[8:10 PM] Mavericks @ Rockets

Who will WIN this matchup?

Dallas Mavericks (0-2)

@ Houston Rockets (1-1)

 

Current odds:

Dallas Mavericks: (+173)

Houston Rockets (-193)

 

• ESPN simulations have Houston as 64.3% favorites to win the game.

• 50% of sports bets are currently on Dallas to win as (+173) underdogs.

• James Harden handed out a career-high 17 assists in a loss at the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and added eight more to go along with 26 points and seven rebounds in a 106-98 win at the Mavericks on Friday.

• The Mavericks were missing star forward Dirk Nowitzki (illness) in the loss but got another encouraging performance from new acquisition Harrison Barnes, who scored a career-high 31 points in the loss. Barnes struggled with his shot in the playoffs last spring with the Golden State Warriors and continued those troubles in the preseason but is 21-of-37 from the floor through the first two games of the regular season.

• Barnes, who regularly filled that role in crunch time with Golden State, could use a little help from the rest of his teammates in the outside shooting department. Barnes went 2-of-4 from 3-point range in Friday’s loss but the rest of the team was 6-of-25, including a 1-of-8 effort from Wesley Matthews.

• The Rockets had some trouble finding their form from the outside in the opening loss to the Lakers but were much better in that area on Friday as Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon combined to go 9-of-14 from 3-point range.

• Dallas C Andrew Bogut hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds on Friday but Houston still won the battle of the boards 41-34.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Houston Rockets

Confidence: 5/10

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