Rockets vs. Mavericks Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for January 2 (Expect a Slow-Paced Game in Houston)

Rockets vs. Mavericks Game Info

• Date: Monday, January 2, 2023
• Time: 8:00 PM ET
• Venue: Toyota Center -- Houston, Texas
• Coverage: BSSW and SportsNet SW

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Monday with 11 more games, including a thrilling battle between the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets. The Mavericks rank fourth in the Western Conference with a 21-16 record, while the Rockets check in eighth last with a dreary 10-26 record.

Dallas enters on a six-game winning streak that includes a 126-125 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Meanwhile, Houston has dropped eight of its last nine games after falling short in a 108-88 loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday. Which Western Conference team will win tonight?

Rockets vs. Mavericks Odds & Spread

All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Mavericks vs Rockets Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Mavericks	-7.5	-	-	228.5	-110	-110	-330	265

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: HOU: (+235) | DAL: (-290)
• Spread: HOU: +7 (-108) | DAL: -7 (-112)
• Total: 226.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Mavericks enter this contest as clear road favorites on moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 226.5 points, which is about average compared to Monday's projected totals.

Rockets vs. Mavericks Betting Trends

• The Mavericks compiled a 46-35-1 record against the spread last season.
• The Rockets went 21-22-2 as underdogs of 7.5 points or more last season.
• Mavericks games hit the over 31 out of 82 times last season.
• Out of 82 Rockets games last year, 44 went over the total.

Rockets vs. Mavericks Prediction & Pick

The magic of Luka Doncic has been on full display lately. He became the first player to post 60 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game on Dec. 27 and then tallied 51 points in a New Year's Eve win. Smacked in between was a stellar outing against the Rockets (35 points, 13 assists & 12 rebounds).

Doncic is hitting a career-best 51.1% of his shots this year and gets to go up against a poor Houston defense once again. The Rockets rank 28th in defensive efficiency and allow 115.8 points per game (No. 20 in NBA). Dallas also has enough talent surrounding their star to pull away in the second half.

Houston is riding a six-game home losing streak right now, so it's best to fade the Rockets here.

Final Score Prediction: Rockets: 108 | Mavericks: 113

Rockets vs. Mavericks Best Bet

Both the Rockets and Mavericks rank in the bottom half of the NBA when it comes to pace. Neither team is afraid to use the entire shot clock in order to find the open man. That makes backing the under the way to go. After all, Houston and Dallas are each averaging under 113.0 points per game.

The total has hit the under in four of Dallas' last five away games as well as in four of Houston's last six games in January. The under has also cashed in four of the last five head-to-head matchups between these foes. These teams met in the Toyota Center on Dec. 23 and combined for only 218 total points.

Bet: Under 226.5 Points (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.