New Orleans pays a visit to Dallas on Saturday, hoping to send the Mavericks to a loss while also covering the spread in NBA action at American Airlines Center.

The Mavericks sport records of 13-20 and 16-17 ATS heading into this matchup, while the Hornets sit at 7-25 and 15-17 ATS on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 20-13 for the Mavericks and 16-16 for the Hornets. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).



View New Orleans vs Dallas Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had set the Mavericks as 8-point favorites on the Sportsbook line for this contest. The total was listed earler at 198, but may be on the move at Sportsbook and other top sites.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game matches up the No. 20 (Mavericks) and the No. 28 (Hornets) teams in the league, according to our current NBA Power Rankings at Odds Shark. A 93-92 result in favor of the Mavericks is predicted by handicapping models.



How They Match Up:
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features Dallas's No. 20-rated squad against New Orleans's No. 23-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, Dallas rates No. 13 in the league with 7.1 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 15 with 7 per outing.

In comparing how the teams stack up statistically, the Hornets own the league's No. 19-rated mark, allowing 100.4 points per game when playing on the road. Dallas, on the other hand, rates No. 9 in scoring on their home court.

In their last action, New Orleans was a 104-92 loser on the road against the Rockets. They failed to cover the 9.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (196) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. Ryan Anderson scored 18 points in a failed effort to lead the Hornets to victory (they lost 104-92 to Houston at Toyota Center on Wednesday).

The Mavericks were a 119-109 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Heat. They covered the 10.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (228) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. O.J. Mayo was dynamite, scoring 30 points and adding 3 rebounds but Miami still won, 119-109, over Dallas on Wednesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.


New Orleans Hornets Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 2-8
Before playing San Antonio are 5-5
After playing Houston are 5-5
After a loss are 2-8

Dallas Mavericks Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Utah are 5-5
After playing Miami are 7-3
After a loss are 3-7

A few Hornets at Mavericks trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of New Orleans's last 17 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 10 of New Orleans's last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 9 games when playing Dallas
New Orleans is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Dallas's last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Dallas's last 17 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Dallas's last 15 games at home


Next up:
New Orleans home to San Antonio, Monday, January 7
Dallas at Utah, Monday, January 7