Dallas Mavericks vs Indiana Pacers Picks and Prediction for Friday October 23 2026
In Friday night NBA action, the Dallas Mavericks will travel to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to take on the Indiana Pacers. This battle will get started at 7:00 pm EST on October 23, 2026 and will be streamed on NBA League Pass. The Pacers are a 5.5 point home favorite and the total as of writing is 236.5. Be ready for all of this season's NBA action with our free NBA picks.
Dallas hanging their hopes on Flagg
The Dallas Mavericks are still dealing with the aftermath of trading Luka Doncic and have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons. Former number one overall draft pick Cooper Flagg shined in the second half of last season and it will be interesting to see how well he pairs with Kyrie Irving. On Wednesday, Dallas was outscored by 26 points during the second quarter of a 128-110 road loss against Houston.
Cooper Flagg led all scorers with 32 points on 10-for-17 shooting and pulled down five boards. Marcus Sasser scored 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting in 24 minutes off the Dallas bench. Kyrie Irving added 15 points (6-9 FG) in 24 minutes of action for the Mavericks.
Last season, the Mavericks (26-56) ranked in the bottom four of the league in offensive efficiency and averaged 114.1 points per game. Dallas was also in the bottom five in three-point percentage and three-point attempts. During Wednesday’s loss, the Mavericks shot 11-for-37 from long distance.
Indiana happy to have Haliburton back
The Indiana Pacers appeared in the NBA Finals in 2025, but last season was lost with G Tyrese Haliburton sidelined with an Achilles injury. The Pacers (19-63) dropped 30 of 41 home games and finished with the second worst overall record in the NBA. On opening night, Indiana stormed back from a ten-point halftime deficit to earn a 123-120 road victory against New Orleans.
Indiana F Pascal Siakam led the way with 30 points on 13-for-23 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton did not miss a beat in his return with 23 points (8-15 FG) and 12 assists. Obi Toppin added 20 points in 25 minutes off the bench for the Pacers.
Indiana was tied with Dallas for 27th with a 108.5 offensive efficiency rating and averaged 112.4 points per game. Even without Haliburton, the Pacers played at the ninth fastest tempo in the league. Newly acquired C Ivica Zubac recorded a team-high plus 11 rating in the season opener and should clog the paint for Indiana defensively.
Dallas Mavericks vs Indiana Pacers Picks and Prediction
Pick: Dallas Mavericks +5.5
Dallas F Caleb Martin (thumb) and C Dereck Lively II (foot) have been officially ruled out of this contest. Last season, the Mavericks won both games against the Pacers by a total of six points. Haliburton looked good on Wednesday night, but it remains to be seen if he is all the way back. Indiana was trailing by ten against a bad New Orleans team and should not be favored by this many points. Take the Mavericks to cover on the road.
Pick: Over 236.5
These two teams ranked in the top ten in tempo a season ago and played fast in their respective season openers. The Pacers will continue to push the ball with Haliburton and T.J. McConnell coming off the bench. In the final meeting last season, Dallas won at Indiana by a 134-130 final score. Take the over.
Final Score Prediction: Dallas Mavericks 123-119