The Dallas Mavericks will visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday for an NBA Western Conference clash at Ball Arena in the opener of the NBA In-Season Tournament. Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m. MT.

Dallas (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS, 3-1 O/U) beat Chicago 114-105 in its last game, and  Denver (4-1 SU, 2-3 ATS, 0-5 O/U) lost 110-89 to Minnesota. Last season, these teams split their four regular-season meetings.

The Nuggets are 6.5-point spread favorites and the game total is 226.5 points.

Is Dallas better than we assumed?

Dallas earned its fourth straight win in its last game, beating Chicago by nine points despite being outshot from the field and 54-24 in the paint. The Mavs scored 60 points from beyond the arc and turned it up in the second half, outscoring the Bulls 65-55. F Grant Williams led the way with 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

Dallas added Seth Curry and Grant Williams this offseason. Reggie Bullock and Christian Wood were among their departures. NBA fans will be curious how the Luka Doncic–Kyrie Irving combo will look in a full season, as the duo could be among the most deadly in the league. If there is chemistry, the Mavs will be one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Last season, Dallas scored 114.2 points per game (16th) and shot 47.5 percent (15th), including 37.1 percent from beyond the arc (8th). Its opponents averaged 114.1 points (16th) and shot 48.5 percent (24th) with a 35.2 shooting percentage from long distance (7th). The Mavericks ranked 28th in pace of play,

Can Denver repeat with the target on its back?

Denver shot under 40 percent from the field in its first loss of the season, as Minnesota earned a 21-point home win over the defending champs. The Timberwolves shot nearly 46 percent and were lethal at the foul line, knocking down 26 of their 27 FT attempts. The Nuggets were an unimpressive 6-for-33 from three-point range (18.2%).

Denver returns the core of its championship team, aside from G Bruce Brown. The Nuggets did add Gonzaga G Julian Strawther in the NBA Draft and hope to get more out of G Christian Braun in his second pro season. They may not be the sexiest team, but they’re undeniably one of the most talented squads in the league.

Last season, Denver scored 115.8 points per game (12th) and shot 50.4 percent (1st), including 37.9 percent from three-point range (4th). Its opponents scored 112.5 points per game (8th) and shot 47.8 percent (20th) with a 34.4 shooting percentage from long distance (3rd). The Nuggets ranked 21st in pace, per Dunks and Threes.