Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks Odds

Betting Odds

It's a rematch of a Western Conference playoff series from last spring when the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks host the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night (9:30 pm Eastern, ESPN).

As of Tuesday afternoon some online sportsbooks are listing Dallas as a five-point favorite for this game, with an 'over/under' of 178.5.

The Lakers just had a three-game winning streak snapped by a 102-90 loss at Phoenix Sunday, but they rebounded to beat Portland at home Monday 103-92 in a game that wasn't anywhere near as close as the final score might indicate. LA led 29-7 after the first quarter and cruised home from there.

Dallas, meanwhile, has won seven of its last eight games. The Mavs lost at New York Sunday 104-97, but got back on the winning track with an 89-73 victory over Boston Monday.

So through Monday's play the Mavs, at 21-12, are in third place in the West, 4.5 games behind first-place Oklahoma City, while the Lakers, at 19-13, sit in fifth place, a game back of the fourth-place Clippers.

These teams have meet once earlier this season, just over a month ago in LA, when the Lakers beat Dallas 73-70. Los Angeles led by four points at the half in that game, then got held to seven points in the third quarter. But the Lakers then rallied in the fourth quarter for the victory.

The Mavs held on for the cover in that game as 3.5-point underdogs. And as the two teams combined to shoot less than 37 percent from the floor, that game never threatened its posted total of 182.

Last May, though, Dallas, on its way to the NBA championship, swept LA in four games in a Western Conference semifinals series. Three of those four games played 'over' the totals.

Los Angeles is 5-11 SU and 4-12 ATS on the road this season.

The Mavericks are 13-5 SU and 11-7 ATS at home.

On the injury front Dallas took a hit to its depth chart when G Delonte West broke a finger last week. He's out for at least the next few weeks, which is going to mean more minutes and limited rest for 38-year-old PG Jason Kidd.

LA is 14-17 on the 'over/unders' so far this season, as Lakers games have averaged 184 total points.

Dallas is 13-20 on the O/Us, as Mavs games have averaged 185 points.

Elsewhere on the NBA's Wednesday night betting board 15-16 Boston visits the 25-7 Thunder; 19-13 Atlanta visits 16-17 New York; 19-14 Houston hosts 20-12 Philadelphia; and the 19-11 Clippers host 18-15 Denver.