Game Tonight: Thunder vs Mavericks Odds, Starting Lineup, Injury Report, Predictions, for Oct. 29
In the throws of the OKC Thunder rebuild one thing fans have been able to count on is each season one LA team is going down.
Last season the national media talking heads erupted when the Thunder beat the Lakers (twice) early in the season. Passing the torch to their Crypto.com roommates it was the Clippers who fell twice to OKC this season.
Although Kawhi Leonard missed both contests, Paul George played in the second match. Hearing excuses LAC lost because they were shorthanded was giggle-worthy — precisely what do they think the absence of Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren mean for the Thunder?
This is the key takeaway of this week – the OKC Thunder won’t dial in a performance, stop fighting or make excuses.
That’s not who Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is, or Mark Daigneault and that no-nonsense, no-excuse attitude runs through the DNA of this roster!
OKC Thunder vs Mavericks Odds, Spread, Over/Under
The latest odds from Odds Shark have the Mavericks as the overwhelming 10.5-point favorites. The over/under is 218.5. The money line is set at +375 for the Thunder and -500 for the Mavs.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Thunder Starting Lineup:
With the updated injury report it’s likely Daigneault sticks with what worked against the Clippers:
Thunder Injury Report
It was anticipated Josh Giddey (ankle) would be back for this match but the most up-to-date injury report has him ruled out for Saturday.
Jalen Williams (orbital fracture) isn’t expected back until early November and Chet Holmgren (foot) is out for the season.
Lindy Waters III, Jaylin Williams, and Ousmane Dieng are on assignment with the G-League OKC Blue.
As for Dallas, Davis Bertans (knee) and Frank Ntilikina (knee) are both ruled out for Saturday.
OKC Thunder vs. Mavericks Prediction
Through the early season, the Dallas Mavericks have played four matches splitting the decisions. They lost to the Suns and Pelicans, then pounded the Grizzlies (who were playing the second game of a back-to-back set) and beat the Nets in overtime.
Luka Doncic is playing at an MVP level averaging 36.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and 2.0 steals. He’s getting to the line nine times a game and his only blip on the stat sheet is his 26.3 percent perimeter efficiency on 9.5 attempts per game.
Jalen Brunson left for the Mecca but Luka has a new object of his dime affection — Christian Wood. The Luka – Wood pick and roll is unstoppable.
Ironically, it’s Wood’s production that paints the best picture of why Luka is likely atop most MVP lists. Doncic is such a great passer that Wood rarely has to work for his shots. He simply presents himself and Luka finds him.
Wood is delivering career highs in points (21), free throw attempts (8.5), and shooting an insane 67.5 percent from deep on 3.5 attempts per game. Oddly Wood is shooting with lower efficiency (64.7%) from the line than the perimeter.
While the OKC Thunder have improved offensively since last season moving up to the 26th ladder rung the Mavericks are the kings of the castle possessing the top-ranked offense to this point in the season.
On the defensive side of the court, it’s the Thunder who possesses the better rating (9th) while the Mavs are in the middle of the pack (14th).
The key for this match will be finding a way to get the ball out of Doncic’s hands since he’ll control the pace and rhythm of the game if not.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will get the majority of the Mavs attention, but as he’s proven double teams don’t phase him – – he simply finds the open man/shot when opponents employ that strategy.
Since the calendar turned to 2022, the Mavericks are 22-4 on their home court (the Thunder were one of the losses). Dallas will remember that loss and that fact alone has me leaning toward the Mavericks winning but not by the 10.5-point spread.
Mavericks 115, Thunder 109
What channel is the Thunder-Clippers game on?
Per usual the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Oklahoma or NBA League Pass. Tip-Off is set for 9:00 p.m. EST (8:00 CT) from the American Airlines Center, in Dallas Texas.
OKC Thunder vs. Mavericks Live Stream
If you need a live stream of the event, check out FuboTV for a free trial!
Thunder Next Game and Schedule
This is the final game of this week. OKC will play three games in week three hosting the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, November 1st, Denver Nuggets on Thursday, November 3rd, and finish the week on the road facing the Bucks in Milwaukee on Saturday the 5th.
Best, worst, case scenarios for OKC Thunder in 2022-23. dark. Next
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.