Lakers vs Mavericks Betting Preview: Will AD’s Return Be Enough for Underdog Lakers to Triumph in Dallas?

There will be a lot of interest in the Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks game tonight. LeBron James is still out, but Anthony Davis makes his long-awaited return from injury. That is huge as the team has sputtered without him, but is it enough to warrant action on a team that is losing 70% of the time as a road underdog?

Los Angeles Lakers (35-23) vs. Dallas Mavericks (31-26), TNT, 9:30 PM ET

Lakers Getting Healthier

Forward Anthony Davis has not played in a game since February 14th. He is an elite player for sure, but his production had been down in his second season with the Lakers prior to being sidelined. With his minutes limited initially, optimism about him making a major impact should be guarded for now.

The Lakers have to fight the urge to play him more than they want to with big man Marc Gasol hurt and unable to go. Also, I am curious to see how AD’s game meshes with Andre Drummond, who was acquired while he was out of action.

The return Davis is going to get a lot of attention, but it might not help the Lakers too much right away. The Lakers are just 5-5 in their last 10 as they have been trying to figure out lineups featuring Drummond, Dennis Schroeder, and Kyle Kuzma. As we have seen across the NBA, sometimes when a star comes back things get worse before they get better.

The return of Davis is the big storyline. L.A. has been a road dog 10 times this season and only won three of them. They are 5-5 ATS in those situations.

Dallas Finding The Right Combinations Too

Dallas is not on a heater, but they might be licking their chops to get a Lakers team that is not sure of themselves right now.

The Mavericks are at home, but the Lakers are the consensus play tonight. There is nothing like feeling as if you are an underdog in your own building to get the juices flowing, and wing Luka Doncic is a player that seems to thrive on emotion. He was just one assist away from a triple-double in the Mavs’ last game, an easy win against Detroit. Just as impressive that included 30 points in just over thirty minutes of action.

With the return of forward Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavs seem to have settled on their lineup. It has helped several players produce in their roles. I like the reserve backcourt duo of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jalen Brunson. They are the team's third and fourth-leading scorers, combining for just under 30ppg. That level of production is hard for most teams to match from their reserves and is often a difference-maker for Dallas.

That said, the Mavs are just 6-14 ATS as a home favorite this season. In this matchup, you will be able to get lots of value though as money comes streaming in on LA throughout the day thanks to Davis’ return. The Lakers are a public team under normal circumstances, but tonight there is likely to be even greater interest.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More