Pacers vs. Mavericks NBA expert prediction and odds for Tuesday, March 5 (Can Mavs cover?)

Two teams that lost as favorites on Sunday square off on Tuesday night with their playoff seeding slipping at this point in the season. 

The Dallas Mavericks host the Indiana Pacers in this one, and Dallas is on a two-game skid, sitting just 1.5 games clear of the No. 9 seed in the West. Despite some MVP-level play from Luka Doncic, Dallas has not been able to string together enough wins to end up in the top half of the West’s playoff picture. 

Indiana, on the other hand, has slipped to the No. 8 seed in the East after losing back-to-back games. The Pacers enter this game just 9-9-1 against the spread when set as road underdogs. 

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

Pacers vs. Mavericks odds, spread and total

Pacers vs. Mavericks how to watch

• Date: Tuesday, March 5
• Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: American Airlines Center
• How to watch (TV): Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Southwest
• Pacers record: 34-28
• Mavs record: 34-27

Pacers vs. Mavericks injury reports

Pacers injury report

• Quenton Jackson – questionable
• Doug McDermott – out
• Aaron Nesmith – questionable
• Isaiah Wong – questionable
• Ben Sheppard – questionable
• Oscar Tshiebwe – questionable

Mavericks injury report

• Luka Doncic – questionable
• Maxi Kleber – questionable
• Derrick Jones Jr. – questionable
• Dereck Lively II – available

Pacers vs. Mavericks key players to watch

Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton: An All-Star this season, Haliburton has been in a major funk over his last five games. He’s shooting just 32.8 percent from the field and 16.1 percent from 3-point range over that stretch while averaging 11.0 points and 8.2 assists per game. He has to be better if the Pacers want to make the playoffs in the East. 

Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic: Every night, it seems like Luka Doncic is putting together a shocking performance. The Mavs star is averaging 34.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game this season while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from 3. He’s scored 30 or more points in six straight, and he had 33 in a 22-point loss to Indiana earlier this season. 

Pacers vs. Mavericks prediction and pick 

Before betting on this game, we’re going to want to make sure that Doncic is going to suit up, but I still lean toward the Mavericks to win this one.

Indiana has not been impressive as of late – especially with Haliburton struggling – losing outright to Charlotte, San Antonio, and Toronto since the start of February. 

While the Pacers dominated Dallas in Indiana last month, the team shot nearly 56 percent from the field in that game and capitalized off of 15 Dallas turnovers. PJ Washington also had arguably his worst game as a Maverick, scoring just two points in 31 minutes. 

If Doncic plays, I think the Mavericks bounce back at home after a loss to Philly on Sunday. The Pacers have gone .500 against the spread as road dogs, but the team’s ceiling is extremely limited if Haliburton is going to struggle shooting the ball. 

Until he gets back on track, I’d rather lay the short number with Dallas tonight. 

Pick: Dallas -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.