Knicks vs. Mavericks prediction: NBA odds, best bets for Thursday

The Knicks will put their five-game winning streak on the line when they head to Dallas to take on the Mavericks on Thursday night. 

New York has not lost since the Jan. 1 arrivals of OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn via trade with the Toronto Raptors.

While this matchup features two teams above .500, it’ll be void of some star power with the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic sidelined with an ankle injury.

While there’s no disputing the overall quality of Doncic’s game, the Mavericks will especially miss his 8.1 rebounds per game.

Per TeamRankings, the Knicks rank third in the league in rebounding, while the Mavericks 24th. 

New York’s rebounding is a big reason it leads the league in second-chance points with 17.1 per game.

Thus, not having Doncic available for this matchup hampers the Mavericks’ chances of keeping the Knicks off the boards.

If you missed grabbing the Knicks at the open as +1.5 underdogs, you’re probably not too thrilled to now lay 3.5 points as a road favorite.

Even if you wanted to back New York straight-up on the moneyline, you’d have to swallow some juice with odds as high as -180. 

Instead, you can consider a bet365 same-game parlay that combines New York on the moneyline (-165) with Jalen Brunson recording more than 10.5 rebounds and assists (-140). 

Brunson averages 3.9 rebounds per game, and I like his chances of going over that mark with Doncic sidelined. The Knicks’ improved floor spacing with Anunoby has also resulted in more assists. 

New York is sharing the ball more since the trade, as it’s averaging 2.4 more assists per game compared to its season average of 24.

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Moreover, opposing point guards are averaging 9.26 assists per game vs. Dallas, putting the Mavericks in the bottom third of the NBA in this category.

This same-game parlay has odds at +155 and gives us a chance for a better return on our investment.

Pick: Same-game parlay (+155, Bet365): Knicks ML (-165) / Jalen Brunson Over 10.5 Rebounds + Assists (-140)