Dallas is one of the four worst teams in the NBA right now. The Mavericks are 1-8, their worst record since 1993-94. This proud franchise is in need of rebuild. The players know it. Rick Carlisle knows it. Mark Cuban knows it.

All of the Mavericks' losses except one have been by five or more points.

New Orleans is a serious playoff contender. No team can match the Pelicans' superstar Twin Towers of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. Both rank among the top-five in scoring and rebounding. The Pelicans are going to hurt the Mavericks inside a lot. Dallas is one of the poorer rebounding teams in the league.

The Pelicans, though, have lost consecutive games falling to the much-improved Magic and star-studded Timberwolves. This is the first of four road games in a row for New Orleans. The Pelicans should be focused and play with a great sense of urgency. That should ensure a victory here because the talent gap is huge.

Dirk Nowitzki doesn't have much left. Rookie Dennis Smith Jr. is the Mavericks' main man now and he's mistake-prone with bad shooting percentages. The Mavericks don't have the components to take advantage of the Pelicans' major weakness, which is turnovers. Dallas ranks 29th in defensive field goal percentage.

This is a major drop in class for the Pelicans after games versus the Cavaliers, Magic and Timberwolves. New Orleans has a good history of taking care of business against bad teams when on the road. The Pelicans have covered eight of the last 10 away times they've met a foe with a sub .500 record at home.