Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

The knockout rounds of the NBA Cup tip off on Tuesday night with a double-header of quarterfinal competition.

After the Milwaukee Bucks host the Orlando Magic, the Oklahoma City Thunder will entertain the Dallas Mavericks. That latter showdown in the Western Conference is a matchup between the current top team in the West (Oklahoma City) and the defending conference champion (Dallas). The winner goes to Las Vegas.

With Mavericks vs. Thunder starting at 9:30 PM ET, let's take a look at the odds and best bets to make.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder betting picks and predictions

Dallas Mavericks +4.5 (-110)

Oklahoma City may be No. 1 in the Western Conference standings, but don't sleep on Dallas. Nobody in basketball is hotter than the Mavericks right now.

They have won seven games in a row and 11 of their last 12. Round-robin play in the NBA Cup was part of this hot streak, as head coach Jason Kidd's club compiled a 3-1 record in its group and finished with the second-best point differential in the entire league (+46, trailing only the Milwaukee Bucks). In other words, Dallas certainly hasn't messed around in this in-season tournament.

Although there is no denying that a road date in Oklahoma City is no easy task, but it's one Dallas has already passed this season.

The Mavs pulled off a 121-119 upset inside the Paycom Center on November 17, the only previous head-to-head meeting during the 2024-25 campaign. Luka Doncic did not even play in that contest, making the result all the more encouraging for the visitors.

OKC was without Chet Holmgren; he remains on the injury report – for at least a couple more months – due to a hip injury.

Given how well the Mavericks are playing, it seems wise to take them as +4.5 underdogs in pretty much any situation at the moment.

Over 231.0 (-110) 

It is true that you can expect more defensive commitment in the NBA Cup quarterfinals than you can in a normal regular-season game, but 231 is a number that Dallas and Oklahoma City should still be able to exceed.

Three of the Mavericks' four group-stage affairs featured at least 237 points and in the other one they dropped 132 points on the New Orleans Pelicans. The head-to-head showdown last month produced 240 points.

Meanwhile, the Thunder have scored 133, 129 and 119 points in their last three outings, with a red-hot Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reaching the 30-point mark in eight of the past 10.

This is a matchup between the No. 2 (Dallas) and No. 5 (OKC) scoring teams in the Western Conference. As such, the over is the way to go.

Dereck Lively II Over 7.5 points (-115)

Fellow frontcourt player PJ Washington is questionable with an illness, so he will probably be either on the sidelines or less than 100 percent.

Either way, Dereck Lively will likely have to shoulder the load down low for Dallas on Tuesday night. Don't be surprised if the former Duke standout rises to the occasion.

He has reached double-figures in the points department in four of the last eight games and in four NBA Cup group-stage appearances he went for 17, 11, 12 and nine points.

Lively is once again proving to be a menace in the biggest moments. He averaged 9.5 points per game in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves and then scored 11 in two of the last three NBA Finals games against the Boston Celtics.

Count on Lively stepping up once again on Tuesday.

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Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder odds

DAL Mavericks	+155 ML
OKC Thunder	-185 ML
Spread	OKC -4.5
Total Points	O/U 231

Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder player props

Player Points

Luka Doncic (DAL)	O/U 28.5
Kyrie Irving (DAL)	O/U 21.5
Klay Thompson (DAL)	O/U 12.5
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	O/U 30.5
Jalen Williams (OKC)	O/U 22.5
Isaiah Hartenstein (OKC)	O/U 10/5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.