Tip-off: Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Line: Dallas -2.5, Total: N/A

The Mavericks look to get even closer to clinching a playoff berth in the Western Conference with a win at home over the Rockets Thursday.

The Rockets hosted the Kings on Thursday and came away with a 115-111 victory as 10-point favorites. Houston has won five of its past six games, but the team is just 3-3 ATS in those games. Dallas, meanwhile, beat Oklahoma City 135-131 as a 3-point road underdog on Wednesday. It was the first time the Mavericks scored 100+ points in the past three games and this team will need to play better offensively moving forward. These teams have met three times this season and the home team has won-and-covered in each meeting. The Mavericks have dominated the Rockets in Dallas in recent years, winning eight of the past nine games at home SU. They have also covered in six of those contests. Houston is 21-9 ATS after a game where it failed to cover the spread this season. Dallas, meanwhile, is 43-23 ATS when the line is +3 to -3 over the past three seasons. C Dwight Howard (Knee) is probable for the Rockets, who are without PG Patrick Beverley (Wrist), PF Donatas Motiejunas (Back) and SF Kostas Papanikolaou (Ankle) either indefinitely or for the season. Dallas is not currently dealing with any significant injuries.

Can the Rockets win a big road game over the Mavericks on Thursday? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks throughout the entire 2014-15 season. StatFox Forecaster has a strong 54% ATS record (192-164-2) in featured games this season. In terms of Best Bets, the experts have a huge 60% ATS (191-128-4) record since Jan. 2, led by StatFox Brian who has a lofty 61% ATS (25-16-1) mark in Best Bets since Feb. 4, and is now 57% ATS (64-48-1) in season Best Bets. StatFox Gary has a strong 56% ATS (36-28-1) mark in NBA Best Bets since Jan. 1, and is 55% ATS (61-50-1) this season. StatFox Scott is also sizzling with a 59% ATS record (42-29-1) in Best Bets since Dec. 21, improving his record to 55% ATS (61-50-1) for the season. StatFox Dave is a scorching 66% ATS (29-15) in NBA Best Bets since Jan. 28, while StatFox Zach is a robust 64% ATS (41-23-1) in NBA Best Bets since Jan. 2.

The Rockets are coming off of a win over the Sacramento Kings and SG James Harden (27.6 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.7 RPG, 1.9 SPG) was absolutely brilliant. Harden poured in 51 points with eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in 38 minutes of action. He was 8-for-9 from the outside and will look to ride that momentum into this matchup with Dallas. He’s averaging 25.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.7 APG and 2.7 SPG against the Mavericks this season and must make sure he outplays Monta Ellis in this one. C Dwight Howard (15.9 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 1.3 BPG) is expected to take the court for the Rockets in this game. Howard is averaging 11.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 18.3 MPG since returning from his knee injury. He’ll need to be ready to play in this one because he must hold his own on the glass against Tyson Chandler. SF Trevor Ariza (12.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.9 SPG) had 22 points against Sacramento on Wednesday. He’s averaging 12.0 PPG against Dallas this season and will need to knock down his open looks in this game. He is a solid outside shooter (34% 3PT) and must play good defense on Chandler Parsons Thursday. PF Josh Smith (12.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.0 SPG) has struggled offensively recently, averaging just 5.0 PPG over the past two contests. He is just 4-for-17 from the field in those two games and must start making some shots soon.

The Mavericks picked up a big victory over the Thunder on Wednesday and SG Monta Ellis (19.2 PPG, 4.2 APG, 1.9 SPG) finished the game with 26 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals in 37 minutes. Ellis had it going in that game and will need to keep it up against Houston. He’s averaging 20.7 PPG this season when going up against James Harden and must hold his own Thursday. C Tyson Chandler (10.0 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 1.2 BPG) is averaging 12.0 RPG over the past three contests. This is big for Dallas because Dwight Howard is not playing at 100% health. Chandler can really give the Mavericks a big boost on the glass if he brings his energy. PG Rajon Rondo (8.9 PPG, 8.0 APG, 5.6 RPG, 1.4 SPG) appears to be clicking in this offense over the past two contests, posting double-doubles in both of those games. The Rockets are very thin at the point guard position and Rondo will need to exploit that by attacking the rim and being a little more aggressive as a scorer than usual. PF Dirk Nowitzki (17.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG) is averaging 18.5 PPG over the past two contests and is 15-for-28 from the field in those games. He is shooting the ball a lot better recently and must come to play against a Rockets team that has given him trouble this season (12.3 PPG in three meetings). SF Chandler Parsons (15.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG) could be an x-factor for the Mavs in this one. He is extremely hot recently, averaging 23.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG over the past two contests. He should be amped up to play against his former team and he’ll need to knock down some outside shots this game. He is a good shooter (38% 3PT) and is also capable of using his length to score around the rim.