DTM’s Saturday Night NBA Special | NO at DAL

New Orleans Pelicans (23-35) at Dallas Mavericks (23-35)

When: 8:30 PM ET, Saturday, February 25, 2017

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

America’s Bookie Line: Dallas +2.5 Total: 204.5

TV Coverage: FSN New Orleans, FSN Southwest (Dallas)

By Dan Leach

Follow Dan on Twitter @DanLeach971

Well the Demarcus Cousins era started with a whimper in NOLA as they got blasted by the Rockets Thursday night and lost Omri Casspi to a broken wrist. Now the Pelicans get a chance a couple nights later to turn that around against the struggling Mavericks.

The Pelicans might not make the playoffs, but if they do and Cousins and Anthony Davis find a rhythm, NO ONE is going to want to play them in the postseason. I mean those two could combine for 70 points a night and take over games against anyone they play.

This will be a big test for the newly formed Pelicans as if they find themselves in a funk going forward with the new lineup for the next several games, questions will abound as to whether this was the right move for Boogie. The Mavs find themselves in similar position as the Pelicans as far as the playoffs are concerned, where they are close enough to get into the 8 seed, but a few losses here and there and they could find themselves too far out of the NBA Playoffs come mid March into April.

Look for this to be a highly competitive game with big moments for both teams, but I see the second time out for Boogie and Davis to be more like it will be going forward in a dominating fashion. It takes time to gel for new teammates and there still will be growing pains, but this will be a coming out party for the two superstars against a Mavs team that won’t be able to answer them.

7.8 DTM Bagels and Locks on the Pelicans (NO -2.5)

Dan Leach was the world’s first human to live under the sea for more than 60 days, created what is now used as the International Olympic Flag, was the basis of Denzel Washington’s character Frank Lucas in “American Gangster”, Is often consulted on matters of national “Sports Security”, was the first human to interview Dracula, started the American Revolution on a dare, once sat in on drums with Led Zeppelin, and is a noted expert in the field of Time Travel.