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The eyes of the basketball world will be on the Staples Center on NBA Christmas Day 2020 for a matchup between playoff contenders. The Los Angeles Lakers welcome the Dallas Mavericks to town for the fourth of five NBA games on Christmas Day, with star power all over the court. Luka Doncic leads the Mavericks in search of their first win of the young season. LeBron James and Anthony Davis key the Lakers, with the team just beginning its title defense after winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy in Orlando.

Tipoff is at 8 p.m. ET from the Staples Center. William Hill Sportsbook lists Los Angeles as a 6.5-point home favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 227 in the latest Lakers vs. Mavericks odds. Before making any Mavericks vs. Lakers picks, see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer model. 

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model is up nearly $8,100 over the past two seasons. Last year, it went a stunning 61-33 on top-rated picks against the spread, returning almost $2,500 on those selections alone. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns. 

Now, the model has set its sights on Lakers vs. Mavericks. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and trends for Maverick vs. Lakers:

  • Lakers vs. Mavericks spread: Lakers -6.5
  • Lakers vs. Mavericks over-under: 227 points
  • Lakers vs. Mavericks money line: Lakers -280, Mavericks +240
  • LAL: Lakers are 17-14-1 against the spread in their last 32 home games
  • DAL: Mavericks are 20-11-2 against the spread in their last 33 road games

Why the Lakers can cover

The Lakers are built with two stars in the middle of it all: LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, Los Angeles invested heavily in its supporting cast during the off-season, bringing back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and signing Marc Gasol to fortify the defense. 

On the offensive side, the Lakers acquired Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell, and both paid dividends in the season-opener, with Schroder producing 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and Harrell adding 17 points and 10 rebounds. With that pairing buoying the second unit, the Lakers should be a powerful offensive team.

Why the Mavericks can cover

The Mavericks are dynamic offensively, dating back to the 2019-20 season. Dallas was the NBA's No. 1 offense on a per-possession basis last season, scoring almost 1.17 points on every trip down the floor.

The Mavericks were strong across the board, with Luka Doncic as a rising superstar. Doncic averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game in his second NBA season and is seen as a leading MVP candidate as he enters his third year.

In support, the Mavericks have a balanced group of contributors, including Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber. Hardaway Jr. averaged 15.8 points per game and shot 39.8 percent from 3-point range last year, while Kleber takes on a larger role on both ends in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis.

How to make Lakers vs. Mavericks picks

SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, with James and Doncic projected to fall short of their season-long scoring averages from 2019-20. The model also says one side of the spread cashes in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick here.

So who wins Lakers vs. Mavericks on 2020 NBA Christmas Day? And which side of the spread cashes more than 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Lakers vs. Mavericks spread you need to jump on Christmas, all from the model on a 61-33 roll on NBA picks, and find out.