Jason Kidd makes his much anticipated debut tonight for the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs are hoping that Kidd can help them beat the New Orleans AGAIN! The Mavs beat the Hornets 89-80 as 8.5-point home favs last meeting. Will Kidd be a beneficial addition or a burden?
The New Orleans Hornets host the Dallas Mavericks tonight, at New Orleans Arena, for some slammin NBA action. BetUs.com has the New Orleans Hornets as 2-point favorites over the Dallas Mavericks with the over/under set at 189. Get your free NBA Pick in now!
The Dallas Mavericks have an experienced and talented point guard in Jason Kidd who averaged 11 PPG, 8 RPG, 15 BLK and 10 APG for the N.J. Nets. They gave up Point guard Devin Harris, center DeSagana Diop, swingman Maurice Ager, Trenton Hassell and retired forward Keith Van Horn. The Mavs have just one win in their last four games and they have two wins out of their last seven away from home. They recently lost 97-109 to the Phoenix Suns as 7.5-point roaddogs.
The Mavs offense has averaged 88 PPG in their last five games and their 3-point shooting has dropped dramatically. Overall their offense is ranked 12th averaging 99 PPG and their 3-point shooting sits ranked 22nd. What happened guys? They are, however, the best team at hitting free throws. The top producer for the Mavs is Dirk Nowitzki who averages 22 PPG, 4 APG and 9 RPG. Eric Dampeir is the hottest Mav inside the paint, making 62% of his attempts. Get your free NBA Pick in now!
The Mavs defense is holding them in place. They’ve allowed an average of 90 PPG in their last five games and their having troubles at preventing the 3-pointer from being unleashed. Overall their defense is allows a 8th ranked 95 PPG and they are the 9th ranked team at defending in the paint. The Mavs sit in 3rd place in the tough Southwest Standings and they are 12-15 on the road.
The New Orleans Hornets are riding a four game winning streak and they’ve won seven of their last ten games. They recently beat the Milwaukee Bucks 111-107 as 6-point road favs. The Hornets offense has averaged 108 PPG in their last five games and they’ve been dropping the 3-pointer like no tomorrow. Overall their offense sits ranked 8th averaging 100 PPG while their 3-point shooting is ranked 2nd best in the league. Their top producer is Chris Paul who averages 20 PPG and 10 APG. Tyson Chandler is a rebounding fool averaging 12 RPG and he’s their best player from the field.
On defense they’ve allowed 106 PPG and they’ve allowed their opponents to make 50% of their 3-pointers. Overall their defense allows a 8th ranked 94 PPG and their ranked 17th at defending the 3-pointer. They are currently in 1st place in the Southwest Standings and are 17-8 at home.
Dallas (35-18) at New Orleans (36-15)
Tipoff: Wed, Feb 20, 2008 9:00 PM ET
Line: BetUs.com
Pick: New Orleans -2
Bottom Line: It might take a couple games before Jason Kidd gets used to his new teammates. The Hornets are great at home while the Mavs struggle on the road. Get your free NBA Pick in now!
