Mavericks vs. Bulls NBA expert prediction and odds for Monday, March 11 (Trust Dallas on road)

The Dallas Mavericks are looking to climb out of the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and into a guaranteed playoff spot over the final stretch of the season, starting with Monday’s matchup with the Chicago Bulls. 

Chicago holds the No. 9 spot in the East, but the team is four games back of the No. 8 seed and will likely have a hard time moving up in the standings. 

With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both healthy, the Mavs are one of the best offenses in the NBA, but can that lead to a road win? 

Let’s break down the odds and my best bet for this inter-conference matchup: 

Mavericks vs. Bulls odds, spread and total

Mavericks vs. Bulls how to watch

• Date: Monday, March 11
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: United Center
• How to watch (TV): Bally Sports Southwest, NBC Sports Chicago
• Mavs record: 36-28
• Bulls record: 31-33

Mavericks vs. Bulls injury reports

Mavs injury report

• Greg Brown III – out
• Alex Fudge – out
• Brandon Williams – out
• Olivier Maxence-Prosper – out

Bulls injury report

• Lonzo Ball – out
• Torrey Craig – probable
• Henri Drell – out
• Andrew Funk – out
• Zach LaVine – out
• Adama Sanogo – out
• Patrick Williams – out

Mavericks vs. Bulls key players to watch

Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic: An MVP candidate this season, Doncic has been insane as of late, scoring 30 or more points in nine straight games. Over that stretch, he is averaging 37.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 11.1 assists per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from 3-point range. Can the Bulls slow him down tonight? 

Chicago Bulls

Coby White: After some down games in February, White has really stepped things up as of late for Chicago. He is averaging 24.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 55.0 percent from the field and 47.5 percent from 3 in the month of March (five games). He’ll be a tough cover for a beatable Dallas defense on Monday night. 

Mavericks vs. Bulls prediction and pick

There are a couple of trends that are interesting in this game, and one of them is going to have to prevail over the other. 

• Dallas is a league-best 13-3 against the spread as a road favorite this season.
• Chicago is an impressive 8-5-1 against the spread as a home underdog this season.

So, which trend should we back tonight? 

While the Bulls have been good at home, they’re just 1-2 ATS as home dogs since the All-Star break, and they also have an outright loss at home to the Detroit Pistons as a home favorite. 

Doncic is playing some of the best basketball he’s played all season (which is crazy to think about), and Dallas enters this matchup on a two-game winning streak. 

While the Bulls are hovering around .500, they still rank 20th in the NBA in net rating this season. I simply can’t back this team as a short underdog against one of the best road teams in the league. 

Pick: Mavs -4.5 (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.