The Dallas Mavericks released their 2025-26 regular season schedule on Thursday. 80 of the team’s 82 games have been scheduled, with the two remaining games to be determined after the conclusion of group play in the Emirates NBA Cup. There’s a lot to come on the schedule release from us here at Mavs Moneyball, but here are a few immediate reactions to the schedule release.
Year one of the Cooper Flagg era sees the Mavericks on National TV 23 times, which is 10th most in the NBA this year. Of those 23 games, seven will be exclusive to streaming platforms: two on Peacock and five on Prime Video. Of note, the great Dirk Nowitzki works in the studio for Prime, so it will be very interesting to see how he handles talking about the Mavs.
However, this is seven fewer national TV games than what was scheduled last year, when the Mavericks were slated to play 30 such games. That number, of course, shrunk when Nico Harrison traded global superstar Luka Doncic, and the networks flexed Dallas out of some spots. However, the dumb luck of landing Cooper Flagg has made the Mavericks relevant again, so it is good to see them on the big stage so often.
The Mavs better win early
The early part of this schedule is remarkably soft. From opening night until Thanksgiving, the Mavericks will only leave the state of Texas five times. Beyond that, 12 of the Mavericks first 19 games come against teams with a FanDuel Sportsbook win total that is either the same or lower than their 40.5 total. There is a realistic chance that the Mavericks will be favored in 13 or 14 of their first 20 games this year. They’ll need to win a lot of them, though, because January and February are not kind to them.
Luka’s homecoming parties
The NBA, naturally, has all four scheduled matchups between the Lakers and Mavericks on national TV. The Mavs go to Los Angeles on November 28th (9p on Prime Video) and February 12th (9p on Prime Video). Maverick fans will get the chance to celebrate Doncic twice this season, with the Lakers visiting the Mavericks on Saturday, January 24th (7:30p on ABC) and April 5th (6:30p on ABC). Notably, both matchups in Dallas are on a weekend evening, so it is fair to assume that fans will be sufficiently hydrated and ready to welcome Luka home once again.
Get ready to learn road trip, buddy
The Mavericks only play two home games in the first 25 days of February, and just four total times at American Airlines Center during that month. From February 7th until February 26th, Dallas will not play a home game. Yes, the All-Star Break is sandwiched in there, making this unique quirk in the schedule not as bad as it seems. However, for Mavs fans it’ll be a light month in the attendance department.
The full slate of games for the Dallas Mavericks can be seen here.