Dallas at Denver

Don't be shocked if the Mavericks pull the outright upset here. The Nuggets are a mediocre 13-13 during the last two months. Just four games ago, Denver lost straight-up to the Grizzlies, 125-118, as a 12.5 point road favorite. The scheduling dynamics are in the Mavericks' favor. Dallas was idle on Tuesday, while Denver had to go all out to just nip the Suns, 125-123, in Phoenix last night. The Nuggets had four of their starters log at least 32 minutes against Phoenix. Not only will the Nuggets be playing without rest, but they will also be playing their third game in four days and their sixth in nine days. The last time Denver played without rest was a week ago when it lost to the Grizzlies. The Mavericks have taken the Warriors and Clippers to overtime in each of their last two games. Dallas has been playing hard with Cooper Flagg in a close race with Hornets' forward Kon Kneuppel for Rookie of the Year honors. Denver is the league's top 3-point shooting team, but ranks 20th defensively. The Mavericks have scored 120 or more points in five of their last seven games. Dallas's major strength is having the second-best 3-point defense in the NBA. Take the Mavericks on the moneyline.