The Dallas Mavericks get set to clash against the Phoenix Suns as both teams look to make a late second-half push towards the playoffs, beginning Thursday night inside the American Airlines Arena from Dallas, Texas. They tip it off at 7:30 pm. This could turn out to be a high-scoring affair. 

Bookmaker has installed the Mavericks as a very slim three-point favorite. 

The Mavericks (32-23) have had an up-and-down season like several teams in the Western Conference and they still believe they have the depth and the talent to get into the playoffs. We are not sure how deep they can go but they do still have one of the most prolific scorers in the game in Luka Doncic, who is capable of putting up 40 plus points on any given night.

For the season, the 24-year-old point guard is averaging around 34 a game and he has had huge games in his career against the Suns. He has averaged a whopping 42 points in his career against Phoenix and look for him to have at least 30 plus in this one. 

Dallas has solid shooters but their issue has been their inconsistent play at times and their lack of defense in the fourth quarter. Look for guard Kyrie Irving who is averaging 25 points per night to go along with just under six assists per game. He is still one of the best guards in the league and when he is engaged on the floor he can still make the right play and decision. 

The Suns (33-22) are just four games out of first place in the Pacific Division and have enough talent and depth to make some noise in the playoffs, They have a solid roster of All-Stars, but for some reason they have not been able to put it all together this season.

The offense still revolves around future HOF'er Kevin Durant, who can still put up huge numbers even as he is approaching the twilight of his career. The 35-year-old power forward is averaging 26 points per game and he is also getting some great play and contributions from his teammate in Devin Booker. 

Booker has proven time and time again that he is one of the best guards in the league. He has played at a very high level over the last several seasons and this season is no different. He is averaging 27 points per game to go along with seven assists a night. He has had great games in his career against the Mavericks as he has averaged 33 a game against them. This has the makings of being a wide open wild game and a high-scoring game. 

The Suns connect on a red-hot 57% from the field and they have the depth to knock down shots in bunches. The Suns rank 12^th in the league in scoring with a 117.6 points per game average, while the Mavericks are 19^th in the league as they allow 117.2 on defense.

The Mavericks are a solid 5-0 in their last five games and a strong 4-1 in their last five games against the spread. Dallas is also 16-9 in their road games against the spread and the totals have gone over in two out of their last five games. Dallas is 26-8 against the spread and a great 29-5 overall when scoring more than 114.3 points per game. The Suns are 4-1 in their last five games and 4-1 in their last five games against the number too.