The Atlanta Hawks host the Dallas Mavericks in the season opener for both teams at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. Atlanta is favored by two points at Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over-Under is set at 224.5 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our NBA odds page). 

Before making any Mavericks vs. Hawks picks, you NEED to check out the NBA predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned almost $9,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three seasons. The model finished up almost $600 on its top-rated picks last season and enters the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 100-66 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anyone following it has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows the Mavericks have a high-powered offense. Dallas is led by Luka Doncic, who averaged 27.7 points, 8.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds a season ago. The Mavericks also have a quality No. 2 option in Kristaps Porzingis and, after the All-Star break, Dallas was the No. 3 offensive team in the NBA in scoring 116.8 points per 100 possessions. One of the keys for the Mavericks is ball security, with Dallas turning the ball over on only 12.3 percent of possessions in 2020-21.

The model also knows the Hawks were a different team under Nate McMillan last season. Atlanta finished on a 27-11 run in the regular season, then the Hawks made an impressive run to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks have a top-10 offense, headlined by Trae Young and John Collins, and Clint Capela's presence helped the Hawks to present a highly capable defense a year ago. Atlanta also has a pair of young forwards returning in De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, both of whom should help to stabilize the team's defense. 

Now, it has set its sights on Mavericks vs. Hawks. We can tell you the model is leaning under the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any NBA picks.

Who wins Mavericks vs. Hawks? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Mavericks vs. Hawks spread you should be all over Thursday, all from the model on a roll on NBA picks!