PREVIEW: The Dallas Mavericks travel to Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. on Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET to face a Wizards team desperately searching for consistency. Dallas owns the worst record in the Western Conference at 2-7, while Washington sits at 1-8 and is tied for the league's worst mark. The Mavericks enter as 3.5-point favorites , though both teams have shown they're capable of surprising results when it matters most. Defensively, Dallas ranks first in allowing few three-point attempts at just 34.3 percent, while Washington's quick tempo ranks second overall in the league, creating an intriguing stylistic clash . The injury situation looms large for both squads heading into this matchup. For Dallas, Anthony Davis is day-to-day with a calf strain, Dereck Lively II remains sidelined with a knee injury, and Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March , leaving the Mavericks understaffed on the wing and backcourt. Washington leans heavily on Alex Sarr, who averages 19.1 points and shoots an impressive 54.6 percent from the field with 38.5 percent accuracy from three. However, the Wizards' glaring weakness is their defensive breakdowns—they rank 30th in spacing on offense and allow plenty of shots attacking the rim, suggesting Dallas may find scoring opportunities if they can execute.