Luka Doncic will miss another matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
The pregame narrative: Doncic was absent against the Clippers in L.A.’s comfortable win on Thursday. I’m backing the Clips to at least keep it close again tonight while looking for production from Kyrie Irving and Norman Powell in a +285 SGP.
Check out my Clippers vs. Mavericks same-game parlay predictions for Dec. 21.
Clippers vs. Mavericks predictions
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Parlay: Clippers +5.5 + Irving over 19.5 points + Powell over 3.5 threes (+300)
Clippers +5.5 (-143): Two nights ago, the Clippers routed the Doncic-less Mavericks, 118-95, in Dallas. Backing L.A. with points should be a no-brainer then, right?
I think so, though tonight’s rematch will include Irving on Dallas’ side, which should be a boon for the Mavs. That’s why I’ve tacked on a couple of extra points with the visitors.
At this number, I feel great about the Clippers. They’ve been one of the best ATS teams in the league, per Team Rankings:
- 18-10 ATS on the season (64.3%)
- 8-4 ATS as the road team
And remember, the Clippers beat the Mavericks on the road by 23 points just two nights ago. I don’t expect Irving to make enough of a difference for this pick to be a problem.
SGP legs
Irving over 19.5 points (-385): It’s fair to expect Irving to make some difference tonight, though, and a 20-point effort is perfectly attainable.
The eight-time all-star is averaging 23.9 PPG this season and has cashed this bet in 17 of 24 games.
Last year, Irving surpassed the 25-point threshold in both matchups against the Clippers — and that was with Doncic on the floor.
Without Doncic, Irving is averaging 25.7 PPG in six games. He finished with 19 points once and cashed this bet the other five times.
Powell over 3.5 threes (+114): Now for the riskiest pick of the bunch, which could also be a logical wager on its own.
Powell has arguably been the best 3-point shooter in the league this season, scoring at a 48.5% clip. That’s the highest 3PT% among all players averaging at least 5.0 attempts per game.
Over his past eight games, Powell has gone over 3.5 threes six times. He went 4-for-8 against Dallas on Thursday and should be encouraged to continue letting it fly.
Picks made at 10:20 a.m. on 12/21/24.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.