The Philadelphia 76ers (34-25), who are coming off a solid win on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets, head out on the road. However, Philadelphia heads to the Lone Star State to face the Dallas Mavericks (34-26). They are also coming off a blowout loss on the road to the Boston Celtics. Furthermore, the 76ers regained fifth place in the Eastern Conference, thanks to Tyrese Maxey scoring 33 points and Tobias Harris scoring 31 points. Philadelphia is 5-8 since Joel Embiid had surgery. Dallas, who has won 7 of its last 10 games, dropped to 8th place in the Western Conference with the loss on Friday. Luka Doncic also scored 37 points in a losing effort.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Dallas Mavericks Betting Odds and Details
| Team | Spread | Total |
Moneyline
|
| Philadelphia 76ers | +8 -110 |
O 238 -110 |
+275 |
| Dallas Mavericks | -8 110 |
U 238 -110 |
-345 |
| **Odds Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook** | |||
Fixture: Philadelphia 76ers @ Dallas Mavericks
Date and Time: March 3, 2024 @ 1:00 p.m. EST
Location: American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
Key Stats
Philadelphia 76ers (Averages)
Points: 117.1
FG%: 47%
Three-point Efficiency: 36.1%
Free Throw Efficiency: 83%
Rebounds: 43 (11 offensive, 32 defensive)
Assists: 24.9
Steals: 8.5
Blocks: 5.8
Turnovers: 11.2
Points Allowed: 113.7
FG% Efficiency Against: 47.4%
Three-point Efficiency Against: 35.2%
Free Throw Efficiency Against: 78.8%
Rebounds Against: 44.1 (11.1 offensive, 33 defensive)
Key Stats
Dallas Mavericks (Averages)
Points: 118.8
FG% 48
Three-point Efficiency: 37.3 %
Free throw Efficiency: 75.5%
Rebounds: 42.1 (9.8 offensive, 32.3 defensive)
Assists: 25.4
Steals: 6.7
Blocks: 4.6
Turnovers: 11.9
Points Allowed: 118
FG% Efficiency Against: 48.3%
Three-point Efficiency Against: 37%
Free Throw Efficiency Against: 76%
Rebounds Against: 45.6 (11.3 offensive, 34.3 defensive)
Philadelphia 76ers
But the team will be busy starting Sunday, as they will play four games in six days. The 76ers lost to the Mavericks, a little less than a month ago, 118-102 in Philadelphia. The team will need help from veterans Buddy Hield and Kyle Lowry until Embiid returns. Hield scored 13 points and had 6 assists, while Lowry had a double-double, as he scored 15 points while dishing 10 assists. But the Philadelphia 76ers would like to see more out of both of those players.
Because the Philadelphia 76ers team is reeling from the Embiid injury, their goal is to remain afloat. However, many believe this team can be dangerous come the playoffs if he’s able to return soon enough. Additionally, the rest of the roster is playing valuable minutes together. Regardless if Embiid can return or not, these last few games provide a good opportunity for everyone else on the roster. But until more is known, the aforementioned players need to step up.
Dallas Mavericks
However, the question that will be answered after Sunday’s game is, did the Philadelphia 76ers slow down Luka Doncic? The 5th year veteran leads the league in scoring (34.5 ppg). He has been on an absolute tear in his last 10 games, averaging 53% from the field, 40% from three-point range and 78% from the free throw line. But Doncic is now one of the front-runners for the MVP award, and it will be a tough challenge for Philadelphia to keep him in check.
Also, Doncic has a solid supporting cast around him. Moreover, Kyrie Irving has had a great season for the Mavericks. The 31-year-old has turned it on recently, as he is averaging 27 points per game while shooting 53% from the field, and 43% from three-point range.
But there are two other players to watch on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Forward P.J. Washington, who the Mavericks acquired in a trade deadline deal wants to make an impact. Moreover, Washington is averaging 12 points in the 7 starts he has made for the Mavericks. Meanwhile, Tim Hardaway Jr. is Dallas’ 6th man and is also averaging nearly 17 points a game. Furthermore, getting these two going could be beneficial for the upcoming Dallas Mavericks playoff run.
Prediction
Dallas is going to have a bad taste in its mouth, especially after being blown out on Friday. In order for the Philadelphia 76ers to stay in this game, and it will be very tough on the road, it would be to keep Irving under 25, and Doncic to no more than 30. The Philadelphia 76ers will be in this game, but I think too much Doncic and Irving at home will be the factor in this game.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Dallas Mavericks Game Prediction
Dallas -8 and under 238
About the author
David has been following all types of sports since he was a kid. While Phillies baseball is his primary focus, David can talk about the Flyers, Eagles, 76ers, Union, MLB and college sports. He does computer work in Pennsylvania and does stats work for another sports company. Follow him on X at @weightmanstats and follow us at @TotalApexSports
