Lakers vs. Mavericks Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, January 7: Did LA Crack the Code?

The Los Angeles Lakers (20-15) are making the trip to the Lone Star State to face the Dallas Mavericks (20-16) on Tuesday.

The Lakers won seven of their last 10 but came up short their last time out in a 119-115 road loss against the Houston Rockets. They’re 8-10 on the road but also 2-1 with Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in the rotation.

On the other side, the Mavericks’ promising performances early in the season are now a distant memory with injuries to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving headlining the team news. Dallas lost to the Memphis Grizzlies by 15 points last night and has to turn around for a back-to-back against a more rested team.

Here, we will analyze the matchup and share our favorite Lakers vs. Mavericks betting picks.

Lakers vs. Mavericks Betting Odds for Tuesday, January 7

The Lakers are 18-17 (51.4 percent) against the spread, 9-9 (50 percent) ATS as a favorite, and 8-10 (44.4 percent) ATS on the road.

The Mavericks are 18-17-1 (51.4 percent) ATS, 7-7-1 (50 percent) ATS as an underdog, and 9-7 (56.3 percent) ATS at home.

Odds for the Lakers vs. Mavericks game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets.

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Lakers vs. Mavericks Prediction

Los Angeles Lakers Preview

The Lakers’ season has been dedicated to finding an identity. They started the year with a first-time head coach at any level above elementary school, a roster that had seemingly hit its potential and had several holes, and a leader who was a couple of months away from turning 40 years old.

The team’s recent performances and move to trade D’Angelo Russell for Finney-Smith and Milton clarified who they are and what they are about. 

Looking at their last 10 games, the Lakers are seventh in offensive and 13th in defensive rating, leading to a net rating of +4.1 (eighth). 

There’s been a noticeable uptick in their defensive activity and ability to sustain defensive efforts, while Max Christie has settled into his starting role nicely, averaging 12.0 points and 3.2 rebounds on 44.2 percent three-point shooting since he became a full-time starter on Dec. 8.

During the same 10-game stretch, the Lakers were in the top 10 in opponents’ fastbreak points and points off of turnovers per game. There’s still room for improvement in ball security and rebounding, but they are forging their identity.

LeBron James is off to a nice start in 2025, averaging 29.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 6.3 rebounds on 59 percent shooting across three games. Anthony Davis also averaged 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks in two games in the New Year.

Dallas Mavericks Preview

It’s tough to use metrics to define the Mavericks given that their two best players and leading scorers are both going to be out of action. 

The team is unsurprisingly 0-2 since they lost both of their stars. To be fair, those losses came against the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, 134-122, and against the third-place Memphis Grizzlies, 119-104.

The Mavs posted an offensive rating of 107.6 and a defensive rating of 121.6 during those two games. That means they scored 7.6 fewer points per 100 possessions and allowed 10.2 more points per 100 possessions than they did compared to the season overall. It also means they were outscored by 14 points per 100 possessions.

Dallas’ biggest asset will be its size and tenacity on defense and on the glass. They started a lineup that included Dereck Lively II and Maxi Kleber, two centers, and P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall, both wings who often guard interior players.

The Mavs are eighth in three-point percentage for the year as a whole and still have capable shooters, namely Klay Thompson, leading their lineup. The question is if they will create enough scrambling and get the Lakers in rotation via ball penetration to open up easy looks for shooters or cutters, given they typically rely on Doncic and Irving to create their offense.

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Lakers vs. Mavericks Betting Pick

• Lakers vs. Mavericks pick: Lakers -6.5 (-110) at BetMGM 

This is a situation in which the Lakers are starting to hit their stride, while the Mavericks are going in the total wrong direction.

The absences of Doncic and Irving leave the Mavericks without a true initiator that strikes fear into defenders. Conversely, LeBron and Davis are playing well, while the role players have stepped up recently.

LA has been bad on the road, but we like them to win and cover against an injured team.

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How to Watch Lakers vs. Mavericks on 1/7/25

• When: Tuesday, January 7 @ 7:00 p.m. ET

• Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

• TV: TNT

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