors to nine.

With the Mavericks playing in familiar surroundings next albeit against a tough Rockets squad, expect Doncic and Thompson to rebound from their struggles, making the -5 spread at these current odds a possible steal.

Why will the Houston Rockets cover the spread?

The Houston Rockets are having a fairly good start to the season winning two of their first four games and that has a lot to do with the offensive explosion of Filipino-American shooting guard Jalen Green.

  • Only recording 19.6 points per game last season, the 22-year old Green has been shooting the lights out this year, averaging 28.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while making 43.2% of his shots from the field.
  • Against the San Antonio Spurs, Green exploded for a season-high 36 points while making 53.8% of his shots from downtown.

With Green in full scoring mode and guards Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson struggling mightily from the field, that could be the formula the Rockets need to cover the +5 spread against the Dallas Mavericks here.

One thing Houston has to address in its matchup against Dallas is their struggles of rebounding the ball and manufacturing second-chance opportunities.

Rockets Need Smith Jr. and VanVleet to step up against the high-powered Mavs

In their matchup against the Spurs, the Rockets were out-rebounded by the former 49-43 and the worst part was they gave their opponents 17 second-chance opportunities.

This simply won’t cut it on the road against a tough Mavericks squad which have plenty of offensive firepower from multiple areas of the court.

Houston will also need another big game from Jabari Smith Jr. here to quell any possible offensive explosion from Doncic, Thompson, or the Mavericks’ other guys.

  • The 21-year old Smith Jr. was solid against the Spurs, scoring a season-high of 17 points on top of eight rebounds while making 62.5% of his field goal attempts and 50% from the three-point area.

Other than Smith Jr., do-it-all guard Fred Vanvleet also has to step up here and make life harder for Mavericks court general Kyrie Irving for the Rockets to extend its win streak to two.

Should Green continue his offensive explosion and the Rockets get the usual numbers from its supporting cast, backing the road team to upset a well-oiled Mavericks squad is a good play here.

Final Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets NBA Prediction: Dallas Mavericks -5 (-110)

The Houston Rockets certainly have an excellent case of covering and even pulling off a victory against the Dallas Mavericks but I just don’t see it here.

Even if Jalen Green will have another big game, the Mavericks just have enough firepower offensively and defensively to get the job done and record its third straight win. Give me the Mavericks at home.

Want more free picks on NBA matchups and predictions? Head over to our Ballislife Bets page for expert predictions, picks and tips.

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