After winning only two games out of eleven played, Mavericks are still searching for a way to save their season. They are coming from their 4th consecutive loss against Memphis, it seems as Dallas is in for a tough season and the injuries do not help. Dirt Nowitzki, Deron Williams, J.J. Barea and Harris will all miss the upcoming match. Against Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas did not show anything promising. They shot 28.8% from the field and gave up the ball 17 times. All that resulted in a disappointing final score 64:80. The best scorer for Mavericks was Barnes (15 points), followed by Curry and Gibson (both 11 points). As I stated many times before, Dallas needs to improve their offence. If we look at previous 4 matches played, Dallas averaged 80 points per match, which is more than enough to be crowned as the worst scoring team in this season. In addition, Mavericks have got the worst assist average in the league (17.3 apg), the worst rebounding etc. I could go on and on with what this team needs to improve on, but for now it’s enough to say that they are not in a position they want to be.
Orlando Magic have made some changes in the offseason, but it seems like the new pieces need some time to fit together. Currently they hold a record of 5-7 and have similar problems like today’s opponents. And that’s the scoring. With only 92.3 ppg, Orlando is the second worst scoring team in the league. They are coming from a win against New Orleans Pelicans (89:82), which was the 6th time this season they failed to break the 90 point mark. Despite winning, their performance was not praiseworthy. Orlando Magic shot 38.6% from the field and committed 12 turnovers. Top two scorers for the home side were Fournier and Ibaka (both with 16 points).
This is one of those matches, when you can be certain that it will be a slow low-scoring match. It usually is the case when two of the worst offensive teams face each other. Still, it could be a match worth watching.
Prediction: Under 180.5
Odds: 1.83 Pinnacle
