The Houston Rockets are one of only two undefeated teams remaining in the NBA, and they make the short trip to Dallas to face the Mavericks on Friday, October 30 at 8 p.m. ET.
The Rockets (5-0) rank third in the league in scoring at 123.0 points per game (PPG) coming off Wednesday’s 132-100 rout of Milwaukee. Dallas (3-2) has won three of its past four games, capped off by a 120-96 Wednesday rout of Oklahoma City as a 5.5-point home underdog.
Below, we'll break down our Rockets vs. Mavericks prediction and NBA Cup picks for Friday, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
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Rockets vs. Mavericks Prediction, Spread, Over/Under for NBA Cup – Friday, October 30
The Rockets enter Friday’s game as 6.5-point road favorites against the Mavericks. If Dallas wins outright, it returns a 2.77x payout via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for the Rockets vs. Mavericks game on PrizePicks.
PrizePicks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Make your Rockets vs. Mavericks prediction on spread, over/under, and more on PrizePicks.
Three of the last four teams to make the NBA Cup Championship ended up in the NBA Finals. Houston and Dallas are part of group West A along with Denver, Phoenix, and Utah — one of six groups fighting for a chance at the NBA Cup title.
The Rockets destroyed the Mavericks on opening night 128-110 as 9.5-point home favorites. Houston jumped out to a 32-point halftime advantage thanks to outscoring Dallas 38-12 in the second quarter. The Rockets were led by the frontcourt duo of forwards Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. with 30 points apiece.
Durant has shot at least 60% on effective field goal percentage (eFG%) in four of five games this season, including a season-high 68.8% mark against Dallas.
The one Houston starter that posted the highest usage (30.6%), plus-minus (+23), offensive rating (142.4), and net rating (+39.0) in the opener was C Alperen Sengun. However, Sengun is listed as questionable tonight with a back injury.
The Mavericks have won all three of their games as an underdog, averaging 118.0 PPG in those victories. Dallas owns a 97.9 defensive rating when F Cooper Flagg is on the court compared to 127.0 when the former Duke star is on the bench, according to Hoops Junkie.
Head coach Dusty May’s squad outscored Oklahoma City in each of the four quarters in Wednesday’s 24-point triumph. It marked the first time in five games that Dallas allowed fewer than 100 points.
Four players off Dallas’ bench scored in double-figures, including 13 points from 2024 top pick F Zaccharie Risacher. The former Hawk has posted at least 11 points in three of five games; Dallas is +30 when he is on the court.
Rockets vs. Mavericks NBA Cup Prediction on Winner – 10/30/26
Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Rockets vs. Mavericks NBA Cup prediction on the winner for Friday, October 30.
- Both teams failed to advance past group play last season ,as the Rockets finished 2-2 and the Mavs closed 1-3.
- Houston ranks second in eFG% (59.4%), and Dallas sits fourth at 56.5%, according to NBA.com.
- The Mavericks covered all four meetings last season as a dog but failed to cover in the aforementioned opener when receiving 9.5 points.
- Houston has cashed the spread in all five victories, winning by an average of 14.2 PPG.
- Dallas has allowed an eFG% at home of just 50.0%. That mark is 54.1% on the road.
- The Rockets own the sixth-lowest opponent free throw rate (24.4%), while Dallas gets to the line at the lowest frequency in the league (19.3%).
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Rockets vs. Mavericks Picks, Player Stats for NBA Cup on PrizePicks: 10/30/26
Here are the top Rockets vs. Mavericks picks to target on Friday, October 30. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks include Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Rockets F Kevin Durant vs. Mavericks: 28.5 Pts + Rebs
- Durant combined for 36 points and rebounds in the opener against Dallas but is averaging 26.8 PR in the last four games.
- The Mavs allow the sixth-fewest rebounds per game (42.4), and KD is pulling down 6.2 boards per contest.
- Durant drilled 7 of 12 attempts from deep on the road, although Dallas is sixth in opponent 3-point shooting at 30.6%.
- Only one opposing primary SF has posted at least 29 PR against the Mavs since Durant’s huge opening night. OKC wing Ajay Mitchell compiled 33 in Wednesday’s defeat at the hands of Dallas.
Add Kevin Durant + Rockets to win to your PrizePicks lineup now.
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Mavericks PG Kyrie Irving vs. Rockets: 19.5 Points
- Irving has finished below this projection in three of four games, including mustering all of 15 points against the Thunder.
- According to Props Madness, the nine-time All-Star hasn't scored more than 20 points in five of the last six games (since February) against teams in the top 10 of defensive rating. The Rockets are ninth.
- Irving was limited to 15 points in the season-opening loss to Houston, taking just 9 shots.
- His volume has increased in the last three games (15.6 attempts per game), but Irving’s eFG% in the club's last two wins is 50.3%.
Add Kyrie Irving + Mavericks to cover the spread to your PrizePicks lineup now.
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Houston and Memphis are the last two undefeated teams in the NBA. Can the Rockets pull out another win over the Mavericks, or will Dallas pick up its third consecutive victory in the underdog role?
Don’t wait until tip-off — make your Rockets vs. Mavericks picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
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