Mavericks vs. Nuggets prediction, odds: NBA picks, best bets

Just when the Dallas Mavericks look ready to turn the corner, an injury to Luka Doncic could potentially derail their progress.Doncic is dealing with a strained wrist and the Mavericks expect he’ll be out of action for one week.Dallas will put its three-game winning streak on the line when it visits the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Denver also appears to be on the ascent, with six victories in its last eight games. However, it has been without the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, for the last three games due to a personal matter.Jokic’s availability is still up in the air, as the Nuggets list him as questionable on the injury report.While it’s always difficult to make projections on a game when teams aren’t at full strength, the props market is an excellent option for determining which teammates will likely step up in the absence of a star player.The Mavericks are notorious for their slow starts, so it wasn’t entirely surprising to see their record fall to 5-7.

However, most would say the combination of Doncic and Kyrie Irving are two of the most unguardable players in the league.Thus, it would only be a matter of time before Dallas would regain its stride.While the NBA season can be long and arduous, there are always a few games throughout the campaign that take on another level of importance. For Dallas, its away victory (121-119) over the Thunder offered a similar significance because heading into the game, OKC had the best record in the West at 11-2. Dallas followed up that performance with a 131-91 demolition over the New Orleans Pelicans.If you overlook this Mavericks team, you do so at your peril. The underlying metrics suggest they’re still very much a legitimate contender that can challenge and come out of the West.Denver rebounded from a 0-2 start to win seven of its next eight games. However, it’s 1-2 in the last three games with Jokic sidelined.Jokic is having another MVP-caliber season, averaging a triple-double with 29.7 points, 13....