The Dallas Mavericks head out on a three-game road swing, starting in Sacramento on Tuesday against the Kings. Dallas will be hoping to continue their modest climb up the NBA standings, while the Kings will be aiming to stop a five-game losing skid.
This will be the second meeting of the season between the Mavs and the Kings, following Sacramento’s 113-107 victory back on Dec. 27. Tipoff is slated for 11 p.m. ET at Golden 1 Center in California, with broadcast and streaming available on NBC, KFAA and Peacock.
Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings Odds
Money line: Mavericks -218, Kings +180
Spread: Mavericks -5.5 (-105), Kings +5.5 (-115)
Total over/under (o/u): Mavericks o231.5 (-110), Kings u231.5 (-110)
Note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings Preview and Prediction
Preview
The Mavericks have hovered between the play-in and the bottom of the standings for much of the season, but have shown noticeable improvement when healthy and playing to their full potential. After dropping four straight games, Dallas picked up a hard-earned win over the Houston Rockets to improve their record to 13-23.
Anthony Davis continues to be a difference-maker for the Mavs. He led the team with a double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds. Four other players also scored in double figures, including Max Christie, who kept his hot shooting going with 24 points.
Every player in the NBA shooting at least 46% from 3 this season while playing 25 MPG:
• Max Christie
That’s it. pic.twitter.com/AlWYA3xuD5
— MavsMuse (@MavsMuse) January 5, 2026
The Mavs are 2.5 games behind the 10th-place Memphis Grizzlies and a half-game ahead of the 12th- and 13th-place LA Clippers and Utah Jazz. Now the hope is that the Mavs will be able to stay on that wave of momentum for the second half of the season.
Sacramento, meanwhile, has been struggling as of late, losing five in a row. The Kings have found it tough to close out games when leading this season, and the trend continued against a struggling team with a 115-98 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Their other four losses were also blowouts.
A fragile veteran roster and offensive struggles are fueling the slide. Zach LaVine returned to lineup after a long hiatus from injury, scored 20 points against the Bucks. However, Domantas Sabonis continues to be on the treatment table with a knee meniscus injury. The recent slide has dropped the Kings to 14th in the Western Conference standings, just half a game ahead of the last-place New Orleans Pelicans, and they need to keep piling up wins to get out of the rut.
Prediction
The oddsmakers favor the Mavs to win by a narrow margin on the road. While the Kings were able to carve out a win in their last outing, it won’t be that simple this time. Expect Anthony Davis and Co. to cover the spread for a win, with the team total staying under 229.5 points.
Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings Player Props
Anthony Davis is expected to score over 25 points.
Rookie of the Year frontrunner Cooper Flagg’s point total is set at 21.5, but he is averaging 18.9 this season. Take the under.
Zach LaVine is projected to score over 20.5 points.
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