Atlanta Hawks vs Dallas Mavericks Predictions

Dallas plans a dress rehearsal

Dallas Mavericks coach Dusty May called Friday's preseason finale a dress rehearsal and said he plans to use a more regular rotation, according to Dallas Mavericks / NBA.com. With Dallas favored by 1.5 points and priced at -115 on the moneyline, that approach makes the Mavericks the more likely winner.

Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg are set to start. P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and Zaccharie Risacher are the other likely starters. Irving, Flagg and Gafford all missed Dallas' 101-97 loss to New Orleans on October 14, so their return should give the Mavericks a closer look at their intended rotation.

Why the price is a pass

Atlanta enters at 3-1 in the preseason, while Dallas is 1-2. More importantly for bettors, there is no confirmed Hawks lineup or availability report in the available evidence. That makes Dallas difficult to back at either -1.5 or -115 despite its clearer rotation plan.

Marcus Sasser is expected to make his Dallas debut after missing three games with left-adductor tightness. Dallas still has its own availability questions: Santi Aldama's status was uncertain as he recovered from right-knee surgery, and Moussa Cisse was being evaluated after a left-ankle tweak.

There also isn't enough pace or scoring evidence to support a bet on the 233.5 total. The listed 50-50 public split is a default figure rather than a measured betting signal, so it doesn't change the pass.