Trent Reinsmith
- What: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Dallas Mavericks
- Date: Friday, December 9, 2022
- Location: American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: Bally Sports SW-DAL, Bally Sports WI, ESPN
As Week 8 of the 2022-23 NBA season nears a close, two of the best teams in the NBA face off in Dallas. In tonight’s matchup, December 9, 2022, the Milwaukee Bucks are on the road to face the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center in an ESPN national game.
Milwaukee is the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division with a record of 18-6. The Bucks are a 6-3 road team heading to Dallas. Meanwhile, the Mavericks are the No. 3 team in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference with a record of 13-11. Dallas has a 10-3 home record on the 2022-23 NBA season.
Before we dive into the betting breakdown for tonight’s NBA matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 NBA Finals and our tips for betting on the NBA.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Dallas Mavericks picks – December 9, 2022
| Teams |  |  |  |
| Milwaukee Bucks | -115 | -120 | -115 |
| Dallas Mavericks | -105 | Even | -105 |
Milwaukee Bucks breakdown
The Milwaukee Bucks opened the season with an unbeaten run that lasted from October 20 through November 5. The team was victorious in nine straight games. Milwaukee has been up and down since that run ended, but they seem to be on the right track as of late with a 6-1 run in their past seven outings. The Bucks are coming off a 126-113 home win over the Sacramento Kings.
As has been the case for the past several seasons, the Bucks go as Giannis Antetokounmpo goes and so far this season, Giannas has been his usual dominating self. Antetokounmpo leads the team in scoring with 32 points per game and 11.1 rebounds on 33 minutes played. Jrue Holiday, who is second in scoring with 18.9 points per game, is the team leader in assists (7.4) and steals (1.5), while Brook Lopez, who is the team’s third-highest scorer (15.3) is the leader in blocks with 2.9.
The Bucks have not been a great team scoring on the road. In fact, the team’s 106.3 road points is the second-worst number at this point in the 2022-23 NBA season. However, Milwaukee is the second-best road team in scoring defense, allowing their opponents an average of 106.8 points per game.
Dallas Mavericks breakdown
Dallas opened the season with a 2-3 record. The team picked things up for a stretch between October 30 and November 18, when they went 7-3. However, a rough run of 1-5 came after that stretch. Dallas seems to be back on the right track with wins in their past three games. The team is coming off a 116-115 win on the road in Denver.
Luka Doncic leads the Mavericks and it’s no surprise that he is at top of the team in most stats this early in the 2023 NBA season. Doncic leads Dallas in points (32.9), rebounds (8.6), assists (8.7), steals (1.7) and minutes on the court (36.8). The only significant stat Doncic is not leading the Mavericks in is blocks, but he’s not far off the mark set by team-leading Maxi Kleber (0.9) with 0.7.
Dallas is in the bottom half of the league in scoring at home with an average of 111.8 points. On the defensive side of the ball, the Mavericks are the second-best team in the league, allowing their opponents to score 104.4 points per game.
Our pick
This is a tough pick because of how inconsistent the Mavericks have been this season. However, since this is a home game for the team, I think the best bet is to pick the Mavericks to beat the Bucks at American Airlines Center in Dallas tonight.
Pick: Dallas Mavericks to beat the Milwaukee Bucks.
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