Best NBA Prop Bets Today for Mavericks vs. Nuggets (Back Nikola Jokic, Fade Dorian Finney-Smith)
By Peter Dewey
Two of the league’s best players square off on Tuesday with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets hosting Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas comes off a blowout win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, but it is an underdog in this game.
Here are the latest odds available for tonight:
If you're looking to bet on tonight's matchup outside of the traditional moneyline, spread or total, here are three prop bets to consider for Mavericks-Nuggets in primetime:
Mavericks vs. Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bets Today
- Nikola Jokic OVER 36.5 Points and Rebounds
- Denver Nuggets First Quarter Moneyline
- Dorian Finney-Smith UNDER 7.5 Points
Nikola Jokic OVER 36.5 Points and Rebounds
Nikola Jokic is having a bit of a down year scoring wise, but he has a favorable matchup with a weak interior Dallas defense in this game.
The Mavs are also one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, ranking 29th in rebounding percentage.
I made a similar argument for Deandre Ayton in this prop yesterday, and he delivered with 20 points and eight rebounds while shooting 9-for-11 from the floor.
Jokic is a much better player than Ayton, and I expect him to dominate this Dallas defense down low.
Denver Nuggets First Quarter Moneyline
Denver is No. 2 in the NBA in net rating in the first quarter, and it has the No. 1 offensive rating in the NBA in the first frame this season.
The Nuggets also have the No. 3 defensive rating in the first quarter, despite having the 26th DRTG for the season in full games. The Mavericks are 16th in defensive rating in first quarters this season.
At home, I’ll trust Denver here, as the team's net rating in first quarters at home is +22.7.
Dorian Finney-Smith UNDER 7.5 Points
Dorian Finney-Smith is struggling right now, shooting just 40.2 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from beyond the arc on the season.
He’s only gone over this points prop three times in his last 10 games, scoring six or fewer points in four straight.
Even though Denver doesn’t have a great defense, I can’t trust DFS considering he usually has limited shots as it is.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.