Mavs vs. Suns (Oct. 19): Will Luka pick up where he left off in Phoenix?

Written by: Eddie Griffin

Published: Wed Oct 19, 2022, 5:54 pm ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

Mavs vs. Suns (Oct. 19): Will Luka pick up where he left off in Phoenix? cover

nba

FINAL

Dallas Mavericks

105

Phoenix Suns

107

See Picks & Statistics For The Game

When the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns last met, Luka Doncic and the Mavs pummeled the Suns on their own floor in Game 7 of last season's Western Conference semifinals.

The NBA loves a good storyline, so it's no surprise that the two teams are facing off again at the Footprint Center tonight to open the new season.

After ending a 64-win season by being bounced from the playoffs in such humiliating fashion, it was a pretty tumultuous offseason for the Suns as a franchise off of the court due to a mess involving the eventual re-signing of center Deandre Ayton and the issues surrounding owner Robert Sarver's conduct.

So, it will certainly be interesting to see if Phoenix is able to hit the ground running and gain a measure of revenge against Dallas, or if the Mavs will kick off a run at a Western Conference title with another impressive win at the Footprint Center.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

Matchup: Dallas Mavericks (0-0) vs. Phoenix Suns (0-0)
Venue & Location: Footprint Center (Phoenix, Arizona)
Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Game Time: 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time (7:00 p.m. local time)
How to Watch Mavs vs. Suns: ESPN

Mavericks vs. Suns Odds

Game odds are via Bovada Sportsbook. Odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites may also appear in this article.

Spread

Dallas Mavericks +4 (-110)
Phoenix Suns -4 (-110)

Over/Under

Over 218 (-110)
Under 218 (-110)

Moneyline

Dallas Mavericks +152
Phoenix Suns -180

Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns Prediction and Spread & Over/Under Picks

Mavs vs. Suns Prediction: Mavs to win

Mavs vs. Suns Picks: Mavs to cover (Best Value: +4.5 @ -110 at BetMGM) & Mavs/Suns over (Best Value: over 217.5 @ -110 at BetOnline)

Neither team made a big offseason splash, so there aren't a lot of notable new faces on either squad.

Jalen Brunson decided to trade the Lone Star State for the bright lights of the Big Apple, signing a nine-figure contract with the New York Knicks.

Will this change much for the Mavs? Not particularly. It's still very much Luka Doncic's world, and the rest of the team is tasked with providing adequate support.

Dallas added veteran guard Facundo Campazzo and big man Christian Wood.

Having depth is vital if you have championship aspirations, so while Brunson is certainly a loss given the potential he showed in the playoffs last season, but Campazzo and Wood are two solid additions for the Mavericks.

As for the Suns, I'm curious to see if last season's early elimination will affect how they approach this season or if there will be any lingering effects from how things went down.

In Giannis Antetokounmpo's two MVP seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks were dominant in the regular season but fell short of the NBA Finals in both seasons. Then they prioritized the regular season less, ended up with a lower playoff seed as a result, but went on to beat the Suns in the NBA Finals.

That has only so much to do with tonight's game, but one thing that is something to eye for both tonight and going forward is the current absence and looming departure of Jae Crowder.

The Suns are actively seeking to trade Crowder because they couldn't commit to giving him the contract extension or role that he wanted going forward, with Cam Johnson being lined up for a bigger role this season.

Crowder, like PJ Tucker (who he could very well replace in Miami), is a valuable glue guy. How much will the Suns miss that? Who will step up in that role for them?

The Footprint Center has become a fortress for the Suns, who went 72-21 at home over the past two seasons (regular season and postseason combined).

But while I think things will come together for Phoenix, they dropped three of four to start last season, and I foresee a few early hiccups without their glue guy on the court, including tonight against a team that will be highly motivated to start well and make an early statement.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns Prop Bets

Luka Doncic over 37.5 points + assists (Best Value: -101 at Bovada Sportsbook): Doncic begins this season as the favorite to take home NBA MVP honors, and I expect him to start this season with a bang.