Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction & Preview – 1/24/2026

Luka Dončić’s returns to Dallas as the centerpiece of the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. He brings a 26-17 Lakers group into American Airlines Center against a Mavericks side fighting to keep pace in the West. Dallas has surged with a recent 4-game winning streak, but their injury list is long, and the Lakers arrive healthier, rested, and 14-9 away from home. Here, I break down this Western Conference matchup and you can find my Lakers vs Mavericks prediction below.

Our Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks Pick

Pick:

Confidence: 4/5

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks
• Date & Time: Saturday, January 24, 2026, 8:30 PM ET
• Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
• Broadcast: ABC and ESPN App

Key Storylines

• Availability: Dallas lists Anthony Davis out with a finger issue, Kyrie Irving out with a knee issue, Dereck Lively II out for the season, and Daniel Gafford as questionable with an ankle. The Lakers list Austin Reaves out, while Dončić and LeBron James are good to go.
• Form and rest: Los Angeles has two wins in their last three games, most recently losing to the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome. Dallas last played on January 22 and they defeated the Golden State Warriors in that game.
• Stars and usage: Dončić is delivering roughly 33.4 points and 8.7 assists per game, with Deandre Ayton leading the Lakers on the glass. For Dallas, rookie Cooper Flagg leads the team at 18.8 points per game, with P.J. Washington leading the club in rebounds and Ryan Nembhard the primary table-setter with 5.2 assists per game.
• Pace and shot profile: The Lakers’ half-court creation has improved with Dončić in pick-and-rolls and second-side actions for shooters. Dallas has leaned on drive-and-kick offense and Flagg’s slashing, but their shot creation is lessened without Irving and Davis.

Head-to-Head & Betting Trends

• Past meetings: Lakers lead the season series 1-0 after a 129-119 win on November 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
• ATS and totals: Entering this game, Lakers sit at 23-20 ATS and 25-18 to the over. The Mavericks are 21-24 ATS and 20-25 on over/unders.

Lakers vs Mavericks Model Projection

Final Thoughts

Jay Sanin

Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.