The Dallas Mavericks will look to earn a third straight win when they visit the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night.
Dallas has been playing well even with Luka Doncic out of the lineup, so I’m taking it to cover in my Mavericks vs. Pistons predictions below.
Read on to see why I like the Mavs tonight as well as my other thoughts on the game in my free NBA picks for Friday, January 31.
Mavericks vs Pistons prediction
My best bet
Mavericks -1 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
It may have taken the Dallas Mavericks some time to figure out exactly how they should structure their offense without Luka Doncic in the lineup, and they has dealt with other injuries as well, with the likes of Dereck Lively and Maxi Kleber also hitting the injured list.
But it seems as though the Mavericks have found the answer, as a slew of players have been contributing to get the offensive production back on track. P.J. Washington (14.2 ppg) and Daniel Gafford (12.7 ppg) have both been seeing their scoring production – and playing time – increase in recent games. Thankfully, that's taken some of the pressure off of Kyrie Irving (24.2 ppg), who at times has been in the position of singlehandedly trying to run the offense in Doncic’s absence.
Those contributions have led Dallas to average 123.8 ppg over their last four outings, a stretch in which the Mavericks have gone 3-1. Even without Doncic for over a month now, Dallas remains eighth in the league in offensive rating (115.4), and they’ve also tightened up the defense just enough, allowing 112.6 ppg and posting a defensive rating of 112.3, good for 12th-best in the NBA.
The Detroit Pistons have generally been solid this season, with J.B. Bickerstaff seemingly turning the culture around for the Pistons, who are fighting for a playoff spot. But the Pistons are now on a three-game losing streak and have lost five of their last seven overall.
While Detroit’s defensive effort is still there, the Pistons are struggling to regularly put up points. That’s partially a season-long issue – 111.9 ppg isn’t near the bottom of the league, but it’s hardly the mark of an offensive juggernaut – but it seems to have worsened as of late, with Detroit averaging just 109.2 ppg over that recent seven-game span.
That has made it difficult for the Pistons to stay with solid offensive teams, and they’ll be dealing with more than that when Dallas comes to town. The Mavericks – for better or worse – push teams into shootouts regularly, and in this case, that’s an approach that should give Detroit serious problems. Dallas should be able to pull away late as the Pistons struggle to keep up, and I’m willing to lay the single point to improve our return a bit.
Mavericks vs Pistons same-game parlay
Mavericks moneyline
Over 229.5
P.J. Washington Over 15+ points
The Mavericks have been surprisingly resilient on offense without Luka Doncic in the lineup, and that’s what I’m counting on for my SGP. I’m pairing a bet on Dallas to win outright with the Over, as the Mavs have been obliterating totals as of late. Dallas has hit the Over in five straight games, all of which have been played to a minimum of 229 points.
With so many contributors in the Mavericks offense, there are plenty of ways to go for our final leg. I’m taking P.J. Washington to hit a scoring milestone of at least 15 points. Washington has gone for 17+ points in each of his last five games and has become a consistent complement to Kyrie Irving in the Dallas offense, making him a great pick to hit that 15-point mark again tonight.
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Mavericks vs Pistons odds
Mavericks vs Pistons live odds
Mavericks vs Pistons opening odds
- Spread: Dallas -1 (-110) | Detroit +1 (-110)
- Moneyline: Dallas -115 | Detroit -105
- Over/Under: Over 229.5 (-110) | Under 229.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Mavericks vs Pistons spread and Over/Under analysis
- Both teams are exactly .500 against the spread this season, with Dallas putting up a 23-23-2 ATS mark and Detroit coming in with a 23-23-1 ATS record.
- The Mavericks are 7-2 straight up and 5-4 ATS in their last nine meetings with the Pistons.
- The Over has a 24-23-1 edge in Dallas’ games, and a similar 25-22 record when Detroit plays.
- The Pistons are averaging a total of 225.4 ppg this year, while the Mavericks are playing to an average total of 228.5 ppg.
Mavericks vs Pistons trend
Detroit is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Pistons.
How to watch Mavericks vs Pistons
| Location | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI |
| Date | Friday, 1-31-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | KFAA, FDSDET |
Mavericks vs Pistons latest injuries
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