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New Orleans Pelicans: Betting guide in third showdown vs. Mavericks

By Jason Reed

DALLAS, TEXAS - DECEMBER 04: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on December 04, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - DECEMBER 04: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on December 04, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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The New Orleans Pelicans play the Dallas Mavericks for the third time this season on Saturday looking to stop two losing streaks.

The New Orleans Pelicans have an afternoon game on Saturday as they take on the Dallas Mavericks, who are the example of the promise that could have been achieved this season by the Pelicans.

The Pelicans and Mavericks are different teams but both entering this season with young promising stars and the potential to be a borderline playoff team. Granted, the Mavericks have Kristaps Porzingis, but their depth appeared to be worse.

The Mavericks have capitalized on this potential and Luke Doncic is playing absolutely incredible. Dallas is fourth in the Western Conference with a 15-6 record.

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The Pelicans are the exact opposite of that. The team’s young promising star has not yet played (Zion Williamson), although Brandon Ingram has emerged as an all-star in his own right. But still, the team’s shoddy defense and lack of size has led to a 6-16 record early on.

The Pelicans are looking to stop two losing streaks in this game. First, is the two-game losing streak against the Dallas Mavericks. The Pelicans have not lost three games in a season against the Mavericks since the 2014-2015 season and are looking to avoid that fate.

Secondly, the team is looking to stop its seven-game losing streak. Only the New York Knicks have a longer active losing streak, losing their last eight games.

The Mavericks just handled the Pelicans a few days ago and easily covered the spread. This time around, with the Mavericks being the home team, they enter the contest as nine-point favorites, courtesy of the Action Network.

Against the spread prediction (Record: 8-11-1): Dallas Mavericks -9

I am riding a two-game winning streak myself as I have vowed to pick against the Pelicans in every single game that was a single-digit line until they break this losing streak. Could this be the day they break the losing streak? Maybe, but I doubt it.

While this is not a back-to-back, the team is coming off of an overtime night loss to the Phoenix Suns then have to travel and wake up earlier to be ready for tip-off against the Mavericks. The Pelicans are already mismatched in this game and this is just another spoke in the wheel.

Dallas, meanwhile, had both the fifth and the sixth off and were home on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons, so there was no traveling involved.

dark. Next. Pelicans are right to load manage Zion

I am riding the wave of the New Orleans Pelicans’ losing streak to try to turn a negative to a positive. I won’t mind at all if the Pelicans win and I lose, the worst-case scenario is if they lose by less than nine points.

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