Mavericks vs. Lakers Showdown: Shocking Stats and Surprising Bets You Can’t Miss on February 12!

Tonight’s clash at the crypto.com Arena sets the stage for a fascinating NBA showdown, as the Los Angeles Lakers (32-21) aim to cling to their fragile playoff perch while the Dallas Mavericks (19-34) find themselves spiraling deeper into an eight-game losing streak. Both teams face the challenge of missing key contributors—Luka Dončić won’t suit up due to a hamstring injury, and the Mavericks’ promising rookie Cooper Flagg is sidelined with a foot issue—adding layers of intrigue to the matchup. The Lakers, perched atop the Pacific Division, have seen their cushion shrink to just one game behind the Suns after consecutive losses, while the Mavericks continue searching for answers amid a tough road stretch. With the season series already leaning toward Los Angeles and only one game remaining against Dallas in April, tonight’s game could have ripple effects on postseason positioning. Stick around for all the essential details — from starting lineups and injury updates to expert picks and betting odds — you won’t want to miss a beat as these two teams battle it out before the All-Star Break. LEARN MORE

In a matchup featuring one team trying to maintain their tenuous hold on a playoff spot and the other in a complete free fall as we head into the All-Star Break, the Los Angeles Lakers (32-21) host the Dallas Mavericks (19-34) tonight.

The game will be played minus a major star from each team as the Lakers’ Luka Dončić is out with a hamstring injury, while Dallas is without rookie Cooper Flagg (foot).

This game’s importance can’t be understated as the Lakers still sit atop the Pacific Division but having lost their last two, their lead over the second-place Suns is now a single game…AND they have fallen to the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Mavericks have lost eight in a row and own the seventh-worst record in the entire NBA.

The Lakers have dominated the season series, winning 129-119 on November 28 in Los Angeles. Austin Reaves poured in 38 to pace the attack. LeBron and co. also won in Dallas on January 24, 116-110. They wrap up their season series April 5 in Dallas.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Mavericks at Lakers

Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Time: 10PM EST
Site: crypto.com Arena
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, Spectrum Sports Network

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Game Odds: Mavericks at Lakers

The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:

Moneyline: Dallas Mavericks (+245), Los Angeles Lakers (-305)
Spread: Lakers -7.5
Total: 236.5 points

This game opened Mavericks -6.5 with the Total set at 234.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Expected Starting Lineups: Mavericks at Lakers

Dallas Mavericks

PG Tyus Jones
SG Max Christie
SF Naji Marshall
PF P.J. Washington
C Daniel Gafford

Los Angeles Lakers

PG Austin Reaves
SG Marcus Smart
SF Jake LaRavia
PF LeBron James
C Deandre Ayton

Injury Report: Mavericks at Lakers

Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic (hamstring) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Deandre Ayton (knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game

Los Angeles Lakers

Cooper Flagg (foot) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Naji Marshall (foot) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Caleb Martin (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Kyrie Irving (knee) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Dereck Lively II (foot) ) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game

Important stats, trends and insights: Mavericks at Lakers

The Mavericks are 5-17 on the road this season
The Lakers are 14-10 at home
The Lakers are 29-24 ATS this season / 12-11-1 ATS at home
The Mavericks are 23-30 ATS this season / 7-15 ATS on the road
The OVER has cashed in 30 of the Lakers’ 53 games this season (30-23)
The OVER has cashed in 24 of the Mavericks’ 53 games this season (24-29)
The Lakers are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games overall
LeBron James has scored 20 or more points in 5 of his last 6 games
James has tallied 10 assists in 3 straight games
Luke Kennard is 9-17 from 3-point range over his last 5 games
Max Christie has totaled at least 3 assists in each of his last 4 games

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Mavericks and Lakers’ game:

Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Lakers -7.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total UNDER 236.5

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

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