Tuesday, March 21 2023

Is point guard Kyrie Irving the missing puzzle piece for the Dallas Mavericks as they seek their first NBA title since the 2010-11 season?

Luka Dončić hopes so.

Dončić, a three-time first-team All-NBA player, and the Mavericks stole some of the headlines away from the upcoming Super Bowl LVII by making a blockbuster trade Sunday. 

Two days after he requested a trade, Irving was traded by the Brooklyn Nets for point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, power forward Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and multiple second-round picks.

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Let’s take a look at how the blockbuster trade impacted both teams’ title odds from a sports betting perspective.

As a result of the swap, Dallas’ odds to win the division, conference and NBA titles all shortened immediately.

The Mavericks’ odds to win it all dipped drastically from +2000 to +1200, while the Nets’ title odds lengthened from +1400 to +2000.

DALLAS MAVERICKS’ 2022-23 NBA ODDS (at FOX Bet) *

Win NBA title: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Win Western Conference: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Win Southwest Division: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)

* = as of 2/5/2023

“Starving for a second viable option, the Mavs have added a player who has experience being second fiddle on a championship team,” FOX Bet Content Operations Associate La-Quai McKinnis said. “Irving is by far the best player Luka will have played with up to date, and this could catapult a team who was just in the Western Conference Finals last season to the next level.” 

The Mavericks are 28-26 (51.9%), sixth in the Western Conference (9.5 games behind leader Denver). They are in second place in the Southwest Division, five games behind the Memphis Grizzlies.

Irving played in 40 games (all starts) this season for the Nets, averaging 37.0 minutes, 27.1 points, 5.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

The point guard has averaged 23.3 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game for his career. Irving was the No. 1 pick in 2011 by the Cleveland Cavaliers out of Duke, winning the 2016 NBA title with the Cavs.

He is an eight-time All-Star, the 2014 All-Star Game MVP and the 2012 Rookie of the Year.

Kevin Durant, James Harden and Irving formed the Big Three for the Nets, but Brooklyn lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2021 to the Milwaukee Bucks and got swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics last season. Quite the disappointing end for such a highly-acclaimed trio.

So are you ready to wager on the Mavericks to win it this season? If so, head over to FOX Bet to get in on the action now!

Download the FOX Super 6 app for your chance to win thousands of dollars on the biggest sporting events each and every week! Just make your picks and you could win the grand prize. Download and play today!


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Source: FOX Sports

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