Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals Free Picks: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks Betting Odds and Predictions on December 10 

Missing the knockout stages of the league’s in-season tournament last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks seek a semifinals berth as they clash in the knockout quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup this Tuesday at the Paycom Center.

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Oklahoma City made it through the quarterfinals after topping West Group B while Dallas advanced to the knockout stage after going 3-1 (win-loss) in West Group C.

• Both teams head into this matchup in high spirits with the Thunder fresh off a 119-109 regular season victory over the New Orleans Pelicans and the Mavericks recording its seventh win a row with a 125-118 beatdown of the Toronto Raptors.
• Early Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks odds, however, suggest a slight lean towards the Thunder with bookmakers having them as the five-point favorites in this matchup.
• It is, however, worth noting that it was the Mavericks that wound up victorious in their first matchup this season as they beat the Thunder 121-119 despite the absence of Luka Doncic.

Can the Mavericks continue its mastery over the Thunder with Luka Doncic now back in full health or will Oklahoma City tie the season series?

That remains to be seen but as of press time, here’s how the current Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks betting lines look like as we head into this thrilling do-or-die affair.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks DraftKings NBA Odds for December 10

Moneyline

• Oklahoma City Thunder: -205
• Dallas Mavericks: +170

Spread

• Oklahoma City Thunder: -5 (-110)
• Dallas Mavericks: +5 (-110)

Over/Under (Total)

• OVER 226.5 (-110)
• UNDER 226.5 (-110)

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks Injury Report

Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Report

1. Jaylin Williams – Hamstring – Out
2. Alex Ducas – Hip – Out
3. Ousmane Dieng – Finger – Out
4. Chet Holmgren – Hip – Out
5. Nikola Topic – Anterior Cruciate Ligament – Out

Dallas Mavericks Injury Report

1. Jaden Hardy – Ankle – Out
2. Maxi Kleber – Illness – Gametime Decision
3. Naji Marshall – Illness – Gametime Decision
4. Dante Exum – Wrist – Out

Best NBA odds for Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks

• The Oklahoma City Thunder have covered the spread six times in their 11 home games this season. The best Oklahoma City Thunder odds for the home team to cover the spread are available on Bet365 at -110.
• The Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this season despite coming in as a seven-point underdogs. FanDuel has the best odds for the Mavericks to win outright at +176.
• The over hit in the previous encounter between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. The best Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder odds for the over are available on Caesars Sportsbook at -110.

Why will the Oklahoma City Thunder cover the spread?

Since losing back-to-back games against the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs last month, the Oklahoma City Thunder have completely turned things around, winning seven of their last eight games.

• What’s even more impressive is the fact that Thunder won these games by an average margin of 16.7 points all thanks to top Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been having a stellar season.
• The 26-year old former University of Kentucky guard has been playing like a man possessed this season, averaging 29.8 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.4 rebounds while shooting an absurd 50.7% from the field.
• However, Gilgeous-Alexander has turned it up a notch lately, averaging 31.9 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.1 rebounds across the Thunder’s last seven wins.

With Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the Thunder on fire lately, backing them to cover the spread and advance into the penultimate round of the Emirates NBA Cup is something worth considering for punters looking for a betting angle on the favorite.

For the Thunder to do such a thing, however, they would need everyone to step up, especially their reserves to offset any offensive explosion from Luka Doncic, Klay Thompson, or Kyrie Irving.

It can be recalled that Oklahoma City’s bench was nowhere to be found in their first encounter against Dallas this season, only scoring 25 total point as opposed to the latter who got 50 points from their reserves.

Why will the Dallas Mavericks cover the spread?

After a slow start to the season, the Dallas Mavericks have finally started to string consecutive victories as they recorded its seventh win in a row with a 125-118 triumph over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

• All-Star guard Luka Doncic was on his lethal self against the Raptors recording an impressive triple-double of 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists while Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson added 29 and 20 points respectively.
• Dallas’ bench also came to play against the Raptors as their reserves combined for 26 points with guard Spencer Dinwiddie leading the way with 11 points in 24 minutes of play.

The Mavericks hope to sustain their winning momentum as they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder next in the do-or-die quarterfinal round of the Emirates NBA Cup and from the looks of it, they might be able to do such a thing.

Although Oklahoma City’s brilliance this season is something to behold, Dallas have started to make some noise in the past few games and what’s even more impressive is they’ve actually beaten the former earlier this season without Doncic.

• Coming in as seven-point underdogs, the Mavericks banked on the heroics of forward PJ Washington who exploded for 27 points and a career-high 17 rebounds to turn back the Thunder and escape with a 121-119 road win.
• Irving also played well in that game, recording 23 points and six assists on 9-for-18 shooting from the field and three-for-six from the three-point area.

A notable absentee in that match was Thompson who was only held to five points but his struggles were offset by a hot Mavericks bench who outscored Oklahoma City’s reserves 50-25.

With Doncic’s wrist fully healed, Dallas now has enough offensive firepower to go toe-to-toe and neck-and-neck with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the Thunder, making the current spread quite attractive at these current odds.

Final Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks NBA Prediction: Dallas Mavericks ML +170

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the favorites in this game for a reason. They are the best team in the West and they have been extremely deadly in front of their home fans, only losing twice at home.

However, I just can’t ignore how impressive the Dallas Mavericks currently are and considering they’ve beaten this same Thunder team without Luka Doncic this season, I am willing to take a risk on the dog here. Give me the Mavericks to win outright.