The Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks get their 2021-22 regular season started with a meeting at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, October 21. This game features the exciting matchup between Luka Doncic and Trae Young, who will forever be connected by the 2018 NBA Draft.
Will the Mavericks pick up a win in Jason Kidd’s first game as the team’s head coach? Find out in our Mavericks vs. Hawks picks and predictions.
Mavericks vs Hawks odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Hawks are 2.5-point favorites in this meeting between two fun groups, and the line hasn’t moved at all since open. The total, however, opened at 225.5 and has gotten as low as 224.5 on some books. Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Mavericks vs Hawks predictions
Predictions made on 10/20/2021 at 1:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Mavericks vs Hawks game info
• Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Date: Thursday, October 21, 2021
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
Mavericks vs Hawks betting preview
Injuries
Mavericks: No injuries to report.
Hawks: Danilo Gallinari SF (Questionable), Lou Williams SG (Questionable), Onyeka Okongwu C (Out)
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Mavericks were 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 road games last year. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Hawks.
Mavericks vs Hawks picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
Last year, the Mavericks won and covered in both of their meetings with the Hawks. Those games included a 122-116 victory in this very arena, and Dallas got better in the offseason. The Mavericks didn’t make any massive changes, but Kristaps Porzingis is the healthiest he’s been in nearly two years and the team also signed Reggie Bullock to a three-year deal.
Bullock shot 41.0% from the outside for the New York Knicks last year, and he’s going to get some incredible looks playing off of Luka Doncic this year. Bullock also competes hard on the defensive end, making him a really nice piece for this Dallas team.
Overall, the Mavericks are not going to improve from an X’s and O’s standpoint in going from Rick Carlisle to Jason Kidd at head coach. However, Dallas’ players seem to be extremely happy with the change, as a few of them desperately needed a new voice in the locker room.
As far as this matchup goes, Doncic should be able to completely shred this Hawks defense in pick-and-roll scenarios. In two games against Atlanta last year, Doncic averaged 27.5 points, 12.0 assists and 9.0 rebounds per game. The only player on this Hawks team that can give Doncic any trouble is Cam Reddish, but the former Duke wing doesn’t play as many minutes as he probably should.
Also, with Porzingis, Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber and Willie Cauley-Stein as the big man rotation for Dallas, the Mavericks have bodies that can make things pretty tough on John Collins and Clint Capela inside. That should be a significant factor in this game, and it’s one of the many reasons that Dallas has a real shot at winning this thing outright.
Prediction: Mavs +2.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The total in this game has gone down a little bit since it opened, but don’t be too scared off by that. Last year, both of the games that these teams played against one another easily went Over the total. They averaged 236.5 points per game in the two games they played last season, and both of these teams have some big-time talent returning on the offensive end.
Also, since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Over is 19-7 when Atlanta has played in home games with a line between +3 and -3. The Over is also 12-8 in Dallas’ games against Southeast division opponents in that time.
Prediction: Over 224.5 (-110)
Best bet
There’s really just no reason to believe that this game will go Under the total. Sure, the fact that these teams are both playing their first games of the year could mean that this game will be a bit sloppy early on. However, these players are usually pretty good at finding their games rather quickly and the number just isn’t all that high in this one.
Both of these teams were in the Top 10 in offensive efficiency rating a year ago and neither of them cracked the Top 15 in defensive efficiency. The Hawks probably won’t finish as poorly as 18th in that mark this year, but they’re also not likely to crack the Top 10. Overall, these are two teams that pride themselves on getting buckets, and a showdown between Doncic and Young isn’t going to turn into a defensive battle.
Pick: Over 224.5 (-110)
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