NBA Picks: Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets, Betting Preview

The Dallas Mavericks (14-11) and Denver Nuggets (15-10) will meet up for the second time during the 2011-12 NBA season Wednesday night inside the Pepsi Center.

Las Vegas oddsmakers established the Nuggets as 1.5-point home favorites, but that number has dropped as far as a pick' em due to forward Danilo Gallinari being out indefinitely due to an ankle injury.

Denver has lost five of six games that includes a 99-90 home defeat to the Houston Rockets as 6.5-point favorites, losing Gallinari in the third quarter.

Surprisingly enough, the Nuggets are just 7-5 at home this season, which includes a disappointing 3-5 mark when hosting Western Conference opponents.

Bettors will find that the underdog in this series has covered the last five meetings against the spread, which fits nicely with the Mavericks being 8-3 ATS when getting 4.5 or fewer points.

Dallas is a well-rested group for this contest, playing just its second game this season with three or more days of rest, looking to snap a three-game losing streak.

From a betting perspective, it's important to note that the visitor in this Western Conference affair hasn't been an underdog since capturing a 94-91 road win over the Utah Jazz on Jan. 19.

Expect the Mavericks bench to play a major part in picking up a victory in this contest, coming in averaging a league-best 44.2 points per game.

Mavericks star forward Dirk Nowitzki has also picked up his offensive production over the past two games, combining to score 54 points against the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers, which happens to be his highest two-game total of the year.

Pick: Dallas Mavericks +1.5